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Decos D5 Document Management System

Scanning

In Decos D5 the process starts with scanning all incoming documents. You scan large volumes of different documents by our exclusive "Splitter Page" feature.

Splitter Page

The "Decos Splitter Page" improves the speed and user friendliness of Decos D5. This special barcode page can be used to separate different documents within scan batches. A large number of documents can be fed to the scanner in one batch. Thanks to the splitter pages, it recognizes the change in documents and separates them accordingly keeping them in order.

Workstation

Decos D5 Work Station is the user friendly application for easy input of large or small data files. Decos D5 Work Station is also extremely suitable for bulk scanning. The built-in scan viewer offers a simple and clear application for working with scans.

Decos D5 Work Station is the user friendly application for easy input of large or small data files. Decos D5 Work Station is also extremely suitable for bulk scanning. The built-in scan viewer offers a simple and clear application for working with scans.

Decos D5 Work Station offers the frequent user substantial time savings with data entry. The extensive keyboard interface makes the mouse almost superfluous, allowing an experienced typist to enter Records even faster.

Scanners

The Decos Document scan module works for all TWAIN and ISIS scanners. HP and Canon are recommended partners.

Email

Decos D5 is enhanced with a powerful email feature. This gives Decos D5 the following capabilities:

Capabilities
  • Automatic registration of incoming and outgoing e-mail
  • The ability to send registration data and documents directly from Decos D5 by e-mail
  • Automatic e-mails from the workflow feature
  • Creation and sending of HTML e-mails In Decos Document you can easily create and edit e-mail templates. With Decos D5 HTML editor you can work with different fonts, sizes, documents, contact fields, background and text colors, alignment, letter styles and pictures.

Reports

Decos D5 can created reports for either executed or still to be executed work processes. You can, for example, create reports about the items that a specific user has processed. Additionally, per work process, the progress can be displayed in an overview. These reports can be generated by the application administrator after which users can themselves retrieve these overviews in Decos Document, presented in real time.

Workflow

Automated work processes are becoming increasingly important for pro-active management. Decos offers you a very complete workflow solution in combination with its document management system. Decos D5 ensures that you can easily manage and monitor the progress of your business processes. The D5 workflow can easily be used by end users as well as administrators.

Decos Direct

Decos Direct is the Microsoft Office-connection for Decos Document. Decos Direct enables you to open or save documents while working in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Outlook storing it directly into Decos Document – web edition. Even though Decos Direct is installed on your own pc, it is ‘web-enabled’. This means you can use Decos Direct from anywhere, like home or another location than your office. Decos Direct has three main functionalities; opening files, saving files and merging with templates.

