When it comes to managing documents in SharePoint, many of us stick to what we know—good old folders. They’re familiar, easy to set up, and feel like a safe choice. But if you’re only using folders, you’re missing out on some serious benefits. By embracing metadata, you can transform your document management, making it more searchable, organised, and collaborative than ever before.
Let’s dive into why metadata might just be the game-changer your organisation needs.
Supercharged Searchability
Remember that time you spent ages trying to find a file buried deep in a labyrinth of folders? With metadata, those days are over.
Instead of relying on memory to trace the exact folder path, metadata lets you tag documents with keywords (like client name, project number, or document type). This means you can quickly search and find what you need, no matter where the file is stored.
Imagine you’re working in a Council’s planning department, and you need to find all documents related to a specific housing development proposal from two years ago. Instead of trawling through numerous folders named by date, project, or department, a simple metadata search using tags like “Housing Development,” “Planning Application,” and the relevant “Year” instantly brings up all related documents. This not only saves time but also ensures that no important files are overlooked in the process.
Smarter Document Organisation
Folders can quickly become a tangled mess, especially as your document library grows. Metadata, on the other hand, offers a dynamic way to organise your files. You can categorise and view documents from multiple angles without creating duplicates or convoluted folder structures.
In an NHS Trust, you might manage a vast array of documents related to patient care, clinical guidelines, and administrative records. Instead of relying on a rigid folder structure for each department or type of document, you could use metadata to tag files with relevant categories like “Patient Care,” “Clinical Guidelines,” “Cardiology,” or “2024.”
This approach allows you to easily organise and retrieve documents based on any of these tags, ensuring that vital information is always accessible, no matter which department or criteria you’re working with.
Smoother Collaboration and Version Control
Collaboration can get messy when documents are buried in the wrong folders or when you’re struggling to find the latest version. Metadata streamlines this process by allowing you to track and manage documents based on attributes rather than location, cutting down on errors and improving version control.
In a creative agency, multiple teams might collaborate on a client’s marketing campaign, including designers, copywriters, and project managers. Without metadata, files could end up in the wrong folders, leading to confusion over which version of a design or draft is the latest.
By using metadata to tag documents with the project name, client name, and version number, everyone can easily access the most up-to-date files. This ensures that the team is always working on the correct version, reducing the risk of errors and miscommunication that could derail the project.
Tailored Document Views
SharePoint’s metadata system lets you create custom views tailored to different needs, giving you the flexibility to organise documents by project, department, date, or any other criteria—without moving or copying files.
In a manufacturing company, different departments such as engineering, quality control, and supply chain management may need to access the same set of documents, but each with a different focus. Engineers might need to view documents by part number, while the quality control team might organise them by inspection date, and supply chain managers by supplier name.
Using metadata in SharePoint, you can create custom views tailored to each department’s needs, allowing everyone to access the same documents in a way that makes the most sense for their specific tasks—without duplicating files or creating cumbersome folder structures.
Simplified Compliance and Governance
When it comes to compliance, metadata is your best friend. It helps ensure that retention policies are applied, document history is tracked, and sensitive information is managed correctly. Folders, with their rigid structure, can make these processes more complicated than they need to be.
In an HR department, managing sensitive employee documents—such as contracts, performance reviews, and disciplinary records—requires strict adherence to data protection laws and internal policies. By using metadata, these documents can be tagged with attributes like “Confidential,” “Employee ID,” “Contract Renewal Date,” or “Retention Period.” This enables the HR team to automate processes such as flagging contracts for renewal, archiving performance reviews after a set period, or securely deleting outdated records.
Metadata ensures that sensitive information is managed according to compliance standards, reducing the risk of mishandling and ensuring that the department stays on top of legal requirements.
Conclusion
While folders have their merits, the power of metadata in SharePoint is hard to beat. It enhances searchability, boosts organisation, improves collaboration, and simplifies governance—making it an indispensable tool for modern document management.
By shifting to a metadata-driven approach, your organisation can unlock SharePoint’s full potential, boosting efficiency and reducing the risk of errors along the way.
Need help in unlocking the benefits of metadata in your organisation? Blackbird Corporate are here to help! Contact us to find out what we can do for you.