iWorkplace is a set of frameworks and tools that runs in Microsoft 365. It is designed to help you achieve your data protection and compliance requirements at scale in an easier, more cost-effective, and user-friendly way. It allows your users to utilise productivity tools they already know, such as SharePoint and Teams, enabling you to balance data protection while still providing your people with easy and flexible ways of working.

iWorkplace comprises these frameworks and tools, each designed to help your organisation deliver a robust, consistent workspace:

Smart Metadata.
Smart Labels.
Smart Records.
Smart Case Files.
Teams Framework.
OneDrive Manager.
Smart Provisioning.
Smart Records.
Smart Guest Management.
Template Central.

One of the fundamentals of the iWorkplace toolkit is Smart Metadata, so we will highlight this within a series of blog posts to help you better understand how it simplifies information protection and compliance.

The case of inconsistent, lack of, or insufficient metadata.

We all know employees love their little yellow folders for storing files because they’re used to it; they know how it works and don’t need to think too much about what they are doing.

On the other hand, information and records managers love metadata for its ability to classify content and establish policies against files based on the metadata applied. It ensures content is easy to find, minimises risk, and achieves compliance.

The problem with folders is that there’s really only one classification for the file (which is the name of the folder it’s in). Content hidden away in nested folders often makes it difficult to easily identify at a glance. Search then doesn’t have the option of filters for better ways to find content, and sometimes people want to group files differently (not just by the folder they are in). So, they copy files from Folder X and Folder Y, and save them to a new Folder Z – and in a blink of an eye, we have duplication and risk!

The problem with metadata is that it’s an extra step for people to do. It’s neither automated nor enforceable in Microsoft 365, so employees eventually get lazy and stop applying metadata.

But what if you could have the best of both worlds—the familiarity and simplicity of folders and the governance, findability, and compliance that metadata affords? This is where iWorkplace Smart Metadata comes in.

What is iWorkplace Smart Metadata?

Smart Metadata allows your users to save files to the folders they are used to (with the simplicity and familiarity they desire), and the organisation reaps the benefits of automated metadata applied to the files saved. It provides this amazing merger by automatically applying metadata based on the folder hierarchy where a file is stored. It takes the folder and subfolder structures (folder names) and applies the metadata automatically to the uploaded files without the employees needing to do anything besides saving the file to the folder they are working on. Even if they inadvertently change the metadata, iWorkplace for Microsoft 365 reverts it to the correct information using the iWorkplace Autofixer, ensuring compliance is maintained without the effort of manually reviewing content and classification.

Because it runs on SharePoint and Teams, you effectively give employees the tools they want to use and make it easy for them with behind-the-scenes automation.

This is just the first glimpse into iWorkplace, where your people have one place to file things, the simplest of experiences, and everything you need in an enterprise content management (ECM) system for optimal Information Protection, Governance, and Compliance.

Keep an eye out for our next instalment on iWorkplace. With our feature on Smart Labels, you can learn how iWorkplace automates retention and disposal without the need for expensive Microsoft 365 E5 licenses.

See it in action

Access the iWorkplace Resource Hub to see how Smart Metadata works.

Do you have a question about Smart Metadata or iWorkplace in general? Comment below, and we’ll do our best to respond as quickly as possible.

Visit this page to learn more about why over 250 not-for-profits, government agencies, and commercial organisations have implemented iWorkplace and how it can help you meet your organisation’s information protection and compliance requirements.