Our engineering team here at ColumbiaSoft met one-on-one with Microsoft’s top software, database, and network engineers at the Mountain View Technology Center recently in an architecture design summit.  This laid out the groundwork for a co-authored roadmap for the next generation of the Document Locator document management system.

The timing coincided perfectly with our efforts underway here at ColumbiaSoft to evaluate the technological underpinnings of Document Locator. New technology advancements in software development are making entirely new product solutions possible. To take advantage of these technologies, portions of Document Locator’s underlying architecture must be re-invented to support future application requirements.

As we build for the future, being able to work closely with Microsoft is invaluable because it provides an opportunity for the developers to share design ideas.  It’s this kind of engineer-to-engineer brainstorming that exposes details about existing development methodologies and techniques, while providing insight into future technologies that Microsoft is working on. 

Our next generation architecture will incorporate Microsoft’s technology supremacy, along with ColumbiaSoft’s document management expertise, to create a win-win for customers. The new architectural design takes into consideration handheld computing, distributed workforces, multilingual organizations, ever increasing security threats, scalability, cloud computing, and more.

Written by: Scott Zieg

Successfully incorporating a document management system into your organization requires finding the right software, backed by the right people, to ensure the implementation is a success.  When searching for the right partner, expand your requirements beyond the immediate business objectives and ask the prospective vendor how they plan on serving your needs tomorrow as technology and business process change.

Solving tomorrow’s needs requires solution providers to work closely with customers and prospects alike in order to learn what’s working well for organizations and what potential solutions lay undiscovered in the document management sphere.  Equally as important, solution providers must have partnerships with mass-market software and hardware vendors such as Microsoft, Adobe, Autodesk, and Kodak in order to gain insight into future product directions.

As an established document management provider, ColumbiaSoft is uniquely positioned to work with its extensive customer base and software partnerships in formulating innovative product solutions.  The experiences of working closely with clients and partners are readily apparent in the latest generation of Document Locator.  The next release of Document Locator has been enhanced for increased performance, deeper integration in mainstream applications, and includes expanded features designed to help customers work more efficiently.

Enhancements to Document Locator v5.3 include:

1. Integration into Microsoft Windows 64-bit operating systems
2. Embedded Autodesk’s RealDWG technology for managing CAD files
3. Drag and drop support into Document Locator’s web client (WebTools)
4. Advanced .NET / JavaScript user interface updates for the web client (WebTools)
5. Improved Windows Installer installation packages6. Productivity improvements in the area of scanning, document approvals, records management, disaster recovery, document search, email archive, and more… 

Document Locator v5.3 beta is currently being trialed among existing customers to ensure success across varying deployments and industries, including AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction), government, insurance, consulting, and property management.  ColumbiaSoft is working closely with these beta customers to ensure the application is stable, user friendly, and most importantly is solving real business problems to benefit their organization.

Written by: Scott Zieg

The idea of the paperless office was first theorized in a 1975 Business Week article that discussed how the personal computer revolution would put an end to paper records and book keeping.  Now, some thirty-four years later, while the type of information contained in paper form has changed, more than ever businesses are inundated with paper records.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and others report:

• The average office worker goes through 10,000 sheets of copy paper a year.
• A reduction in a ton of paper production saves the equivalent of 4,100 kWh of energy and 7,000 gallons of water.
• Each employee in a typical business office generates 1.5 lbs of waste paper per day.

Each year, businesses spend significant resources printing, filing, storing, and retrieving paper documents.  Every aspect of the paper storage process adversely impacts a business’ budget and the environment as a whole.  Some of the more obvious financial drawbacks of paper storage include purchasing paper, spending personnel resources filing and finding documents, increasing square footage for physical file storage, and recovering from disastrous flood or fire damage.

In addition to financial costs, the environmental impacts cannot be ignored.  The production process to produce paper stock requires harvesting trees, consumes significant energy leading to increased greenhouse gases, and involves chemicals that we weren’t allowed to touch in chemistry class.  Storing filing cabinets in your office consumes additional real estate which has associated heating/cooling requirements and more.

Now the good news: there is an alternative to using so much paper that reduces your carbon footprint.  Businesses now have affordable paperless office solutions that not only increase productivity, but also make any environmentalist green with envy.  So what are paperless office solutions you ask?

Paperless office solutions are business software applications designed for digitally storing documents into a repository.  Documents can include anything from invoices, to emails, to contracts, to health records - you name it.  As the documents are stored in the system, they are associated with index information referred to as metadata attributes.  The metadata indexes provide users a means to quickly query documents using a web browser or other client application and retrieve the documents electronically on the computer screen.

For many paperless office solutions, also known as a document management system, storing, indexing, and retrieving documents is one of numerous capabilities they offer an organization.  Additional functionality includes electronic routing of documents for approval, email archive, records retention management, document scanning, optical character recognition (OCR), online collaboration with vendors and suppliers, security, disaster recovery, reporting, and more.

