Gargantua 7 is a high performing adaptable tool aimed at optimizing the flow, the processing and the management of all types of contents. With its exclusive technological innovations, Gargantua 7 is the ideal solution to streamline your work. For use both in private and in public organizations, it is designed to facilitate information exchange, improve productivity, secure objectives and provide competitive advantages by enhancing decision making.

A fully-fledged enterprise repository, totally integrated and yet modular, Gargantua 7 combines a portal, a BPM multi-site multi-process software, a content management solution, a legal archiving software…

Gargantua 7 allows thousands of users to manage millions of transactions and billions of documents with an unrivaled efficiency.

Easy to use and effective, Gargantua 7 fulfils the needs for managing documents -and their contents- during their whole lifecycle, from their creation, through their flow, approval, modification, dissemination, right up to their archival or destruction. It stands as both an ECM and a BPM tool including manual processes (called collaborative processes) and system processes (called transactional processes). Gargantua 7 is the indispensable tool to fulfill the essential needs of efficiency, flexibility, productivity… thereby enhancing competitiveness. Thanks to the technology it is built with, its wide range of innovations and the quality of its functions, Gargantua 7 is designed to facilitate and help you with everyday work, increase the collaborator’s satisfaction, reduce operational risks and enhance productivity by eliminating unnecessary tasks or tasks with no added value.

The Gargantua 7 Platform is a modern, pre-configured, scalable, intuitive and very user friendly enterprise repository. It comes with a set of standard components adaptable to every company’s activity processes as well as to their content management operations. It optimizes all the tasks and offers real-time visibility of what is happening at any time. The views allow every user to have a work environment which is perfectly adapted to his or her specific needs.

Here is what makes Gargantua 7 a strategic product for a reactive company: its modular features, J2EE environment and AJAX technology, its ability to distribute data on several servers, its multi-tier service-oriented and scalable architecture, its XML assets, as well as all automatic process and classification operations stored in libraries, its open set of API and Web services.

DATABASE ENGINES

In its standard version, Gargantua 7 uses at least two different database engines: a full text database and a relational database.

SearchServer is the full text database engine for full text indexing and search. This engine is intended to store large amounts of index, actually all the words contained in text type documents. SearchServer is considered as the most efficient and rapid full text engine. It allows navigation into large sets of information regardless of the classification and the storage mode.

Oracle, SQLServer, Informix, PostgreSql… are the databases used for securing data flows and links, managing the attributes and audit data.

These two database engines, interconnected within Gargantua 7, allow for the building of stable, secure, efficient and scalable repositories.

USER interface

Two interfaces are available: Web and Windows Client, both very simple to use and almost identical. The Windows interface is meant for users who need advanced functions for handling automatic operations which cannot be available or easily configured with a navigator (e.g. OCR with automatic indexing of large amounts of documents).

CONNEXION

A Gargantua 7 configuration may count an unlimited number of documentary databases, whatever their size. Databases may be public: their content is then available to anyone; or private: which ensures that their content is totally protected as login and a password are needed to access them; or mixed: partly public and partly private.

In anonymous connection mode access is restricted to only certain repositories and users can start “public” management processes. In identified connection mode access is extended to extra repositories and processes, as well as to various configuration functions allowing each user to customize his/her own interface and work strategy (for repository consulting, for example).

The contents, their organization, the functions available as well as the interface the user actually sees rely on the profile defined beforehand by the administrator for each user and user group. Among the main interface customization functions:

• The views: these content organization functions enable consultation of all contents through a classification scheme perfectly adapted to the company’s activity or your personal work strategy. Views are customized to fit each user’s specific needs. They are created on the fly when the user connects to a database.
• The portals: they are direct access pages to the information and tools the user needs most often. Portal’s presentation and contents are totally customizable. Just after the connection, portals provide direct access to the most relevant functions (processes, searches…), contents (Gargantua databases…) and information (news, statistics…) to each user profile.

The interface language can be selected by clicking on a flag icon just before opening the connection, whether connecting in anonymous mode to consult public contents or in identified mode.

