This is sometimes assumed, but it is not true.bitfarm-Archiv Document Management is delivered as ready-to-use software. No one has to operate a compiler or anything like that first. There are practical tools and graphical interfaces for configuration. The user interface has even received several awards for its intuitive usability.

In fact, bitfarm-Archiv DMS in the Enterprise Edition offers many configuration options and thus meets all requirements for professional document management in the company. Often there are even several ways how certain tasks can be solved with theDMS. Maintaining an overview here and pulling the right stops when configuring document structures and processes requires a fundamental understanding of the possibilities of the DMS. However, this does not only apply to bitfarm-Archiv, but to all enterprise-class DMS/ECM systems.

Due to the source code availability of an open source system, there is of course the possibility to intervene in the programming, and this is then certainly also complicated. However, this is only an additional option that proprietary systems do not offer. The fact that it is possible to adapt the programming does not mean that it is necessary. 99% of our enterprise customers use thedocument management system (DMS) without interfering with the source code, but use our standardized interfaces for individual adaptations. Due to the source code availability of anopen source document management system, there is of course the possibility to intervene in the programming, and this is then certainly also complicated.

However, this is only an additional option that proprietary systems do not offer. The fact that it is possible to adapt the programming does not mean that it is necessary. 99% of our enterprise customers use the DMS without interfering with the source code, but use our standardized interfaces for individual adaptations.   

For the customer, theadvantages of the open Source concept are, on the one hand, that no license costs are incurred. This keeps the total costs within economic limits. On the other hand, open source software can be adapted extremely flexibly to special requirements. The open source code also means that the customer is not necessarily tied to a single provider. With the appropriate IT specialists, the system can also be continued without the manufacturer if necessary.
          
The open source concept also includes the use of generally accepted, open standards for document storage. This makes the creation of the digital archive a sustainable benefit, rather than a one-way street. It is possible at any time to transfer documents and metadata to other systems, or to transfer them, which is impossible with some proprietary systems because container formats are used. These cannot be opened without the respective software. With open source systems like bitfarm-Archiv DMS, on the other hand, you always have access to your own documents.

The open source concept also offers advantages for us developers. Access to a worldwide pool of open source software components means that not every function has to be developed from scratch. This saves resources and ultimately makes the open source concept a very economical and modern form of software development, which then also pays off for the customer.

Since open source software components have existed for many years in some cases and thousands of users worldwide work with them every day, bugs are discovered more quickly and reported to the developer community. This is a transparent, publicly viewable process, just like the error correction and the final result. This way, secure and powerful software is created, such as the database MySQL, which is stable, performant and low-maintenance and has become a standard in the meantime. Also bitfarm-Archiv relies (among others) on MySQL.The security of open source software is (at least theoretically) higher, because the behavior of the program, i.e. what really happens, can be studied by anyone interested. Open source software is not a "black box". This makes it easier to detect (and fix) security flaws or even backdoors than with closed systems.

The same laws apply to royalty-free open source software as to any other software. The product liability law is valid, regardless of whether license fees are charged or not. The same applies to the warranty. All errors and bugs in the system will be fixed immediately and of course free patches and updates will be provided to the customers. The bitfarm GmbH also gives a warranty on the complete system if it has been installed by a bitfarm employee or an appropriately qualified partner.

Programming knowledge is not required to work with the DMS. All functions are available in the form of graphical menus and are fully developed. The software can be installed "out of the box" and then used immediately. Also on the part of the administration no programming knowledge is expected. Programming work would be required at most to make special adjustments. In addition, there is the possibility to insert plugins as release-fixed program components, for example as scripts. All functions, which can be taken from this web page and the appropriate documentations and accompanying materials, are however already completely developed and are made available in the total package.

bitfarm-Archiv DMS requires on the server side a Windows Server from 2008 R2 SP2, 2012, 2016, 2019 or 2022. For very small installations (e.g. 5 user office) Windows 7, 8 or 10 can also be used as "server". Linux can be used as a database server for MySQL and, with limitations, as a file server. However, the standard recommendation for medium installations is to use a standard server or VM with Windows operating system. Linux is not required for this.

Windows is also used on the client side, and all Windows versions from Windows 8.1 are compatible. The client is also terminal server capable. There is also the installation-free access option via the browser (web viewer), as well as an app for Android and iOS.

The requirements for a server scale according to the number of users, the total number of documents expected and the new documents added per day. For small installations, the server does not need to be much better equipped than a standard office PC, although a RAID system (RAID 1, 5, 10), a UPS and a data backup facility are generally essential. For medium requirements, industry-standard servers with current multi-core processors and memory of 16GB or more should be used. For large installations, multiple servers are necessary for load balancing of the archiving process (OCR). Virtualization can also be used without restrictions.
      
To ensure good performance of the search functions, the rule of thumb should be 12GB of memory for the database per 1 million documents.

