Metadata Governance

Metadata fields are at the heart of document classification, numbering, and reporting. Well-governed metadata ensures consistent data quality across all projects; poorly governed metadata results in inconsistent discipline codes, duplicate fields, and numbering conflicts.

Who can define metadata fields

Level	Who can configure	Scope of effect
Organisation metadata	Org Admin only	Applies to all projects
Project metadata	Project Admin (within the project)	Applies to this project only

Org-level metadata cannot be modified by project admins — they can only add project-level extensions. This ensures that core classification fields (discipline, zone, document type) remain consistent across all projects.

The recommended governance model

Centralise core classification fields at the org level. Extend at the project level only for project-specific needs.

Organisation-level fields:

• Discipline (with agreed codes: STR, MEP, ARC, CIV, GEN)
• Document Type (with agreed codes: DWG, SPEC, RPT, MS, ITP)
• Stage (with agreed codes: DD, CD, FC, AB, OP)
• Zone format and codes

Project-level fields (examples of legitimate extensions):

• Package Code (specific to this programme)
• Contractor Reference (specific to this contract)
• Asset ID (for an asset management integration in this project)
• Submission Batch (for managing submission tranches)

Field lifecycle management

Adding fields

Before creating a new field:

1. Check whether a field with the same purpose exists at org level (ask the Org Admin)
2. Confirm the field type is appropriate (dropdown for controlled values, not free text)
3. Agree the option codes with the project team — codes in numbering schemes cannot be changed after documents are created

Deprecating fields

When a field is no longer needed:

1. Deactivate options that should no longer be selectable (removes them from the form without deleting historical data)
2. Hide the field if it is no longer relevant to new documents (keep it for historical records, just don't require it)
3. Do not delete fields that have been used on existing documents — deletion removes the data from all historical records

Code changes

Changing option codes in a dropdown field after documents have been created:

• The old code is stored on existing documents
• Changing the code changes the display value but does not re-generate document numbers that used the old code
• Never change codes used in an active numbering scheme — this creates inconsistency between old and new document numbers

Metadata audit

Review org-level metadata annually:

• Are all discipline codes still in use?
• Are any codes redundant or duplicated?
• Have new disciplines been added to the project portfolio that need new codes?
• Are the document type codes comprehensive for current project types?
• Are numbering schemes producing consistent, unambiguous numbers?
• Are there duplicate or overlapping fields at org and project level?

Training and onboarding

When onboarding a new project team:

1. Share the metadata code reference (export from Settings → Metadata)
2. Explain which fields are required and which are optional
3. Confirm the revision code convention
4. Test-create a document to verify numbering is producing the expected format

What's next

• Custom Metadata Fields — member guide to field creation
• Document Numbering Admin — numbering scheme setup and management
• Metadata Field Types Reference — all field types and behaviour