We all know that person. The friend, colleague, sibling – or maybe even ourselves – who runs around in a panic every morning, searching for their keys. The keys are somewhere. That much is certain.
But since no one ever decided where they actually belong, every day begins with stress, a few choice words, and a delay that could have been avoided.
And somewhere in the background is that other person – the one quietly saying, “You really should get more organized.” That person is rarely popular.
At MetaSolutions, we’re aware that we’re sometimes that person. We’re the ones talking about structure, standards, and metadata when many people feel they already have a system that works.
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Folders, files, registers… There’s some kind of order, and eventually, you usually find what you’re looking for.
But just like with the keys, it’s not about making life more complicated.
It’s about not having to search. About saving time, frustration, and energy – every single day.
Missing Something You Never Knew You Needed
The hardest part for us isn’t explaining what metadata is. What’s harder is showing the value of something you’ve never experienced. Because how can you miss something you don’t know you need?
Let’s go back to the missing keys.
Imagine attaching a small tracker to the keychain. The next morning, when the panic sets in, you simply press a button – and the keys start beeping. In that instant, something changes. The irritation fades, and understanding dawns. “So this is how easy it could have been all along?”
That’s exactly the realization we want to create with EntryScape.
The difference between searching – and knowing.
Between guessing – and understanding.
When Data Starts to Connect
We often meet organizations that believe they already have structure – but where every department has its own way of describing data. A file here, a list there, a spreadsheet on one server – and a link to even more data somewhere else. It works… until you try to share that information with someone else. Or until you want to switch systems and realize all your data is trapped in a rigid, outdated format.
That’s when the problems grow big enough that you’re forced to rethink everything.
But when data is described in a common way – according to a shared model – something completely different happens. Information can flow freely between departments without anyone having to manually remap fields.
Multiple municipalities can merge their data without cleaning formats by hand.
You can build on what already exists instead of starting from scratch.
From Keys to Maps
A good example of this is Visit Sweden – a state-owned company responsible for promoting Sweden as a travel destination. By bringing together tourism data from across the country, Visit Sweden has created a single, searchable information hub where regional tourism boards and local destinations describe places, activities, and experiences in the same structured way.
This shared approach allows information to be gathered, updated, and published automatically. Anyone searching for hiking trails in Dalarna, small-scale cafés in the north, or seaside accommodations along Sweden’s west coast can find accurate, up-to-date results – not because someone built a new database, but because the structure makes it possible.
Read also: Putting Open Data on the Map – Literally
The same principle applies on a local scale. In Skaraborg, a region in western Sweden, fifteen municipalities joined forces to create a shared map service showing available plots of land.
Because they all used the same metadata catalog, powered by EntryScape, they were able to combine their data seamlessly and launch the service in record time. It’s a clear example of how structured data and shared standards can turn local initiatives into connected ecosystems – and how the same approach can work anywhere in Europe where collaboration and openness matter.
Structure That Unlocks Possibility
This is at the heart of what we do at MetaSolutions.
We help organizations see the potential in the data they already have – and give it the structure it needs to create real value. When information connects, it becomes usable in new ways: in services, analysis, collaboration, and decision-making.
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We hope EntryScape can be that small investment that changes everything once you see the effect.
It’s only when you stop searching that you realize how much time was spent doing it. And that’s when new possibilities start to appear.
