sharepoint metadata workshop

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SharePoint Metadata: What business users need to know www.clearboxconsulting.co.uk [email protected] @sammarshall

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SharePoint Metadata

What business users

need to know

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Sam Marshall Director of ClearBox Consulting

Former global intranet manager

at Unilever

Intranet Benchmarking Forum

Associate

ClearBox Consulting Intranet amp SharePoint

Strategy

Governance

Implementation

Collaboration

Training

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Agenda

What has metadata ever done for us

Defining columns and content types

Managed metadata and taxonomies

Folders and other tricks

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where do you stand on

SharePoint

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What has metadata ever

done for us

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What is metadata

1) With the other people on your table think of the kinds of metadata for products in a supermarket 1 Weight

2 Price

3 Ingredients

2) Write each item on a separate small post-it note Write 5+ that mostly interest consumers

Write 5+ that mostly interest store managers

3) Group the items into logical clusters Label the groups on the large post-it notes

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where it appears in SharePoint

bull List Columns

bull Document Library Columns

bull Content Types

bull Managed Metadata

bull Social tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

SharePoint Hierarchy (simplified)

Items

Libraries Lists

Sub-Sites

Site Collection Intranet

Home Marketing

Sales News

Latest bids

Calendar

Meeting 12th April

Brochures

2011 Products

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Why is metadata important in SharePoint

1 Search indexing

2 Filtering Search Results (Faceted search)

3 Filtering and Sorting lists

4 Common language to connect content together

5 Managing content eg Expiry dates Owner

6 Personalisation

7 Tag clouds for alternative navigation

8 Informing users about a document without having

to open it

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering Lists

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

My Site ndash My Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What do business owners

need to do

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Sam Marshall Director of ClearBox Consulting

Former global intranet manager

at Unilever

Intranet Benchmarking Forum

Associate

ClearBox Consulting Intranet amp SharePoint

Strategy

Governance

Implementation

Collaboration

Training

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Agenda

What has metadata ever done for us

Defining columns and content types

Managed metadata and taxonomies

Folders and other tricks

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where do you stand on

SharePoint

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What has metadata ever

done for us

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What is metadata

1) With the other people on your table think of the kinds of metadata for products in a supermarket 1 Weight

2 Price

3 Ingredients

2) Write each item on a separate small post-it note Write 5+ that mostly interest consumers

Write 5+ that mostly interest store managers

3) Group the items into logical clusters Label the groups on the large post-it notes

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where it appears in SharePoint

bull List Columns

bull Document Library Columns

bull Content Types

bull Managed Metadata

bull Social tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

SharePoint Hierarchy (simplified)

Items

Libraries Lists

Sub-Sites

Site Collection Intranet

Home Marketing

Sales News

Latest bids

Calendar

Meeting 12th April

Brochures

2011 Products

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Why is metadata important in SharePoint

1 Search indexing

2 Filtering Search Results (Faceted search)

3 Filtering and Sorting lists

4 Common language to connect content together

5 Managing content eg Expiry dates Owner

6 Personalisation

7 Tag clouds for alternative navigation

8 Informing users about a document without having

to open it

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering Lists

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

My Site ndash My Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What do business owners

need to do

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Sam Marshall Director of ClearBox Consulting

Former global intranet manager

at Unilever

Intranet Benchmarking Forum

Associate

ClearBox Consulting Intranet amp SharePoint

Strategy

Governance

Implementation

Collaboration

Training

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Agenda

What has metadata ever done for us

Defining columns and content types

Managed metadata and taxonomies

Folders and other tricks

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where do you stand on

SharePoint

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What has metadata ever

done for us

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What is metadata

1) With the other people on your table think of the kinds of metadata for products in a supermarket 1 Weight

2 Price

3 Ingredients

2) Write each item on a separate small post-it note Write 5+ that mostly interest consumers

Write 5+ that mostly interest store managers

3) Group the items into logical clusters Label the groups on the large post-it notes

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where it appears in SharePoint

bull List Columns

bull Document Library Columns

bull Content Types

bull Managed Metadata

bull Social tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

SharePoint Hierarchy (simplified)

Items

Libraries Lists

Sub-Sites

Site Collection Intranet

Home Marketing

Sales News

Latest bids

Calendar

Meeting 12th April

Brochures

2011 Products

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Why is metadata important in SharePoint

