InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise Clients and Modules Taking EDM to the Enterprise white paper BlueCielo ECM Solutions www.bluecieloecm.com September 2007 Version 2.0
2 Table of Contents 1 Taking EDM to the Enterprise... 3 2 InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise Clients... 4 2.1 Clients for Document Authors...5 2.2 Clients for Document Users...6 2.3 Optional Client Functionality...7 3 Modules for InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise... 8 3.1 InnoCielo Asset Information Management Module...8 3.2 InnoCielo Global Collaboration Framework...9 3.3 InnoCielo Publisher Framework... 10 3.4 InnoCielo Citrix Integration... 11 BlueCielo ECM Solutions... 12 Questions?... 12 Contact Info... 12 2
3 1 Taking EDM to the Enterprise InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise is a leading engineering content management system. In today s world, regulations, operational efficiency, shortened design times, time to market and many other factors require that engineering documents and data must be ready and available to the appropriate people outside of the engineering department. InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise is integrated with major CAD solutions like AutoCAD, MicroStation, SolidWorks and Autodesk Inventor, and is independent of any specific CAD vendor. To ensure that the engineering documents and data managed by InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise are readily accessible for all within the organization that require access, InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise has a suite of target group-specific client interfaces available. For non-engineers who usually do not use InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise and for external contractors needing access to engineering documents and data, BlueCielo ECM Solutions (formerly Cyco Software) has several solutions available that link or integrate InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise with the rest of the organization. In this white paper you will find an overview of all available InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise client interfaces for different type of users. InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise modules are available with extended functionality to Take EDM to the Enterprise. As an additional feature you will also find a sneak preview of the new functionality of InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise 2007. 3
4 2 InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise Clients Below is a summary of all available InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise Clients. Details of each Client can be found in the following paragraphs. Clients for document authors Power User Desktop client for engineers and designers working with CAD software (LAN) Office Client Desktop client for staff actively involved in the engineering and/or design workflow processes, but not using CAD software themselves (LAN) Web Client Browser-based client for staff actively involved in the engineering and/or design workflow processes, but not using CAD software themselves (LAN and WAN) Clients for document users Enterprise Web Reader Browser-based client for anonymous users who require search and retrieval functionality for documents (LAN and WAN) Shop Floor Client Browser-based client for operation and maintenance staff in asset-oriented environments who require engineering document search and retrieval based on asset or tag information (LAN and WAN) SharePoint Client Browser-based client for SharePoint users participating in engineering and/or design processes (LAN and WAN) Explorer Client Browser-based client for non-engineering staff who require user-friendly and easy engineering document search and retrieval capabilities (LAN and WAN) Optional client functionality Advanced Viewer For users of the Power User or Office Client who require MicroStation viewing and redlining functionality The Net Viewer For users of the Web Client or Enterprise Web Reader who require redline capabilities and/or the ability to view and/or edit documents with references like for example CAD documents with references or assembly structures. 4
5 2.1 Clients for Document Authors 2.1.1 Power User The Power User is the desktop client for engineers using CAD software. It offers all required InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise functionality including CAD integration. Users working with CAD software like AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, SolidWorks or MicroStation should use the Power User in order to fully benefit from all advantages that BlueCielo s state-of-theart CAD integrations have to offer. For all other users there is the Office Client. 2.1.2 Office Client The Office Client is the desktop client for non-engineers, i.e. staff mostly working with MS Office. It offers all InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise functionality excluding CAD integration. In InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise 2006 the Office Client has become a full functional client quite similar to the Power User, but without its CAD functionality. With the Office Client, staff working with the engineering and/or design teams can access documents and participate in workflow processes. 2.1.3 Web Client The InnoCielo Web Client is a Microsoft Internet Explorer-based client with Office Client functionality. This client enables users to browse and edit documents in the InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise vault via an intranet or internet connection. In InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise 2006b the Web Client s user interface was revised and brought in line with both desktop clients. This new interface brings improved user-friendliness with AJAX technology. 5
