Content Organization - Implementation Tips
- Carmit Shaked
- Mar 1, 2004
- 3 min read
When establishing a network content organization as a solution for information management in the organization, including building folder trees and defining search attributes, we face several objectives:
Planning and defining the folder tree in the most optimal way that will be well-defined, prevent duplications, and enable navigation through the sea of documents.
Defining and building search attributes in the most efficient way that will serve for easy and quick information retrieval.
Building the initial content core – either by filling folders with documents or by filling the maximum possible amount of values for each attribute.
However, even if we succeed in all of these, we cannot guarantee user cooperation. This involves educating users to use the solution as defined. When implementing the solution among users, the goal is not to change work processes, but rather to optimize them. On one hand, the target audience for implementation is accustomed to saving their documents in folders in one way or another; on the other hand, they are not accustomed to saving according to the tree we defined, they are not always accustomed to collaborative saving, and they are not accustomed to characterizing every document they save. We might create resistance among users stemming from their perception that the solution requires too much change and overhead on their part, without clearly showing them what they gain from it in the end.
Below are several tips (some using the stick method, some related to the carrot) that help in implementing a renewed content organization:
Stick – Limiting storage space in the private area and/or limiting the ability to update materials, and/or not backing up material saved in the personal area. Result: More people save in the shared area.
Carrot – Personal training with users at the beginning. This allows them to receive help in real-time during saving and shows that the devil isn't so scary. During the process, providing indirect tips related to working with computers and Office. Result: Users want to cooperate and feel committed to implementing.
Carrot – Opening a ready-made tree so the user won't have to start opening folders alone; most of the work has already been done for them. For example, when a project begins, the project manager will receive a sample project folder with all its subfolders; when a new client is opened, a ready client folder with all its subfolders will be created for them.
Carrot – To jumpstart the process, it will be easier for us to convince the user to participate if we prove and emphasize the personal benefits that will accrue to them from it. The benefit must be immediate; otherwise, the user will be hesitant to use the process, maybe tomorrow or maybe in a week, and these opportunities will never arise. This can be achieved by demonstrating shortened saving time, while preventing hesitation and duplication when saving documents according to the existing tree. Additionally, it involves shortened information retrieval time by utilizing attributes, compared to the previous situation where access to documents was either nonexistent or cumbersome.
We tried to give you a taste of what we have to offer. There are many tips, and you just need to be creative.
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