Above all, a document scanner must be able to deliver good document quality. Good document scanners therefore automatically adjust brightness / contrast to the respective original to be scanned. The results are documents in which, even with difficult originals, the writing is captured in black throughout and the background in white. The settings should be selected in such a way that no "pixel raster" is created for grayscale. Only in this way can the text recognition system, which supplies the database on the server with search terms for the document, work reliably. This in turn has the advantage that further manual keywording (to find the documents later) is no longer necessary, since you can rely on the text recognition.

In addition, a good document scanner should be able to capture documents in duplex and automatically straighten them. The paper feed should also be able to process 50 pages or more without paper jams. An ultrasonic sensor to detect pages "sticking" to each other is also important to ensure the complete capture of a document at all times (required "process security" of the GoBD). bitfarm GmbH has tested several scanners and can recommend the devices from Kodak and Fujitsu. TWAIN scanners are directly supported by the DMS. Network scanners can also be used and may have the advantage that they are centrally located and can be used without a PC. However, in contrast to USB scanners, not all functions of the DMS are available here. This includes scanning, viewing, stacking and indexing in one operation with the importer.

This is possible. You can "collect" any number of documents in the viewer and then export them together. When exporting, not only a loose file collection is created, but rather a complete database including search interface is written to CD/DVD/USB stick. The export can, for example, be handed over to an auditor (keyword access right Z3, data transfer, GoBD). On an export archive it is also possible to work with the documents (e.g. Office files).

When deleting, a distinction must be made between audit-proof and non-audit-proof documents. In general, all scans and prints are stored in an audit-proof manner. For Office files, a system-wide default setting regulates the behavior. As long as these documents are not stored in an audit-proof manner, they can be deleted. The revision security can be set in the Viewer for each document that has not yet been stored. There is a "workaround" for revision-safe documents, namely moving them to another folder, called "Recycle Bin", for example. This does not delete the document, it is still there, only it is not found again in its original archive, but only during searches via the recycle bin, which can, however, be limited to the administrators, for example.

The Enterprise version also offers comprehensive, so-called "Document Lifecycle Management" (DLM). This allows you to define deletion periods for documents and data depending on the date of creation, associated categories, status of processing and other criteria. When the deletion date is reached, the relevant documents and accompanying data are automatically deleted. Reports can be created and included in the documentation at any time to maintain the manual of processing activities and to prove GoBD-compliant archiving.

Although it may seem simpler at first and require no training effort, a DMS designed as a Windows drive falls short in our opinion. It does not offer the necessary functions required for professional electronic document management in a company.

bitfarm-Archiv therefore relies on a real client, the viewer or the mobile app. These programs offer direct, visual access to the document and all associated data in a clear and intuitive interface. Each document is displayed immediately, regardless of the underlying format. The user does not need to wait for another software to start in order to view the document.

Browsing through documents, scrolling through pages, zooming and navigating in the document thus work quickly and smoothly. Documents can be sorted as lists according to all metadata, so that the user can find his way optimally even in larger result sets. With just two clicks, the user can go from one document to all documents that have specific content references to this document, i.e. that belong to the same order, project or product, for example.

The context menu on the right mouse button shows frequently used options and drag & drop is also possible at any time. All this takes place in a customizable interface that almost does without opening sub-windows. In addition, there are also graphical tools that can be used directly in the main screen, such as the popular "Post-its". And of course the important business functions as buttons directly in the main interface. Also keyboard operability, jump back to the last document at any time, favorites, bookmarks, history. This is how a DMS works optimally for the user.

Speaking of training effort: What is not needed can of course be hidden. The effort for user training depends on what the users are supposed to do in the DMS. For simple research and viewing, the training effort is virtually zero, since bitfarm-Archiv has a universal full-text search mask, similar to an Internet search engine, which also searches all other available metadata. The user only needs to enter one or more terms, numbers, etc., and has his documents immediately in front of his eyes.

By the way, there is a DMS drive in bitfarm-Archiv after all, namely the import folder(s) that can be mapped as a drive. Everything that the user (or any automated system, e.g. network scanner, fax server, etc.) puts there is automatically put into the DMS. In addition, for other import tasks, there is integration with the Windows context menus, as well as the drag & drop function. This works not only from Windows, but also from Outlook and some other standard programs.

This is possible with the Enterprise version. A workflow can be configured so that, for example, each newly archived outgoing invoice is automatically sent to the customer as a PDF by e-mail. For this, only the e-mail address must be noted on the invoice, or to the customer number in a database. bitfarm-Archiv logs every single document including the transfer to the e-mail server, so that the proper dispatch can be traced at any time. Since 2011, the sending of invoices by e-mail has even been valid in Germany without a signature. Invoices sent in this way now have the same legal status as conventional paper invoices.Of course, there are corresponding protocols and logs for the outgoing mail traffic initiated by bitfarm in order to be able to track the correct outgoing.

bitfarm-Archiv is a document management system and by its conception designed for documents, processes and files as "objects". Contacts can be managed insofar as e.g. business cards can be scanned. These can then be classified and also searched. For Outlook and other mail systems, a .vcf file is also created automatically, but bitfarm-Archiv is rather designed to work closely with the corresponding systems and not to replace them completely. Outlook and other groupware systems are therefore not replaced by bitfarm-Archiv DMS, but complemented. The same applies to CRM, PPS and ERP systems. The DMS sees itself as an information platform that serves as a "substructure" for all other operational software systems. To ensure smooth cooperation with these systems, bitfarm-Archiv offers numerous interfaces and plugins.