1 Search indexing

2 Filtering Search Results (Faceted search)

3 Filtering and Sorting lists

4 Common language to connect content together

5 Managing content eg Expiry dates Owner

6 Personalisation

7 Tag clouds for alternative navigation

8 Informing users about a document without having

to open it

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering Lists

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

My Site ndash My Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What do business owners

need to do

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Agenda

What has metadata ever done for us

Defining columns and content types

Managed metadata and taxonomies

Folders and other tricks

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where do you stand on

SharePoint

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What has metadata ever

done for us

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What is metadata

1) With the other people on your table think of the kinds of metadata for products in a supermarket 1 Weight

2 Price

3 Ingredients

2) Write each item on a separate small post-it note Write 5+ that mostly interest consumers

Write 5+ that mostly interest store managers

3) Group the items into logical clusters Label the groups on the large post-it notes

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where it appears in SharePoint

bull List Columns

bull Document Library Columns

bull Content Types

bull Managed Metadata

bull Social tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

SharePoint Hierarchy (simplified)

Items

Libraries Lists

Sub-Sites

Site Collection Intranet

Home Marketing

Sales News

Latest bids

Calendar

Meeting 12th April

Brochures

2011 Products

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Why is metadata important in SharePoint

1 Search indexing

2 Filtering Search Results (Faceted search)

3 Filtering and Sorting lists

4 Common language to connect content together

5 Managing content eg Expiry dates Owner

6 Personalisation

7 Tag clouds for alternative navigation

8 Informing users about a document without having

to open it

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering Lists

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

My Site ndash My Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What do business owners

need to do

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where do you stand on

SharePoint

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What has metadata ever

done for us

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What is metadata

1) With the other people on your table think of the kinds of metadata for products in a supermarket 1 Weight

2 Price

3 Ingredients

2) Write each item on a separate small post-it note Write 5+ that mostly interest consumers

Write 5+ that mostly interest store managers

3) Group the items into logical clusters Label the groups on the large post-it notes

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where it appears in SharePoint

bull List Columns

bull Document Library Columns

bull Content Types

bull Managed Metadata

bull Social tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

SharePoint Hierarchy (simplified)

Items

Libraries Lists

Sub-Sites

Site Collection Intranet

Home Marketing

Sales News

Latest bids

Calendar

Meeting 12th April

Brochures

2011 Products

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Why is metadata important in SharePoint

1 Search indexing

2 Filtering Search Results (Faceted search)

3 Filtering and Sorting lists

4 Common language to connect content together

5 Managing content eg Expiry dates Owner

6 Personalisation

7 Tag clouds for alternative navigation

8 Informing users about a document without having

to open it

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering Lists

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

My Site ndash My Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What do business owners

need to do

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What has metadata ever

done for us

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What is metadata

1) With the other people on your table think of the kinds of metadata for products in a supermarket 1 Weight

2 Price

3 Ingredients

2) Write each item on a separate small post-it note Write 5+ that mostly interest consumers

Write 5+ that mostly interest store managers

3) Group the items into logical clusters Label the groups on the large post-it notes

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where it appears in SharePoint

bull List Columns

bull Document Library Columns

bull Content Types

bull Managed Metadata

bull Social tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

SharePoint Hierarchy (simplified)

Items

Libraries Lists

Sub-Sites

Site Collection Intranet

Home Marketing

Sales News

Latest bids

Calendar

Meeting 12th April

Brochures

2011 Products

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Why is metadata important in SharePoint

1 Search indexing

2 Filtering Search Results (Faceted search)

3 Filtering and Sorting lists

4 Common language to connect content together

5 Managing content eg Expiry dates Owner

6 Personalisation

7 Tag clouds for alternative navigation

8 Informing users about a document without having

to open it

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering Lists

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

My Site ndash My Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What do business owners

need to do

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What is metadata

1) With the other people on your table think of the kinds of metadata for products in a supermarket 1 Weight

2 Price

3 Ingredients

2) Write each item on a separate small post-it note Write 5+ that mostly interest consumers

Write 5+ that mostly interest store managers

3) Group the items into logical clusters Label the groups on the large post-it notes

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where it appears in SharePoint

bull List Columns

bull Document Library Columns

bull Content Types

bull Managed Metadata

bull Social tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

SharePoint Hierarchy (simplified)

Items

Libraries Lists

Sub-Sites

Site Collection Intranet

Home Marketing

Sales News

Latest bids

Calendar

Meeting 12th April

Brochures

2011 Products

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Why is metadata important in SharePoint

