DocuWare Case Studies BIFAB: Collective Memory for Knowledge Experts

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	BIFAB: Collective Memory for Knowledge Experts DocuWare

BIFAB: Collective Memory for Knowledge Experts

DocuWare

Technology Category	Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
Applicable Functions	Business Operation
Services	System Integration
Challenge	Bibliographisches Institut & F.A. Brockhaus AG (BIFAB) had a wealth of information stored in various formats, including card indexes, contracts, historical publishing bibliographies, and readers’ queries. However, this information was not easily accessible to all staff members, and searching for specific information was time-consuming and inefficient. The company’s contracts were kept in the management office, and searching for a contract involved at least two members of staff. Searching for information in the historical publishing bibliographies was also extremely time-consuming, as it involved carefully removing the very old and sometimes very delicate volumes from their shelves. The large number of readers’ queries, which were filed with the answering letters, was getting out of control. The company needed a solution that would make all necessary information available in a secure, simple, fast, and transparent manner. Read More
About Customer	Bibliographisches Institut & F.A. Brockhaus AG, or BIFAB for short, is a publishing house based in Mannheim and Leipzig, Germany. The company is known for its dictionaries and encyclopedias, including the Großer Brockhaus and the Meyer brand. In 1984, Germany’s two most traditional and successful dictionary publishers merged to form BIFAB. The company has around 230 staff at its head office in Mannheim and over 40 at the Leipzig branch who work on editing and publishing encyclopedias, dictionaries, reference works, atlases, books for children and young people, infotainment, and educational literature. Read More
Solution	BIFAB implemented DocuWare, a document management system that electronically archives and stores all necessary documents in a shared, central document pool. The data is stored in four separate archives (documentation, historical publishing bibliographies, readers’ queries, and contracts). With the exception of documents that have to be scanned, editors can now store their own information in DocuWare, and carry out full-text searches. New information is entered by four staff trained to use DocuWare and amounts to about 50 documents per week. Scanned contracts and other information are imported on two workstations running the original DW interface. All other staff access the archive over the Internet using a browser. When accessing the contract database, all authorized users can freely modify the information data in the contract info box, and make additions or correct errors. The scanned contracts are protected to ensure that they cannot be modified. Even the historical documents and books in the publishing bibliography have been scanned and can now also be searched from user workstations along with all other documents. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration

Applicable Functions

Business Operation

Services

System Integration

Challenge

Bibliographisches Institut & F.A. Brockhaus AG (BIFAB) had a wealth of information stored in various formats, including card indexes, contracts, historical publishing bibliographies, and readers’ queries. However, this information was not easily accessible to all staff members, and searching for specific information was time-consuming and inefficient. The company’s contracts were kept in the management office, and searching for a contract involved at least two members of staff. Searching for information in the historical publishing bibliographies was also extremely time-consuming, as it involved carefully removing the very old and sometimes very delicate volumes from their shelves. The large number of readers’ queries, which were filed with the answering letters, was getting out of control. The company needed a solution that would make all necessary information available in a secure, simple, fast, and transparent manner.

About Customer

Bibliographisches Institut & F.A. Brockhaus AG, or BIFAB for short, is a publishing house based in Mannheim and Leipzig, Germany. The company is known for its dictionaries and encyclopedias, including the Großer Brockhaus and the Meyer brand. In 1984, Germany’s two most traditional and successful dictionary publishers merged to form BIFAB. The company has around 230 staff at its head office in Mannheim and over 40 at the Leipzig branch who work on editing and publishing encyclopedias, dictionaries, reference works, atlases, books for children and young people, infotainment, and educational literature.

Solution

BIFAB implemented DocuWare, a document management system that electronically archives and stores all necessary documents in a shared, central document pool. The data is stored in four separate archives (documentation, historical publishing bibliographies, readers’ queries, and contracts). With the exception of documents that have to be scanned, editors can now store their own information in DocuWare, and carry out full-text searches. New information is entered by four staff trained to use DocuWare and amounts to about 50 documents per week. Scanned contracts and other information are imported on two workstations running the original DW interface. All other staff access the archive over the Internet using a browser. When accessing the contract database, all authorized users can freely modify the information data in the contract info box, and make additions or correct errors. The scanned contracts are protected to ensure that they cannot be modified. Even the historical documents and books in the publishing bibliography have been scanned and can now also be searched from user workstations along with all other documents.

Impact #1	The introduction of DocuWare has meant that previously inaccessible information stored in card indexes can now be viewed by everyone, making searching for information much easier and faster.
Impact #2	New publications can now be created much more quickly using the latest information, thereby fulfilling the exacting requirements of customers.
Impact #3	Access for external employees and freelancers to the archive via the Internet has created a high degree of flexibility in the work organization through the use of teleworkers.

Impact #1

The introduction of DocuWare has meant that previously inaccessible information stored in card indexes can now be viewed by everyone, making searching for information much easier and faster.

Impact #2

New publications can now be created much more quickly using the latest information, thereby fulfilling the exacting requirements of customers.

Impact #3

Access for external employees and freelancers to the archive via the Internet has created a high degree of flexibility in the work organization through the use of teleworkers.

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Overview

BIFAB: Collective Memory for Knowledge Experts

Operational Impact