6 2.2 Clients for Document Users 2.2.1 Enterprise Web Reader This is a Microsoft Internet Explorer-based client providing a similar user interface as the Web Client, but users do not need to log in. The Enterprise Web Reader is intended for (anonymous) external users like remote sites, prospects, customers, etc who require only read-only access to certain documents and data via an intranet or extranet. 2.2.2 Shop Floor Client This is a Microsoft Internet Explorerbased client providing easy and powerful document search and retrieval for maintenance staff and other operation staff. This client is used for searching tags, asset numbers or asset descriptions and providing equipment information and related documentation. The brand-new Shop Floor Client is a part of the Asset Information Management Module. With the aid of the Asset Information Management Module and the Shop Floor Client, incomplete or inaccurate documentation is no longer an excuse. 2.2.3 SharePoint Client This client provides users of Microsoft SharePoint the possibility to search and retrieve documents and data in the InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise vault. It also offers SharePoint users the ability to participate in real-time in any workflow process going on in InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise. In addition to initiating discussions about documents within SharePoint, it is also possible for an external party or a subsidiary in another country to open a document for processing via SharePoint. 2.2.4 Explorer Client For staff members throughout the organization who need quick and easy access to engineering documents, the Explorer Client is the ideal solution. The Explorer Client provides powerful yet easy search capabilities for document retrieval based on document properties, document content and/or document path. The Explorer Client will be a part of a new module which can also be used to provide InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise data to professional reporting tools such as Crystal Reports. 6
7 2.3 Optional Client Functionality 2.3.1 Advanced Viewer The Advanced Viewer adds MicroStation viewing capabilities to the Power User and/or Office Client. The Advanced Viewer is integrated in the Power User and Office Client, and has perfect MicroStation viewing and redlining capabilities. 2.3.2 Net Viewer The Net Viewer is optional for the browser-based clients (Web Client and Enterprise Web Reader). It provides the ability to make remarks on documents by means of redlining and adds reference support which is required when for example CAD documents with references or assembly structures must be viewed. 7
8 3 Modules for InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise is widely accepted as a leading engineering content management solution with users in multiple industries. Specific industry customers have specific business demands and requirements. For these customers modular best practices have been developed to provide additional InnoCielo functionality. Engineering content and data are the intellectual assets of the organization. In order to develop its business and its workforce, intellectual assets need to be shared within the organization in a controlled way. Therefore integrations are available with other information management systems, including maintenance management systems, enterprise document management systems, facility management systems and GIS systems. 3.1 InnoCielo Asset Information Management Module The InnoCielo Asset Management Module manages the asset-document relations in InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise. Herewith a very powerful usability is offered to find documents by asset number. This will dramatically improve your company s efficiency not only during engineering changes but also during emergency maintenance and inspections. During engineering the assets can be linked to documents and documents can be linked to assets. For example a process & instrumentation diagram represents multiple assets and therefore needs to be linked to multiple assets. On the other hand for an asset like a pump or vessel you have multiple documents. When searching for an asset, you immediately want to see all the related documentation. The InnoCielo Asset Management Module offers you the functionality to handle all this. The Asset Information Management Module can be extended with the InnoCielo Shop Floor Client, providing your employees the possibility to search manually for an asset and find all asset-related technical documentation from within an internet browser. The benefits the InnoCielo Asset Information Management Module provides: Intuitively finding technical documents using an asset identifier as search key Identify which set of documents is subject to change due to a plant change Better compliance with quality, environmental and legal regulations Increased product quality and reduced delivery time Reduced equipment failure and number of accidents Seamless engineering data handover Reduced costs of production, maintenance and engineering Increased production by shorter unplanned process downtime and stop preparation More information can be found in the InnoCielo Asset Management Module white paper as available on BlueCielo s extranet and homepage. 8
9 3.2 InnoCielo Global Collaboration Framework The InnoCielo Global Collaboration Framework is targeted at organizations whose design and/or engineering activities span multiple locations like manufacturing, engineering and construction companies. In the ongoing quest for enhancing productivity, companies worldwide are looking for more efficient ways to share information across the enterprise and with external contractors. Many businesses are lacking ways to automate data collaboration and need to rely on the manual handling of information. The InnoCielo Global Collaboration Framework helps companies to tackle the challenges posed by the need for collaboration during complex engineering projects and asset management activities. The InnoCielo Global Collaboration Framework provides an automated exchange of documents and metadata between InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise Vaults at different sites via the internet. The benefits the InnoCielo Global Collaboration Framework provides: Involve all required staff regardless of their location Reduce design time by transparently sharing all documentation in (nearly) real-time Finish your design phase faster and more efficient Bring all your resources together regardless of location and time-zone Collaborate globally More information can be found in the InnoCielo Global Collaboration Framework product sheet and white paper as available on BlueCielo s extranet and homepage. 9