1 Search indexing

2 Filtering Search Results (Faceted search)

3 Filtering and Sorting lists

4 Common language to connect content together

5 Managing content eg Expiry dates Owner

6 Personalisation

7 Tag clouds for alternative navigation

8 Informing users about a document without having

to open it

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering Lists

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

My Site ndash My Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What do business owners

need to do

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What is metadata

1) With the other people on your table think of the kinds of metadata for products in a supermarket 1 Weight

2 Price

3 Ingredients

2) Write each item on a separate small post-it note Write 5+ that mostly interest consumers

Write 5+ that mostly interest store managers

3) Group the items into logical clusters Label the groups on the large post-it notes

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where it appears in SharePoint

bull List Columns

bull Document Library Columns

bull Content Types

bull Managed Metadata

bull Social tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

SharePoint Hierarchy (simplified)

Items

Libraries Lists

Sub-Sites

Site Collection Intranet

Home Marketing

Sales News

Latest bids

Calendar

Meeting 12th April

Brochures

2011 Products

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Why is metadata important in SharePoint

1 Search indexing

2 Filtering Search Results (Faceted search)

3 Filtering and Sorting lists

4 Common language to connect content together

5 Managing content eg Expiry dates Owner

6 Personalisation

7 Tag clouds for alternative navigation

8 Informing users about a document without having

to open it

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering Lists

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

My Site ndash My Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What do business owners

need to do

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What is metadata

1) With the other people on your table think of the kinds of metadata for products in a supermarket 1 Weight

2 Price

3 Ingredients

2) Write each item on a separate small post-it note Write 5+ that mostly interest consumers

Write 5+ that mostly interest store managers

3) Group the items into logical clusters Label the groups on the large post-it notes

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where it appears in SharePoint

bull List Columns

bull Document Library Columns

bull Content Types

bull Managed Metadata

bull Social tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

SharePoint Hierarchy (simplified)

Items

Libraries Lists

Sub-Sites

Site Collection Intranet

Home Marketing

Sales News

Latest bids

Calendar

Meeting 12th April

Brochures

2011 Products

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Why is metadata important in SharePoint

1 Search indexing

2 Filtering Search Results (Faceted search)

3 Filtering and Sorting lists

4 Common language to connect content together

5 Managing content eg Expiry dates Owner

6 Personalisation

7 Tag clouds for alternative navigation

8 Informing users about a document without having

to open it

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering Lists

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

My Site ndash My Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What do business owners

need to do

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where it appears in SharePoint

bull List Columns

bull Document Library Columns

bull Content Types

bull Managed Metadata

bull Social tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

SharePoint Hierarchy (simplified)

Items

Libraries Lists

Sub-Sites

Site Collection Intranet

Home Marketing

Sales News

Latest bids

Calendar

Meeting 12th April

Brochures

2011 Products

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Why is metadata important in SharePoint

1 Search indexing

2 Filtering Search Results (Faceted search)

3 Filtering and Sorting lists

4 Common language to connect content together

5 Managing content eg Expiry dates Owner

6 Personalisation

7 Tag clouds for alternative navigation

8 Informing users about a document without having

to open it

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering Lists

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

My Site ndash My Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What do business owners

need to do

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

SharePoint Hierarchy (simplified)

Items

Libraries Lists

Sub-Sites

Site Collection Intranet

Home Marketing

Sales News

Latest bids

Calendar

Meeting 12th April

Brochures

2011 Products

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Why is metadata important in SharePoint

1 Search indexing

2 Filtering Search Results (Faceted search)

3 Filtering and Sorting lists

4 Common language to connect content together

5 Managing content eg Expiry dates Owner

6 Personalisation

7 Tag clouds for alternative navigation

8 Informing users about a document without having

to open it

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering Lists

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

My Site ndash My Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What do business owners

need to do

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

SharePoint Hierarchy (simplified)

Items

Libraries Lists

Sub-Sites

Site Collection Intranet

Home Marketing

Sales News

Latest bids

Calendar

Meeting 12th April

Brochures

2011 Products

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Why is metadata important in SharePoint

1 Search indexing

2 Filtering Search Results (Faceted search)

3 Filtering and Sorting lists

4 Common language to connect content together

5 Managing content eg Expiry dates Owner

6 Personalisation

7 Tag clouds for alternative navigation

8 Informing users about a document without having

to open it

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering Lists

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

My Site ndash My Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What do business owners

need to do

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

SharePoint Hierarchy (simplified)

