Automate file tagging in SharePoint with metadata inheritance |
Fact - better metadata improves the use of content management systems and makes content easier to find. So why is it so hard to attach metadata when content is created?
The problem becomes - who will select the values for the fields? While the content author is the best person to do this, it often does not happen. If this is your challenge, there are certainly other options. For example someone can manually re-tag the content after the fact. There are also automated solutions, such as text analytics. However, these solutions take time to calibrate and often produce mixed results.
If you do want an automated solution, one option we recommend is to automatically assign values based on the folder where the content resides. This method does require the content author to be involved by picking the right folder and defining values for a few fields. Other values can be populated automatically by SharePoint using the folder metadata. Once completed, the folder navigation can be discarded by the use of list views. Ultimately, this method provides more reliable metadata which improves search and find-ability in SharePoint.
While SharePoint 2010 includes folder based metadata inheritance, SharePoint 2007 does not. MetaVis Folders enables companies to leverage this functionality, today. It automates metadata inheritance within specific (or all) folders in a list or library. All you need to do is create a folder structure with metadata. Any item placed inside these folders automatically inherits the metadata.
For more information on automated file tagging check out the MetaVis blog or download a trial version MetaVis Folders at http://www.metavistech.com/
-The MetaVis Team |
