Claromentis Intranet Software Blog

Recently we have just completed a web-based job processing application based on Claromentis Sales Manager. For us this is one of the prime examples how a CRM application such as Sales Manager can be tailored to suit specific requirements.

The application is designed for Total Support Group - one of UK ’s largest service provider specialising in satellite/terrestrial antena installation, helping them managing and sorting jobs which has to be distributed through 6 regional support offices through post-code recognitions.

Built-in Claromentis strong permission system allows each regional office to view only the jobs relevant to their region while the head office can monitor them all in real time.

Next time when you buy a digital set-top boxes for your television and having an engineer to install it, it might be one of the many jobs managed by Claromentis. A small contribution to get UK goes digital by 2012.

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Over the past few years there has been tremendous noise about the benefits of cloud computing, but in reality many businesses are still struggling with the idea.  From what I heard there are 3 main concerns:

Where is my data?

It’s a human nature that we still pretty much need physical contact. The idea that our data will be located among millions of others somewhere which we don’t know exactly is scary.  Some might still think our data is equivalent of piece of paper stored in unknown place with millions of other papers.

Security

We all heard the benefit that could computing in a managed infrastructure will guarantee security, from the latest patches of the OS up to cross-continental back-ups. Most organisations are still concern about security of cloud computing even though it is a safer than leaving it in your office and you find out the next day the office was flooded.

Change

One issue related to cloud computing is the concern of IT Downsizing. As more and more services related to IT become outsourced and centralized many IT jobs will become obsolete. Some says cloud computing will flourish in current economic situation but in the other hand businesses are facing difficult decisions.

Share your thoughts
Do you think cloud computing is suitable for your organisation? Share your thoughts and read more about claromentis model of software deployment.

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We’ve been asked many times, what is Claromentis model of deployment? The truth is we are probably the most flexible company in terms of software deployment by offering wide range of configurations to suit your business and infrastructure.

1.    In your office

Claromentis can be installed in one of your servers located in your office. This configuration eliminates cost of the hardware from us. In most cases it works well if you have a good and reliable in-house IT department who can take care of the servers, back-ups and access issues.

2.    Our Data Centre

Working together with our data centre partner Rackspace, we offer a fully managed package. Your software and data are hosted in a secure data centre outside allowing full peace of mind about hardware software patches, and backups.

3.    Your  Data Centre

We can work with any data centre or IT partners you may have to arrange hosting and servers configuration. This configuration is ideal if you have several applications hosted on existing infrastructure such as which you may want to integrate with Claromentis.

4.    Software as a Service

Increasingly popular for SME market, SaaS alleviates the customer’s burden of managing IT infrastructure, and reduce the up-front expense of the software purchase. Claromentis system can be deployed faster with no hassle.

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This article below is written by  Rob Reith our Country Director in Australia which I found it intereting although in some deployments Claromentis can indeed co-exist with Microsoft SharePoint.

Claromentis over SharePoint

While there are many reasons why a company would want to select Claromentis over SharePoint, we have produced this handout to highlight the critical differences between the Claromentis and SharePoint Knowledge Management solutions. In the context of this handout, a Knowledge Management Software system covers the following functionality;

-    Intranet software;
-    Extranet software;
-    Content Management software;
-    Document Management software;
-    Customer Relationship Management software;
-    Project Management software; and
-    Electronic Forms software.

Work with the owners of Claromentis

Did you know that when you are dealing with Claromentis, you deal with the owners of the business? As part of the original team to build Claromentis, our clients have direct access to the owners and developers of Claromentis. This allows clients to have a direct say into the development roadmap. This is in contrast to SharePoint resellers who have no vested interest in the software and are unlikely to be able to contact Microsoft for urgent changes.

Work with the owners of Claromentis, and be confident that your voice will be heard at the top

Work with the Knowledge Management Specialists

Did you know that Claromentis only works in the field of Knowledge Management? We live and breathe knowledge management and are active in knowledge management conferences and forums. This is in contrast with many SharePoint resellers, who offer a wide range of software solutions, and will not have the degree of specialty as Claromentis.

Work with the Knowledge Management specialists and get better results

Work with more features

Did you know that over and above the Document Management, Intranet, Extranet and Content Management features, Claromentis also offers Project Management and Customer Relationship functionality where SharePoint does not offer either?

Work with the Knowledge Management software that offers more

Work with flexible technology

Did you know that Claromentis runs on Windows or Linux giving you flexibility whereas SharePoint runs on only their own proprietary server and code? This means you have complete control over your IT environment and ensures your Total Cost of Ownership remains low.

Work with software that puts you in complete control

Work with better Electronic Forms Management

Did you know that Claromentis offers an International Standards Organisation (ISO) compatible and integrated electronic forms module where with SharePoint it is optional? In our experience, forms are critical for any size company, and that’s why we include them out of the box.