Items

Libraries Lists

Sub-Sites

Site Collection Intranet

Home Marketing

Sales News

Latest bids

Calendar

Meeting 12th April

Brochures

2011 Products

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Why is metadata important in SharePoint

1 Search indexing

2 Filtering Search Results (Faceted search)

3 Filtering and Sorting lists

4 Common language to connect content together

5 Managing content eg Expiry dates Owner

6 Personalisation

7 Tag clouds for alternative navigation

8 Informing users about a document without having

to open it

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering Lists

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

My Site ndash My Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What do business owners

need to do

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Why is metadata important in SharePoint

1 Search indexing

2 Filtering Search Results (Faceted search)

3 Filtering and Sorting lists

4 Common language to connect content together

5 Managing content eg Expiry dates Owner

6 Personalisation

7 Tag clouds for alternative navigation

8 Informing users about a document without having

to open it

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering Lists

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

My Site ndash My Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What do business owners

need to do

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering Lists

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

My Site ndash My Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What do business owners

need to do

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering Lists

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

My Site ndash My Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What do business owners

need to do

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

My Site ndash My Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What do business owners

need to do

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

My Site ndash My Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What do business owners

need to do

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

What do business owners

need to do

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

What problem are you trying to solve

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata controlometer

Strict Loose

Top-down

Regulated

Process-driven

Bottom-up

Unstructured

Creative

ldquoControlled

Vocabularyrdquo

Many managed

terms

A few managed

terms

Enterprise

keywords

ldquoFolksonomyrdquo

Enterprise

keywords

Social Tags

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Business ownership

1 Decide on the approach

Strict control vs lsquoFolksonomyrsquo

2 Agree on standard terms

What is a lsquoProductrsquo vs lsquobrandrsquo lsquovariantrsquo amplsquopromotionrsquo

3 Have an update and resolution process

Sales vs Manufacturing view

4 Agree who is responsible for what

and make sure it happens

5 Teach content owners and users the ldquowhyrdquo part

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Simple Metadata

columns and content types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Columns

Used to

Define a list

Simple database

Make a simple online form

Define the properties of documents in a library

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Site columns

Good when you have a list that will be re-used

several times within a site

Office locations

Cost codes

Project names

If only used once a list column is fine

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Define a class of documents or items

Allow you to scope search to just that type eg

ldquoBrochurerdquo

Act as a template for the metadata documents must

have

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

An analogy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Example content types

Form

Policy

Course description

Appraisal

Project Charter

Product data sheet

Purchase Order

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types in action

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Types

Definitions can inherit

Food

Fresh Food [description expiry date country origin]

Fruit [description expiry date country origin storage temp]

Document [Author date]

Policy [Author date expiry]

HR Policy [Author date expiry employee_group]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Where to define content types

Global if

Organisation-wide standard

eg security classification

Users would specifically search for it by type

eg Form template policy

Site-specific if

Terminology local to that site

More stringent information management needs than

elsewhere

eg legal vs marketing

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Managed Metadata amp

Taxonomies

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Metadata Purpose

More structured approach to consistent metadata

Improves search and browsing

Define standard pick-lists company-wide

Products

Departments

Work levels

Define synonyms

Eg Business partner Contractor Outsourced Service

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering search results

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Filtering lists

and libraries

Can use

taxonomy and

filters in

combination

httpwwwsharepointconfigcom20100410-ways-sharepoint-2010-improves-findability

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

List

Library

Content Type

colu

mn

Managed Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Service

Term Store Enterprise Keywords

[lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo in

lsquoKeyword Storersquo]

Managed Terms

[Taxonomies in

lsquoTaxonomy Storersquo]

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011 wwwsharepointfabiancomblogListsPostsPostaspxID=93

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed terms in

use

You can copy and

re-use terms

Groups can have

different

administrators

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

The values of a column

can be restricted to one

taxonomy group or term

set

Allow ldquoFill-inrdquo choices

lets authors ldquoAdd new

itemrdquo to the taxonomy ndash

a folksonomy

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Synonyms are shown but not selectable

httpwwwsharepointnutsandboltscom200912managed-metadata-in-sharepoint-2010-keyhtml

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords

Managed Terms

Fresh food

Meat

Dairy

Vegetables

Fruit

Hard Fruit

Soft Fruit

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Enterprise Keywords

Chicken

Beef

Lamb

Milk

Eggs

Peach

Strawberry

Cloudberry

Apple

Pear

Coconut

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Enterprise Keywords

(formerly lsquoManaged Keywordsrsquo)

