New application runs extremely fast while ensuring reliable archiving, rapid retrieval, packaging, and distribution of business information, documents, and reports from spool files.
Systems management software provider, Halcyon Software Inc., announced a entirely new product at COMMON—Document Management System V3.0 for the IBM i platform.
Document Management System V3.0 is a comprehensive software solution that ensures reliable archiving, rapid retrieval, packaging, and distribution of business information, documents and reports stored in the system as spool files.
Businesses can benefit by significantly reducing costs on what traditionally has been a labor-intensive activity involved with finding, re-packaging, and distributing and generally managing information needed by users within the organization so they can perform their jobs effectively, Halcyon points out. Cost efficiencies also can be gained from the rapid retrieval and delivery of information that now is in the right format to go to external contacts, such as customers and suppliers, the company noted.
Apart from its extremely fast operation, key features of Halcyon's Document Management System V3.0 include indexing of all archived files for rapid retrieval, an easy-to-use Web user interface requiring no special IBM i skills, a "sticky note" that can be instantly viewed by assigned users and highlights important information about a particular file, and an overlay designer for reports, print overlays to create invoices, orders, dispatch notes, etc. Halcyon Document Management System V3.0 also has a segmenting and bundling feature that enables subsets of large reports to be created and distributed to pre-defined recipient lists.
Without the need for program changes, the software performs actions on spooled files such as automatically emailing the summary page of a report or converting them into PDFs or HTML Web pages.
"Halcyon has made a significant investment in the Document Management System software," said John Dominic, vice president of Sales at Halcyon. "Our development team has engaged with IBM i sites to create a business solution which offers automatic archiving, indexing, and super-fast retrieval of important information. The new Web-based interface modernizes and simplifies a traditionally labor-intensive activity and saves significant cost."
Editor's Note: Donnie MacColl, Halcyon's director of Technical Services, told MC Press Online that the software was developed over a nine-month period and took the efforts of five developers. "It's a completely new product," MacColl said, but noted that it's designed to integrate with current and earlier versions of Halcyon's Systems Operations Suite. Dominic said the product is expected to appeal to public sector clients who are required to keep data for seven years and, as a result, accumulate huge numbers of spool files. Thus, speedy access and processing of these files is a very welcome feature.
The indexing function eliminates the need for staff to search for spooled files or wade through large reports to find specific information important to their business or job function. Indexing can be applied to archived files for fast retrieval of detailed information and IT administrators can search for archived files using combinations of 15 definable indexes such as invoice numbers. The technology also has a powerful search function through linking indexes across different archived files. For example, indexes for "Invoice Number" could be cross linked to indexes for "Customers," “Orders” and “Depots.”
Web-based Interface
A Web-based graphical user interface (GUI) provides an easy way for staff to access or handle indexed spooled files, assign notes, apply print overlays, and export data without the need for specialist skills or training. All documents can be viewed securely and remotely through a web browser. Using the appropriate security settings organizations have the option to allow their customers to carry out their own searches.
Sticky Notes
Users can create a “sticky note” or a line item which appears on the GUI and at the same time on the IBM i green screen, which can highlight key information to all members of their team. Any changes to notes or items are also simultaneously updated on the GUI and the green screen. For example, a note could be created against a customer account containing information which is vital for other team members to know. Security features within the software prevent non-authorized staff or teams being able to view or change information.
Overlay Designer
The new overlay designer enables a business to easily customize its reports or create print-overlays for typical documents such as invoices, dispatch notes, orders, pick lists, and customer statements.
Segmenting and Bundling
Organizations can create subsets of large reports and distribute bundles of information as hard copies or email documents in PDF, HTML and TXT format to a pre-defined recipient list. For example, staff in a distribution company could extract information from reports that identifies depots that only stock certain products, or depots that have residual supplies of an individual item, or customers which reside in particular territories or those that receive regular deliveries of a specific product, etc. Considerable resources can be saved by eliminating the need to manually extract this information from reports often hundreds of pages in length. Another benefit of segmenting and bundling is that the software does not need to use specialist scripts to “slice and dice” the data from spooled files and deliver it efficiently and quickly to the people who require it.
Pricing and Availability
Document Management System V3.0 is available immediately. Product pricing is tiered and based on IBM processor group. In addition, Halcyon has published a fair pricing policy so that if customers increase the Commercial Processing Workload (CPW) rating of their IBM hardware, they will not incur software upgrade fees. This gives customers long-term assurance against cost increases from such upgrades.
For more information about Document Management System V3.0 visit www.halcyonsoftware.com/dms
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