Today I finalized a major restructuring of my SharePoint project workspace, moving from an improvised document layout to a scalable, metadata-driven structure suitable for consulting, subcontracting, and future SaaS delivery work.
The goal was simple: build a project system that will still work five years from now without constant redesign.
Here’s what happened and what I learned.
Starting Point: Folder Chaos vs Structure
Like many teams, documents were growing organically:
- Contracts in one place
- HR documents somewhere else
- Weekly reports in another folder
- Financial and timesheet data mixed with operations
This works for small teams, but quickly breaks once projects multiply.
So I standardized the structure.
Standardized Project Folder Model
Each project now follows the same lifecycle structure:
01 — Contract & Governance
Everything that legally establishes and governs the project.
Examples:
- Prime contracts
- Subcontracts
- Amendments
- NDAs
- Compliance documents
02 — Planning & Design
Pre-execution project preparation.
Examples:
- Proposals
- Staffing plans
- Architecture/design documents
- Project plans
03 — Execution & Delivery
Core delivery and operational work.
Examples:
- Technical work
- Weekly reports
- Deliverables
- Work logs
04 — Financials
Billing and financial tracking.
Examples:
- Invoices
- Timesheets
- Banking records
- Expenses
- Tax documentation
05 — Admin & Closeout
Administrative and HR matters.
Examples:
- Training certificates
- Onboarding docs
- Compliance forms
- Remote work agreements
- Closeout documentation
The Big Lesson: Metadata Beats Folders
The real breakthrough today wasn’t just folder structure.
It was realizing:
Folders organize storage. Metadata organizes understanding.
By using SharePoint metadata:
- Project-level data lives on the Document Set
- Document-level data stays on each document
- Views show combined data cleanly
- Documents remain individually searchable
- Automation becomes possible later
So now:
- Project metadata appears at project level
- Document metadata remains editable per document
- Views can filter, group, and report without moving files
Folders give structure; metadata gives intelligence.
Key Fix That Unblocked Everything
At one point, Document Set configuration kept failing.
The solution:
- Delete and recreate the document library cleanly.
- Re-add content types and metadata correctly.
- Configure Document Sets before heavy customization.
Sometimes resetting is faster than debugging corruption.
Templates and Proposals Standardization
I also organized:
Templates Library
Contains reusable assets:
- Capability statement
- Invoice templates
- NDA/MSA templates
- Proposal templates
- Standard project structure guide
Proposals Library
Organized by lifecycle stage:
- Active
- Submitted
- Won
- Lost
Metadata will later allow reporting without relying on folders alone.
Why This Matters Long-Term
This structure now supports:
- Consulting projects
- Government subcontracting
- Multi-client work
- Future SaaS delivery operations
- Automation workflows
- Reporting dashboards
Most importantly, it removes daily friction.
Final Takeaway
The biggest realization:
Good document structure isn’t about today’s convenience — it’s about future scalability.
A clean SharePoint structure saves time, reduces confusion, and supports automation later.
And today, the foundation is finally in place.
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