One flat list called

the ldquoKeyword Setrdquo

ldquoType aheadrdquo

suggestions seen

Suggestions from

taxonomy will also

be seen

Usually ldquoCreate

Newrdquo is enabled

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Managed Terms vs Keywords Managed Terms

Pros

Effective search

Filtering of results

Close control

Cons

lsquoExpensiversquo to do

=Use for most important content areas only

Enterprise Keywords

Pros

Easier and more flexible for users

Work with legacy keywords on docs

Still improve search

Cons

Harder to manage

No context

=Use where managed terms too costly

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Management amp Tips

1 Taxonomy permissions can be set at Term Group level so different departments can manage different branches

2 Terms can be re-used in the taxonomy but beware of politics for when definitions get changed eg ldquoClientrdquo

3 Each Term Set can have an email contact so users can request modifications

4 For emerging taxonomies use a folksonomy approach initially to grow the term collection

5 Change keywords into managed terms as-needed (but beware of mis-interpreting original use)

6 Identify site columns that are candidates for managed metadata

7 Use synonyms for outdated terms or language variants

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What to use when ndash Content Types amp Terms Scenario Solution Examples

A lsquopick listrsquo that will be

re-used

Term set (managed

metadata)

Products office locations

security classification

Mandatory properties

for policy documents

ldquoPolicyrdquo content type with

mandatory columns

Owner expiry security

classification

A collection of policies Define a ldquoPolicyrdquo content

type and use Document Set

HR IT Finance policy

documents that all need

common metadata

Meeting event booking

(re-usable)

Custom list based on

ldquoEventrdquo content type

Offsite meeting training

course

Standard document

templates

Define a Content Type set

to ldquoDocument Templaterdquo

Letterhead PowerPoint

with branding

Ad-hoc form to fill in

(no re-use)

Custom list Christmas lunch planning

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

Folders and other tricks

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

Folders

Against For

Can only put content in

ldquoonerdquo place

Content can get very deeply

buried

Canrsquot sort or filter

Can set metadata defaults

for a folder

Users very familiar with

them

Can be a useful way to

manage permissions

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Document Sets Document sets

deal with multiple

documents as one

entity

eg All files related

to a job applicant

Can have welcome

page with common

metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social Tags

httpssharepointmicrosoftcomen-

usproductThumbNailscomm_ratingspng

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Social tags - Usage Informal user tagging

ndash like Delicious

Can be used to tag

non-SharePoint

content eg

Competitor websites

ldquoI like itrdquo is a reserved

tag viewable in My

Site

Influences search

rankings

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Content Organizer (Drop-off Library)

Allows automatic routing of documents

When ldquoAdd documentrdquo is used it goes via the

organizer

Users asked to add metadata

Pre-determined rules then allocate it to the right

library or folder

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Determining Metadata

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Existing Sources

Data Dictionary

Corporate Databases

WAND General Business Taxonomy

Analyze document collections

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Card Sorting

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

What it tells you

How users naturally cluster concepts

Can be used to determine taxonomy

SharePoint Managed Terms

Can be used to determine navigation

Site hierarchy and pages

See httpwwwboxesandarrowscomviewcard_sorting_a_definitive_guide

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Online Approach

wwwoptimalsortcom or wwwwebsortnet

Recruit 30-40 users who work individually and

unobserved

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Final Thoughts

Getting metadata right is iterative

Donrsquot be too idealistic - avoid bureaucracy

Wait for site owners to outgrow basic solutions

before introducing more advanced ones

Beware of triggering turf wars

Nobody cares about IA until they object to it

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

Sam Marshall

Director

samclearboxconsultingcouk

sammarshall

+44 1244 458746

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk

ClearBox Consulting

bull SharePoint strategy

bull Getting sponsorship and support for your intranet

bull An independent view on your Steering Group

bull SharePoint for effective communications

bullUsing social tools inside the enterprise

bull Effective team collaboration

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms

wwwclearboxconsultingcouk copy ClearBox Consulting 2011

Metadata Terminology

Managed metadata = collective name for taxonomy and keywords ldquoAcme Metadata Setrdquo

Term group = a collection of Term sets ldquoAcme productsrdquo

Term set = One branch in a taxonomy of centrally controlled terms ldquoAcme Domestic Rocket Productsrdquo

(Managed) Term = an entry in the taxonomy ldquoAcme CoyoteBooster 1000rdquo

(Enterprise) Keyword = terms in a flat list

Tag = keyword created by any user

Term Store = team site nominated to store terms