Optimum workflow starts off with the right data management
Swiss consulting firm takes a holistic approach to printing and conversion tools for processing Notes content
In many companies, valuable time is needlessly lost as a result of administrative procedures. This is often caused by having the wrong or unused programs, a lack of appropriate tools to link various software systems and a confusing or complex data management system. In this case, the keys to success are simplicity, standardization, transparency and proper training for employees. Yet, small and medium-sized firms in particular often have little time to tackle minor problems, such as secure PDF data storage, for example, or printing applications for data from Lotus Notes and various software solutions. This is usually the point at which consulting companies come into play to provide support in planning and implementing process optimization measures. Novateam Consulting S.A. handles these tasks on behalf of its customers and advises companies, amongst others, on the integration of tools for processing and overcoming printing issues concerning information and data from Lotus Notes or web applications. In doing so, the Swiss company relies on tools from SoftVision and draws on the experiences its own team has made in its day-to-day business using the SoftVision applications NotesToPaper and n2pdf.
Novateam Consulting S.A. is a business consultancy company very specialized in the optimization and integration of collaborative solutions. From consultancy over feasibility studies right up to software programming and integration – the company manages it all. The Swiss team develops state-of-the-art technological solutions for the public and private sector, all of which are designed to help the respective client company optimize its processes and improve its workflow. To this end, Novateam Consulting also conducts workshops and in-house training courses for employees. The company, which is headquartered in Geneva, regards itself as a connecting link between people, processes, technology and the individual business strategy. Therefore, it is important to establish a long-term and sustainable relationship with the customers and build mutual trust, says Jean-Christophe Puthod, CEO at Novateam Consulting. This maxim also determines the company’s dealings with business and cooperation partners. Since its foundation in 2001, the company has collaborated with the German software development company SoftVision from Fulda in the field of applications for Lotus Notes. In doing so, the products NotesToPaper and n2pdf from SoftVision are not only integrated into their own IT architecture, but are also recommended to customers. Novateam Consulting and SoftVision work together to devise custom-tailored solutions. Novateam Consulting then installs the individual solutions directly into the client’s IT landscape.
Smooth exchange of information
Learning from first-hand experience: The employees at Novateam Consulting are well versed in the vagaries and pitfalls of daily office life. As a result, they know which programs will streamline workflow and which will only cause unnecessary delays. Like many others, the company manages its databases with web applications based on Lotus Domino. However, this system exhibits several weaknesses in everyday usage, such as limited print and archive options, for example. In order to circumvent this problem, Novateam Consulting has been relying on SoftVision’s solutions NotesToPaper and n2pdf since 2001. The server-based solution for the creation and processing of PDF documents has been in use for many years. “The application n2pdf is particularly useful in the area of customer-relationship-management and as an invoice solution. It saves us time and restores order to the sometimes very different data formats,” says Jean-Christophe Puthod. “It is also used more or less on a daily basis to prepare reports and important PDF documents,” he adds. “NotesToPaper, on the other hand, enables clean printouts of Notes content by eliminating intermediary steps that interrupt standard workflow procedures.” Jean-Christophe Puthod views this as a significant advantage: “We are only too glad to recommend these tools to our customers, because all applications run in the background and there is no unnecessary interruption to the workflow.”
Shaping the future together
The team at Novateam Consulting is delighted both with the software’s architecture and with the cooperation. The long-standing business partnership that links these two companies will be further expanded in the future: Another aim is to increase efforts promoting the ICM document management system and the possibility of a vertical integration with IBM systems within the customer base. Together, Novateam Consulting and SoftVision are also implementing customer-specific projects by designing and executing IT architecture tailored to specific individual needs. “At the start of every assignment, we sit down with our contact partners at SoftVision to analyze and evaluate the options and to figure out what form the individual solution could take,” Jean-Christophe Puthod explains. “Despite communicating across the Swiss-German border, there are never any difficulties or time delays,” says Jean-Christophe Puthod, pleased with the uncomplicated cooperation.