ACCESS RIGHTS

Access to a Gargantua configuration can be set and controlled from the internal users’ database or through an external LDAP directory.

Every user may be assigned different access rights. A user can be expressly assigned access rights, or/and inherit them form a user group of which he is member (example: M. Smith is authorized to modify the documents contained in the “Invoices” database because he is member of the “Accounting” user group which is assigned that right), and/or inherit them from a role he is in charge of.

A role is a mission a user or a group is in charge of during a given period (within the year, a daily time slot…).

Example: M. Smith is authorized to start the “Invoicing” process from August 1st until August 31 because he is in charge of the “accountant” role during this period.

Three access rights security levels are available: “simple”: the same set of access rights apply to the entire Gargantua database; “medium”: a different set of access rights may be defined for each folder of a Gargantua database; “complex”: a different set of access rights may be defined for each object of a Gargantua database.

THE PORTAL

The portal is a totally customizable intuitive workspace, it is actually an individual enterprise site providing a large overview of data sources, applications, links and therefore quick access to these contents. Gargantua 7 portal is an EAP - Enterprise Application Portal for it is easily customizable to any company’s standards. It provides access to several company applications and to relevant data according to the user profile.

Gargantua 7 portal is a standard function. It may be activated or disabled. If it is disabled, the user is led directly to the identification form and then to his private workspace.

Several portals –once more either public or private- can be created. Within a Gargantua 7 configuration you can create as many portals as you wish. They can be assigned to users individually, to user groups or to all the users.

Typically, after connecting, a public portal is displayed. It makes available the information the administrator wants to put at everyone’s disposal, with among others, the list of public databases and processes, search tools for some databases, a variety of information…

Figure 1 - Home portal in anonymous mode

After log-in, it is possible to display another portal with different information: some other links leading to different functions or applications… actually the appropriate information for each user’s activity.

Users access resources and contents, share information and interact very easily thanks to the same window which displays different contents according to their profile. You can go back to the portal anytime. The window remains active though hidden behind other currently used functions. The administrator may leave blank areas which the user can himself configure. Thus, he can insert links in order to open software or external websites, as well as his own workflow workspace, the Gargantua databases he usually consults with their related views, general search tools or search templates… He can also be aware of the last updated news in the news area, estimate his pending work load as well as connect to various contents.

Figure 2 - Portal of an identified user

The portal designing and implementing tool is integrated into the Gargantua 7 platform administration module. The administrator can thus design the portal’s overall structure and define who should customize blank areas and how.

The dimensions of the portal’s frames are specified in percentage in order to fit any screen resolution. In its standard version, Gargantua 7 comes with a library of ready-to-use portal frame configurations. However, it is possible to design any portal frame configuration. In order to standardize the access to specific functions, the administrator can define and set up common areas for all the users and assign them ready-to-use objects such as links, functions; and also leave blank areas which the user can easily customize from his navigator thanks to graphic tools.

Figure 3 - Portal designing tools

Gargantua 7 also integrates to existing portals.

CONTENT MANAGEMENT (ECM) – DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT (EDM)

Gargantua 7 platform ECM module is a modern and scalable secure enterprise data repository. With Gargantua 7 you can capture and manage information, and keep it evolving and developing when necessary, as well as retrieve it and organize it according to each user’s specific needs. The content management system adapts to each user, and not the opposite, thanks to the dynamic views which are customized classification schemes of the content

Data classification

In Gargantua databases the documents of all origins -scanned paper documents, forms, Office files, etc. - are organized in folders and subfolders… The "tree structure" classification schemes provide easy understanding of the content. This is the standard method used to classify the content inserted in the databases whether directly or through a workflow process.

Figure 4 –Gargantua database tree stru

The key element is the document, whatever its type and origin is (scanned page, Office…).

A card is a set of information or attributes brought together as a list or a structured form.

The electronic pin tool brings together, under a common designation, files of all types: several scanned pages (e.g. invoice of several pages), scanned pages with Office files (e.g. scanned incoming mail and its answer created with a word processing application, forms, e-mails…). This allows indexing only the "pin" which contains the set of documents.

