Integration

Implementation types

After the company management have taken the decision to implement an electronic data management system, they will be faced with a difficult choice. There are three approaches to system creation:

1. Turnkey solutions (platforms or high-availability systems)
2. Solutions developed from scratch (specially ordered)
3. Combined approach: ElectroOffice – special modules based on a working platform that has already been developed

When choosing the best option from those above, several criteria must be considered:

1. Software compliance with the requirements of enterprise processes
2. Usefulness of the solution
3. Cost of necessary equipment and infrastructure
4. Cost of licenced software
5. Quality of service from consultants responsible for problem definition and task setting
6. Cost of developing and implementing the solution
7. Time spent training staff to use the new system
8. Technical support and assistance costs
9. Time needed to bring information up-to-date

After doing a little careful analysis, it is easy to see that both the first and second options have their disadvantages. There are no “ready-to-use” solutions that can satisfy all the needs of a certain enterprise. Developers claim that they can optimise the document flow of any enterprise with the help of a box-set that was designed for a different company at a different time. However, in real life integrations of this kind are not as easy as they might seem. Furthermore, in most cases a client buys an expensive licence that should be extended every time an enterprise hires a new employee.

Developing a solution from scratch also has its drawbacks. This process involved a great deal of effort, which requires a lot of time, and consequently – money. Moreover, the company will have to spend more money on installing new software, purchasing new equipment and training personnel (individually-tailored packages differ greatly from common software, so people have to obtain special skills to work with them).

ElectroOffice provides the best option as it combines the two approaches. Special modules are developed on the basis of readymade solutions. This process requires less time and can fully satisfy the needs of any enterprise. Precisely this approach is used when licensing ElectroOffice: we developed it as a basic platform that can be elaborated upon by planning, developing and adding any extra modules needed by the client.

Implementation cycle

The ElectroOffice development and implementation cycle includes several steps:

• Initial – collection and processing of requirements. Preliminary planning of project stages, time-frames, resources and costs.
• Elaboration – Designing additional modules, receipt of requirements specification, development planning.
• Construction.
  • Design – graphical layouts, visual forms, interface development. Individual corporate style design.
  • Coding – source code acquisition.
  • Documenting – a way of sharing acquired knowledge with other developers.
  • Testing – checking that the portal functions properly and meets all of the set requirements. 
• Support.
  • Deployment – software installation, user training.
  • Maintenance – fixing any bugs found, user support.