Categories
Informatics

The challenges of content creation vs. content discovery

In our development of the NHS SharePoint Solution Accelerator we hit the common problem of how to design a document library scheme that met the core needs for our clients. At the heart of this is a set of design goals, which can be simplified as:

–          A single place to access information

–          A simple means for creating/adding information (and a single place to save them to)

–          High system performance

In an ideal world, one would store everything in a central, monolithic library, with powerful search, views etc to allow content access and rich metadata to locate the content in the library.

However prevailing wisdom around SharePoint suggests that an approach using many discrete libraries is preferred, using a Content Query web part to present aggregated views where ever they are needed on a site.

So we are left with these two extremes, neither of which is ideal.

The monolithic approach provides a single place to ‘look for’ information and to store information. However it relies on a large number of views being created to ‘slice and dice’ the extensive list of documents (generally measured in tens of thousands) into manageable virtual libraries. The use of Content Types helps support this approach in SharePoint 2007, allowing different content in a single library to have different metadata, security etc. It also makes it easy for content creators, as they only have to know one place to save their documents. Importantly, it addresses the classic problem of hierarchical taxonomies, namely ‘how to store a single document in more than one place in the structure’. Metadata driven views allows a Policy document on Infection Control (for example) to appear in both a ‘Policies’ and a ‘Public Health’ area.
Ultimately this option is scuppered by the performance requirement. SharePoint struggles with this many items in a library.

 

The other extreme largely solves the performance issue, with a relatively small number of items per library. Also any views of that library and functions associated with it are clear and well defined because each library ahs a specific purpose. The danger that this ends up looking like a traditional Directory-like filing scheme, which forces users to look in different libraries for documents (and expecting them to know which library the document they seek is in) can be largely avoided by using Content Query parts to create filtered, sorted views of documents sourced across multiple libraries. Again, metadata is used allow a document to appear in multiple lists.
This approach is undermined by the continued requirement that someone who needs to create or save a new document must know which library it is supposed to go into before it can be saved, and choice of the correct library will determine which content types, templates and metadata are provided.

Inevitably a compromise must be reached; however such a hybrid solution tends to have an element of ‘worst of both worlds’ in the way it works.

 

We have been developing some concepts to mitigate this, based on enhanced search, alternate navigation and pre-emptive actions. Even we don’t have all the answers though. It’s a problem that will continue to vex both informatics professionals and solution developers for many more years, we suspect.

Simon's avatar

By Simon

Simon Hudson is an entrepreneur and health sector specialist. He formed Cloud2 in 2008 following a rich career in the international medical device industry and the IT industry. Simon’s background encompasses quality assurance, medical device development, international training, business intelligence and international marketing and health related information and technology.

Simon’s career has spanned both the UK and the international health industry, with roles that have included quality system auditing, medical device development, international training (advanced wound management) and international marketing. In 2000 he co-founded a software-based Clinical Outcomes measurement start-up in the US. Upon joining ioko in 2004 he created the Carelink division and, as General Manager, drove it to become a multi-million pound business in its own right.
In 2008, Simon founded Cloud2 in response to a need for a new way of delivering successful projects based on Microsoft SharePoint. This created the first commercial ‘Intranet in a Box’ solution and kickstarted a new industry. He exited that business in 2019, which has continued to grow as a leading provider of Power BI and analytics solutions.

In 2016, he co-founded Kinata Ltd. to enable effective Advice and Guidance in the NHS and is currently guiding the business beyond its NHS roots to address needs in Her Majesty’s Prisons and in Australasia.

In 2021, Simon founded Novia Works Ltd.

In 2021 he was invited to become Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Hull.

In 2022 he was recognised as a Microsoft MVP.

In 2025 he founded Sustainable Ferriby CIC, a community energy not-for-profit to develop energy generation, energy & carbon reduction, and broader sustainability & NetZero projects in the West Hull villages.

Simon has had articles and editorials published in a variety of technology, knowledge management, clinical benchmarking and health journals, including being a regular contributor to PC Pro, as well as a presenter at conferences. He publishes a blog on areas of interest at noviaworks.co.uk. He is a co-facilitator of the M365 North User Group. He is a lead author and facilitator on the Maturity Model for Microsoft 365. He is the author of two patents relating to medical devices. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Physical Science and a PGCE in Physics and Chemistry from the University of Hull.

Simon is passionate about rather too many things, including science, music (he plays guitar and octave mandola), skiing, classic cars, narrowboats, the health sector, sustainability, information technology and, by no means least, his family.

Leave a comment