Folders and subfolders are also objects. They allow the bringing together of a very large amount of documents, pins, cards… A folder can be assigned a set of attributes for the whole of its contents (e.g. a person’s record)or contain individually indexed documents. A folder may contain as many subfolders as required.

Data type

All data types can be stored in Gargantua 7 and particularly:

• Data coming from different electronic files: image, sound, video, text or spool,
• Scanned paper documents,
• Indexing forms and/or processes’ forms. 

Gargantua 7 classifies the files in three main types: "text" (whatever the origin), "image" and "other". All three types can be indexed into the relational database engine or in the full text database engine, or in both.

Multi-base structure

A Gargantua database is composed of two databases: one relational database which manages attributes and file referencing; one full text database which manages text and Office documents’ content.

The multi-base structure of Gargantua 7 allows for the creation of an unlimited number of databases, totally independent from one another regarding user’s access rights as well as databases’ structure and their contents. The various databases can actually be seen as independent products installed on distinct servers.

In Gargantua 7, an authorized user can connect to several databases at the same time and perform various operations within each of them. There is no need to close one database to work on another. These operations can be folder or document transfers or duplications, but also simultaneous searches made on several databases, etc.

The views

The views are created on the fly when the user logs-in. It is a new and adapted approach of content. The views are classification schemes adaptable to the specific needs of organizations and particular data consulting modes.

Gargantua 7 views are a major innovation allowing each user to organize the data his or her own way, so that every classification scheme adapts in a dynamic mode to each user’s idea of how the data should be used, e.g.: viewing only parts of catalogs defined by date or attributes criteria.

Figure 5 - Two views of the same "Press review" database: one classified by newspapers and magazines name, one by article’s topic.

The views can be specifically adapted to each user, to each group and to each role. It is possible to create as many views of a database as required and their access can be restricted or not.

Views can be defined for a whole database but also for a single folder. This proves helpful for example after a search when a folder is retrieved, to display its contents in the most suitable way for each user

Scanning

At any time, in client or Web mode, from a form, a workflow task or an ECM / EDM database, you can start scanning.

Gargantua 7 directly drives many scanners, from the simplest to the most complex ones with no need for external modules. This makes it very easy to access setup functions and to pilot the scanning thanks to preset functions.

Consequently you can insert the scanned documents into the database in just one step. You can also save time by building up automatic operations, saving functions and parameters (lightening, contrast, compression…) customized according to the paper type and quality. The best-known and adapted to image input compressors (JPEG, CCITT, PNG…) are also available in Gargantua 7.

Figure 7 – Internal driver for Panasonic KV-S3065C scanner

Gargantua IntelliScan: A fully-fledged application! The IntelliScan function is only available in Windows Client mode. It is perfectly adapted to indexing and inputting large volumes of data (e.g. scanning and indexing records containing many pages). It provides efficient help to the persons in charge of this type of job for an optimum productivity. You can create an unlimited number of scanning and indexing IntelliScan tasks, thus you can create one for each specific of need.

Thanks to the wizard creating an IntelliScan task -which is actually a routine- is really easy. Here are some of the operations an IntelliScan task can do:

• Automatically create any type of structure with folders, pins, containing files of different format; thanks to on-line scanner driving tools.
• Start processes in order to manage the documents they carry.

The IntelliScan is a production tool. It is designed to avoid human intervention (document input with immediate visual control of the scanned documents, automatic image correction, and limited mouse manipulation) and thus gain time.

Every IntelliScan task can be assigned a shortcut key. This allows switching quickly from one kind of task to another.

When scanning, the index values may be entered manually or automatically using OCR tools on defined areas to recognize text, barcodes, tables…

When the scanning operation is finished, documents can be:

• Directly added to aGargantua database; the objects are automatically inserted into the right structure and classified according to previously defined criteria, such as: general alphabetical order, alphabetically classified folders generated and named with the 1, 2, 3… first characters of the value of an attribute (or several attributes), an input date, the value of an attribute of date type…, a combination of attributes… More classification criteria may be defined to fit specific needs.
• Inserted into management processes which automatically start when the IntelliScan task is finished.