To learn more about how a document management system offers companies a sustainable business alternative to paper-intensive processes, read up on our paperless office solutions. Also, we’ve recently been included in Construction Specification Institute’s new GreenFormat listing - it offers a fast-and-easy approach to evaluating green product information.

Written by: Scott Zieg

Whether it’s employee requests for benefits information; managers looking for past employee reviews; or the accounting department trying to find W-4 tax forms… it all comes through to HR. Human Resources professionals wear many hats, and one among them is that of controller of all records workforce-related.

Bet when looking at the entire picture of document management in HR, there is much more than just the management of employee records. There is also the automation of workforce processes; things like expense reports and time off-requests are good examples. Then there is the management of workforce resources like training manuals, employee handbooks, or company policies. And don’t forget the issue of security… all that regulated content must be controlled.

We’re going to look at document control the Human Resources department in a webinar later this week. If you are interested, feel free to join us.

Written by: Jim Kemp

In these uncertain economic times, most companies are faced with the challenge of how to maximize returns on tighter margins. It’s a do-more-with-less strategy that requires business operations be optimized now to meet current economic realities.

One area to consider for improving the bottom line is to look at how information is managed in the organization. This includes all the content, things like documents, invoices, etc.; all the actions, things like reviews, and approvals; and all the processes, these are the repeatable steps that drive the flow of information. Improving how information is managed, the content, actions, and processes, will improve efficiency, reduce risk, and lead to cost savings.

There is another upside to consider with this as well… and it’s a silver lining. With any change comes opportunity, and the right kind of change now can position an organization for even greater success long term.

There are least seven ways that improvements in how information is managed can have an impact on the bottom line in terms of efficiency, risk and cost savings. These were outlined in a document control webinar we held recently, and are also highlighted in an ePaper.

Number 1: Find information, Instantly
Number 2: Automate business processes
Number 3: Improve collaboration
Number 4: Capture a record of every change.
Number 5: Reduce the risk of email.
Number 6: Maintain compliance with regulations
Number 7: Eliminate paper storage costs and go Paperless.

Check out our document control webinar and request a copy of our Silver Lining ePaper to get more details on each.

Written by: Jim Kemp

The last two decades of mainstream personal computers have been based on a 32-bit architecture.  That design allowed the computer to access 2 to the 32nd power of memory addresses (4 GB of RAM).  When the design was incorporated in the first x86 processors in the 1980s, the average PC ran on only 4 megabytes of RAM (4 MB) meaning the theoretical limit of the 32-bit architecture represented a 1000x multiple of the PC’s RAM.  Since then, Moore’s law of computer capacity doubling every 2 years has pushed memory limits against the 32-bit buffer.

Crushing the 4 gigabyte memory barrier are systems leveraging a 64-bit architecture (2 to the 64th power of memory addresses).  Microsoft and Intel have been selling 64-bit software and hardware for several years already.  While the number of users with 64-bit Windows operating systems is still low, the number of computers on the market with 64-bit processors capable of making the leap is huge.

Why the slow adoption?  The answer is compatibility – compatibility with software applications and hardware components.  Most enterprise scale applications on the market today are not available in a 64-bit format.  From a user perspective, upgrading to the 64-bit operating system and losing existing application functionality is not an option.  Luckily, Microsoft anticipated this and created their operating systems with support to allow most applications to run in 32-bit mode on the Windows 64-bit operating system.

Developing a 64-bit release of software is not always simple.  Many of the development tools used by programmers over the years are not capable of building software with a 64-bit architecture.  In addition, applications must be completely upgraded - any sub-components called inside the application must be fully 64-bit compliant.  Despite 64-bit operating systems and hardware being available for several years,  many common applications such as Microsoft Office have yet to make the leap.ColumbiaSoft invested in developing a 64-bit version of Document Locator for a number of reasons:

1. Microsoft Windows 7 is beginning Beta this month.  As a Microsoft partner with a deep integration into Microsoft Windows, ColumbiaSoft is committed to leading the document management industry by staying current with Microsoft.  This includes working with the latest releases of Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system in both 32-bit and 64-bit mode.
2. Document Locator has significant clients in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) industry.  Applications used in the AEC industry like Autodesk Revit are leading the transition to 64-bit processing because of the significant computing required for rendering 3-dimensional models.
3. The ColumbiaSoft Engineering department prides itself on continuously pushing the envelope of Document Locator.  This includes refactoring processes to ensure optimal performance, leveraging the latest database technologies, and reviewing the overall system architecture as new development languages and methodologies become available.

In the coming months ColumbiaSoft will announce the release of Document Locator 5.3.  In addition to handful of other enhancements, version 5.3 will ship with a thick client installation package intended for 64-bit operating systems.  Users on the 64-bit platform will notice a performance increase due to the efficiencies of integration with Windows Explorer 64-bit.  Additional performance gains are derived from Document Locator’s revamped architecture of the Windows shell integration.  Stay tuned for more updates on a release date and the additional features included with Document Locator v5.3.

