Our background empowers us with the expertise that supports your needs as an information expert
Couranto has been in the business of helping organizations manage complex information needs for decades. Our background empowers us with the expertise that supports your needs as an information expert – and this expertise also trickles down to the day-to-day information consumption experience of your users. And, in the long run, end-user satisfaction is what supports your budget negotiations.
User satisfaction is also the measure by which your performance as an information professional is evaluated. Let’s look at how Couranto’s expertise help boost the everyday experience of your users.
A better understanding of your users’ needs
Understanding needs is the first step to serving those needs. At Couranto we’ve seen time and time again how optimal information provisioning starts with comprehensive insight into the true requirements of a team.
That’s why we’ve helped many clients through a formal needs assessment process to understand what their users’ needs are. We start with a simple mapping process and then analyze how existing resources and supplier relationships are serving current needs.
Our assessment process works within the context of our broader understanding of information needs, based on our wider interactions within the industry – bringing into play knowledge of alternative sources and vendors as well as contemporary ways of handling information requirements.
While a formal needs assessment sets the stage, ongoing feedback and analytics are key. Couranto’s Clarity product offers several analytics tools that provide a view on ongoing usage and demand, and also offers a polling facility so you can ask your users direct questions about usage.
Working in aggregate, our support brings into view a clearer picture of your users’ needs which helps guide your decisions as an information professional.
Improved management of information budgets
Budget management is a key factor in user satisfaction because optimal use of an information budget means more information resources are available to a wider range of users. It comes down to getting better value out of the pot of money you have access to, and better value means a better user experience.
Couranto steps in at multiple levels. For example, through usage monitoring, we help information experts understand which resources really drive usage – and value – and which resources are not seeing the expected usage, alongside indicators as to why that may be the case. This information helps decision-makers acquire and renew the right resources.
We also work with our clients to drive publisher negotiations, using our extensive industry knowledge to help clients obtain optimal pricing for their contracts. As part of this process, we ensure that our clients avoid common licensing pitfalls including buying too many licenses, or licensing errors due to communication mishaps – such as buying licenses that overlap.
Access becomes open and simplified
The user experience also comes down to the practical. After all, if it’s too hard to access a source (or if users do not know they have access to the resource) it can mean that the resource goes underutilized.
Couranto has you covered for accessibility too, through Couranto Discovery. The Discovery platform provides two key capabilities: federated access via single sign-on (SSO), and a single convenient portal where users can readily discover information services.
Couranto’s Discovery offers a user-facing one-stop, searchable dashboard that surfaces all available information resources, including comprehensive access instructions and plenty of room for tips, tutorials, and news about key information resourced. Discovery facilitates access and eliminates duplication by making information sources more discoverable, and helps bridge any knowledge gaps.
SSO access provides convenience because it means that your users do not need to remember individual, unique login and password combinations just to access a data resource. Yes, a highly determined user will always gain access – but login hurdles can deter getting the most out of a resource.
All-in-all, Couranto improves the experience for your users by understanding their needs better, helping you make more out of your information budget, and making it easier for users to access your information sources. To learn more about Couranto’s capabilities visit our services page here.
Courano is a WBENC and Disability:iN certified diverse company with more than 30 years experience in corporate information contract management, Couranto serves clients globally with strategic programs that maximize the value of information portfolios by reducing costs while improving access to licensed content, data resources, intellectual property, corporate memberships and related contracts. Couranto’s Discovery and Clarity platforms provide custom-configured end-to-end information access, budget planning and license management tools. Built on deep expertise and a long history of client successes, Couranto solutions add value to your information and help drive innovation throughout your organization, creating enduring impact.