IntelliScan can be linked with scripts or generate scripts which automate –besides scanning- operations aiming at combining the scan result with files from any mail box or disc/network location; in order to create functions or document input control procedures.

Import and input modules

You can import any kind of electronic files directly into Gargantua 7. The files remain in their native format and can be viewed most of the time without having the native application. Direct connection with the main e-mail applications allows for the importing of e-mails and attachments.

Except for imports carried out automatically or via web services, Gargantua 7 includes 3 main import functions. The user chooses the appropriate function according to the number of files to be imported into the structure. All of them can be run through a navigator:

• The first function allows selection of the files one by one and then inserting them in a Gargantua database (inserting takes one single manipulation).
• The second function allows selection of a large number of files located in a folder, and then transferring them all.
• The third function allows selecting a complete tree structure and integrating it into a Gargantua database, exactly as it is, keeping the original structure and all its contents.

All of these functions allow files of text or Office type to be indexed in full text mode as they are inserted in a Gargantua database.

Figure 7 - the selected files one by one

Figure 8 - Importing a selection of files

Figure 9 - Importing a complete tree structure

In Windows Client mode other functions make it even easier to add contents by copy-pasting or drag-and-dropping. Some other functions such as IntelliScan also allow automatic import, selection and classification operations, directly into Gargantua databases as well as starting a process.

Indexing folders and documents

In Gargantua 7 attributes can be assigned to every object. These attributes (also called metadata or index) can be grouped to lists of attributes or to forms, in order to facilitate their reading. Neither the number of models in a database nor the number of attributes added in a model is limited.

The attributes can be of different types among which: character, integer, float, currency, date, simple list, open simple list, multiple value list, hierarchical list, list linked to another list, Web address, link between fields, field whose value is controlled by algorithms, free notes and comments, etc. You can chose to make fields mandatory, and group them to labeled regions within a form. The indexing may be totally handmade or controlled by index lists values that can be specific to each attribute and/or to each model, in order to limit the choice in values. The values may also be linked to one or several thesauruses.

It is possible to reorganize a form by dragging and dropping its elements with the mouse. As a result, all the folders and documents assigned to the form will be automatically reorganized according to the modifications. The same thing happens when new attributes are added to a form.

Forms can be dynamic: it is possible to modify, hide and delete some of its regions according to the value of specific attributes. This makes data input easier (only the relevant fields are available to be filled out) and also simplifies the general presentation in a specific situation (example: If the “invoice” value is selected in the “Document type” field, as a consequence the “Total amount” and “Settlement date” fields will automatically display. In the same form, if the “mail” value is selected in the “Document type” field, then the “Subject” and “Recipient service” fields will be displayed.)

Some areas can also be protected or hidden according to viewing, modification and other access rights. It is also possible to allow or forbid the modification of specific attributes (example: the “Memo” field is filled out by the service manager, only he is able to modify or delete it. Some other users will be able to read it and some others will not even see it at all.)

Indexing within Gargantua 7 is very ergonomic: it can be done really quickly and using only the keyboard. Indexing manipulations can be carried out in sequence and in a logical specific order (cursor jumps from field 1 to field 5, then to field 8...). If you are indexing series of documents, some tools enable you to re-use the information that has already been typed and to transfer it automatically from one form to another.

In order to help users when they enter data using documents displayed on the screen (e.g.: indexing many scanned paper forms), Gargantua 7 offers index loupes that automatically position themselves on the predefined areas corresponding to the fields that must be filled out. Folders and pins can only be indexed with attributes. Depending on its type a document can be indexed with:

• The attributes contained in its form or in a list.
• Full text indexing tools.

With full text indexing, except for a list of non consistent terms, all the words of a document can be considered indexes and thus used as keywords within a search. This indexing mode is used for text documents. The text document generated by an OCR operation on an image document is linked to the original document in a totally transparent way which allows the original image file to be retrieved via full text search tools.

