In the following Q and A, Software Engineer Carl Sykes offers insights into the development of Workflow 8™ and explains how testing the beta version will benefit both VARs and clients.

NEWSFLASH: How is the development of Workflow 8 coming along?

SYKES: Workflow 8 is right on schedule for release next January. We’ve implemented most of the major functionality, and we’re now in the process of fine-tuning the workflow engine. The biggest hurdle we’ve crossed to date is creating a user interface that offers advanced functionality but is simple to use.

NEWSFLASH: What is your primary objective for Workflow 8?

SYKES: We want it to be a tool that enables users to solve their particular problems—not only the scenarios we’ve anticipated, but also the ones we haven’t. In the same vein, we feel that developers and integrators will be very pleased with Workflow 8 because we’ve built in a number of ways for them to integrate and extend it. For example, developers will be able to make their own activities (workflow steps) and initiate workflows based on whatever criteria they like, rather than being limited to performing an action on a document in a Laserfiche repository.

NEWSFLASH: Will Workflow 8 be easier to deploy, maintain and expand?

SYKES: Yes. Most importantly, VARs will be able to create workflows on their own workstations and then easily transfer them to the client’s system. Expanding the system will also be simpler, either by having multiple workflow servers or having one workflow server connecting to multiple Laserfiche repositories.

NEWSFLASH: Do you see Workflow 8 as a significant step forward for the Laserfiche product suite?

SYKES: Definitely. I liken Workflow 8 to the addition of Quick Fields™ to the product suite. The two modules both provide clients with tools whose components can be arranged in a number of ways to solve the particular problems they face.

NEWSFLASH: What are your objectives for the Workflow 8 beta program? 

SYKES: Above all, we want to gauge people’s reactions to the redesigned user interface. What aspects of the interface do users find easy to understand, and what do they find confusing? The responses we receive will have a definite bearing on the look and feel of the product when it is released next January. We hope that many VARs will join the program themselves and will also encourage key clients to participate. Everyone’s feedback will be important in shaping the look and feel of the product. The feedback will also help us with our key goal: releasing a product that everyone finds extremely useful—and easy to use.

Note: The Laserfiche 8 Workflow beta is planned for release later this week. It will include Laserfiche 8 Client/Server to allow testing of Workflow 8. When released, it will be available on the Support Site for download. This version is for VARs and select clients to test Workflow 8. Later in August, there will be a beta release of the Laserfiche 8 system, including Laserfiche 8 Client/Server and Web Access 8™. This beta release will be generally available to both VARs and Laserfiche users with current LSAP. To join the beta program, contact your Regional Manager.

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For R&S Integrated, testing Workflow 8 is a major opportunity for VARs

According to Robert Porter of R&S Integrated, the beta program is an opportunity to have a significant influence on Workflow 8—and to get a head start on major new workflow projects.

“Workflow 8 is so well-conceived that it makes sense to bring clients in now,” Porter says. “We’ll be able to provide excellent feedback, based on testing the product in real-world situations. It’s also possible that participating in the beta program will turn into the planning phase for some extensive Workflow implementations.”

In addition to participating themselves, R&S has recruited three clients—two school districts and a municipality—for the beta program, and may bring in others. “All three clients have extensive workflow strategies and see Workflow 8 as a product that will give them what they need,” Porter says. “One of the school districts, for example, is looking to establish workflows for 15 to 20 district-wide processes, including hiring, employee records, construction, maintenance and administration. In the municipality, the focus is on workflows for police assignments, permits and the like. Workflow 8 positions us to be able to take on these projects routinely, in my opinion.”

In Porter’s estimation, Workflow 8 will be a strong product on its own and formidable competition for other workflow products. “It’s a true enterprise solution that is going to stand up well against more expensive products,” he says. “It’s going to be very attractive as an extension of the product line for existing Laserfiche clients. It also has the potential to put us in line for some very high-dollar projects for new clients.”

Porter likes Workflow 8’s Microsoft® Workflow® foundation and feels that its best qualities are the fact that it is external to Laserfiche and highly portable. “These are very important features,” he says. “As it gets established, I can envision Workflow 8 being the client’s main focus, which is a very good thing for broadening our options heading forward. The product’s portability is going to enable us to do virtually all of the work from our offices. That’s a huge benefit in terms of time savings and because it will enable us to get away from doing everything from scratch on site. That’s a plus for us and for the client.”

Based in Lakeland, FL, R&S Integrated is a nine-time Laserfiche Winners Circle VAR.

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For VP Consulting, involving clients in the testing process is the key to success

According to Vicki Pattle of VP Consulting, the beta program is an ideal opportunity to involve clients in the Workflow 8 development process.

“Workflow 7 does what it was designed to do, and I have always been proud to sell it,” Pattle says. “I love what I’ve seen of Workflow 8, however. From its enterprise capabilities to its licensing, it’s all inclusive—a Cadillac-type of workflow product.”

