Laserfiche 9 offers strong collaboration base for ECM, BMP
- By John Breeden II
- Jan 24, 2013
Many government organizations, especially the larger ones, need to rely on content management software to ensure that information is collected properly, and that efforts aren’t duplicated. Back in 2008, Laserfiche 8 software was the hot new tool to accomplish that goal, with its newest feature at the time being the ability to integrate with Microsoft SharePoint. Then the company released Rio, which provided workflow automation, Web-based document management, audit trail tracking and optional Defense Department Directive 5015.2-certified records management.
So now we get to 2013, and the news that Laserfiche 9 is ready to go. The new release unites enterprise content management and business process management functionality across the entire Laserfiche product line.
According to the company, Laserfiche 9 more tightly integrates BPM and ECM tools across the suite, adding capabilities for automating business processes. By improving how individuals and organizations can bring information into the system, work with it, distribute it, track it, and report on both information and the processes themselves, Laserfiche 9 makes it possible for organizations, large or small, to find ways to become more efficient and save money, the company said.
“In this dynamic business environment, both executives and staff have to make quick decisions. Yet it’s often difficult to manage tasks — particularly when cross-departmental collaboration is involved,” said Tom Wayman, vice president of product strategy at Laserfiche. “Laserfiche 9 enables organizations to define, measure and modify business processes, from the moment information is captured until post-process analysis is complete.”
Specifically, new features in Laserfiche 9 include Web-based forms that extend business processes to the point of capture. Laserfiche Forms, the centerpiece of the Laserfiche 9 release, enables both IT and business units to easily break processes down into tasks in a way that everyone understands.
Additionally, the program has been specifically designed to increase executive oversight of business processes. A new feature, Laserfiche Business Processes, allow for “super workflows” overseen by specific individuals that provide more options for task management and process reporting, something the company points out would be particularly attractive for government customers.
John Breeden II is a freelance technology writer for GCN.