• Both previously mentioned modes: a text document indexed in full text mode can also be assigned attributes.

Custom form designer

A custom form is a different, organized way of arranging the attributes that can be assigned to an object (folder, subfolder, document, etc.). A custom form can also: be saved as an independent document; be composed of several blocks and regions; have one or several pages; be of different formats (A4, A3…).

ECM forms are not only used to index contents, they are also assigned to objects circulating within workflow processes. When a process ends, the form may be deleted or partially saved as a simplified attribute set for the objects it has gone through the process with.
A form can be composed of other types of attributes such as radio buttons, checkboxes and active command buttons. Command buttons cannot be search criteria.

The custom form designer is an integrated function of Gargantua 7

Figure 10 - Gargantua 7 Custom Form designer

Search modes

No matter where the objects are located (objects circulating in workflow processes, archived objects) they can be found thanks to search tools. A search can be limited to one or several processes or databases, as well as to a selection of folders within the same database. A search can be started from a portal, a process or a database. There are many search modes in Gargantua 7 among which the main ones are :

• General search on attributes and/or documents and/or notes’ content, on one or several databases simultaneously, with or without indicating folders and pages’ names. Thus, if you are searching documents all the attributes can be taken into account as well as full text search tool.
• Special searches limited to notes’ content, folders and documents’ names…
• Full text searches on the content of text documents or OCR operation results on an image file.  In this search mode many options are available, among the main ones we can list:
  • Boolean operators, parenthesis and other logical functions.
  • Spelling mistakes automatic corrector for wrongly typed keywords
    E.g.: if you type "fotography" the engine will find all documents containing "photography" which is the correct spelling.
  • Truncations on the right, on the left or on both sides.
  • Wild cards: enable the user to retrieve words whose spelling is not sure.
  • "NEAR" option: distance (n words) between keywords. You can also specify if the keywords should be in the same sentence or paragraph.
  • Creation of simple or complex logical functions using all available operators

After a full text search, when the retrieved documents are displayed, the expression used for the search is highlighted or appears in a particular color thus it can immediately be noticed. The number of hits for every document found is shown near the results table.

When you launch a full text search and get a document inserted through OCR, the initial image is always linked to the document and can be displayed with all the graphics, photos, text areas, etc.

•  Boolean or guided search with the use of Boolean or comparison operators (AND, OR, =, <> (different from), >, <, etc.). This search type can only be applied to attributes.
• Complex Boolean search that applies on one hand classic operators to attributes; and "CONTAINS" or "DOES NOT CONTAIN" operators to text contents on the other hand. It may be combined with (simple or Boolean) full text search.
• "Funnel" search, enabling you to launch a new query from the results of another one (each query may be of a different type) in order to narrow down your search.

Search templates can be created. They can be private or public. You can either make them readily accessible through shortcuts or assign them a function key.

The result table shows search criteria values for each retrieved object, but extra values -that are not search criteria- may be displayed for further information. This might be useful to easily distinguish two results that look identical at first glance.

Search results depend on the rights that have been allocated to the user who is carrying out the search. All the results can be directly exported, transferred by e-mail or by a process or saved on external media.

Viewing - Consulting

Gargantua 7 offers several viewers which comply with more than 150 file formats (Office, CAD - computer-aided design, etc.). This allows consultation of such files’ contents without installing the native applications used to generate them. Two display modes are available for document consulting: HTML mode and plug-in mode. It is possible to switch from one mode to the other anytime with just one click.

On workstations where only a navigator is available for viewing the documents, with no viewing plug-in installed at all, the server performs an HTML conversion on the fly before sending the file, which allows viewing it in such format. The conversion is possible for all the file formats Gargantua 7 is able to open thanks to its internal viewers.

 Figure 11 –HTML Mode (with displayed help frame)

• Installing the plug-in activates other functions. Image documents are displayed full size and Office documents are displayed thanks to different modes.

