Lava Systems Africa, an affinity partner of Canadian-based Open Text, today announced the latter`s new document management solution that dramatically improves the way companies manage and store the millions of documents used in large-scale processes such as invoicing, ordering or claims processing.
The solution reduces costs, increases productivity and helps companies gain greater value from content by providing a single access point to information and the ability to link documents to other core business applications.
The Production Document Management solution works with Open Text`s new BPM offering, giving customers an end-to-end solution - process management, document management and a single document repository - to improve business-critical functions such as customer account statements for banks, policy statements for insurance companies or outgoing invoices for utilities. The solution also integrates with Open Text`s other Livelink ECM Solutions, allowing authorised users to easily import and access key business documents and workflows.
"For large companies, managing and storing these documents carries many risks and consumes massive resources," commented David Glazer, Chief Technology Officer of Open Text. "An inefficient system hurts profitability. Combined with our new BPM offering, the Production Document Management solution lets customers take control of this content and improve the way it`s managed for productivity and compliance purposes. It also links this content to core business applications, so that customers can extend access to employees, partners and customers."
The Production Document Management solution includes sophisticated imaging and archiving technology to import and consolidate huge volumes of paper documents into an electronic form. The system maintains every incoming document and makes it available on demand to multiple users simultaneously. In addition, it can securely store documents for designated or extended periods, and supports all types of storage media, so that customers can maintain documents for decades. The solution utilises the Livelink ECM Platform`s Archive Server, providing a single access point and integration with multiple storage hardware vendors.
For accounting and other compliance requirements, the Production Document Management solution offers powerful data retention capabilities. Documents are stored in a tamper-proof format, and administrators can define retention timetables for individual documents and categories of documents. For example, companies can retain financial records for several decades and resumes for job applicants for six months, before purging them in accordance with regulations.
The solution also works with ERP or CRM applications, so that companies can extend access to ERP data and documents to more users. For example, users can retrieve a document from multiple applications and automatically view related documents without exiting their current application. They can also view the same information via a Web browser, even if the host computer cannot run the enterprise application. Open Text`s solution lets users access and view customer folders and requested documents from any browser-based computer.
To reduce the risk of delays that can prolong processing times, the solution also features a flexible search mechanism that provides instant access to all documents stored in the system. The search capability lets users instantly access the data they need when they need it, and also view it in the context that best supports their particular needs.
For further information, please contact Ray Dalgarno, Lava Systems Africa: telephone 011 675-3704, fax 011 675-1021, e-mail rayd@lavasystems.co.za
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Open Text is the market leader in providing enterprise content management (ECM) solutions that bring together people, processes and information in global organisations. Since launching the world`s first Internet search engine and the first Web-based enterprise collaboration and knowledge management software, Open Text continued its leadership in providing global enterprises with innovative and effective solutions. Throughout its history Open Text has matched its tradition of innovation with a track record of financial strength and growth.
Today, the Canadian company supports 15 million end-users across deployments in 31 countries and 12 languages worldwide and includes among its client base Governments departments in Australia, Canada and Japan; the UK Metropolitan Police; British telecommunications, UNHCR and the USA Department of Defence. Open Text`s flagship product, Livelink seamlessly combines collaboration with content management, helping organisations transform information into knowledge in order to provide the foundation for innovation, compliance and accelerated growth. Open Text acquired Germany`s Ixos Software AG in February this year to become the largest ECM software vendor in Europe and the largest pure-play ECM software vendor in the world, according to Bradley West, an analyst with Southwest Securities Inc.
Lava Systems
The Lava Systems Africa (Pty) Ltd, team originated in the late 1990s with the objective of becoming a premier supplier of enterprise systems based around knowledge management, document management, records management, image management, collaboration and workflow solutions. The emerging demands that were identified included Government Process re-engineering, supply chain co-ordination, customer relationship management, e-government and B2B processing.
In support of these business aims the technology platforms chosen had to enjoy a proven global track record and adhere to open Internet architecture standards and developments. Lava Systems Africa is a South African-based BEE company dedicated to the sales, marketing, support and consultancy founded upon the Livelink product suite from Open Text, a product that the staff have been involved with since 1998. Lava Systems Africa user base embraces customers from both the private and public sector and includes organisations such as Bateman Projects Limited, Alexander Forbes, the Gauteng Provincial Government and the National Social Security Fund of Uganda.