Planning for Folder and Document Management

                 

 
Special Edition Using Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server
By Robert  Ferguson

Table of Contents
Chapter  10.   Managing Folders And Documents


One of the most crucial components of document management is preparing the overall structure of folders and documents within the document library. With an understanding of the characteristics of folders and documents within a workspace, you can choose a document management strategy suited to the needs of your users. The strategy you choose will have an immediate impact both on the way information is used and the administrative requirements of its ongoing maintenance.

Assessing Your Environment

Before you can choose the best ways to manage documents for your organization, you must clearly define what your users' requirements are. The way that you organize the information within your workspace, and the SharePoint Portal Server features you employ , will define the way your users will interact with their documents and each other.

You should perform a user survey to collect information about the group you are designing for, to ensure that they will have the tools and capabilities they require to fulfill their work objectives. Here are several questions you should ask to build a clear picture of your users' needs and reveal process elements important in choosing how you will organize and manage documents:

  • What sort of documents and materials will be used, and where are they stored?

  • How do users currently search for or locate documents and other information resources?

  • What is the volume of information targeted for inclusion in your workspace?

  • Are there other information sources, aside from those currently targeted for the workspace, that would be useful to the users?

  • What is the current document management process like? What types of authorship roles currently exist? (sole, collaborative, and so on)

  • Who are the intended users of the workspace? How do they currently use and manage their documents? What changes in the process would be useful or have been requested ?

  • What is the general skill level of the user population? Are they proficient in the navigation and use of Windows, Office applications, and Internet Explorer?

  • What approval and publication process exists, if any? Where are the control points in the process?

  • Is this part of a larger document management system?

  • What is the overall lifespan of documents? What happens to old or outdated materials?

  • How will your SharePoint portal be used in the future?

  • What other people or groups might use documents stored within the workspace? (other groups within the organization, customers, general public access, and so forth)

By analyzing the answers to these questions, you can build a management strategy that best suits your environment. Through careful configuration of your documents, utilizing the tools and techniques that will maximize your users' productivity and meet business objectives, you will realize the benefits of SharePoint Portal Server.

If you are already familiar with the organization and its needs, this survey can be an informal one. If you are unfamiliar with the organization, perhaps serving in a consulting capacity, take the time to more formally meet with members of the organization and discuss their current document management processes. Identify their goals and requirements, discuss the strengths and weaknesses they observe in the way they currently manage their information, and use their feedback to plan and design your document management strategy.

TIP

An often overlooked component of a document management strategy is the application of an overall naming convention for folders and documents. The names of files and folders can be used to convey clear, intuitive information about their informational contents or business purpose. If you have the opportunity to introduce a naming standard as part of your document management strategy, do it ”you'll be glad you did!


Understanding Management Strategies

The key to your document management strategy is understanding the way in which users will need to use and/or collaborate on documents within their workspace, and then to identify which folder and document features will best meet those needs. There are many management techniques available to tailor the environment to match your goals ”your strategy is a combination of document control processes and information organization.

The responses in your survey should illustrate the need for specific features within SharePoint Portal Server, as well as suggest the overall structure for folders within your workspace and the document management process best suited for your organization.


                 
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Special Edition Using Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server
Special Edition Using Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server
ISBN: 0789725703
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2002
Pages: 286

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