Evgeny Konoplev, Polisang About features of updating of the customized EDMS

Evgeny Konoplev: Our company uses the Docsvision platform since 2007. In 11 years with different partners and independently we automated the basic internal processes connected with documentary ensuring business: the approval of agreements, office (entering, proceeding ORD), documents of quality management, labor protection, the request in department of supply, a business trip, the request in service IT, logistic and financial requests, sales plans and productions. Also partial integration with ERP was organized.

Evgeny Konoplev: Due to the increase in load of a system its performance, work speed for employees at some point was required to raise. Besides, the version of Docsvision 4.5 did not allow us to unroll the necessary functionality, to adapt a system for the changing procedures and business processes with a speed necessary to us. We assumed that the updated platform will give new opportunities: optimal data storage, big adaptivity and flexibility in setup under our specific requirements. At first looked for a solution method independently, then addressed the first integrator, but did not receive result which expected. The RKIT Group company (St. Petersburg) came to the rescue.

Evgeny Konoplev: During our first meeting colleagues showed examples of the works. We paid attention to a broad spectrum of their own developments, in particular, kontrola of RKIT and when received the first recommendations - it became clear that the integrator not just supports us by the principle "There was a problem — click". Thanks to practices and experience, specialists of RKIT always look at a problem in general, specify weak links which can affect result, and make distinct recommendations thanks to which we cardinally improve a situation, for example, we increase high-speed performance of a system.

Evgeny Konoplev: In January, 2017 we signed the agreement, in February developed the plan of transition from version 4.5 (1966), prepared a polygon. On the first tests revealed some errors in the old version, corrected them, and then in a compatibility mode transferred the solution to the new version of Docsvision 5.4. Began with a large-scale contract management process and supplementary agreements, including approval and integration of ERP. In parallel specialists of RKIT booked audit, specified bottlenecks of which it was necessary to get rid: optimized business processes, configured indexes (sql-high-speed performance), optimized security descriptors.

Evgeny Konoplev: Thanks to the booked audit of a system and the recommendations taken into account after the beginning of work in the mode of compatibility it became much simpler to work. But nevertheless transition from such rather old version to one of the newest was for us hard. The first what we faced, is a problem of converting of old cards of documents in new. All information which was accumulated in a system for years of use needed to be transferred to the new version that employees could use the Knowledge base further correctly. But not all fields in cards were uniformly filled, and we should reveal these moments correctly to convert data into a new card. Partially the problem managed to be solved specially developed requests, partially - a trial and error method when converting process was started. We together with RKIT traced a problem, estimated its scale and solved in the code.

Evgeny Konoplev: When we rebuilt the solution "Contract management" on the version of Docsvision 5.4, faced that the process of approval of agreements which is earlier developed by us in the new version does not work, and the standard module of approval Docsvision does not approach under our scenarios. Approval in our company — the multi-stage procedure, often routes are not predetermined in advance, and form that is called on the run. Therefore the decision to develop approval process independently with expert support of colleagues from RKIT was made. As a result we carried out process reengineering, completely rewrote it using modern opportunities of the platform. If earlier approval consisted of 4 subprocesses, then now it is one business process thanks to what document approval takes place quicker, the quantity of errors was reduced by 80%. It became simpler to us to accompany process since in it algorithms of permission of critical situations are already put and intervention of the administrator it is not required.

To rebuild the solution from version 4.5 on 5.4, we used the kontrola developed by RKIT Group (File kontrol and the Preview). These tools differ in feature set, the most demanded at corporate customers: convenient comparison of versions at multi-stage approval; a quick selection, archiving of documents, splitting archive into parts for sending e-mails; a chat and exchange of documents in each task. Thanks to kontrola it is easier for users to work with documents. Employees are not lost in document revisions, monitor the made changes at any stage of approval, instantly get acquainted with files in a preview window.

Work with agreements, supplementary agreements, with accounts, approval, all notifications are already transferred to new mechanisms. Gradually each business process will be so processed. Now we transfer to the new version: requests, orders, orders, quality management system, office-work. In parallel with it we keep new projects.

Evgeny Konoplev: In development there is Knowledge base according to scientific articles. It is absolutely new project. In a system we conduct archive of articles, gradually we fill base. Each article has a set of parameters: co-authorship in what publications participated into how many languages it is translated and so on. To structure articles at once in many directions, we use Collection kontrol RKIT. Employees can tie easily to article several same details (for example, to specify several authors of article) and further to find any material, to create selections, using the mechanism of full-text search.

Evgeny Konoplev: Thanks to solutions and the partner's practices, we, of course, in a different way estimated not only possibilities of our system, but the Docsvision platform in general. The platform, possibilities of its flexible modification (low-code) and competence of integrator allow to automate the processes far from documentary providing. For example, to configure dynamic graphic reports of SQL Server Reporting Services, to unroll task management system and projects. Such solutions allow the head to estimate work flow on a measure of implementation and to influence a situation pointwise, before approach of control date. Users reach other interoperability layer in the electronic environment.

Evgeny Konoplev: Probably, the main thing - to define for itself, you want to develop really a system or to observe certain formal requirements. If you are aimed at development of a management system, aim to improve qualitatively it and to make convenient for all employees, then it is necessary to be ready to the full project, to reconsideration of opportunities of EDMS. At such moment it is important not to give in to temptation to refuse old software and to implement a new modern system. Yes, it is difficult to update the customized EDMS which functionality was increased for years, but to create new easily and quickly it will not turn out especially. In our case new opportunities had not to be sought elsewhere: Docsvision 5.4 provided them much. The competent integrator which would help to use them was necessary. And it is the second important point: find integrator from which not only knowledge of technology of updating, but also deep understanding of architecture of business processes and desire to penetrate into your tasks is required. Such interaction accelerates the project, cuts down expenses, and exchange of experience contributes to the development of both parties.

Here it is not desire to develop a system, updating it from the version to the version, and in desire to qualitatively improve a management system, to make it more effective and convenient for all at the expense of new opportunities of the version. The purpose of use of a system in general – the management tool convenient and useful to all participants, the instrument of receiving operational and reliable data about accomplishment of tasks and processes.