A peculiar characteristic of EDM is its flexibility, which allows you to set up independently, for each contract, a number of parameters and attributes, enabling you to use the application to manage various projects simultaneously. So when you start working with a new contract, the first step is configuring EDM.

What you really will appreciate of EDM is that you can really adapt the software to your own workflow process and to specific contract requirements without any need of programming, you just have to easily configure it.

For example you can configure:

• - default language;
• - how to calculate progress;
• - number of maximum days for giving an answer to customers;
• - how to set transmittals code
• - possibility to edit (or not ) the approved documents;
• - limit on KB for attached files in an email (transmittal);
• - possibility for getting a pdf format automatically for Excel or Word's documents.
• - customized progress path for documents

The last point mentioned is worth a closer look. We said that you can configure customized progress path for documents; we mean that you can define a list of "advancement steps" and that these steps can be combined in n "step sequences", creating advancement paths for the documents.

So, the document is submitted to a workflow that can be customized in function of necessities.

Once you have created and configured your engineering contract, you can start managing your documents.

With EDM managing your engineering documents and related workflows is very easy and quick, each project document can be managed thanks to a Document Detail Page.

In the Document Detail Page, you are able to access to different tabs for the managing of information concerning the document.

Each project document is marked by an Internal Document Code and a Customer Document Code.

The standard procedure is characterized by 3 ways for recording a document:

• Option 1 - Uploading a new document that must be submitted to a workflow before the distribution;
• Option 2 - Uploading an already approved document which is ready for the distribution;
• Option 3 - Uploading a document which is already approved by customer.

As anticipated, it is possible to define a workflow for every step of the progress.

A standard worksflow is available (editing, check, internal approval and distribution) but it can be configured and customized.

Once the document ist ready for distribution, with EDM you can manage Transmittals OUT towards customers or suppliers.
Without a way to control and audit the process of transmittal exchanges, projects can stall and risks and confusion can escalate over what has been sent, what version of a document, what has been approved, and how third parties have been involved in the process. 

EDM Transmittal Management helps standardize and secure a complete and transparent lifecycle for transmittals in and out: from creation and review to compliant auditing and retention. The configurable process automation reduce the risk of errors and delays associated with conventional manual processes. 

With EDM it is easy for a user to create a transmittal and progress can be saved at any stage for later revision, without sending. Transmittals can be configured to be sent to meet email configuration of recipient, for example EDM can send transmittals through emails with links to documents, email with attachments, different emails with attachments in order to respect KBs limit defined. 

Transmittal code can be configured for every different contract to meet the logical numbering of the customer. Transmittal cover sheets are easily created in Microsoft Word or Excel using automatic data extraction and configured templates. You can configure different cover sheets for transmittals addressed to customers and suppliers. All documents in the transmittal package can be automatically converted to PDF before transmittal, or native files can be sent.

Thanks to Progress Calculation feature, EDM calculates the progress percentage of every single document related to the contract, displayed with a single click, by client/supplier, current/future depending on the delivery date planned.

The progress can be calculated on all project's documents or on a subset of these extracts by the use of any filter set by the user.

This is an example of a progress chart:

The Procurement module allows the purchase manager to manage all the document's exchanges related to the supply of resources, in particular of:

- suite of technical specification documents with IR;

- documents coming from suppliers;

- sending of RFOs;

- workflow of technical/commercial approval of supplier's offers.

For more information, visit the Procurement section!