Records Management
  • Implement records management procedures to ensure the capture, accessibility, preservation, and disposition of authentic and reliable records.
  • Store archived material so that it can be searched as needed and can be recovered in a reasonable period of time.
  • Allow only authorized users to create, edit, and delete record folder components and their identifiers.
  • Reference or link and associate supporting and related records and related information, such as notes, attachments and electronic mail-return receipts, etc., to a specified folder.
  • Allow only authorized users to change and delete links and associations.
  • Support centralized or de-centralized records management.
Document Management/ Data Entry
  • Support integrated spell check for data fields.
  • Tailor data entry and selection lists to accommodate different types of documents.
  • Allow user to enter data to track documents that will never have an associated record image.
  • Capture data about correspondence/document in electronic form based on folder, attachment and assignment structures.
  • Enable data entry in certain fields and selections from some lists to automatically populate other fields.
  • Should be able to group all documents pertaining to one correspondence file - including image of incoming correspondence, notes, reply document - in one file and move the entire file through the workflow as one item.
  • Support electronic/digital signatures for clearance and for signatures on final documents.
  • Allow and identify different levels of approval (such as office, department, and region) as well as clearances on documents or decisions. Users should also have the ability to add additional clearances as required.
  • Make data and images available to authorized external systems.
  • Provide users with flexible print selection options, including the ability to print a single document, the entire contents of a folder, and the entire contents of multiple selected folders.
  • Allow users to add notes to the file, capture note’s author with time stamp, and allow new notes to be added, but keep existing notes as permanent records.
  • Allow users to paste emails into the file notes.
  • Supports full WORD functionality, tightly integrated (no need to save the document on a drive, make edits and re-upload simple).
  • Allow users to select files and automatically generate individual reply letters using identical text for the selected files.
  • Allows reply/correspondence templates to be selected and auto-populated based on metadata. User also has the ability to choose a different reply template. Each department, division or work unit within each office has the ability to have their own templates.
  • Tracks the version of the created/updated reply letter and should provide the option to turn on and off version control on the reply document.
  • Automatically attach a copy of the reply letter to the file record.
  • Supports ability to create multiple replies for files with multiple authors.
  • Allows users to quickly view and update the addresses of all files before printing.
  • Supports check-out/check-in of attachments to prevent over writing changes.
  • Prevents accidental loss of changes on check-in by enforcing proper method of document check-out and save and/or reminding users to save properly when they attempt to close an attachment.
  • Supports document versioning (track multiple versions to see earlier changes).
  • System enables electronic copies of the correspondence folder to be sent to supervisors and administrative officers in the organization, for information.
  • Allows support for rejection and approval process when a response document or any document related to the case is being drafted until it is finally approved.
  • Provides a complete action log for a correspondence case- to allow managers to track the history of the actions taken on a correspondence.
  • Provides the ability to all for the entry of journal records describing actions taken.
  • Allows information copies to be sent to supervisors and administrative officers.
Workflow
  • Provides rules-driven workflow specific to each office to handle multiple document folder types (including correspondence, work-orders, requests, reports, audits, purchase orders, etc.), multiple assignments, sequencing, status options, routing, responsibilities, due dates, user prompts, indexing, and other workflow management.
  • Provides a graphical display of a workflow and/or sub-workflow to monitor progress of tasks.
  • Workflow templates are readily available, easily invoked; and can be modified by users with appropriate privileges/permissions. Office-specific templates are definable, including field-office specific ones.
  • Permits sequence of assignments to offices or individual users (workflow).
  • Provides controlled list of assignment types: the list can be updated by system administrator or advanced user without programming.
  • Automatically calculates and assign work item due dates based on pre-defined rules specific to that type of document.
  • Allows authorized users to override system-generated due dates and pre-defined workflow.
  • Allows users to access only those document folders, documents, and data to which they have been given access.
  • System provides an alternate feature so that when an activity is not opened/accepted within a given time frame the activity will be automatically reassigned to the alternate of the assigned user.
  • Allows users the ability to assign alternate users to view and action tasks assigned to the initial user (in the event of absences). Also allows email notifications to be automatically re-directed if desired.
  • Clearly identifies in the system when an alternate clears or signs a document on behalf of another (for example, John Jones for Michael Miller).
  • Allows authorized users to assign a document for action by multiple offices concurrently (parallel assignments) but independently (they cannot view each others’ comments and responses).
  • Allows authorized users to assign a document for action by multiple offices concurrently (parallel assignments) and cooperatively (they can view each others’ comments and responses and edit one joint response document).
  • Allows authorized users to assign a document for multiple, non-concurrent actions (serial assignments), including the ability to assign additional and subsequent actions to a document already in process.
  • Allows authorized users to route documents to predefined groups of workflow users.
  • Allows authorized users to change/replace the existing assignment of an open document folder.
  • Tracks the author, date, and comments made on a document during the clearance process.
  • Enables authorized users to easily select which of the existing items linked to a work item and what new items (e.g., comment files from different reviewers) they want to attach/link to a work item they are forwarding for additional processing or a rewrite.
  • Provides an alert system to notify users when they have an assigned task in workflow, when an assigned task is overdue, and when a document has been closed (including access to the final, signed response).
  • Allows authorized users to add/view discussion comments about a document in process.
  • Enables authorized users to add private tracking comments and notes to an item that they have assigned.
