| |
| |
|
softwarecatch.com
|
|
|
|
Groupware as a Document Manager: Collaboration Series #3
This article is the third of a series of articles exploring specific aspects of groupware. The brief informational articles in this series discuss some of the technologies associated with groupware, as well as some of the characteristics of groupware. Some of these characteristics may go hand in hand with business collaborative needs. Other characteristics go beyond what some groupware providers have to offer. The purpose of these articles is to equip the groupware user or investigator with helpful knowledge about the product in order to enable more effective use or to lead the investigator to the groupware service he or she is looking for. This third article explores groupware as a document manager, and provokes a critical approach to finding the right groupware to meet your business's needs. A good litmus test to determine the value of groupware as a document manager consists of the four A's: Ad Hoc Management, Accountability, Accessibility, and Affordability. Is Groupware a Document Manager able to Handle Ad Hoc Collaboration? A document manager is organizational software that tracks and organizes documents. In today's fast-paced business world, most of the document collaboration that takes place is ad hoc. In other words, documents are continuously fired back and forth in B to B and B to C communication, consisting of multiple individuals. As drafts of documents and presentations are passed back and forth, they are archived in email boxes, saved on hard drives, and passed through servers. If groupware is to be considered an effective document manager, it mush somehow be able to track and manage documents, even in an ad hoc setting. Is Groupware an Accountable Document Manager? In other words, as a document manager, can groupware account for the documents and their versions? Can it answer the who, what, when, where, and how questions that inevitably arise? Finding groupware that utilizes Digital Thread technology informs users where a document is saved and which version they are viewing. All tracking information is then collected into a digital flow chart displaying the version history of the document. Is Groupware an Accessible Document Manager? Often, document manager software systems require IT infrastructure and limited usability. Unless everyone with whom a user collaborates is a user too, the groupware isn't very beneficial. However, groupware technology uses existing IT infrastructure and opens up accessibility to everyone with whom a user collaborates. Digital Thread still ties together document versions made by non users. Non-users receive digital signatures with attached document versions. Non-users cannot, however, access a version history, nor can they receive digital signatures in projects with other non-users. Is Groupware an Affordable Document Manager? The easy answer to that is "yes, it can be." In other words, groupware packages are produced in the business market in the millions. Just check out the search engine results page of any search engine after searching "groupware." As of today, Google results include 4,870,000 indexed pages, Yahoo yields 4,820,000 indexed pages, and MSN yields 961,866 indexed pages. Sifting through these results is impossible, though this article hopes to simplify that process through helpful information about effective features and technologies needed to meet today's business needs without costing too much. Groupware without an expensive IT infrastructure is available with simple installation and affordable set up. The cost of time, training, and setup are minimal. Groupware is meant to work for the business. Don't get stuck looking for products that work the other way around. Joe Miller is an online advertiser and author of informational articles on business software. More information on Groupware or Document Manager is available at NextPage.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Corporate ERP Selection: Microsoft Great Plains In our opinion, traditional approach when you select ERP/MRP system for large or mid-size company by functionality, database and hardware platform should be revised. We are convinced that new generation of Windows servers plus the reliability of relatively inexpensive database platform, such as Microsoft SQL Server, enable large corporation to decrease the cost of hardware, database and ERM software, plus have good internal support by hiring Microsoft certified professionals, available on the market in your area. Four Easy Ways To Prevent Spyware How would you like to prevent spyware and adware from getting into your computer? You need to stop adware and spyware before it gets into your files. That way you're protecting your private information such as passwords, credit card numbers and other documents that you don't want to share with anyone. Microsoft CRM Custom Design & Development: SDK, C#, SQL, Exchange, Integration, Crystal Reports Microsoft CRM is new player on the CRM software market. The whole conception behind CRM seems to be different. Spyware, Adware, etc. -- Terms and Common Sense When reading an article where some term is used often, it is useful to make sure the author of the article and you