EDM software comparison: Novaxel vs Alfresco
When it comes to choosing your EDM software, the EDM comparison is a must. Electronic Document Management (EDM) is essential to streamlining information workflows within your company. Which software solutions are available, and what are their specific features? Here's an EDM software comparison between Novaxel and Alfesco!
What you can expect from your EDM software
Dematerialized management
EDM stems from the dematerialization of media, a strong trend that concerns all economic players. It involves digitizing the entire document lifecycle, from creation to deletion, so as to be able to classify, filter, modify and index them electronically.
More collaboration
EDM solutions provide shared access to a range of business-related elements. In real time. In concrete terms, this means that several people can open and edit the same document simultaneously, a considerable advantage for collaborative working.
A secure system
EDM doesn't stop there, it goes even further. Permissions can be set to manage user rights, in order to respect the confidentiality of certain data, or to ensure its protection.
Operational simplicity
A validation workflow is also possible: employees send each other items to be approved. This action is carried out within the tool itself, saving considerable time and energy on a day-to-day basis.
A cross-functional tool
Connected to your business solutions, the EDM software can synchronize with them. Tasks can thus be automated. For example, every time the HR department issues a payslip, the accounting department will retrieve the information and implement it on its side.
Which document management solution should I choose?
While document management can be carried out locally, the cloud remains the most appropriate solution. So there are many publishers of EDM solutions in SaaS (Software as a Service) mode, and their users are loyal - with a renewal rate of 90% in 2015. Ready for an EDM software comparison? Among them, let's compare two major players.
| Highlights | Novaxel | Alfresco |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simple and intuitive | Customizable |
| 2 | Accessible internally and externally | Integrates seamlessly with Microsoft tools |
| 3 | Wall of activity and exchanges | Legal compliance (archiving, etc.) |
Novaxel: for intuitive EDM
Easy to implement
Novaxel is the EDM solution from French software publisher Visiativ. Renamed Moovapps, it is the leader in intuitive EDM. Easy to use, it's simple to implement within your company. And it's easy to learn. It allows you to digitize, classify, share and archive your content. Its classification facilitates the search function, which is highly efficient: on average, it takes 2 seconds to find a document on Novaxel.
Extended accessibility
The solution also integrates social communication: any user, internal or external to the organization, can interact with the solution's ecosystem as long as they are given access and permission. In this way, a partner or supplier can access the interface to submit or consult information concerning themselves.
A space for exchange
The Novaxel solution encourages exchanges via an activity wall, through which users can receive notifications. Each business application has its own structured space within the tool, facilitating the completion of each user's tasks.
Alfresco: for more advanced functionalities
Deployment and integration
Alfresco is a more comprehensive EDM solution. And it costs more. In SaaS mode, it remains customizable because it's open source. You can customize it or have it customized by an external integrator or an in-house resource. Beware, however: as its configuration involves the use of xml files, it retains a degree of complexity that should not be underestimated upstream.
Compatibility
Alfresco integrates with all your company's IS (Information Systems), and particularly well with Microsoft's SharePoint and Office software suites. Its functional scope is broad, and the solution combines speed and robustness. More than a DMS, Alfresco embodies a 2.0 platform.
A structuring framework
The solution provides a solid foundation and up-to-date guarantees, particularly in terms of legal archiving. Likewise for your business processes, the EDM acts as a guardrail, bordering your procedures and maintaining quality. Setting up standard forms or protocols harmonizes internal practices for greater operational efficiency.
How do you choose your EDM solution?
The first thing to do is to identify your needs. These specifications will enable you to identify the right solution for you. Issues such as reversibility of information, or backup of previous versions, if important to you, can be criteria in support of your decision. The list of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) too, since this will determine the possibilities of interfaced connections with the rest of your IS. Compatibility with your company's hardware, and in particular with scanners and your operating system, should also be considered.
EDM software offers considerable potential for productivity gains. Properly chosen, they can improve your company's operations. Implementing them, however, remains a process of change management, with all its underlying challenges. Involving your teams upstream, listing your needs, and ensuring that the chosen tool is durable and relevant are all key factors in its deployment.
Article translated from French