  • System provides the ability to group all documents pertaining to one correspondence file - including image of incoming correspondence, notes, reply document - in one file and move the entire file through the workflow as one item.
  • Clearly identifies priority/urgent work items.
  • Clearly identifies overdue work items.
  • Does not have a limit on the number of workflows that can be defined, or the number of steps that can be defined within a workflow.
  • Allows authorized users to view the workflow history of an assignment (who took what action when).
  • Allows an author to submit a draft for distribution to reviewers as a Word document and then receive their comments as highlighted changes entered directly into the document using the Track Changes feature.
  • Allows designated users to implement "sub-workflow" processing, where a workflow will pause (on hold) until the arrival of a related work item, at which time the workflow will automatically notify the user.
  • Allows a user to suspend/resume a task If they want to withhold the folder for some reason.
  • Provides the ability to "abort" the workflow for a folder in his Inbox at any point of time.
  • Provides the ability to view the status of the correspondence case at each stage in the workflow.
  • Routing information for a folder is displayed with appropriate details including action officer, due date and the current status of the assigned activity (for example, Received, Not Received, Late, Completed Early, etc.).
  • Allows forwarding of attachments from the system as e-mails to supervisors or administrative officers for their review or comment.
Reports and Searches
  • Provides flexible, powerful real time reporting tools so that each office can develop reports specific to their needs, including graphical representations of data.
  • Allows users to search and then retrieve the search results (all documents, records, and structured containers) for viewing, printing, and editing.
  • Provides the ability to save user queries/report specifications for future use.
  • Accommodates both ad hoc and pre-formatted search and report formats.
  • Enables users to search on any combination of data fields.
  • Permits inclusion of special characters in search strings (i.e. !&%$#* etc).
  • Allows users to search using specific dates and date ranges.
  • Allows users to search files based on single or a combination of metadata, build custom queries and save custom queries for future searches. Allows non-case sensitive searching, and the use of “wild cards”.
  • Allows users to narrow a search within the searched sets by adding a new condition or narrowing an existing parameter.
  • Allows users to search on current and archived terms from selection lists (such as keywords, offices, etc.).
  • Allows users to select and order the columns and sort the records presented in the search results list for viewing, printing, and saving to an electronic file.
  • Enables the creation, storage, and printing of predefined templates (such as internal assignment sheets and invitation vetting forms) that will pre-fill from the entered data.
  • Provides customizable management reports analyzing volumes processed, turnaround times versus targets (by workflow step), and follow up reports to identify overdue items.
  • Enables users to easily add to their group’s set of customized predefined reports – with the ability to define/change/save the "filter" criteria, the fields that are included in the report, and the sort criteria.
  • Supports downloading report data into desktop tools (such as EXCEL).
  • Supports automated generation and email of reports; needed specifically for giving managers daily notification of workload, coming-due and overdue items for their staffs.
Administrative Functions
  • Provides the ability to use organization specific terminology for screen labels, processes, concepts (customizable labels at a minimum).
  • Provides a user-friendly administrative utility/application intended for business users; manages rights, users, mailboxes etc within an organization without technical support (Add users, set and modify user permissions, and delete users).
  • Allows users to configure any field as a "required" field (Except fields reserved by system).
  • The system allows Admin users to create distribution lists in order to be able to send a document out via email directly to everyone in a specific distribution list.
  • Allows users to associate multiple correspondents to a request and be able to search for all folders they are associated with.
  • The system provides a standard means to limit administration to authorized personnel.
  • Provides on-line help available while operating the system.
  • System provides the ability to reassign permissions on existing documents, records, record folders, and work queues.
  • Provides the ability to designate the metadata fields that should be constrained to a pre-defined set of data, and maintain selection lists for those fields (such as offices, assignment types, keywords, and subject file categories).
  • Provides the ability to archive individual values in the selection lists (so that the value can be used in searches and reports, but cannot be entered into new incoming documents).
  • Allows modification of text of automatic notifications/alerts.
  • Users are able to configure the system to have the system automatically force first initial caps in text fields. The following options are provided in the configuration: No change to text input, First Initial Caps, Everything to Upper case, and Everything to Lower case.
  • System has the ability to enable users to create and store preformatted searches and reports.
  • System can schedule automatically generated reports.
  • Users can review and create reports from security logs and audit trails.
  • Provides pull-down lists for data entry wherever possible.
  • System has the ability to adjust timestamps to reflect different time zones.
  • The system has the flexibility to allow users to select multiple suffixes for an individual (ex: John Smith, III, MD).
  • The system has the ability to derive and record the city and state, with the ability to make modifications, if required. When a zip code is entered.
Tracking and Monitoring
  • Has flexible options to allow users to track pending, overdue and closed files, including graphically illustrating the status and/or types of files, i.e., using colored fonts, bold, italics etc.
  • The system provides the ability to track When a document is checked out; the system also has the ability to track it in action history.
  • System will automatically notify user via email when a work item has been sent to his/her in inbox/workspace.
  • Provides requester (Correspondent) history so that the user can check previous cases of a requester and eliminate creating duplicate cases in the system.
  • Allows users to turn off notification by type of notification (individually as end user, or for the entire application as system administrator).
  • Has the option to generate automated reminders (notification) for overdue tasks based on specific business rules (e.g. remind the writer the day before it is due, remind the writer once it is 24 hours late, remind their director once it is 3 days late, etc).
  • Allows user to turn on/off reminders for overdue tasks.
  • Allows for the automated collection of routing events for folder history.