10 3.3 InnoCielo Publisher Framework Organizations require frequent exchange of up-to-date information between various disciplines. The engineering department needs to provide maintenance staff, external contractors and other stakeholders with the latest versions of drawings. Usually engineering information is in a file format that cannot be used easily outside the engineering department and therefore requires conversion into another format for reading purposes or to protect intellectual property. Exchange of engineering information is difficult if not impossible to manage when handled manually and in disparate systems. InnoCielo Publisher is the solution for disclosing information managed in InnoCielo Meridian to the rest of the enterprise. InnoCielo Publisher adds value to situations where engineering content managed by InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise must be published in other document management systems or the internet. In this process, documents may have to be rendered to more accessible formats like Adobe PDF or Autodesk DWF. The most common reasons for the rendering of engineering documents are: Easy viewing the viewers of the native CAD format are often cumbersome, expensive or too complex to use Protection of intellectual property in cases where the source format should not be provided to certain users (eg external parties) Protection of content in cases where document content should not be modifiable Continuity in cases where the document content must remain accessible in the future, even if the original authoring tools and formats are upgraded or retired The InnoCielo Publisher is available in two configurations: The Standard InnoCielo Publisher with the default rendering and publishing modules and the InnoCielo Publisher Framework including the API to develop custom render and publish modules. More information can be found in the InnoCielo Publisher Framework product sheet and white paper as available on BlueCielo s extranet and homepage. 10
11 3.4 InnoCielo Citrix Integration BlueCielo has developed the InnoCielo Citrix integration to enable engineers in remote locations to collaboratively work on engineering projects in InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise from their own location. Using the InnoCielo Citrix Integration, engineers at remote locations at sub-contractors are now fully integrated with InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise. The InnoCielo Citrix integration allows remote CAD users to check out their work to their local workstation, and later on check this back in. The engineering content management part runs on a central server, and the authoring tool runs on the remote workstation. The InnoCielo Citrix integration connects both parts and operates in a wide area network. At checkout, the module takes care for all document references. The references documents and hybrid parts are automatically copied to the remote client. At check-in, the module checks the status of these references, and uploads changes if needed. Even when new references are added, these references are uploaded to the central facility, and imported into the vault. The InnoCielo Citrix Integration can also be used to provide quick access to remote facilities. For example when engineering projects are managed from one location and construction takes place in another location there is a need to access the engineering content from the building site. The InnoCielo Citrix Integration allows easy access to engineering content in the project environment. Figure 1: Check-in through Citrix Figure 2: Checkout with References 11
12 Taking EDM to the Enterprise BlueCielo ECM Solutions BlueCielo ECM Solutions (formerly Cyco Software) provides Engineering Content Management (ECM) solutions for multiple vertical industries, including utilities, oil & gas, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, government, transportation and process and discrete manufacturing. BlueCielo has over two decades of industry experience with more than 275,000 users in 50+ countries worldwide. The company has offices in the USA, UK, Russia, Germany, and The Netherlands and an extensive global network of established partners. BlueCielo ensures a high level of service and support on a truly worldwide scale for its leading software solutions InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise and InnoCielo Teamwork (formerly AutoManager Meridian and AutoManager TeamWork). Questions? For further information on this subject or about BlueCielo, please feel free to contact us by phone, email info@bluecieloecm.com or visit our websites. Contact Info Corporate Headquarters BlueCielo Handelskade 49 2288 BA Rijswijk The Netherlands T +31 70 413 37 00 F +31 70 413 37 01 info@bluecieloecm.com www.bluecieloecm.com DACH Essener Strasse 5 46047 Oberhausen Germany T +49 208 305 85 00 F +49 208 305 85 025 info@bluecieloecm.com www.bluecielo.de Americas 2400 Lake Park Drive Suite 450 Atlanta, GA 30080 U.S.A. Toll-Free 800 323 29 26 T +1 404 634 33 02 F +1 404 633 46 04 info@bluecieloecm.com www.bluecieloecm.com United Kingdom, Ireland Empress Business Centre 380 Chester Road Manchester M16 9EA United Kingdom T +44 161 877 55 79 F +44 161 877 55 80 info@bluecieloecm.com www.bluecielo.co.uk Europe, Asia, Pacific Rim, Middle East, Africa Handelskade 49 2288 BA Rijswijk The Netherlands T +31 70 413 37 00 F +31 70 413 37 01 info@bluecieloecm.com Benelux: www.bluecielo.nl Russia, Russia and CIS countries Korolev Street 6 249030 Obninsk Kaluga region, Russia T +7 (48439) 63079 F +7 (48439) 65095 info@bluecielo.ru www.bluecielo.ru Copyright BlueCielo ECM Solutions. All rights reserved. BlueCielo, InnoCielo, Cyco and AutoManager are registered trademarks of BlueCielo ECM Solutions. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. 12