mean the same. Not surprisingly for those who still remember English lessons at school, every noun ending with "ware" is a mixture of objects having something in common--usually used for similar purposes. Navision Attain C/ODBC Crystal Report - Customization Example Microsoft Business Solutions Navision is main ERP application for European, Brazilian markets plus it serves vertical segments of the USA market, such as light manufacturing, POS, CRM. As our experience indicates - Navision implementation requires more customization and tuning in comparison to another mid-market ERP solution from MBS: Microsoft Great Plains. Microsoft Great Plains Jewelry - Implementation & Customization Overview Each Industry and market niche has business specific and unique requirements to ERP/Accounting System. Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is ERP platform, ready for third party modules additions and customizations, plus being SQL Server-based system it opens you wide spectrum of integration options and tools. What is Groupware? Vince Lombardi once said that, "The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual." If this is the case, then what do we need to do in order to insure success in our companies? How can we combine the efforts of each individual as Mr. Editing Your Photos Using Microsoft Picture It Publishing Platinum 2002 - A Great Dinosaur I started using PIP (Picture It Publishing) Platinum 2002 right after I got it in a bundle with my HP Pavallion N5295 Notebook more than several moons ago!I don't want to be a rocket scientist to produce edited photos quickly and with quality results, again and again.I had a terrible time at first with the edited pictures. Cisco Certification: Five Things To Do DURING Your CCNA Exam There are plenty of articles out there about how to prepare for the CCNA exam. However, there are also things you can do to increase your chances of success on exam day during the most important part of the entire process -- the time that you're actually taking the test. Microsoft CRM Integration with Lotus Notes Domino: Messaging Connector - Future Directions IBM Lotus Notes Domino and Microsoft CRM (Client Relation Management) from now on can work in tandem. Microsoft CRM Lotus Notes Domino connector from Alba Spectrum Technologies provides seamless messaging in MS CRM through Domino. Great Plains Dexterity: Customizations & Source Code Programming Great Plains Software Dynamics, Dynamics C/S+, eEnterprise were written on GPS proprietary programming language and development environment - Great Plains Dexterity. When Microsoft bought Great Plains Software, Dynamics was renamed into Microsoft Great Plains, but Dexterity is still the architectural base, there were trends to move MS Great Plains to . What to Do if All Screensavers Fun is Grayed Out? Finally, you have some time to personalize your desktop with an interesting screensaver. But wait. Photoshop Files and Formats People often ask me: What image file formats will Photoshop open or save in? What are the advantages/disadvantages?Photoshop has the capability to open and save many different graphic files. Here are some of the most popular ones. Understanding Document Management The term "document management" and "paperless office" is the subject of countless articles and books. Everyone wants to achieve this lofty goal but not everyone understands what the terms really mean. Hear It in Digits Music downloads are off the charts! We're listening to digital music in the digital era.The driving force behind the phenonmena is the technonolgy called MP3. S is for Spying, Surveillance -- and for Software as Well Words we choose to describe things and phenomena often show our attitude towards what we say. They imperceptibly reflect our opinions and judgments, prejudices and preferences, moral convictions and beliefs. Can You Calculate Complex Financial Calculations? Are you a whiz at calculating financial information? Not the easy personal stuff, like figuring out your monthly mortgage based on a fixed interest rate for x number of years, or how much money you have available each month after all your bills are paid. (You can probably use your fingers to figure that one out!)But the hard stuff, you know, the things you need to know when you're running a small business. The Software 2005 Conference - A Review The Software 2005 conference is now a wrap. This conference, presented by M. Open Source Concepts: Dual Licensing Explained We were recently faced with a decision: either to let a program that took us one year to code die, simply because we do not have enough time to maintain it, or make it open source.Open source looked like a good idea for while, but there was one problem. Microsoft Great Plains Logistics & Warehouse Management - Implementation & Customization Highlights Logistics automation is often considered as barcoding extension to Sales Order Processing, Purchase Order Processing, Inventory Control modules. Software extensions makers may disagree with this simplification, but budget solution works exactly like barcoding extension and is usually done via Great Plains Dexterity, Modifier with VBA and SQL stored procedures.
|
|
Powered By: Free Work At Home Business Opportunity! |
| © 2006 |
