TAdviser Interview: The president of DocsVision Vladimir Andreyev about EDMS for 100 thousand users, the main trends and tasks

Vladimir Andreyev The market of workflow systems in Russia — the settled and mature market, and changes in it happen slowly, however last year brought several notable changes. First of all, this significant revival in state authorities concerning transition on domestic software: the plan of translation of the office software for domestic platforms is approved, specific terms and rather accurate requirements are registered. It forces producers of domestic platforms to implement operability of the systems in completely domestic infrastructure, beginning from operating systems and a DB and finishing with work with domestic office suites.

We this year faced a problem of scaling of implementations: there is a need of centralization of the large distributed implementations. The organizations ripened before creation of the uniform centralized electronic archives, all this occurs against the background of import substitution and replacement of the western ECM systems, and it imposes new requirements for scaling to domestic platforms.

The third change is connected with emergence of real projects on paperless document flow, thanks to active work of the state on execution of the regulatory base and stimulation of transition to paperless technologies. It is rather new subject for the EDMS/ECM platforms, and implementation of all complex of problems of failure from paper from the platform requires a number of additional functions.

At last, probably, the interesting and least discussed trend, most for us, is use of an EDMS/ECM for automation of different processes, not traditional for EDMS. Their nomenclature is very different, it can be standard industry problems and processes of different functional divisions, non-standard for EDMS: for example, financial managers, lawyers, etc. become customers of processes which are implemented in EDMS. It offers new prospects for use of systems in the organizations which already implemented EDMS.

Vladimir Andreyev The main trend — scaling of solutions. Demand for technologies of support of the distributed and centralized solutions in the large and largest enterprises grows. Growth of scale of systems finds reflection in increase in demand for electronic archives (including, accounting primary documents), on integration with external document flow and the B2G systems. Transition to use of the web client as basic that also the labor input of deployment and operation of a system at workstations different in power reduces cost, including becoming outdated also is connected with growth of scale.

Further, as I already noted, there were new types of functional customers who paid the attention to EDMS as to the instrument of automation of specific non-standard tasks: for example, processes of back office in the riteylingovy company, claim and claim activity of legal departments, managements of primary documentation of archive, purchase managements, automation of work of collegiate organs of management. However to this day the most demanded tasks, in addition to absolutely traditional ORD and correspondence are problems of automation of a contracted work (including integration with the accounting systems) and any management of requests (business trips, transport, order placement and so forth) which occur practically in each project.

Demand for paperless business processes grows: in particular, on paperless exchange of documents with partners.

Vladimir Andreyev Docsvision ECM is a new edition of the platform and our answer to two trends at once: import substitution and scaling.

We initially planned our system not as classical EDMS and as the platform of management of documents and business processes. We not just automated the tasks relevant at that time (the beginning of the 2000th), and modelled data domain of document flow, created very flexible model of the document which allows to describe documents in any data domains, beginning from the simple file to very difficult object including documents, structured data, lifecycle, the machine of statuses, roles and so forth. We created also solution model based on the platform which includes documents, processes, reference books, navigation and submission of documents, reports. Designers who allow created it is declarative to describe objects and decisions without programming using visual interactive tools. From the very first commercial version we integrated in a single platform of the EDMS, ECM and BPM function, than substantially anticipated trends. The application model which we developed still did not lose relevance and allows us and our partners to create very different solutions. In construction of our solutions high degree of flexibility is put, they can be modified and adapted quickly to needs of the specific customer and to change functions of a system in process of its use. It completely corresponds to modern Agile-experts of maintaining projects on automation.

All these backlogs led to the fact that the platform began to be used in very wide context and very high parameters of scaling were required. For the solution of this problem we opened the Docsvision ECM project more than 2 years ago. In parallel we solved a problem of transfer of a system in Linux environment.

Stateless architecture of the application server and application of the most modern architectural concepts (technologies AlwaysOn, noSQL, in-Memory db and so forth) allowed us to achieve unprecedented parameters of scaling (this year we showed system operation from 100,000 simultaneous users with good indicators of high-speed performance). Component system architecture allowed us to react to requirements for the translation of the platform of platforms alternative to Microsoft quickly. The subsystem of work with files was fundamentally processed that allowed to provide almost unlimited scaling of file storage. At the same time we relied on experience of Digital Design company in creation of high-scalable solutions.

Vladimir Andreyev All technologies developed by us are focused on specific projects. There is pilot implementing solutions, constructed on new architecture — so, for example, scaled technologies are checked in stress testing about which I spoke above, for one very big customer whom we cannot call yet. Support in an environment of domestic DBMS and OS was shown on a pilot project in Minpromtorg which is carried out according to an initiative of the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications of testing of domestic office software. There the solution of SDU "Priority" based on the Docsvision platform developed by Digital Design company was shown. All these technologies will be included into the closest release of Docsvision 5.5 including in edition ECM.

