"When people go away they have time to stand back from their everyday lives and question what they're doing. Many return with a desire to bring some change to their lives, and a very fundamental part of this is their jobs," says Jeff Grout, managing director of Robert Half. The result - confirmed by the firm's annual figures - is a rise in the number of people leaving their jobs in September, October and, increasingly, November.But it is not just experienced personnel who are on the move. As organisations become increasingly dependent on areas of specialist information in a complex environment, they may need to invest more in protecting the core knowledge which helps to safeguard their future.The writer is a management consultant with Coopers & Lybrand.. People who contribute in one area also benefit from the contributions of other people in other areas.

FAQs are always relevant to real needs rather than being written from an abstract compliance-driven viewpoint.So new technology allows organisations significantly to improve the creation and management of useful reference materials to help staff. For example, one possible model is the use of Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) lists on the Internet, which deal with topics of common interest. This can help to assess value for money or to identify possible training needs.Finally, electronic communication provides the opportunity for a dialogue between the developer of the reference material and the user. In this way, material can be developed and refined in response to users' needs. In addition, usage tracking allows monitoring of how effectively the reference material is being used.

For instance, linking the disaster recovery section of a finance manual to the organisation's overall disaster recovery plan will help to ensure a consistent approach.Second, new technology can be harnessed to disseminate reference material in a more effective way to users. Electronic publishing software such as Biblos offers significant benefits over traditional paper based distribution. For instance, central library management and version control is provided, copies can be printed locally if required and electronic books can be created easily from existing word-processor files. By ensuring the content is always clear, relevant and up to date, it will be more likely to be used Easy access is provided by key word search facilities.

And users can annotate the material so that it meets their own needs.Building electronic links with other documents, for example accounting regulations or company legislation, also offers clear benefits. Links across documents allow different functions or processes within the organisation to be better co-ordinated. First, information can be presented in a way that is more accessible to the end user. So all information relevant to the corporate reporting process is easy to access.Such an approach offers several advantages. Moreover, we can help the client to integrate not only documentation on the software tool but also accounting policies and procedures in the same electronic environment. Users are spared the inconvenience of receiving loose-leaf update pages, and still have the option of printing all or part of the manual if they prefer a paper copy.