FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

The number of documents companies deal with continues to grow. Various studies have shown that around 80 percent of all the information available to a company exists in an unstructured form. Structured document management and being able to access information quickly, however, play a decisive role in ensuring a company’s success. Medium-sized companies, in particular, can only survive in the business world if they work efficiently and make optimal use of their resources. There are also the legal regulations to be considered which require that all documents of digital origin be archived in an audit-compliant way. Document management systems support companies in combating these challenges.

ArcFlow helps provide quick and easy access to the knowledge a company has at its disposal and also helps manage this information. In addition, the DMS also ensures compliance with the legal demands on archiving. ArcFlow provides a greater level of transparency and ensures a higher degree of efficiency.

The document management system is made up of three components: Document management, archiving and workflow. ArcFlow allocates data of all formats to their corresponding folders by way of the file name or text content. The DMS automatically runs text recognition on all the documents – so that manual keyword allocation – although still possible – is no longer necessary. On top of this documents can be printed out using a special printer driver connection – simultaneously filing them in ArcFlow as either PDF or TIFF files. The DMS always lets you search your documents quickly and easily – despite large and continually growing data volumes – comparable with an Internet search engine.

ArcFlow lets companies archive all their documents in an audit-proof way. During processing the old version of a document is also stored in the DMS alongside the new version. Even when a document has been deleted the previous versions can still be retrieved, thus making it possible to reconstruct all the previous changes.

The workflow components let you link incoming documents, such as invoices, directly to specific operations. For example, the system automatically sends e-mail reminders when deadlines are reached and provides a summary of which tasks have already been completed and which projects are still open using the graphical workflow assessment tool.

First and foremost ArcFlow stands right out against other systems through being extremely easy to use. A large number of processes run fully automatically, thus reducing manual effort to an absolute minimum. Experience has shown that users need around half a day to familiarise themselves with the document management system to then be able to use it to the full. On the other hand, ArcFlow distinguishes itself from other DMS systems in that it can be quickly and easily integrated into any existing IT infrastructure due to the numerous interfaces it provides. No further programming effort is required. ERP and CRM solutions, for example, can be effortlessly linked to ArcFlow, thus allowing complete transfer of all the documents over to the DMS. By utilising the open API (Application Programming Interface) users can address ArcFlow’s complete functionality using various programming languages. This also means that DMS functions can be provided to external systems, too – for example, the document search function can be directly integrated into an ERP system.

Other unique technical features include the printer drivers, allowing printed documents to be simultaneously filed to ArcFlow as either PDF or TIFF files, as well as the indexing tool which completely indexes all the documents automatically. The search facility – fast at all times despite the ever-increasing data volume (like an Internet search engine) – also puts ArcFlow a cut above all the other document management systems. In addition to this, a high availability solution has also been integrated into ArcFlow – a hot standby server which constantly manages and maintains all the current document database versions, keeping them consistent and immediately taking over all the tasks should the primary system fail.

ArcFlow is directed, in particular, at middle-sized companies but can also be implemented within large corporate groups.

As the system is flexible and can be adapted to suit any individual needs it can be implemented in any line of business.

ArcFlow allows you to archive all your documents in an audit-compliant way. When a document is processed not only the new but also all previous versions of the document are saved. Even when a document has been deleted the previous versions can still be retrieved, thus making it possible to reconstruct all the previous changes. Furthermore, it is possible to determine at any time which changes were made and by whom. ArcFlow also complies with the legal security requirements. All the documents are saved in a database where they are not only compressed but also encoded (encrypted), thus making unauthorised access by persons outside the system impossible.

ArcFlow comprises numerous interfaces which make integration into an existing IT infrastructure extremely simple. For example, data from an existing CRM system can be directly saved to the DMS and displayed alongside the workfolders. File folders on both network and local drives can also be defined as transfer directories. If a document is saved to one of these directories it is automatically picked up by ArcFlow. Through being able to flexibly define the transfer directories the documents are then automatically allocated to the appropriate workfolders depending on how they are structured. The document management system can distribute self-defined printer drivers to designated systems throughout the organisation. Printouts using these drivers are not only sent to a printer but also to ArcFlow. This method allows print jobs to be printed – at the same time filing them in the DMS. Furthermore, utilising the open API (Application Programming Interface) lets users address ArcFlow’s complete functionality using various programming languages. This means that users can provide functionality where it is needed. For example, the document search tool can be integrated directly into an ERP system.

The whole DMS can be installed and integrated into any IT infrastructure in just one day.

The easy-to-understand and intuitive user interface makes extensive user training superfluous. As a rule users need around half a day to familiarise themselves with the document management system to then be able to use it to the full. If necessary, a half-day follow-up training can be held around 2-4 weeks later to directly answer any questions which have arisen in the meantime.

We implement the concurrent user model. This means that the decisive factor in determining the licensing fee is the actual number of users logged on to the system at any one time. The ArcFlow licensing costs, therefore, are determined solely by the number of concurrent DMS users and not by the number of workstations on which the system has been installed. The licensing fee includes the complete range of ArcFlow functions. The number of users can be modified flexibly and quickly at any time, if necessary.