Vladimir Andreyev We plan much for 2018: full translation of all a system component on an opportunity for work in Linux environment and in the HTML-interface (today we have Windows applications some instruments of setup of a system), very significant refactoring of a management subsystem business processes, in particular, implementation of support of a multitenantnost for ensuring creation of cloud PaaS-solutions based on the Docsvision platform.

We work hard over optimization of the visual system interface based on the easy client, these practices should appear in one of his next versions. Already in the nearest future there will be a new version of the mobile client Pulse who will allow to configure more flexibly scenarios of its use, will support any form factors of the devices working on operating systems Android and iOS. We in plans have an expansion of instruments of administration and diagnostics of a system and instruments of distribution of solutions of partners for final customers.

Vladimir Andreyev This year there were several projects of migration from the western platforms, and this process goes continuously. Unfortunately, projects which could be carried to very large (more than several thousand users) to this list this year were not added, however we conduct negotiations and we participate in selection of applicants for possible participation in such projects in a number of the companies and the state organizations which such projects plan. Objectively, it is very slow and very capital-intensive process which is strongly influencing management of such companies therefore also preparation for it goes very carefully. Frankly speaking, we not always know whether we substitute someone, or the project is done "from scratch", the vast majority of projects is done by our partners. From recently complete I can mention SUE TEK of St. Petersburg, there substituted the solution based on EMC Documentum.

Vladimir Andreyev We answered this question many times, first of all, difference in subject specifics. The Russian companies almost in 100% of cases have a need for automation of specific applied objectives, first of all traditional office-work and therefore they perceive EDMS as ready or at most the set-up application solution. In the west of ECM it is perceived more likely as the infrastructure solution for the organization of storage and providing services of document handling to other application solutions. In it the first difficulty of implementation of the western ECM systems: in addition to purchase and deployment of the platform, it is necessary to develop or buy the separate application solution on its base — it significantly raises the price of the project, does it to riskier while Russian the whole set of application solutions, as a rule, contain EDMS. Standard application solutions of the western ECM systems — digital asset management (DAM systems), management of records (RMS), archiving of corporate mail — are almost not demanded in the Russian market. At us requirements to the organization of paperless document flow strongly differ, it requires the corresponding completions too.

At the same time the western ECM systems faced a task of management of very large volumes of data much earlier and had a certain backlog before the Russian systems which were concentrated, first of all, on applied functionality. Recently we actively make up for this lag and we consider that platforms solved this problem in our new version.

Vladimir Andreyev Exit to foreign markets are very big investments. Nationalization of a product, documentation, technical support is only a small part of problems. The exit to mature market with a new product is very expensive pleasure, the aggressive marketing, local sales offices adapted to work in specific conditions of this or that country, a business intelligence and project managers is necessary. Creation of such infrastructure for the successful competition in the developed countries (Europe, the USA) — a task, very heavy for our producers. And investments into developing countries, though require smaller efforts, but do not provide necessary return. We feel confident so far only in the countries of the former CIS where there are no such essential language and mental barriers.

Vladimir Andreyev We have good practice of work in all former Soviet Union, including Ukraine, Georgia and the Baltics. Actively we work in Belarus and Kazakhstan now. Depreciation of ruble and to us as to the exporter gave additional opportunities. Entry into the markets of foreign countries us miscalculated more than once, but we saw that it or has no real perspectives today, or requires huge investments for entry into the market on which and requirements others, and us nobody knows and does not wait.

Vladimir Andreyev On satisfaction of fast changing requests of consumers, establishment with them really partnership based on a modern, reliable and productive product with participation of the qualified partner network.

Detailing, we see before ourselves the following tasks:

• Provide an opportunity to our clients to automate the most various processing of information, at the same time gradually expanding functionality of the corporate system of document flow, providing a possibility of continuous improvement of processes and integration of all solutions based on a single platform. We should propose the best functional solutions on the optimal price.
• We actively develop a service component: we plan the whole feature set which will reduce the client's costs for maintenance of a system, its development, implementation of additional components.
• To us the trend to import substitution is obvious, and in the nearest future we are going to ensure system operation in a cross-platform environment.
• One more important trend is transfer of separate components of an information system to cloud basing therefore we work, including, with the largest data centers, over a possibility of heterogeneous deployment of corporate EDMS — combination of local and cloud (PaaS) components of the platform.
• Well and the most important accent of our efforts — solutions on the Docsvision platform should become is easier (in literal and figurative sense), it is more convenient in use, deployment and maintenance.