Vladimir Arapov, 585 Gold: Implementation of EDMS THESIS - our first project on agile-methodology

Vladimir Arapov: In the company there was already long-term experience with an electronic document management system, and during its operation we by own efforts continuously finished it "on trifles". But at some point quite big list, both business requirements, and requirements relating to change of technical capabilities of software which independently, without involvement of professional advisors, did not manage to be solved gathered. For example, development of the new routes or adjustment existing was almost impracticable task because of the difficult model put by developers at product introduction. Functionality of work with document revisions in general was absent. The interface and logic of transition between sections were not always intuitive and as speak, unfriendly for users. Integration with external systems was given with great difficulty too. And software and license policy began noticeably "hit maintenance the pocket over time" - the number of users grew, and for everyone it was required to purchase the new personal license which, by the way, were by no means expensive.

And then before us there was a question - to update and develop already available foreign product or to implement new. We began to be interested ECMEDMS markets / systems again, and found out that for several years there were many new modern products which were able to solve our many problems directly from "box". And most vendors suggest to buy the competitive licenses which are not attached to employees and limiting only the number of the users who are once in a system.

Having analyzed and having counted costs for both candidate solutions – regularly "repair" an old product or implement new, the decision was made – we buy new EDMS.

Vladimir Arapov: Watched system ESM/SED long, nearly a year, in several runs. The reason for that was happy banal – there was a wish to select that there corresponds notorious the price/quality. But as a result became obvious that the quantity of the new solutions entering the market continuously grows in this direction, and possibilities of the ECM products which already proved in the market constantly are improved, from the version to the version. Therefore we were focused on solutions which answered our main criteria for the choice – the low cost of licenses, the open code with a possibility of conducting own developments, an opportunity to keep the project on agile-methodology, existence of integration connectors with the accounting systems, the simple and clear interface, full-text search for documents, comparison of document revisions, recognition of texts, flexible and simple administration of a system, an opportunity to use a product as a BPM system, scalability, and, at last, existence of positive responses from clients.

We made the check sheet with the main requirements and a scale of evaluation scores, and then watched more than 6 systems by these criteria. TEZIS won a victory in fair competition.

Vladimir Arapov: Plans, as usual it happens at a stage of formation of functional limits of the project, were Napoleonic – there was a wish all and at once. But in the course of preparation of requirements to a system together with partners from Haulmont company we drew the route chart of development of a product from which became obvious that on implementation of all our tasks more than a year will leave. Therefore the decision to customize with partners a system under the most main, "hot" objectives was made. And further, having grown up own competences on the project, to continue development of a product independently. The main objectives which we set for a new system became: give an opportunity to quickly configure and change routes of approval of documents, reduce time of approval of agreements due to display in a card of the document of attributes, important for decision-making, undertake functions of a maternal system regarding maintaining reference books of partners and agreements, to give the chance quickly to create various reports for control for findings of documents and execution of tasks without involvement of the administrator, and the most important, function of comparison of documents, which, we very much waited, and now we want to complete its implementation.

Vladimir Arapov: It was our first experience of implementation of the project on agile-methodology. Also we consider that thanks to fast obtaining intermediate results, we could see practically in real time as our product is created and develops. Moreover, this approach gave the chance to adjust and add new requirements to the project "on the run".

Also unexpectedly for all transition to the THESIS system took place quite easily, and practically at once we received the mass of positive reviews from users of new EDMS. Thanks to an active feedback from users we could stabilize work of a new system in the shortest possible time and collect a number of wishes on further improvement and development of the software product.

During the project with the help of our partners from Haulmont company we could grow up own examination regarding administration and modification of EDMS THESIS.

Vladimir Arapov: Thanks to the fact that the product provides competitive licensing, we, having purchased only 100 licenses, could provide access to a system to all users, participating in business processes, and these are more than 400 people.

Integration with the accounting system allowed to optimize working time of employees of group on maintaining basic data.

Initially we aimed to reduce personnel labor costs by approval and input of agreements for 50% on average for each type. But so far early to speak about it. For this purpose we developed a number of reports and the system of notifications for heads and contractors for the purpose of control of execution of tasks. Time that this mechanism started working in a complete measure is necessary. But it is unambiguously possible to tell that very useful was a functionality developed within the project on work with the same agreements. Together with Haulmont company the special meta-card — the peculiar "container" for such agreements allowing to avoid manual creation and approval of ten identical cards in a system was developed. In a meta-card all main fields which are automatically duplicated in the agreements created on a separate tab are filled. After approval of such meta-card each agreement is given the status "is approved". Thanks to this innovation, we significantly managed to reduce time expenditure by this business process since we had an opportunity to approve the same agreements at the same time. Partners from Haulmont company especially for us developed this know-how. Also we put in a system an opportunity to create agreements in standard forms when printed copies of documents are autocompleted from the attributes entered into a card. Having got sufficient experience in the project course, we undertook to carry out this task independently, and in the nearest future we are going to implement it.

Vladimir Arapov: We implemented integration with SAP ERP. Now data on partners and agreements are automatically transferred to the accounting system. In the long term we plan integration with 1C for which in TEZIS the ready gateway, and with products of ABBYY for comparison of two document revisions is provided in different formats.

Vladimir Arapov: Yes, at the moment based on EDMS THESIS we start the project on automation of process of monthly budgeting. Then the project on accounting and registration of the entering and outgoing correspondence starts, and in the following half a year we are going to automate approval of bypass sheets and some other business processes.