Pattle has already enrolled her firm and two county governments in the beta program and expects to add two private-sector clients soon. “Our philosophy is to involve a selection of key clients in the testing process and to enable them—as knowledgeable users in the field—to have a major say in the final version of Workflow 8.”  

In Pattle’s view, the release of Workflow 8 is the next step forward in the Laserfiche success story. “Laserfiche has always been there to meet rising demand with products that stand out for power and ease-of-use,” she says. “Workflow 8 fits that pattern perfectly.”

Based in Eugene, OR, VP Consulting is a nine-time Laserfiche Winners Circle VAR and currently ranks second in sales for this year.

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Now available: VARMail postcard program

VARMail receives an exciting new addition today with the launch of the VARMail direct mail program. The VARMail e-mail program has been very successful, with over fifty VARs sending Laserfiche-branded e-mail campaigns to thousands of customers and prospects. Now, you can reach out to this same audience with the power of direct mail. Through a step-by-step, straightforward Web-based interface, you can customize, print and send professionally-designed, Laserfiche-branded QuikByte postcards to generate leads and increase attendance at workshops and tradeshows.

The VARMail direct mail program is feature-rich, giving you the opportunity to customize postcards with your contact information, customer quotes, logo and more. You can also purchase mailing lists sorted by distance and demographic.

"We've received many requests for such a program, from both experienced VARs and newer VARs who don't have the resources to create their own marketing pieces," says Laserfiche Creative Director Kimberly Samuelson. "The VARMail direct mail program will enable you to market your company and Laserfiche more proactively while dramatically reducing the time you spend putting together marketing campaigns."

Adds VARMail Administrator Steve Coy: "We're very excited to launch this new service. We've invested a lot in creating a program that all VARs can benefit from, and we really think it will be a valuable tool to help you succeed."

To further incentivize you to take advantage of this great program, Laserfiche is pleased to announce that all VARMail marketing efforts, e-mail and direct mail alike, are eligible for 100% co-op reimbursement until September 1, 2007.

Visit the VARMail direct mail program home page for more information. There, you can sign up for an account, view a gallery of sample QuikByte postcards, read about pricing and get tips on increasing the effectiveness of your direct mail marketing efforts.

If you have any questions about the VARMail postcard program after visiting the home page, please e-mail the VARMail help desk or call Steve Coy at (562) 988-1688 x 212.

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Get your prospects excited about Laserfiche—in just 18 minutes

Webinars are an excellent way to introduce prospective clients to digital document management. In the past, one of our most popular Webinars was the 18 Minute Executive Session, which helped decision makers understand their organization’s information management needs and explained how a document management system would help them meet these needs.

In order to take advantage of recent interest in the concept of business search, we’ve revised this Webinar completely. Now titled 18 Minutes to More Intelligent Searching, the Webinar demonstrates how a document management system provides staff with comprehensive search tools that help them find what they need in seconds, no matter how complex their search criteria may be. Suitable for all verticals, this Webinar provides prospects with an excellent introduction to the benefits of digital document management—in just 18 minutes. Please invite your prospects to sign up by visiting the Webinars page on the Laserfiche Website.

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Tech Tip - Workflow 8 e-mail notifications

Note: For the next several weeks, we will be previewing new features in Laserfiche 8, many of which you will be able to see hands-on in the upcoming beta. Because this is a preview, note that the details and appearance of certain elements may change between now and the final release.

Workflow 8 offers many new options for configuring e-mails. In Workflow 7, you could only configure two e-mails per template: one notification e-mail and one inactivity notification e-mail. In Workflow 8, e-mails are configured per task rather than per template, and you can create multiple e-mails—each with different recipients, contents and settings—for each task.

For instance, you might create a task that pulls a document into a particular folder if an Approval field is set to "Pending." You might then want to configure an e-mail notification to go to the “approvers” group, indicating that an item is ready for approval. You could also configure a different e-mail to go to a manager, to indicate that an item had been sent to the approvers. The two e-mails could have entirely different settings: different recipients, different CC and BCC recipients, different subjects and different contents. They could also have different recurrence schedules—for instance, you might want to only send the e-mail to the manager once, but to send the e-mail to the approvers on a schedule.

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Three new Knowledge Base articles

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Presales question of the week

Q: I’d like to set up workflows for my clients at my own office and then install them on the client’s system. Will I be able to do this with Workflow 8?

A: Yes, workflows are portable in Workflow 8. Whenever you create a rule, it is saved as an XML-based file that can be easily copied and transferred to another machine. You can then reopen it with the Workflow Designer at the client’s site and publish it to the Workflow Server. When you do this, make sure that you have matching templates, fields, folders, etc. in both repositories.

There are other advantages to the ability to save and transfer workflows. For example, you can create a library of commonly-used workflows that can be reconfigured for a new client’s installation.

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