1. Metataxis
Can you really implement taxonomies in native SharePoint? Marc Stephenson March 2017

2. About Metataxis Information architecture/management consultancy
Technology independent - not a Microsoft partner
Formed in 2002
6 staff and many associates
Worked on 40+ SharePoint projects
Consult and implement
Private, public and third sector
SMEs (10 staff) to large organisations (100,000+ staff)
Training programmes for SharePoint, IA and IM
We like and use SharePoint…2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 (Office 365)

3. Just some of our (150+) clients

4. Agenda Overview Columns (metadata) Content types
Term sets (taxonomies)
Wrap-up

5. What is SharePoint?
An Enterprise Content Management environment/platform/application suite:
Web content management
Document management
Records management
Knowledge management
Enterprise search
Social media
Workflows
Electronic-Forms
Business intelligence
Data integration
All of which use metadata and taxonomies

6. Columns

7. Column Overview
“Column” is the term mostly used for metadata in SharePoint, also “Property”
Metadata is used with any list or library
Each item in the list uses the metadata. For example:
Files in a document library
Web pages in a web page library
Days in a calendar
Columns are defined at global or local levels
Defined columns are used locally (in a list)
Defined columns are usually placed within a content type
Defined columns are easily re-used
Columns configure views
Allows grouping, filtering, and sorting of items in a list/library
Views are easy to define and use
Views make SharePoint powerful and flexible

8. Types of Columns
System columns (automatically populated by SharePoint, unchangeable)
Custom columns (information architect defined, changeable in any way)
Columns may be mandatory/optional/hidden
Many columns data types:
Text – various kinds
Numeric – various kinds
Choice (pick-list)
People/group (Active Directory)
Date/time
Managed metadata (use taxonomies, or parts of taxonomies)
Keyword (use folksonomy)

9. Content Types

10. Content Types Overview
A content type defines and encapsulates:
Set of columns
Office template (optional) and icon
Workflow (optional)
Information Management Policy (optional)
For example:
Agenda, Policy, Press Release, Contract, Correspondence, etc.
Used by SharePoint internally, but also extensively customisable
Content types are defined at global or local levels
Content types are used locally (in a list)
Content types can inherit from other content types
Many default, built-in content types

11. Term Sets

12. Term Set Overview “Term”: Managed Terms or Term Sets (taxonomies)
A word or phrase that can be associated with an item of content
A term can be a managed term or a managed keyword
Managed Terms or Term Sets (taxonomies)
Collections of related terms, usually hierarchically structured
Can be open (add only) or closed to users
Created and managed by an information architect/taxonomist
Many term sets can be created
Managed Keywords (folksonomy)
Collections of terms in a non-hierarchical list
Always open to users (add only)
Created by users, and managed by an information architect/taxonomist
Only 1 keyword set exists
All managed via the Term Store Manager

13. Term Store Manager Functions
“Re-use” terms – bi-directional reuse of terms/branches in other term sets
“Pin” terms – uni-directional reuse of terms/branches in other term sets
Terms can have “Other labels” (synonyms)
“Merge” terms - synonym and “re-use” combined
No poly-hierarchy, within a term set
Terms can be deleted (no!) or deprecated
Terms may/may not be used for tagging
Terms and term sets may have properties
Local and Custom term properties
Properties free format – no property re-use
Term sets may have a custom sort order
Managed keywords can become managed terms
Various implementation limits

14. Managed Metadata Service
Manages:
Columns
Content type hub (centralised store)
Term Store
Update and propagation of changes automatic
1 hour to days, depending in nature of change
In SharePoint Online, time can’t be changed
Log of what, how and when
Access must be controlled – information architect/taxonomist only
Mistakes can cause wide-spread issues
All changes need careful planning

15. Managed Metadata Service Limits
Content Type Hub (1…n)
Only 1 in SharePoint Online
Any number in SharePoint on-premise
Term Store (1…n)
Only 1 in SharePoint Online
Any number in SharePoint on-premise
1 million terms per term Store
Term Groups (1…n)
Administration boundary
Term Sets (1…n)
1,000 terms sets per term store
Terms (1…n)
30,000 Terms per Term Set

16. Term Management
All terms have a GUID, system generated, hidden to the user
A taxonomist can change the term label at any time
Wherever the label is used, it is automatically updated (system timer job)
If terms are deleted, items that used the term will have a metadata error
Needs manual user fixing
If terms are deprecated, items that used the term will fine
No longer available to tag with, but remain searchable
Can’t have same label at the same term set level
Tagged terms can show the end term (leaf) or full-path (all branches and leaf)
Full-path allows searching within all branch labels
But uses too much screen space, especially in views
Columns can have single or multiple term values
Multiple values disables view sort and group features

17. Management Issues
Term set import functions exist – via csv in import format
No term set export – need bespoke scripts (simple)
Simple re-import does not work (same label, different GUID)
Making SharePoint the master taxonomy repository does not work well
GUID issues
Loss of richness of taxonomy – no scope notes etc.
No reporting or analysis (with bespoke scripts)
Need “String and glue” integration via Excel, VBA, etc.
May need companion taxonomy products within SharePoint
For example: Smartlogic and Concept Search
May need companion taxonomy products outside SharePoint
For example: PoolParty, Synaptica and MultiTes

18. Wrap up

19. Penultimate Thoughts SharePoint metadata management is good
SharePoint taxonomy management is “good enough”, but…
Not suitable for (very?) large implementations
Not suitable for complex implementations
Not suitable for ongoing management
Anything vaguely sophisticated, needs “extras”
But…
SharePoint is not going away
Make use of it the best you can – especially if you have nothing else
Something is better than nothing

20. Final Thoughts
Can you really implement taxonomies in native SharePoint? Yes, just about.

21. Questions? marc.stephenson@metataxis.com www.metataxis.com