Work with the company that understands business

Work with integrated Search

Did you know that while Claromentis offers a fully integrated and advanced searching feature, SharePoint charge separately for their search engine?  Image 1.11 shows the complexity of the SharePoint solution (notice the multiple components that have different licensing conditions) which can cause budgeting and resourcing issues as your organisation grows.

Work with a company that keeps it simple and scalable

SharePoint Pricing Structure

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It is a shocking reality, many major corporations still running their entire business on Excel.  Let’s admit it,  Excel is being used on almost anything,  from managing company database, claiming our expenses, accident reporting or perhaps ordering lunch ? Don’t get me wrong Excel is a powerful tool but it gets over-used in business.

Recently one of our clients, a major out-door clothing brand is taking a leap from a tired, out-of-control spreadsheets to a complete web application. We developed a store audit application where a tech rep who visited retail stores can write, and sending an audit report directly to the central database through a web form.  Appropriate finance managers will get notification allowing them to complete the financial details. Data submitted are audited, stored in central database, accessible through corporate Intranet, ready to be extracted by appropriate managers for monthly or quarterly reporting with a simple click.

Now try to get that on Excel !

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We have always been careful to acknowledge that customisable intranet solutions are an area where terminology can create confusion for the customer.

But as soon as you add e-forms – to enable paper based processes to go online – the possibility misunderstandings and the need for patient listening and careful explanations becomes much more acute.

It just seems that there is so much potential for a natural disconnect. Customers might be under the perception that :

* Forms are documents
* E-forms are just like web forms
* All paper based processes should be automated instead of those that deliver value if they are moved online.

None of these are true.

Fortunately we have the staff to listen, to be advocates, and to explain what we can deliver.

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Car

A software solution can cost from virtually free to millions of pounds. How do you find the right product with this immense price-range?

Let’s use an example other than software… say a car. These days you can buy a second hand car from £50 or a Bugatti Veyron for £1million.

A friend of mine asked if I could recommend him a car. Applying a typical IT consultancy to car selling, I asked him if he has budget in mind and what he is going to use it for.

He came up with these two simple requirements:

“Weekly shopping, travel to work, As cheapest possible!”

“Oh well, on that case £50 car will do just fine mate! I can find a good £50 car that does the job”,

After a few days, he said to me, “it’s noisy and uncomfortable”. Bottom line he doesn’t like it at all. Using typical IT consultant defence I said, “Well you didn’t say that before, it wasn’t on the specification.”

He asked me to get him a better car and it has to be quiet and comfortable.

I came up with another second hand car with £800 price-tag which isn’t too bad in my opinion.

A few weeks had gone past with no complain, but then he said to me “it’s ok, but it’s ugly, and it has no AC”.

“I have a new girlfriend and I want a nice looking car”.

“How about this cool looking second hand 4×4 at £5000”

“I take it!”

He is happy for a while now but after a few months he is start complaining “It’s cost a fortune on petrol and I hate taking it for MOT!” can you find me a brand new one?

“OK on that case, How about this, a brand new car for £10,000? It’s quiet, economical, comfortable, stylish and you don’t have to worry about MOT for 3 years!”.

He is thinking for a while and said this to me.

“Every time I am complaining, you always came up with a better car with higher price. Can you just get me the most expensive car I can possibly get? My dad said money is no object and he will buy me any car! I am sick and tired of this process.”

OK here it is a £1million car!

You know what, the car is noisy, uncomfortable and cost a fortune on petrol, but he is never complaining to me. He doesn’t even want to discuss it with anyone knowing he had spent lots of money on it. When people ask how’s the car? He always said “It is the best car in the world!”.

Does it sound familiar?

Software alone cheap or expensive is not going to solve the problem; It never be a simple formula, you need the right software, for the right problem, with the right people behind it.

“It’s not about the car or software, it’s about intricate network of people with talent and skills that matter.”

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With clients now upgrading to Claromentis 5.4, we will have the fist opportunity to gain feedback on a significant new application – Quality Manager.

This application has been sponsored by one of our largest companies and provides important functionality for the management of policies and procedures.

It moves Policies and Procedures onto a truly online world, and away from our previous solution of using Document manager to provide version controlled online files.

The new online Quality Manager means:

• Procedures and Manuals will be automatically updated when included procedures change, radically simplifying the business problem of maintaining a complex information layer
• Compliance will be simpler
• Online Policies and Procedures can be exported to many formats
• Printed copies can be marked automatically as outside the quality management system
• Different business units will automatically see the same content with their own brand – but there is only one Policy to maintain.

We are now working on the extension of this application to provide an enterprise level environment for the management of ISO or other legislative Audits – these two applications working together will provide the complete solution for Quality Managers.

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