Finding documents by filtering metadata
Finding the right document in M-Files doesn’t have to be complicated. With CtrlPortals, users can view and filter their data in ways that are both intuitive and efficient—no guesswork, no difficult metadata selection.
For many M-Files customers and especially those providing a significant number of Approved Governance Documents like SOPs, Policies, Instructions and Procedures it can be difficult for the end user to find exactly the documents that are important for them. This is where CtrlPortal’s List Views helps!
Clear Views of Your Governance Documents
CtrlPortals (here in an example from our VisualQMS solution) includes a configurable dashboard that presents your M-Files data in two formats:
Plot View
A visual overview showing governance documents by class and workflow state.
This example of a plot is showing Governance Documents by class and workflow state.
List View
A structured table that displays the same data in a clean, sortable format.
This example is the same information showing the governance documents in a List View
Filter by What Matters
In the List View, users can filter documents using the metadata properties shown in the columns. This means you can:
- Focus on specific document classes, Process Areas, Region or workflow states.
- Use free-text search to narrow down results.
- Adjust filters on the fly to refine your view.
This makes it easy to locate exactly what you need—whether you’re preparing for an audit or managing day-to-day operations.
Using the filter the user can then easily see the filtered documents.
Export and Share Easily
Once you’ve filtered your list, you can:
- Open the document
- Export it to Excel for reporting or analysis.
- Copy it to the clipboard for quick sharing.
This makes it easy to take action on the information you’ve found—whether you have to read instructions before working, have to prepare for a meeting, an audit, or just organizing your work.
Conclusion
CtrlPortals offers a powerful and user-friendly interface for navigating M-Files content through metadata-driven filtering. As demonstrated in the VisualQMS example, users can seamlessly switch between visual plots and list views, apply dynamic filters, and even export results for further use. This flexibility ensures that governance documents and other critical records are always accessible, organized, and actionable. CtrlPortals enhances productivity by making document discovery intuitive—turning complex metadata into meaningful insights with just a few clicks.
#CtrlPortals #MFiles #ProjectManagement #UserExperience #ITexcellence
