Document Management - White Paper (ID 5277).pdf Jul. 2014 | Page 25

Other applications of metadata
Metadata tags on documents have many additional uses that go
beyond retrieval.
For instance, metadata might concern your company’s file
retention policy (whether an item is archived after two years or
five years, for example). Timestamp metadata as well as a few
additional database rules provide enough information for the
system to automatically retire old documents at the proper time.
As another example, recurring company forms can indicate
actions taken so far in a job process as a metadata tag. A search
including such terms shows mangers which tasks are completed,
which are in progress.
By adding even more information into the metadata identities of
documents, it becomes possible for the system to automate all
sorts of tasks: calculate due dates, email work files to certain
users at certain times, or send calendar reminders. Refer to the
features “Storage and Archiving” and “Workflow Design” later in
this section for more details.
Index searches vs. content searches
How does metadata search and retrieval differ from the common
search functionality already within operating systems for PCs
and servers? There is an important distinction, and a reason why
searches on documents indexed with metadata provide a more
reliable retrieval method.
During a search of a hard drive on a PC operating system, the
computer provides results ranked by its own logic, which is often
different than the specific intent of the user.
In a common scenario, an employee is on the phone with a
customer and needs to retrieve a certain doc յ