10 reasons to avoid folders in sharepoint
DESCRIPTION
Maximize your SharePoint investment and find out why you need to avoid folders and start leveraging the Enterprise Content Management features in SharePoint. This presentation outlines the shortcomings of folders and explore such alternatives as Custom Columns, Views, Key Filters, Managed Metadata, Content Type, and Document Set. View a recording of the session here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tDmGhIljmQTRANSCRIPT
10 Reasons to
Avoid Folders
in SharePointBobby Chang
@bobbyschang
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About Me
Contact Info
• slideshare.net/bobbyschang
• linkedin.com/in/bchang
• @bobbyschang
• bobbyspworld.com
Bobby Chang
SharePoint Consultant at Planet Technologies
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NO FOLDER FOR YOU !!
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Provide Value to Your End Users
Photo Credit – Matthew Keagle & Creative Commons
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Folder = Physical Location• SharePoint appends all folders into
URL• URL encoding applies, e.g.: Space =
%20Team Alpha Site Project
Document Library Project SOW
Proposal
Draft Copies from Team
My Personal Original Copies
I Very Much like Subfolders
http://mycompany.com/sites/TeamAlpha/ProjectDocuments/Project%20SOW/Proposal/Draft%20Copiesfrom%20Team…
/MyPersonal%20Original%20Copies/I%20Very%20Much%20Like%20Subfolders/My%20Favorite%20Document.docx
My Favorite Document.docx
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Linear Structure
Reason # 1
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A Linear Structure• Requires drilling down to sub-folders• Rigid structure leads to difficulty in finding
content• Can be inefficient during file upload
Number of clicks
1
2
34
56
7
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Forced Grouping
Reason # 2
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Multiple Categories?• Every file HAS to belong to a folder• Cannot account for file that falls into multiple
categories
Company A Company B
Document forCompany A & B Merger
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Moving Document = URL Change
Reason # 3
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Your links don’t work!!
SharePoint is broken
I HATE SharePoint!!!
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Higher Chance of Running into Error
Reason # 4
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Deep Folder Structure• Folder is directly correlated with URLs
– Deep Folder Structure = Long URL
• System Constraint– MS Office restriction of 259 characters max for
URL links– User may not be able to save, open, or update
the files
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Threshold Error• Renaming folder may result in Threshold
Error
• Generally occurs when total number of files in all sub-folders are greater than 5,000 files
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Metadata / Document Tag
Solution
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Picture listening to a song in iTunes
What do you see?
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Recap Reason #1 thru #41. Linear folder structure
2. Inability to account for multiple categories
3. Risk in broken links upon document move
4. Higher chance of running into error
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Metadata / Document Tag
Demo
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Lack of Flexibility in Display
Reason # 5
Photo Credit - Mind Yourself
You’re at the mercy of the
person who created
the folder structure
• Folder presents only one way of grouping info
• Users have different preference to consume info
• Provides for a taxonomy challenge
Lack of Display Options
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Region > Year > Project Phase > Document Category
vs.
Year > Document Category > Region > Project Phase
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Custom Filters & Key Filters
Demo
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SharePoint View
Demo
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Inability to Track Synonym
Reason # 6
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Limitations with Synonym• Synonyms are typically appended
• E.g.: “Status / Progress Report / Project Team Update”
• Folder names can’t contain special characters (e.g.: /)
• Adding Synonym Folder Name Change URL Change
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Managed Metadata
Demo
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Lack of Control Over Taxonomy
Reason # 7
”Is she changing our spectacularly designed folder
structure?”
• Contributors have too much control– Create, Delete, or Move
folders
– Rename folders
• Folder structure could be altered by team members
Contributors and Folders
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Governance Concern• With folders, contributors have free
reign over taxonomy management
• Reserve capability for selective individuals– i.e.: Content Manager or Site Manager
• Avoid the Wild Wild West scenario
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Termstore Management
Demo
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Loss of Office Integration Functions
Reason # 8
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Document Information Panel
Demo
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Quick Parts
Demo
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No Standard or Reusability
Reason # 9
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2012
Southeast
Project Status
Weekly Status ReportsTeam A
M A N U A L C O P Y P R O C E S S
2012
Status
ProjectReports
WeeklyProjectStatus
Southeast
2012
Project Status
Weekly Status Reports
2012
Status Reports
Team B Team C Team D
Inconsistent
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Content Type• Foundation of SharePoint Content Management
• Even if you’re not aware of Content Type, you most likely have already interacted with it
• Provide standardization:
• Consistent set of tags or metadata
• Ability to attach standard document template
• Associate automated business workflow process
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Weekly Status Reports Content Type
Team A Team B Team C Team D
A U T O M A T E D
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Content Type
Demo
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No Folder Workflow or Automation
Reason # 10
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Document Set
Demo
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No. Not necessarily.
Should I then NEVER use folder?
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Why You May Consider Folders
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• People are comfortable with folders
• Metadata is a Huge Mind Shift– Expect Resistance & Initial Uphill Battle– Requires Continuous Education and Training
Risk of Low User Adoption
Nice to meet you
Metadat
a
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Varying Permission Model• Permissions can be set at the folder
level
• Documents residing in a folder would inherit the permissions of that folder
• Fantastic for complex permission requirements within a single repository
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Bulk Upload Native Tools
1. OneDrive for Business sync client err… Document Sync
2. Drag and Drop Feature
3. Open with Explorer
What do they have in common?
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Where do I tag??
No Metadata SupportJust
uploaded TONS of
files
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More Bulk Update Limitations• Content Type unsupported in Datasheet/Quick
Edit
• In SharePoint 2010:– Managed Metadata unsupported in Datasheet
View
– Content Type unsupported in Inline Editing
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How to Use Folders Effectively
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Using Folders Effectively• Combine Folders with Metadata
• Utilize “Common Default Values”– Metadata value can be automatically assigned– Each folder can have different default values
• Create “Without Folders” SharePoint View– Hides folder structure when displaying
documents– Eliminates hierarchy issue when browsing
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Contributors vs. Visitors View• Different options for different
audience
• Display Folder View for Contributors– More efficient for upload– Auto-assigns tags via Common Default
Values
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Contributors vs. Visitors View• Display Non-Folder View for Visitors
– Removes reliance on navigating by folders
– Leverages power of metadata
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Should I NEVER use folder?
No. Not necessarily.
But Folder should be the Exception
NOT the Rule
linkedin.com/in/bchang bobbyspworld.com
@bobbyschang
© LoveToKnow Charity
Questions? Feel Free to Contact Me
Bobby Changtwitter.com/bobbyschangslideshare.net/bobbyschang