Figure 12 –Plug-in display mode with image consulting toolbar  

When viewing a document, the following functions are available online regardless to the displaying mode: full screen, display document attributes in the left pane of the main window, add a note, print, zapper, switch to HTML/Plun-in display mode, display/hide Tips…

For image files, Gargantua 7 offers many image retouching tools which help to enhance the scanned documents’ image quality: black contours detouring, skew, rotate, invert… The image quality is thus optimized in order to reprint the document. Some other functions such as viewing and annotation tools facilitate and clarify your work. Other file types (sound, video…) are displayed or executed thanks to dedicated applications directly from Gargantua 7.

Streaming extra options can be integrated for sound and video files. The Gargantua server becomes thus a unicast and multicast VOD (Video On Demand) server.

Figure 13 –Streaming functions activation

When you need to consult a whole folder, a special function allows you to have wide view of everything concerning the folder in the same window (see figure 14). The “folder window” offers the following features:

• In the left pane of the window:
  • The descendant tree structure of the folder: the folder itself and all the subfolder levels it contains.
  • The folder’s attributes
  • The list of documents –if any- directly classified in the folder
• In the right pane of the window: a preview of the first document –if any- of the list (the folder may contain documents or not, as well as its subfolders).

In the folder window, a zapper allows you to page through the documents very quickly and easily, while a second zapper anables you to switch from folder to folder. Both zappers are really practical when consulting search results.

While using the folder window to consult search results, if one of the objects is not a folder, Gargantua 7 switches to an adapted display mode, and will go back to the folder window to consult another folder in the search result.

Conversion to “PDF” et “PDF/a” format

For more consistency in archived files storage format, Gargantua 7comes with two format converters: “native format to PDF” and “native format to PDF/a”. This makes it easier to publish documents on the Internet and avoids the modification of those of sensitive content for example.

These conversion modules, built up with filters, can be activated on demand anytime you need them or continuously applied to all new documents inserted in the system. They apply to all file formats Gargantua 7 is able to open in its internal viewers.

The generated PDF file may: replace the original file, become a major or minor version of the original document, or simply add to the list as a new document.

Figure 15 - All formats conversion to PDF

It is possible to convert the content of any image document into text thanks to the OCR functions integrated in Gargantua 7. This module comes with the main language dictionaries, thus a spell check can be carried out by comparing vocabularies. If the recognition of a word is uncertain, a correction may be proposed by displaying it under the original image.

The OCR operation can be started manually or automatically and can be performed on the entire image or only on part of it. The text resulting from the OCR is automatically and instantaneously linked to the original image file and stored into full text database.
From then on, an image file can be retrieved with a full text search thanks to a word or phrase of its content, which is totally transparent to users.

Three main functions are available: OCR - Switch to OCR result, Display image and Delete OCR result (when an OCR result is deleted the associated full text database is updated).

Figure 16 –OCR functions

Import and export functions

Gargantua 7 offers several export, import and transfer functions. These operations can all be carried out very simply through dedicated wizards designed to guide the user step by step. The main functions are:

• export all or part of the attributes (of all or a selection of elements within a folder, as well as all or part of a search result).
  This function allows, for example, transfer of the results of automatic indexing to external software (accounting, invoicing, statistics…) in order to process the data later on.
  The exported data are gathered into CSV or XML format files.
• a complete database, a folder, a subfolder or a selection of documents can be exported. Everything related to the objects is exported with them: the information about the tree structure as well as access rights, forms, attributes, lists, and full text contents. When the exported objects are imported, the system checks the existence of identical objects in the target database in order to avoid duplicating them.

Exporting and importing a whole tree structure or part of it allows the reorganization of databases and folders: As a result, you can concatenate two databases into one, divide one database into several… The data can be transferred to other Gargantua 7 databases or sites by email (“Send to Gargantua user” command) or a physical medium (“Send as XML” command). When you import an exported structure, it is inserted as it was in the original database, with all its contents and information into the target database.
With export and import functions you can also transfer folders:

• For final archiving, 
• To standalone media in order to consult the data from sites where Gargantua 7 is not installed.
  

