Variant: MSP (Modeling-Simulating-Processing)

General aspects

OfficeTalk/MSP is a generic system for defining and controlling all kind of business processes. It can be used on different platforms. Many applications can be integrated into the workflow of a process. The amount of useable workstations, supported by OfficeTalk/MSP, depends on the used database system. OfficeTalk/MSP is developed with modern technologies and uses component architectures. OfficeTalk/MSP is developed with VisualWorks ® Smalltalk from CINCOM ® (for more Smalltalk-products look at www.whysmalltalk.com).

Target groups for OfficeTalk

OfficeTalk/MSP is independent of any industry type.Some examples of industry types:

• Controlling of organisational processes in companies.
• Controlling of sales orientated processes
• Controlling of production orientated processes
• Controlling of dated/term orientated processes
• Structuring and controlling of brach neutral processes (medical, notary, lawyer, sales, education, consulting,asset consulting, investment, etc.)

Advatanges and goals of OfficeTalk

• Paper must not be generated or copied more times
• Vouchers can be managed by the system
• Delegating of informations to a worker is done automatic. Renewing and repetitions are controlled by the system. Archiving is also done by OfficeTalk/MSP.
• Processes can be controlled by time.
• The peforming of a task is organized by workers and their known substitutes.
• Informationen can‘t be lost anymore.

Interfaces to other systems

OfficeTalk‘s architecture is an open. It can be integrated in existing systems. So OfficeTalk/MSP can manage processes in cooperation with other systems (e.g. wordprocessor, billing system, finances, timemanaging systems etc.) durchgeführt. The distribution, controlling and coordination of the overall process is done by OfficeTalk.

Supported plattforms

OfficeTalk/MSP is system neutral developed and supports the following system platforms:

• Microsoft Windows® 98
• Microsoft Windows® NT
• Microsoft Windows® 2000
• Microsoft SQL Server 2000
• Microsoft Windows® Server 2003
• Microsoft Windows® ME
• Microsoft Windows® XP
• Microsoft Windows® Vista
• Linux
• IBM xSeries

About the Linux business community you get more details from http://www.WorldVideoBusiness.com:
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Platforms in planning

• HP9000
• Solaris
• IBM-iSeries

Supported datenbases

OfficeTalk supports following databases:

Oracle SQL-Server Version 7 or higher
Microsoft SQL-Server Version 7 or higher
PostgreSQL-Server Version 8 or higher
DB2 Universal-Server Version 8 or higher

Current prerequesites

Any supported platform, RAM min. 32 MB and a supported SQL-Server

The specification

Process

With OfficeTalk/MSP you can define processes and their actions in a free way.
An example: The process "Order from a supplier" defines, that the order is put to the first worker 10 days after initialisation to check the input of the delivery and then is delegated to another worker, to initial the payment.

Processes are communicational medias used in an office, or in general, jobs to perform. For example: letters, term agreements, orders, committents, etc. In general, all types of working with another person or company.

Worker

A worker is the users of a process. A worker is registered by shortcut and password. So, the access to processes can be restricted by OfficeTalk/MSP. Workers can be grouped together to a worker group, an office or a team. A higher worker can see the current processes and their state done by his grouped workers. To a worker, one ore more subtitutes for defined processes can be assigned. The responsibility of a substitute can be restricted to the state of another worker or a time spann. If one worker is ill for example, a substituted worker can do his job. By the structural features of OfficeTalk/MSP each companys type can be described.

Responsibility for performing a process type

You define the responsibility of performing a process, by assigning a worker to a process type or name. You can give different rights for performing a process to a worker per process basis.

Process priorities

Processes may have priorities. A process with a higher priority must be performed before a process with a lower priority.

Time control for processes

Each process has a minimal and maximal time amount to be performed within. Each step within a process may have a minimal and maximal time amount to be performed too. It‘s also possible to assign a concrete date/time for the performing of a process. The assigning of a process or step to a worker may be time dependent. OfficeTalk/MSP’s responsibility is the delegation at the defined time. OfficeTalk/MSP throws an exception, if a worker does not perform a process in within defined time.

Path description for process

In OfficeTalk/MSP you describe the way/path (different workers) a process should be delegated while be performed. You define whitch worker will do whitch step of the process while performing.You can assign this by process type or process name. Substitutes are accepted for this definition too.

Process history

A process contains a history. In this history the worker, the performed steps, the exhausted time and user defined informations are stored. OfficeTalk/MSP is able to use this information to control the proceeding of the process. A defined head-worker of a team or an office is informed of the history, if a time exception is thrown.

Please ask us OfficeTalk@joops.com for presentations at JOOPS or at your company.