Top 4 Reasons to Eliminate Folders on SharePoint
In the interworking of every business, there is a need for effective organization. Sharepoint Collaborative tools by Microsoft is the leading collaborative platform. It has remained the first choice among enterprises in recent years. It has been instrumental in bringing key changes in the collaborative work culture. While any change in the work-culture of an organization can be a challenging adjustment, small steps can be taken at a time to understand the problem and evolve towards a more streamlined work approach. One methodology that has been ingrained through years of using folders has created reasons why one should do away with it. There are a few shortcomings in folder structures without a metadata mapping organizational approach. These include Folder Structure Complexity, Data Redundancy, and Name Duplication, Lack of Navigation Options, and Lack of Flexibility in Mobility. In the end, if we continue using the SharePoint solution as a folder structured storage platform, it turns out to be a shared drive solution, but a much more expensive one.
The key to working collaboratively is accessing and sharing information, glitch-free.
SharePoint Collaboration Tools by Microsoft is the leading collaborative platform and the first choice among the enterprises. It has been instrumental in bringing key changes in the collaborative work culture.
Traditionally, employees in the Windows Legacy System are used to organizing information in the forms of folders and sub-folders. According to organizational or personal preferences, these folders can be organized in terms of categories like finance, marketing or commercial. Subjects can be separated for example; invoices and banners. Custom SharePoint Solutions seem to be changing this basic construct by bringing in the “all-powerful” metadata mapping.
Although any change in the work culture of an organization is tough, small steps can be taken at a time to understand the problem and evolve towards a more streamlined work approach. A methodology that has been ingrained through years of using folders has created reasons why one should do away with it. Here are a few shortcomings in folder structures without a metadata mapping organizational approach:
- Folder Structure complexity:
Often folder structures within a large organization become difficult to manage. It is because of the complexity of the data structures, and its variation, with respect to personal preferences of organizing for each person. It becomes difficult for one to maintain and promote a single way of organizing all day.
2. Data redundancy and name duplication:
Based on the folder structure, data redundancy may occur in cases for example of some similar information between shared division causes redundancy. The same file might be available both in finance and sales division based on organization’s folder management.
Similarly, there can be only one unique file with a particular file name within a folder but among other folders, the same name can be used to name other files.
3. Lack of navigation options:
Navigation functions such as sorting, searching is not possible with a folder structure for files. This means it is not possible to apply filter-based searches or one based on category hierarchy without metadata mapping. Your SharePoint Application Support & Maintenance team should guide you that Folder structures become way too complex to navigate as a result many files cannot be located among the thousands of folders.
4. Lack of flexibility in mobility:
Folders have a URL based approach to addressing. The URL typically is in the following format:
https://<server>/<list>/<folder>/<folder>…/<file>
For example:
https://companyname.sharepoint.com/Documents/Customer/Deliveries/Year/Pitch.docx
This simply means that the URL is dependent on the mapping of the file based on its location. Any movement of the file from one folder to another renders the URL invalid defeating the purpose of a seamless collaborative work platform.
The real issue is that if we continue using the SharePoint solution as a folder structured storage platform, it turns out to be a shared drive solution, but a much more expensive one. SharePoint consultants from AllianceTek will execute end-to-end SharePoint App and Portal Development utilizing the full potential of the platform, helping your employees overcome the legacy system mindset to realize the true ROI.
Sharepoint has remained a popular choice for organization tasks for businesses. It has been instrumental in bringing key changes in the collaborative work culture. If Sharepoint is used as a structured storage platform, however, it can become an expensive shared-drive solution.