BPM (Business Process Management): workflow module

Gargantua 7 Workflow is an outstanding work organizing tool. It allows the creation of many static or dynamic processes of different complexity which are intended to rationalize and optimize work within any organization. Processing time is thus reduced and execution restrictions are clearly indicated, which results in better performance.

Gargantua 7 Workflow is based on managing an inbox and a waiting box as well as on assigning roles (function of a user or a group within an organization) to each process task. Thanks to its ease of use and its processing speed Gargantua 7 Workflow is the essential tool for information system management.

Figure 17 - Workflow / BPM module user interface

Gargantua 7 Workflow covers all process management steps: creation, administration, circulation and execution of tasks assigned to users, groups or roles. Its numerous functions include: a graphic process creation tool in compliance with BPMN standards, a form creation tool (form contents may guide workflow path and users’ actions), an audit tool, an administration tool, a provisional users timesheet management tool and function libraries…

Graphic process creation tool

The process creation tool allows to define – by using a graphic environment- workflow procedures containing tasks as well as processing restrictions. This very high performing module complies with BPMN standard and is based on the latest calculating methods, on the graph theory and on adjacent matrix theory. The process creation tool makes it very quick and simple to create, test and publish a process, and finally generate a prototype. None of these manipulations require any particular technical skills. A process is seen and managed as an object in Gargantua. It can quickly be modified and a new version may be created and implemented with no incidence on other currently running versions.

There is no limit in the number of processes, since Gargantua 7 comes with function libraries and standard technical components in order to facilitate process creation.

With the API you can develop other functions in a very simple way but also enclose existing components: create frequently used sub-processes’ templates in order to integrate them into more complex templates.

Every process may be assigned a priority level (from lowest up to urgent) and managed thanks to one or several forms. Different types of deadlines can be set: global time, estimated time, cutoff point… with alert messages when a deadline is passed at specific stages of the process.

Figure 18 - BPMN graphic representation of a workflow process

A compilation tool assists the user with correcting errors and resolving discrepancies in the graphic representation and the data linked to each task. Just click on the pointed-out error line to be automatically positioned on the task where the problem is located.

Figure 19 - Compilation error report

No matter how complex the graph is, you can automatically reorganize it with one click in order to highlight which tasks are assigned to every role or every user (swim lane mode), modify its general appearance and display mode. Many functions such as: zoom, move, view in 1:1 scale, copy/paste areas, print, etc., let you make the most of the large graphic tool set.

Figure 20 - Process displayed in "Swim lane" mode

Roles, execution time constraints and validation conditions can be assigned to each task. Each user may be guided in achieving his or her job by displaying the sequence of actions he is in charge of.

Figure 21 - Task properties (Deadline)

Assigned forms

Once a process is created, one or several forms –whether simple or complex- are assigned to it. The creation tool referred to in the ECM chapter (page 10) is used in order to create forms which will circulate through the processes, with or without attached documents or folders. When a form is assigned to a process the whole of its contents (attributes, lists and other internal functions) become a unique entity managed by the software as one object.

Main features

The main features of the workflow / BPM module are:

• User interface: when a user logs-in the interface is automatically customized according to his/her profile and access rights. The functions available, the content of the inbox, waiting box…, as well as the list of the tasks classified by process, by urgency level etc. are organized and displayed in a clear and simple way.
• Document input: it is possible to input files of any type at any step of the process, by scanning (numerous scanners are managed directly through Gargantua 7) or importing them. E-mails and Office documents can be directly inserted in processes.
• Real time follow-up: it is possible to assign a "manager" to a process or to a set of processes. The manager is informed (by e-mail or workflow message) of passing delays or the risk of going beyond the deadlines so that he or she can take the appropriate decision. Any authorized user can also consult the history of a running process.
• Lifecycle management: for specific types of documents, setting-up the lifecycle management allows for the precision management of tasks and their related content with precision in order to efficiently guarantee essential needs in updating, approving, publishing, respecting deadlines and so on.
• Document version management: the revision, the follow-up of minor or major versions, as well as the version numbers guarantee the reliability of the information which is put at the user’s disposal, in accordance with quality standards.
• Users timesheet management: for a specific period (e.g. calendar year), it is possible to enter the leave schedule and select substitute users to each role in order to ensure the continuity of the service.
• Custom automatic operations: within a process some of the tasks may be automatically executed (collecting data from external applications, starting operations which may or may not be triggered by other events or data, sending e-mail…)
• Content preservation: the circulating objects are inserted into Gargantua databases according to a specific classification schedule. The attributes contained in the forms and assigned to these objects (documents or folders) permit all types of searches on content.
• Audit: all events, transactions, form data modifications, etc.; are logged and saved for a period defined according to the process type. This information allows the generation of statistics about processes execution time, processing time, but also about user’s individual or general average productivity…

