Think about how many documents are stored in your CRM system. There’s at least thousands, if not millions, of forms, papers, policies, and reports stored in there. And chances are, you rely on that content to get work done, so it has to be organized.
Before software, we relied on the good old-fashioned filing cabinet to manage the chaos. That system came with a number of limitations though. If a specific document belonged in multiple folders, you had to copy it, then put it in a separate folder. To be even more organized, you had to put multiple folders inside bigger folders with their own separate label. While this does help to keep things organized, finding a specific document took forever.
Well, believe it or not, we’ve actually carried over some of those limitations into our digital systems. How many folders are you using to keep track of all the information in your CRM? Is it easy to find what you’re looking for? Probably not. With the available technology we have, it’s time to implement a more effective way to manage content. And Microsoft has just announced this better way: SharePoint Syntex.
This new solution is the first one released with Microsoft’s Project Cortex. Syntex was created to help businesses better maintain the staggering content stored in their systems, and drive faster, smarter business outcomes.
SharePoint Syntex
Using machine learning and advanced AI technology, Syntex is able to accumulate data from content, turn it into metadata, and store it within a SharePoint library. When asked about the purpose of Syntex, Microsoft leaders stated that it’s “designed to amplify human expertise, automate content processing, and transform content into knowledge. It delivers intelligent that work the way you do.”
Here’s how it works: Syntex relies on models created by users to classify and organize documents, and then extract certain data. Users can also apply sensitivity or retention labels to safeguard private information.
Ultimately, the purpose of the solution is to help users avoid the time and hassle of tagging each individual piece of content while helping users to find information faster.
Syntex’s Three Buckets
Let’s take a closer look at SharePoint Syntex. Essentially, it can be broken down into three buckets: content understanding, content processing, and content compliance. However, before we can utilize these buckets, a content center needs to be created.
Content Center
When you first set up Syntex, a default content center will be created. This is where all content models will be created and stored, and where you’ll apply models to certain documents. Admins can easily create additional centers as needed.
Content Understanding
After you’ve created a content center, you can start training Syntex models through sample files. This includes documents such as documents, images, PNGs, and PDFs, etc. While the model only requires five positive file examples and one negative, the more files you upload, the more accurate Syntex is.
Next, content explanations are created. These usually include phrase lists (specific words or characters, pattern lists (patterns of numbers or characters), or proximity (how close explanations are to each other).
Once you’ve finished setting up training parameters, you can see how accurate each one is by testing them in your content center.
Content Processing
The content processing is where content is captured, ingestion, and categorized, which helps to streamline content-centric processes that . For example, if your team regularly relies on structured forms (surveys, purchase orders, invoices, etc.), you can train Syntex to gather certain values to create metadata that will help with search parameters and discovery.
Content Compliance
After you’ve fully trained your models, it’s time to secure them. This bucket allows you to comply with your organization’s security and compliance policies by setting up sensitivity and retention labels that are automatically applied when content is uploaded. This way, everything stays secure.
The Pros of Syntex
How much content does your have? Your intranet? Your website? It’s astounding to think about how many pieces of content your business relies on. But what’s even more astounding is how poor most organization’s metadata strategies are.
Syntex is designed to revamp old, outdated, and ineffective content management systems with something modern, cost-effective, and automated.
We get it: no one enjoys content management. It’s time-consuming and monotonous, but without it, content discoverability is virtually non-existent. With Syntex, your organization will have access to knowledge that was previously unavailable without going through the daunting process of content tagging.
“Syntex...provides a foundation for this concept of knowledge management and knowledge sharing in an organization,” says Dan Holem a member of the Project Cortex team. “And Project Cortex is now to address the weak spots, which have been the actual gathering and unlocking of knowledge, the curation of it, and then the delivery into the context of your work.”
Get Started with Syntex by Contacting JourneyTEAM
We’re just beginning to understand what we can do with Syntex. Microsoft leaders have already announced that additional features and tools are already in the works. But don’t wait to take advantage of Syntex’s benefits. Contact JourneyTEAM today to learn more about the solution and how it can benefit you.
JourneyTEAM is an award-winning consulting firm with proven technology and measurable results. They take Microsoft products; Dynamics 365, SharePoint intranet, Office 365, Azure, CRM, GP, NAV, SL, AX, and modify them to work for you. The team has expert level, Microsoft Gold certified consultants that dive deep into the dynamics of your organization and solve complex issues. They have solutions for sales, marketing, productivity, collaboration, analytics, accounting, security and more.
