Document control solution - a little more info

["Clare Turner" <cturner -at- redflex -dot- com>]

One more thing  - we are not a US public co, and so have no SOX requirements, and currently have no governmental-regulatory requirements.  We DO have legal-jurisdictional requirements regarding storage of some of our information, but that's handled.  

Clare Turner, Technical Writer
Redflex Traffic Systems, Inc.
15020 N. 74th St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
480.607.3583

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+cturner=redflex -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+cturner=redflex -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Clare Turner
Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2006 11:01 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Document control solution

I posted a similar inquiry before the holiday, and didn't really get the inputs I'd hoped for...so I'm trying this one more time.

I'm doing research on "document management" and will be presenting options on Monday to our management group.  Because there are SO many "definitions" surrounding document management, doc control, content management, etc., I've stated the problem (as it was given to me) and what the mgt team sees as their "requirements" for a solution below:

The Problem:  
There multiple copies of documents spread all over the network and nobody knows where to find anything.  <Note that "the network" is a loose configuration of multiple servers reigned over by a two-man support group and they love to make changes with no warning to users.>

Solution requirements:
ï	web based application
ï	allows all employees to have read-only access to ALL technical and user documentation based on user access  
ï	catalogued and searchable in a user-friendly way so folks can easily find documentation.  
ï	good version control tracking 
ï	good controls on who has write access to each document.

We are currently approx 100 employees, are growing steadily but not explosively.  Currently, everything is just kind of put "somewhere" on "some server" that "someone" has access to - there are x-copies of the same doc, and as a rule, when the latest is needed, either no one knows which that might be, or it's stored on a drive not accessible by all, or is on someone's PC (who of course is not in the office that day).  

We have "normal" Office-type docs (including Visio, tho' only a very few folks have the Visio program, they still may need to view these docs, and yes, we know about Visio viewer), some programming code and related docs in Visual Source Safe, CAD drawings that should be accessible to our construction and maintenance techs and MS Project files.  

We have no current intranet per se - just a loose collection of various web pages on various servers with various links that the engineer-types and s/w dudes have put together when they felt like it. 

Having said (or posted) all that (and I apologize if it's overkill, but I'm trying to cut down on the # of 'what about...' inquiries) - if any of you can recommend s/w that can meet the needs stated above, and especially if you have personal (hopefully positive) experience with it, PLEASE share it - either on- or off-list.

Thanks!




Clare Turner, Technical Writer
Redflex Traffic Systems, Inc.
15020 N. 74th St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
480.607.3583
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