Best Practice Document Management

Introduction

This article explains how best to implement a document management strategy for use with the Triaster Suite. There are two approaches you can take:

• Use a document management system
• Use a location on the Triaster server accessible through HTTP

For clarity when this article refers to the term 'Document', we are also including other file types such as spreadsheets, PowerPoint, databases, PDFs etc.

Regardless of the approach adopted, there should only ever be a single point of truth for any document. If a document needs updating, the original should be archived, and the revised document (with the same file name) saved in the original location. Documents can be stored in folder structure on your network and broken down into sub-folders as required. Access can be restricted via standard windows security (i.e. Active directory users). Alternatively, for greater control, documents can be uploaded to any number of document management systems, such as SharePoint (Microsoft) or Stellent (Oracle).

Document management systems

This method of storing documents ensures only the users with the correct access level are able to upload or update documents. Documents are typically checked in and out of the system enabling users to be informed that a file is being edited, giving a full audit trail. Documents are then referenced from the Triaster suite by an absolute file path to a URL on your intranet. A typical URL would look like:

http://companyintranet/Documentmanagementsystem/folder/mydocument.doc

If you are using a document management system this is very straightforward to link to from a map. Simply use the functionality to add an Internet address to a hyperlink in Process Navigator when creating the map. This will then link in the library to the appropriate web page. If you are using the 2009.1 suite or above you will be unable to use the standard document search feature from the advanced search menu as this tool only looks for files in the file store.

Advantages

• Using this approach providing the user can access the intranet (and they have the right access level) they are guaranteed of being able to see the target document.
• There are no network drives to map.

Disadvantages

• Document management systems requires a user who will take ownership of setting up and managing the system.

Triaster server

With the document search feature enabled, it is recommended that all documents that are to be used in the library be stored in a designated document folder(s) on the Triaster server and kept completely separate from the Multi-Map root (i.e. the location where the process maps themselves are stored). This enables users to be able to search the documents (and contents of the documents) from the library and open them from the search results.

We recommend the document folder be exposed as a virtual directory on the HTTP-enabled Triaster server, for example with the name "Documents". So, from any map, it is possible to link to a document via a URL of the form http://ServerName/Documents/DocumentPath/DocumentName.docx just as in the case of a document management system.

From within Process Navigator, files that link to a document should use a relative link in the form of ..\..\Documents\My Folder\My Document.docx not an absolute HTTP reference. Users of these documents must be given permission (read-only access) to this location to enable them to use it.

Advantages

• There is no need for third party software it can all be configured from within windows.
• Locations can be set up as a simple share

Disadvantages

• There is no document version control via any kind of check in or check out system.
• There is no audit history of documents