Groupware (Collaboration)

Process approvals quickly and accurately

50 approval form templates are provided by default. Organized into 6 categories -- General Administration (12), Procurement/Finance (8), ERP (8), Safety (6), HR (6), and Project (4) -- finding the right form takes less time.

• Automatic Approval Chain Assignment: Approval chains are automatically determined by amount range. With 5-tier amount rules and category-based separation, requesters no longer need to verify approvers each time.
• Delegation/Proxy Automation: When an approver is absent, proxy approvers are automatically assigned based on delegation rules. Work delegation and approval delegation are managed separately, with delegation activation/deactivation automated through workflows.
• Urgent Approvals: Urgent, normal, and post-facto approval distinctions ensure critical matters aren't delayed.
• Electronic Signatures: Three electronic signature methods -- PKI (certified), image signature, and OTP -- are built in, eliminating the need for a separate signing solution.
• Approval History and Audit Trail: Every approval action is recorded as history, enabling tracking of who approved what and when.

Plan and track projects

Project management is built into the groupware. Projects, phases, tasks, comments, attachments, dependencies, and team member management are all handled in a single structure.

• Three Views: List view, Kanban board, and Gantt chart for monitoring project progress.
• Task Dependencies: Define predecessor/successor tasks to assess the impact scope when schedules slip.
• Project Workflows: Task assignment, status changes, and completion reports are connected through workflows.

Manage documents systematically

The entire document lifecycle -- creation, review, publication, archival, and disposal -- is automated through workflows. Core requirements of ISO 15489 (Records Management Standard) are reflected in the system architecture.

• Version Control: Previous versions are automatically preserved when documents are modified. Version-by-version change summaries can be reviewed.
• Check-Out/Check-In: Prevents concurrent editing by other users when a document is being edited. Timeouts are configured to prevent long-term locks.
• Permission Management: Read, write, and admin permissions can be granularly set per document and folder by user, department, and role.
• Archival Lifecycle: For documents past their retention period, owner confirmation, automatic archival, and extension processing are managed through workflows.
• Review Workflow: Documents go through a designated reviewer's review/approval process before publication.

Manage schedules and resources efficiently

The calendar follows RFC 5545 (iCal standard) specifications, supporting individual/department/company-level schedules, recurring events, attendee management, and reminders.

• Cross-Solution Schedule Integration: ERP delivery dates, HR training schedules, and project milestones automatically appear on the calendar.
• Meeting Room/Resource Booking: Booking, conflict checking, and approval for meeting rooms, vehicles, and other shared resources are managed in the system.

Integrate messaging and knowledge sharing

Chat channels, messages, threads, file sharing, and read receipts operate within the groupware. Work conversations that previously occurred in separate messenger apps are now preserved in context alongside documents and projects.

• Wiki/Knowledge Base: Accumulate organizational knowledge through spaces, pages, versions, and comments. Team-specific wiki spaces can be maintained.
• Bulletin Boards/Forums: Operate announcements, open forums, and department-specific boards with automated content review workflows.
• Surveys: Survey design, distribution, response collection, and results analysis are completed entirely within the groupware.

Automatic Integration with ERP/HR/QMS

When an approval document is approved, data is automatically reflected in the relevant systems. 14 cross-solution mappings are declaratively defined, so integration works without code changes.

When an approval is rejected or cancelled, a compensation handler automatically operates to revert data created through cross-solution integration.

Approval Forms Tailored for Manufacturing

Includes manufacturing-specific forms not found in general-purpose groupware.

• ERP Forms (8 types): Production plan change, work order change, BOM change, process change, purchase request, sales order, inventory adjustment, cost adjustment
• Safety Forms (6 types): Safety work permit, risk assessment, incident report, safety training plan, chemical import, emergency response plan

These forms are designed to reflect the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, and ISO 45001.

Automated Collaboration Metrics

Team members' collaboration activities (approvals, documents, projects, messages, schedules, etc.) are automatically calculated as weighted scores. Team-level participation can be assessed and low-participation teams identified early to diagnose organizational communication bottlenecks.

Faster Approval Processing

Automatic approval chain assignment, delegation automation, and urgent approval support reduce document dwell time. Time spent by requesters confirming forms and approval chains is shortened.

Improved Information Access

With documents, projects, schedules, messenger, and wiki integrated on a single platform, time spent navigating between multiple systems to find information is reduced. The same level of information access is available in remote work environments.

Elimination of Duplicate Entry Across Systems

When approvals are completed, data is automatically reflected in ERP, HR, and QMS, eliminating re-entry of identical content into multiple systems. Errors from data inconsistencies are also reduced.

Reduced Document Management Risk

Version control, check-out/check-in, and automatic retention period management reduce risks such as document loss, overwrites, and retention period non-compliance. Document histories can be immediately submitted during audits.

Collaboration Culture Visibility

Collaboration metrics enable data-driven verification of organizational communication status. Inter-departmental collaboration frequency and individual participation levels provide direction for organizational culture improvement.

Scenario 1: From Purchase Approval to ERP Reflection

A procurement manager submits a raw material purchase request approval. Selecting the "Purchase Request" form from 50 templates automatically displays required fields (item, quantity, unit price, delivery date, supplier). Since the amount exceeds $50,000, the amount rule automatically assigns the approval chain as "Team Lead - Department Head - Executive." The department head is on a business trip, but delegation rules automatically designate a proxy so the approval isn't delayed. Upon final approval, the cross-solution mapping automatically creates a purchase order in ERP. The procurement manager doesn't need to re-enter the same information in ERP.

Scenario 2: Project Progress Management

A new product development project PM registers the project and defines phases (Design, Prototype, Production Preparation) and tasks. Team members are assigned to tasks with predecessor/successor dependencies defined. Team members update their task status on the Kanban board, while the PM reviews overall schedules and delays on the Gantt chart. Project-related documents are automatically linked to the project folder, keeping design drawings, meeting minutes, and review comments managed in a single context.

Scenario 3: Document Retention Management

A technical document created by the engineering team 3 years ago has reached its retention period expiration. Workflow (WF9) automatically executes, requesting the document owner to decide on archival/extension/disposal. If the owner selects "archive," a document snapshot is saved to the archive. If no response is received within the deadline, automatic archival is processed. Throughout this process, the original document, all versions, and review history are preserved together for use as evidence in future audits or disputes.

Scenario 4: Safety Work Permit Approval

A shop floor worker submits a "Safety Work Permit" approval for confined space work. The form records work content, hazards, safety measures, and work schedule. After approval by the safety manager and site supervisor, the work is permitted. Upon approval completion, a safety work permit record is automatically created in QMS and reflected in the safety management ledger. The entire process from work completion through result reporting is preserved as history.

Scenario 5: Collaboration in a Remote Work Environment

A designer working remotely discusses UI mockups with the development team in a messenger channel. Mockup files are shared in chat, with feedback exchanged in threads. Finalized mockups are registered as documents in the project folder and go through the review workflow. Related meetings are registered as calendar events with meeting minutes automatically linked. Documents, messages, schedules, and projects are all connected on a single platform, so context is maintained even in remote settings.

The implementation scope can be designed based on which challenge is most urgent: faster electronic approvals, eliminating duplicate entry across systems, or structuring document management. Share the groupware environment you currently use and your most painful workflow, and we'll provide a specific transition plan.