Folders vs. Metadata: SharePoint Engage Oct. 20, 2015

https://vaww.connectedhealth.va.gov

SHAREPOINT ENGAGE OCT. 20-21 2015:

Folders vs. MetadataDonna Rodriguez, Web Manager

The importance of not creating a file share or the wild west in

managed sites,

advantages and disadvantages of both methods, and

how to get reluctant users onboard with using metadata.

123

This Session Covers…

If you follow the debate, it appears there is only a

choice of folders vs. metadata but perhaps there

is another choice — a combination of both.

Folders vs. Metadata debate has been going on for awhile…

Folders Metadata

My Real-World Story

Find the month folder that the artifact was being created for.

Determine the task deliverable folder they were working on in the

contract.

Upload all of the documents for each task deliverable.

.

12

Folder structure employed …3

Real-life Folder Scenario

9.2. April 7-May 6, 2015Monthly Status Report

Task 6.1 Project Management Plan (PMO)

Task 6.2 Ops and Strategic Planning

Task 6.3 CHO Comms Facilitation

Task 6.4 Acquisition Management Support Services

Task 6.5 Cost Benefit Analyses

Task 6.6 Integrated Master Plan (Contracts)

Task 6.7 Informatics Position Management and Consulting

Task 6.8 Clinical Information System Acquisition Support



Look how

long the file

names get

– 260 char

limit invoked.

Rethink our Information Architecture…

Create a content type that is representative of the data within

the library,

look at how they classified their data and how it responds to 2 levels based on their folder structure used,

and

create a column for each piece of data to store.

123

Inventory

Moving from Folders to Metadata

Moving from Folders to MetadataType Name Month Deliverable Task Document Type

11. April 7-May 6,2015 Task 6.1 Project Management Plan Project Management Plan

12. May 7-June 6, 2015

Task 6.1 Project Management Plan Project Management Plan

11. April 7-May 6,2015 Task 6.3 CHO Comms Facilitation Communications Weekly Calls Agenda

12. May 7-June 6, 2015

Task 6.3 CHO Comms Facilitation Innovation Program Weekly Call Notes

Real-life Metadata Scenario


FILTER


SORT

Metadata Views

Metadata Navigation

Why are users reluctant to use metadata?

• Users are comfortable with folders.– Folders have been the main method for categorizing

documents for a long time/how most users think about organizing their files.

• Laborious to capture, add to every single file uploaded, and add the web parts with views to many pages.

• Concept hard to understand for the average user. Need training/SharePoint expert to assist.

Why are users reluctant to use metadata?

Metadata is a scary word!

• Find an example, redo and show/let them interact with the before and after state. – In the prototype:

Ask them to find something in their folder structure that goes across the structure.

Then, have them perform the same search on a library with metadata.

How do you get users to embrace metadata?

• Let them keep their folders.

• Find champions that stand out that can be relied upon to share knowledge/teach others.

• Take the forced approach by disabling folders

from libraries. by disabling new folder

command on menu

How do you get users to embrace the metadata way?

When should we use Folders?1. Propagate permissions and control access to

resources.2. Archival.3. Large Lists.4. Document Sets.5. For simple business users/uses.6. Folders can work better in Windows Explorer View:

a. to purge/clean up, b. to populate, and c. can save time in migrations if you can copy an existing file

share folder structure.

When should we use Metadata?1. To create views and pull together a list of

documents sorted, filtered, grouped by whatever possibilities a user wants/needs. The possibilities are unlimited.

2. To simplify document classification/standardization and improve data integrity by configuring with default values based on content types and/or enforcing required fields across document libraries.

3. To improve the user’s search results.4. To improve metadata based navigational

capabilities.

When could a combo of both be the best solution?


Creating multiple document libraries gives you more options like versioning, whether to display in search results, etc. that you cannot get with folders.


It’s not that folders shouldn’t be used or that their bad, it’s that they should not be used in the exact same way done in a standard file share. Used with the following guidelines …

1. Do not use too many folder levels. 2. Keep folders names short. 3. Folders should not replace populating the

metadata for the item.

When could a combo of both be the best solution?Folders Metadata … a beautiful union

could take place — union between intuitiveness of folders and flexibility of metadata together.

Which side are you on?• By a show of hands:

– Folders– Metadata– Combo

• For those not originally sold on metadata, what in this session convinced you?– For those not sold, why not?

• If you use folders, why do you resist moving from folders to use of metadata?

How does My Real-World story end?“I am guilty of

using folders for everything (not

because its better but its all I

know).”

“After this presentation, I

felt like I should climb in a hole.”

“Teach me a better system I

will be more than happy to use it.”

Speaker InformationDonna RodriguezWeb Manager Web and Mobile SolutionsConnected Care OfficeU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Been working with SharePoint since before v. 2001

[email protected] https://www.linkedin.com/donnaadorianrodr

iguez https://twitter.com/donnaador

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

https://www.linkedin.com/donnaadorianrodriguez

https://www.linkedin.com/donnaadorianrodriguez

https://twitter.com/donnaador

Folders vs. Metadata: SharePoint Engage Oct. 20, 2015

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Transcript of Folders vs. Metadata: SharePoint Engage Oct. 20, 2015