What Assessment Interviews Reveal About Hidden Risks and Information Flow
Mar 10, 2026
What kinds of issues do assessment interviews uncover in “fully digital” organizations?
Even digital-first teams often maintain legacy habits: printing documents, boxing them, and sending them to off-site storage despite relying on electronic versions daily. This creates unnecessary cost, risk, and confusion.
Why is storing the same record in multiple places a problem?
Duplicate storage multiplies risk.
If a record exists in email, a file share, and a warehouse, each location becomes a potential point of exposure, loss, or noncompliance.
How do interviews support change management?
Light-touch observations during interviews — such as pointing out duplicate storage — often spark immediate reflection and help teams recognize misaligned practices without defensiveness.
What’s an example of a real issue uncovered during an assessment?
One organization stored rejected candidate resumes in six different locations. Only one copy was required for compliance. The rest created unnecessary privacy exposure.
How do assessment interviews help map information flow?
By speaking with multiple functions:
- Procurement explains how purchase requests originate
- Vendors describe how they receive orders
- Field teams show how goods are received
- Accounts payable outlines how invoices are matched and paid
Each interview is a data point. Together, they reveal the true operational flow.
Why is mapping information flow so important?
It turns invisible processes into visible risks — and opportunities for improvement. Organizations often don’t realize how fragmented their information ecosystem is until the interviews make it clear.
Want more insight?
For a deeper look at how interviews expose hidden risks and duplicate records, listen to What Counts by TrailBlazer Consulting, Episode 3.
