Category: Microsoft 365

Delivering document management success

Posted by on in Information Architecture, Microsoft 365

New information architecture and compliance frameworks

Metataxis is pleased to continue to support yet another public sector organisation with their document management and Microsoft 365 implementation.

Over the past 12 months, we have been working closely with this government agency to deliver information architecture and compliance frameworks to underpin their Microsoft 365 solution for document management.

Structuring information architecture will make it easier for users to identify connections and patterns in their data. Armed with these valuable insights into their organisation, the team will be able to leverage the information to improve decision making.

After successfully introducing these new frameworks for this executive non-departmental public body, we are now providing services to design and implement the SharePoint structure and metadata necessary for the effective rollout of SharePoint, as well as managing the migration of all their content from their network drives to the Microsoft cloud.

The value of information management for Microsoft 365

Metataxis are experts in designing and delivering information management frameworks for Microsoft 365. We understand the value and importance of a well-structured, clear information architecture to support both private companies and public sector bodies effectively manage data security and meet all regulations.

Find out more about our information architecture services or simply contact us to discuss how we can help your organisation today.

CollabDays Microsoft 365 Community Day

Posted by on in Microsoft 365, Uncategorized

Learn from the best Microsoft 365 speakers in the industry.

CollabDays is a Microsoft 365 community organised learning day. This free to attend, one day event offers delegates the chance to hear from some of the most high-profile Microsoft 365 speakers in the industry.

The next CollabDays event takes place on Wednesday 27th September 2023 at the National Museum of Computing, Bletchley Park. And we’re really excited to be there!

Featuring a series of sessions including SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Viva, Microsoft Power Platform, each session is delivered by internationally renowned experts and quite often Microsoft MVPs – and presents the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about these technologies.

We’re also looking forward to visiting The National Museum of Computing. This venue houses the world’s largest collection of functional historic computers and WW2 machines, including Enigma, Lorenz the working Turing-Welchman Bombe, the rebuilt Colossus, the world’s first electronic computer, and the WITCH, the world’s oldest working digital computer.

Register to attend here. We look forward to seeing you there!

Microsoft Purview – compliance in a box

Posted by on in Compliance Centre, Information Governance, Microsoft 365, Uncategorized

How to govern, protect, and manage your data estate

Microsoft Purview seems to be the new kid on the block. Everyone is talking about it – but what exactly is it, what can it do and, moreover, does your organisation need it? Marc Stephenson, Director here at Metataxis, takes a look and shares his thoughts on this Microsoft solution:

According to www.dictionary.com: Purview. Noun. The range of operation, authority, control, concern, etc. The range of vision, insight, or understanding.”

I think Microsoft has actually chosen a good name for the formally known as the “Compliance Center” product suite. (Please Microsoft can we try not to re-skin, re-factor or generally re-arrange this important area of functionality for a while now!)

At Metataxis, we are starting to find that getting to grips with Microsoft Purview is a growing demand.

What is Microsoft Purview?

Microsoft officially describes this tool as: “a unified data governance solution to help manage and govern your on-premises, multicloud, and software as a service (SaaS) data. Easily create a holistic, up-to-date map of your data landscape with automated data discovery, sensitive data classification, and end-to-end data lineage.”

Understand and govern data across your entire data estate

For years, organisations have recognised that they need to “do something” to get their compliance and records management ship in order. Today, with more sensitive data stored across apps, clouds, and devices, it’s never been harder to understand and govern sensitive information, identify data risks and manage regulatory requirements to remain compliant. And this is why only recently its has started to drive operational need.

And therein lies the key word: “operational.”

Many organisations already have compliance regimes in place, covering various levels of thoroughness, value, and application, but until they are actually in use, in other words, operational, it’s just good intentions, and maybe for some simply just box-ticking.

How Metataxis can help

Metataxis consultants are technical experts in all aspects of information risk, compliance, and records management, but crucially, we’ve spent many years implementing real-world Microsoft 365 systems for our clients. The art of this is the ability to translate the business need for compliance into a workable and scalable set of Microsoft 365 configuration settings.

Alas, this invariably involves some compromises, especially if you don’t have an E5 subscription, and only have an E1 subscription.

Thankfully, Metataxis has developed several approaches to leverage whatever Microsoft licence subscription you have and whatever compliance regime you have, into something that will work for your organisation. After all, your organisation’s “range of operation, authority, control, concern, …vision, insight, or understanding” is kind of important.

So, if you’re looking for governance, protection, and compliance solutions for your organisation’s data and assets across your environment – simply get in touch and we’d be happy to discuss how we can help you with Microsoft Purview.

Microsoft Search: How to make Office 365 more powerful

Posted by on in Microsoft 365, Uncategorized

What is Microsoft Search?

Microsoft Search empowers users to find the information they need by unlocking knowledge and expertise. Integrated with Microsoft 365, it is a valuable tool that helps you quickly find what you’re looking for. Whether you’re searching for people, files, organisation charts, sites, or answers to common questions, you can use Microsoft Search throughout your work day to get answers.

Where do I find Microsoft Search?

When you’re signed in to Microsoft 365, you’ll find the new search box at the top of several of the apps in Microsoft 365.

Microsoft 365 search

How does Microsoft Search work?

Microsoft Search is really powerful but can often be confusing to use. It includes SharePoint search (at many different levels), Office 365 search, Microsoft Teams search and it even integrates with Bing, so you can obtain search results both from the web and from your organisation—in any browser and on any device.

Conduct a smarter search

This new tool offers a host of configuration options that attempt to make the search experience efficient for users. It includes the application of machine learning and adapts to each individual user’s search query history. This makes it really personal – so other users might see different results than you, even when you both search for the same words.

Good search is essential to any system’s overall findability. Search allows people to find content they aren’t aware of or don’t know exists. For many users, search is the key feature of any Microsoft 365 implementation, especially intranets and collaboration systems. The main challenge for many organisations is that configuring search is difficult – there are just so many options to consider.

The value of well configured search

Well-configured Microsoft Search will not only allow your users to find what they are looking for; it will give them confidence that the system works for them. This in turn drives user adoption which means the machine learning aspects of search get better, which makes search better, and so a positive feedback loop is created.

How we can help

Microsoft Search is a new search offering that helps you save time by bringing you the best of the web and work in a single experience. But to really work– it needs to be configured correctly.

Metataxis can help you architect and configure Microsoft Search based on many years of real-world experience. We can explain the available search options, their pros and cons, and provide you with all the configuration detail you need to make a success of search. That way you can always find what you are looking for. If you would like to learn more, simply contact us today.

20 years ago today, part 3: The evolution of SharePoint

Posted by on in Compliance Centre, Information Architecture, Metadata, Microsoft 365, SharePoint, UncategorizedLeave a comment

This blog is a continuation of a series of reminiscences and predictions on all things
information management, to celebrate 20 years of Metataxis.

Once upon a time, there was a new Microsoft software package called “SharePoint Portal Server 2001”. Only a few organisations had it, and it was of course on-premise, not in the cloud. It wasn’t until SharePoint 2003 came along that organisations started to notice this complex and powerful software platform. Many versions and twenty years later we now have the all conquering Microsoft 365. Such deep and all consuming functionality that I sometimes wonder that it might take over everything…