IBM Lotus Quickr is very capable of performing
as a document management solution for SMBs. Stable, quick, customizable
and with lots of integration options, its default setup has only one (potential)
pitfall. Which one? Keep on reading...
Background
So, what do I know about document management?
Not enough to teach about it, but enough to have my opinion. I've been
using various document management systems during my whole professional
life: while I worked as Design Engineer and Project Manager in Saab Bofors
Dynamic I used Continuus for document management and Doors and Slate for
requirement management. Here, in COMPUTING systems, we have an elaborate
document management system based on IBM Lotus Domino Document Manager.
Furthermore, we are developing a solution that combines business process
modelling with Scan / OCR and archiving functionality.
Document Management
Systems
What is the purpose of the document
management systems (DMS)? Simply put:
- to allow access control,
- to simplify document search,
- to allow groups to work on the same
document, while preventing conflicts arising from two or more people trying
to alter a document at the same time,
- to provide means of versioning, meaning
that system keeps older versions of the document, and
- to allow formal review and approval
of documents.
Quickr is actually very good in each
of these points. It is not perfect (e.g. one cannot save drafts, only versions
of a document; review and approval functionality is rudimentary) but more
than adequate for the needs of an SMB looking for a simple solution to
start managing documents. And, in case you wonder: No, shared folders are
not considered to be a document management system!
How does a typical
SMB manage documents?
The simple answer is - it does not.
In more than five years I've been doing document management for living,
I am still to meet a customer that has any sort of document management
implemented. Now, before you jump on me for saying this, have in mind that
I am talking about Bosnia and Herzegovina, where such a rudimentary thing
as e-mail is still a mystery for many companies. I am sure that situation
is better elsewhere, but I am also sure that too many companies use shared
folders on local PCs or server (if they have one) for storing all company
documents. Without proper access control, without versioning and, most
often, without backup.
What does a typical
user want?
Typical user wants as little change
as possible to the workflow and applications. Typical user does not want
to learn how to perform existing tasks in a new way. This poses a challenge
to document management systems as there is a whole lot of functionality
that needs to be implemented with as little disruption to user as possible.
One way of doing this is by providing
a set of connectors that allows users to perform document management actions
from within standard office applications that he uses for daily work, e.g.
word and spreadsheet editors, file managers. Quickr provides a set of connectors
(called aptly Quickr Connectors) and they work very well. Quickr has connectors
for Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Windows Explorer;
IBM Lotus Notes, IBM Lotus Sametime and IBM Symphony, thus covering typical
range of office applications found in every SMB.
Show me an example!
Consider a simple use case: user navigates
to a document using file manager, opens the document to do some changes
and then saves it. Here is how it is done in Quickr:
1. Use Windows Explorer to navigate
to Quickr place, folder and document - just as you would do if the file
was on your local hard drive or somewhere on the network.
2. Double-click on the file. Quickr
will show a dialogue asking whether to check-out document for editing.
If you want to edit the document, choose to check out. If you only want
to read the document, open it without checking out (this is like opening
a read only copy).
3. Choose to check out the document
so you can edit it. The document opens in the default editor, Lotus Symphony
in this case.
Edit the document as usual. Notice the
Quickr Connectors toolbar - once you are done with editing simply click
on Check in. Your document will be saved to Quickr server and checked in,
meaning that your recent edits will be made available to other members
of the Quickr place.
Also, you can save the document but
leave it checked-out, so you can continue editing it later. While the document
is checked-out, only you will have access to it and see the latest changes.
Other members will be able to read (the latest checked-in version of) the
document, but they will not be able to do any changes.
Wrap-up
As you can see, using Quickr as DMS
(in its simplest form) does not require the end user to change much of
its usual work routine. Documents are still found and opened through Windows
Explorer, edited in default application and saved to DMS by a simple click
on an icon (albeit, not the usual one).
Next time we'll start exploring more
advanced features such as document versions and approval and how they can
be used in a typical SMB.
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