Simulation functions

Running a simulation on a process consists in having the objects circulate in a fictitious way in order to find out problems that may arise in daily use of the software. For that purpose Gargantua 7’s simulation function allows you to check the accuracy of the assignment and the synchronization of each task, to make a failure report, to point out the possible risks related to waiting periods…

Import and export functions

In order to transfer a process from one database to another, from one site to another, an import and export function is available. Through a wizard, you will select the objects to be exported (graphs, forms, other information), no matter how complex they may be. Then Gargantua 7 creates a file which recreates a local copy of the objects it contains when imported into another structure (database, configuration…).

FUNCTIONS COMMON TO BPM, ECM AND EDM modules

You don’t have to worry about which Gargantua 7 module you are working with! Many functions are shared and accessible in exactly the same way for all modules.

Scanning

At any time, from a form, a task or an ECM / EDM database, you can start scanning. Scan functions can be run directly or through IntelliScan tasks.

Import and input modules

You can import any kind of electronic files directly into Gargantua 7, whether into a Gargantua database or into a workflow process. The files remain in their native format.

The files (image, Office or any other type) can be converted to pdf and pdf/a formats.

Viewing - Consulting

The large set of viewers available in Gargantua allows viewing a document wherever it may be located.

Search modes

No matter where documents and folders are located (circulating in a process or stored in a Gargantua database), they can be found thanks to search tools. A process can also be searched in order to learn about its status, how it is running, what remains to be done… An extra function allows the user viewing how far the process has got in the graph as well as consulting the process’ log.

Objects management and security

In Gargantua 7 permissions can be set on any of the objects regardless of their location in the database. This assigns specific rights to each group or user group involved in a process or seeking to access a database and its content. An administrator defines all security levels and access rights assigned to roles, users and groups, for the whole platform, for each database, for each process…

Statistics tools

In Gargantua 7 you can apply a large range of statistics tools to document management operations as well as to workflow operations. Statistics are mostly generated concerning:

• Objects contained in the databases and the general activity related to them, folders, databases themselves.
• Users’ general management activity, whether involved in processes or not.
• Processes, to get further information about their status

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

There are several ways of administrating a Gargantua 7 configuration.

• Through the general administration module which allows access to all of the existing functionalities. With the administration module you can, among other operations, manage several Gargantua configurations which may be based on one or several servers located in the same site or in geographically distant sites.

Figure 23 – Administration module - Main window

The access to this module is generally restricted to a Master Administrator. Its main features are:

• Creating Gargantua databases and assigning a manager and a general security level to each of them.
• Offering total access to the whole of the available databases’ functions, specially the creation of: attributes, lists, forms, public predefined search templates, databases’ views, workflow processes…
• Creating users, user groups, roles, and specifying assignments.
• Creating portals.
• Managing storage areas and storage rules for different types of file

• Through additional administration modules which allow managers in charge of one or several Gargantua databases to:
  • Assign users and user groups to roles.
  • Create attributes and forms.
  • Create different processes to be run in the databases.
  • Manage the activity in real time, ensure the follow-up of events and measure performance.
  • Create and assign views.
  • Allow access to statistics…

Master Administrators also can access the supervision and audit module (who did what and when…) as well as the general statistics module. Privileged users or database managers can be given access to these modules.