Yes, you can manage multiple clients with the system, which may well be hosted as separate databases at different locations. A user can then specify at login which database / location he wants to log in to.

With bitfarm-Archiv, access to the document database is possible not only via the Windows client, but also via the browser and the bitfarm-Archiv mobile app for Android and iOS. Searching and viewing documents, printing and sending via email, participating in workflows and bookmarking are the main features for mobile users. However, some editing functions, such as creating notes, are reserved for the Windows client, but it can be used on the go via VPN. For access to documents without connection to the server, the bitfarm-Archiv offline viewer is available, which can be used to work on self-sufficient database extracts.

bitfarm-Archiv Document Management is a highly scalable DMS application. The storage space of the documents is only limited by the available hard disk space, but nowadays this is in the terabyte range and thus offers space for many millions of documents. With bitfarm-Archiv, the documents are not stored in the database, but directly on the server, so that the database only contains the metadata and remains relatively small. Through highly optimized "stored procedures", which adapt to the amount of documents, search times of a few seconds can still be achieved even with several million documents (even in the full text search, as the search over the complete content!).

Another feature of the software is the division of the server into several functional units, so that an optimal load distribution over several machines is possible. A computing cluster can be formed for the OCR function - a standard function of the DMS that can be set up quickly. Up to several tens of thousands of documents can be newly captured, indexed and stored or archived in the DMS on a daily basis. Meanwhile, the number of users who can work with the DMS scales from small workgroups to a corporate solution comprising several thousand users. Multiple servers can also be configured. For companies with different locations, for example, each location can be equipped with its own server. We would be happy to provide you with suitable references in your size range.

Revision security is important so that documents do not have to be kept in the original anymore. bitfarm-Archiv DMS has effective mechanisms to prevent the modification of a scanned or printed document. For example, there is no delete function in the system for revision-safe documents ( bitfarm-Archiv also knows non-revision-safe documents and offers a delete function here). Soft-WORM procedures for storage on hard disks (recommended) orHard-WORM / UDO jukeboxes can be used on request. In both variants, audit security according toGoBD can be proven for the financial authorities with a procedure documentation.

If the archiving system used isaudit-proof, receipts are also eligible for input tax deduction in their exclusively digital form. Digital documents are then also sufficient for a tax audit. The auditor can demand that the documents are retrieved upon request, he can retrieve them himself and he can demand a data transfer of the documents. bitfarm-Archiv DMS offers all these possibilities. In addition, self-supporting archives can be created and transferred to CD / DVD together with a search interface.

It should be noted, however, that in contrast to fiscally relevant documents, legally relevant documents that require a signature must be kept in the original. Also, the above mentioned rules may differ outside germany.

Yes,full text search is integrated in bitfarm-Archiv and is a highlight in terms of speed and accuracy. Omnipage 19 "Ultimate" as the leading text recognition component ensures quasi error-free recognition of paper documents in the DMS Enterprise edition, making full text search a simple and intuitive search method for everyday use. During the full text search, keywords and database fields are also searched at the same time, so that the user actually only has to enter his search terms in the full text field in the ideal case, thus enabling an extremely simple approach, as known from Internet search engines.

The full-text search of bitfarm-Archiv is appreciated and frequently used by many users, as it works very performantly and accurately. Tests on standard hardware have shown search times of less than 2 seconds in 300,000 documents.

Versioning is possible with the Enterprise edition. An SVN system (SubVersioNing) is integrated, which then either automatically logs each saving of a document as a change or requires a manual commit. In addition, a document can be locked for exclusive editing by other users viaCheck In / Check Out. The mechanism also allows documents to be taken along on trips, for example, and the changed version then restored later. Of course, version numbers and revisions can also be counted 

The workflow system also allowsISO 9001 workflows to be defined according to the 4-eyes principle. For example, a document must first go to a reviewer, who sends it back to the author for revision. If it passes the review, it goes on to at least two approvers, who must both give their OK. Only then is it released and available for production, for example. This is of course only an example, many other scenarios can be configured.

It is possible. Users can use notes (post-its), markers, pens, writing tools, lines, stamps, and so on, both when capturing and at a later time in the viewer. The document itself is not changed; these so-called annotations are merely slides that can be shown or hidden. However, no user can overlook an annotation: these are automatically displayed when an (authorized) user is shown a document. Permissions are used to control who is allowed to create notes on certain documents at all, who is allowed to change them, and who is allowed to delete them if necessary (usually only the author himself). There is also a private note layer for each user, which he can fill with his own notes and to which he can invite other users (share layer, change, notification about new layer etc.).