Is the relationship between the Folder Hierarchy and the Business Classification Scheme important?

In our view, applying the BCS Function:Activity as metadata to the File decouples recordkeeping objectives from end-user Folder Hierarchy issues - thereby improving end-user adoption without compromising recordkeeping goals.  Consider the following configurations for an imaginary organisation - we start with a BCS and implement two styles of Folder Hierarchy: one with a tight relationship between the BCS and the Folders, and one with little relationship between the BCS and Folders.

1. Business Classification Scheme

Let's assume that the BCS consists of Function:Activity keyword pairs which have a one-to-one/many correlation with Disposal Schedules and Authorities - a selection of the BCS is as follows:

• Administration : Policy, Manuals, Guidelines
• Administration : Forms & Templates
• Administration : Memberships
• Administration : Suppliers
• Administration : Vehicles
• Administration : Tenancy
• Administration : Travel & Accommodation
• etc ...

2. Folder Hierarchy - BCS Tightly Related

In this configuration the Folder Hierarchy and the BCS are tightly related - in fact the Folder Hierarchy is directly based on it.  The BCS does not exist as a metadata element applied to any object type.

The advantage of this configuration is that the 'learnings' accumulated during the development of the BCS can be directly and unambigously applied to the Folder Hierarchy - it also looks nicer to the trained eye!

The disadvantage is that the BCS, as far as end-users are concerned, is primarily a recordkeeping tool of little relevance to them - making the Folder Hierarchy strange and uninviting.  In addition, there is most often little correlation between the BCS and access control, making the application of Group permissions (which are implemented at the Folder level for many EDRMS products) unacceptible for many end-users.

3. Folder Hierarchy - BCS - Unrelated 

In this configuration, the Folder Hierarchy and the BCS are unrelated - the BCS has been implemented in metadata only, applied to the File.  You could argue that the Folder Hierarchy is sub-optimal, even chaotic, however this is the reality for many organisations when end-user views of how information should be structured and who should have access must be accommodated without compromising recordkeeping objectives.  In this example, Files with the BCS of "Administration : Policy, Manuals, Guidelines" are scattered across the Folder Hierarchy:

Files of a common BCS element, in this case "Administration : Policy, Manuals, Guidelines" can be found (and then managed) by the Records Manager using a search on this Function:Activity keyword pair:

With the result being as follows:

The disadvantage with this approach is that the development of the Folder Hierarchy is an additonal activity to the development of the BCS.  However in reality the 'learnings' from the development of the BCS often heavily influence the development of the Folder Hierarchy which deviates only when cultural reasons and access controls require it to.

The advantages are that the Folder Hierarchy can be established to meet end-user expectations for familiarity, and that recordkeeping controls are 'protected' from changes the organisation will inevitably weather - changes that are frequently represented in terms of changes to the Folder Hierarchy itself.