This presentation discusses implementing taxonomies in native SharePoint. It covers how SharePoint uses columns, content types, and term sets to manage metadata and taxonomy. While SharePoint provides basic taxonomy management features, the presentation notes it may not be suitable for very large or complex implementations or ongoing management. Additional tools may be needed to fully implement taxonomies in SharePoint.

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

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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)

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Just some of our (150+) clients

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

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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

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Columns

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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

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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)

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Content Types

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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

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Term Sets

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Term Set Overview
• “Term”:
• 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

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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

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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

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

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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

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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

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Wrap up

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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

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

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