Technical Requirements

Standards
  • Application shall be a Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) product that has been designed to support Document and Records Management capabilities of the system.
  • Applications shall be based on open (non-proprietary) platforms.
  • The system shall provide open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and be flexible enough to allow some integration (with moderate programming effort) with agency-specific document management systems such that documents and data are easily moved between systems.
  • Application shall comply with Web-based standards, Extensible Markup Language (XML) or Java 2 Platform, Microsoft .NET.
  • System shall be Section 508 (Accessibility) compliant (see http://www.section508.gov).
Infrastructure
  • Application shall be compatible with SQL Server 2005 or higher.
  • Application shall support Internet Explorer 6.0 and higher.
  • Operate on Windows XP including the display of document images.
  • System shall be scalable to field offices and as authorized user base grows, including acceptable speed for remote users.
  • Supports geographically distributed repositories.
Audit Trail
  • System shall be able to create and store complete audit trails of any and all events including: bulk load events, approvals, delegations or other security changes, new or changed roles and responsibilities, users added, deleted, or altered, new or altered automated business rules, archival events.
  • System shall be able to track records and documents retrieved during a session, then make that information available to the user at the end of the session (history function).
  • Allows system administrator or delegate to determine which events will be captured / logged, and what data will be captured / logged.
  • System does not allow users to alter audit trail once captured.
Security
  • Allows the system administrator to define the access level for each user (create, read, update, delete, print), limit the access of files by specific metadata based on user’s role, limit access to the document level (create, read, update, delete, print).
  • The system, in conjunction with its operating environment, uses identification and authentication measures that allow only authorized persons to access the system. At a minimum, those identification and authentication measures require user IDs and passwords.
  • Access shall be office-centric: System is configurable to define access and rights based on office/organization groups.
  • The Web user interface provides 128-bit encryption and be PKI-enabled.
  • The system provides multi-level, role-based system access controls, and overall system security.
  • Provides multiple privilege levels (view/modify/delete) both for attachments and for assignments and actions.
  • System provides the ability to lockout a user after 3 failed login attempts.
  • The user’s screen is automatically locked after a specified period of inactivity.
  • The system keeps an audit trail for all functional areas (Records Management, Document Management, Imaging, and Workflow).
  • Permits a user to belong to multiple groups. Users may need access privileges for several groups, and should not have to use multiple logons (each in a different group) to achieve this.
General
  • The system shall support the creation of internal references/links between correspondence and multiple records (based on categories such as product, country, submissions types etc.).
  • Users shall have the ability to configure views according to their preference(s). (E.g records per page, word, word perfect or rtf, etc).
  • The system shall provide global, controlled user access by means of a web-based interface.
  • Provides an executive/manager interface in the form of a portal, dashboard or summary, view that supports executive monitoring and managerial needs.
  • Provides simple filter and sort, including sort by office, by assignment type, and by open items wherever appropriate.
  • System shall display assignment and attachment simultaneously (i.e., make multiple windows available with easy switching among them, or create a view that displays assignment information with attachments).
  • Provides user-customizable settings (sort/filter and initial display) for initial screen and various windows; these settings can be retained between settings.
  • System shall employ meaningful and clear user prompts and error messages: Error messages clearly communicate the nature of the error and indicate how to solve the problem. User prompts also clearly specify the action required.
  • Facilitates repeated entry of similar items possibly by retaining data on the screen between items (i.e. automate copying of certain fields from folder to folder during entry).