Written by: Scott Zieg

A standardized system for version control is a great way to improve collaboration, and increase accountability. There’s a new short video demo on the topic. To view it, click the “Watch Demo” button on our document version control page; or check out the video on the Document Locator YouTube channel.

Written by: Jim Kemp

It can’t be said any more succinctly than it was summed up by a Document Locator user at State Mutual Life & Health: “Hard drives are cheaper than warehouses.”

The storage of paper is a burdensome cost that, when you consider it, really brings no return or adds any value to a company. Office space consumed by filing cabinets or archive boxes could otherwise be used as productive work areas, and off-site storage fees could be better invested in areas of the business that return a real value.

As the economy forces everyone to tighten their belts and look for new ways to do more with less, document storage - the means of how you store and manage the multitude of paper and electronic files - should be a leading candidate among cost-saving considerations.

Consider this… an electronic document storage system not only frees up office space and eliminates warehouse fees, but it also improves productivity. Files that once took several minutes to locate in a filing cabinet, or days (and dollars) to retrieve from a storage location, are now instantly retrievable with the click of a digital search.

If you think improving document storage is for you, join us in a live Webinar next Wednesday called: Electronic Document Storage - Hard drives are cheaper than warehouses. We’ll explore all the cost and productivity benefits, and give you a tour of a very good electronic document storage alternative.

Written by: Jim Kemp

Are you grappling with how to automate document version control?

We’re all familiar with this scenario: There’s an important document with a critical deadline that has to be worked on by a group of people. Round and round the document goes, often by email, with edits written over edits. And… as the document progresses through stages, each person appends the file name to indicate their own ad-hoc, individualized versioning scheme. File names like “CustomerRFP-Sally-version 5-June7-DRAFT.doc” start to appear. In the end, it’s impossible to retreive prior versions (stored on individuals’ computers), and it’s a nightmare to assemble all the changes.

This is just one example where automated version control can save the day. There are many others, and we’ll touch on them all in a 20-minute webinar on January 22 called Managing Document Versions - Organizing chaos with a record of every change.

We’ll talk about how standardized version control software improves productivity and collaboration by eliminating ad-hoc and individualized versioning schemes; how document versioning increases accountability by logging information as it changes over time; and how version control reduces information loss and the need to duplicate or recreate information content.

Learn more and register for the webinar on Managing Document Versions.

Written by: Jim Kemp

I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday break!  Here in Portland we were blessed (some might choose other adjectives) with a white Christmas.  Portland typically has a very temperate climate thanks to its proximity to the ocean, however this December we were inundated with snow.  The winter blast provided the local kids with some reprieve from school and wreaked havoc on those last minute holiday shoppers who were trapped by the impassible roads.

For those of us lucky enough to return to work after new years, the calm and relaxation of vacation came to a grinding halt on Monday morning.  What is different returning to work in 2009, as compared with last year, is the slowing economy.  Many employees find themselves conflicted about their jobs.  On the one hand they are grateful for gainful employment while on the other hand they are being stretched by increased workloads caused by companies downsizing their workforce or by freezing necessary employee hiring.

When you are being asked to increase your workload beyond what is reasonable to accomplish during the 8 hour work day, lots of things come to mind.  Once the expletives subside, you can hear yourself asking “how do I work smarter, not harder?”  Conceptually we all know what that means, but how would I do that? Sometimes it is truly difficult for a person who is trying to juggle numerous tasks, interruptions, emails, meetings, and more to step back and truly self-examine how to work smarter.

Some of the more popular recommendations for improving your productivity are to:

• Read email at scheduled times only.  Be sure to close Outlook completely to avoid being interrupted each time a new email arrives.
• Keep detailed task lists indicating what needs completed today, this week, etc.
• Block out time on your calendar to work on larger tasks so you have uninterrupted time to make headway.

In addition to streamlining your schedule, there are ways to work smarter around the documents you create and consume on a daily basis.  For example, how many times have you cringed when you realize the document you want to work on fell off Microsoft’s most recent list – What did I call that thing?  Below are productivity benefits companies realize after implementing a quality document management system.

• Version Control – Eliminate needlessly comparing and merging documents with various extension names attempting to create a new master version of the document.
• Index Searches – Quickly retrieve documents by searching against indexed information including document type, due date, client name, and more.
• Approvals and Notifications – Automatically route documents for electronic review, digital approval, and digital signatures using a robust workflow engine.
• Scanning Paper Documents – Eliminate needless walks to and from as well as rifling through filing cabinets by having your paper documents digitally archived and accessible from every computer in the office.

These represent only a handful of the possible benefits derived by implementing an enterprise document management system.  With the ever increasing demands being placed on employees, providing them the necessary tools to handle the workload will goes miles towards improving employee morale and allows resources to focus on your business’ core competency.

Written by: Scott Zieg