What are your NK2 files worth?

How do we determine the value of autocomplete (NK2) file data in an organization?  By timing a few hundred people in different companies and compiling the results!  Click here to download your own ROI calculator.

 

While all companies differ in terms of how Outlook mailboxes are configured, and e-mail is carried out, we discovered a few common denominators when reviewing what other companies have done in the past.

 

Like most companies who have discovered "issues" involving the NK2 file, the most perplexing question posed by IT managers is:  "What do I do now?"  When seeking answers from the various newsgroups, the common solution is to delete the NK2 file and start again.  That's a good solution right?  Perhaps, but maybe not.  The answer is far more complex than the question.  In short, it depends on how much you think data is worth in your company.  In an honest attempt to quantify this value, we've had to make several assumptions and they are noted below. 

 

Ingressor Commander Software ROI Calculation

Based on an average company purchasing 1,000 profile licenses
   
No. of NK2 Files (assumes one file per employee)

   1,000
Time spent searching email addresses (per year)

     2.08 hours
Average Annual Salary (hourly rate)

      $25/hour
Total Cost of Employee Time spent searching addresses

$52,083
Commander program and licensing cost

  $5,495
ROI value expressed in months

      1.27 months
   

Average number of entries in an NK2 file  

       500 entries (Max 1000)

Average number of critical entries (10%)  

         50

Avg. time to find an email address once removed from NK2 file:

         .5 minutes*

Total time seeking email addresses:

      2.08 hours

Average rate of pay in your company:   

       $25/hour**
   

Value of one NK2 file in your company:

   $52.08/NK2 file

 

* Notes and Assumptions:  Finding an email address generally involves searching Sent Items or Inbox emails. This usually entails sorting the contents first, then searching through the sorted entries.  Difficulties arise because names and/or email address are not entered consistently.  And,  varying mailbox structures further complicate searches.  Try some searches in your organization and perform your own analysis.

 

**  Because corporate salaries vary greatly, we have to make assumptions.  Please perform your own analyses to gain a more accurate value of your data.