Unique Document Numbering in SharePoint

As organisations consider using Microsoft SharePoint to manage their documents they ask whether SharePoint can provide the features of 'traditional' document management systems, such as the ability to assign a unique Document ID to each document or file as it is saved. While not provided by 'out-of-the-box' Microsoft SharePoint 2007, unique document numbering can be handled very well on the Microsoft SharePoint platform. An easy way to achieve this capability is with the Unique Document Numbering module that is part of the WISDOM Document Management Framework developed by MacroView, and represented in the UK by ClearPeople.

MacroView’s Unique Document Numbering installs at the SharePoint server and automatically assigns the next available unique Document ID to each file as it is saved or uploaded to SharePoint. This Document ID can be configured to be unique across all the Site Collections in the organization's SharePoint environment. Numbering can also be configured to start from a certain point, which is very useful in situations where you are migrating to SharePoint from an existing DM system.

A related business requirement is that the unique Document IDs be visible in footers of documents that are retrieved from SharePoint. The MacroView Unique Document Numbering feature also helps out in this regard, by automatically setting a ‘Doc Reference’ property in Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents that are opened from SharePoint. The Doc Reference property can easily be incorporated in document footers and can be configured to reflect each organization’s standard usage. The default configuration is a combination of Unique Doc ID, current Version number and document library Title.

Neil Winter of the NSW Health Support Services in Sydney, Australia notes: “The MacroView Unique Document Numbering facility allowed us to have unique numbers assigned to controlled documents, which was a key in allowing us to move to SharePoint from a previous Document Management system.”

MacroView’s WISDOM DM Framework provides a range of other functionality that extends SharePoint so that matches the capability of traditional DM systems. This includes an intuitive tree-view display of the SharePoint environment, drag-and-drop to upload and move files, enhanced document level security, client-matter centric operation and excellent support for profiling (metadata capture). WISDOM preserves Unique Document IDs as it moves documents from one library to another within SharePoint.