A closer look at key BC functionality. Click here for printable version.
Document Management - A central document management repository with automatic version control and audit history of each seperate version is at the heart of BC, whereby documents (and entire folder structures) can be uploaded simply by dragging and dropping content into the system. Documents thus uploaded are available to anyone who has been given access to them. BC also benefits from advanced document management features such as the File Monitor that ensures that users are working on the latest version, even when offline. BC also highlights any out of date documents on an Issue sheet (see Issuing below), warning users that the information they are looking at has been superseded.
Document Storage Choice - In BC, documents can be added to a traditional folder structure, which requires the user to have some knowledge of the hierarchy, or as an unstructured collection, which has the benefit of allowing large numbers of documents to be uploaded to a single location en masse. They are categorised immediately using the Document Processing Wizard or at a later stage. This has the benefit that admin staff with no knowledge of a project / folder heirachy can quickly upload large numbers of documents.
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Issuing - Documents can be selected and directing them towards specific users, allocating actions or tasks for them to perform using Issuing. Issues may relate to standard construction processes such as Document Submittals, RFI's and Local Printing Requests. In some cases, Issues can be sent to people who are not users of the current project and even non-registered users. Documents can also be included on an Issue sheet for reference only, providing support or further information to the issued documents. If utilising the Company Issue option, the recipient's colleagues can volunteer to respond to tasks if the recipient is unable to do so due to absence.
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View and Markup - BC can integrate tightly with Brava! (infograph.com), providing superb facilities for both multi-format file viewing and online mark-up tools without the need for specialist (CAD) software. With Brava! it is possible to enforce Changemarks to be associated with every markup made, aiding the review process by removing the need for reviewers to scour each drawing for mark-ups and allowing each individual comment to be uniquely referenced.
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Companies / Distribution Groups - Associating users with Companies offers many benefits including enhanced audit, simpler administration, more intuitive reporting and easier access to historically issued documents. In BC 5.1, documents can either be distributed 'informally' for private pre-issue collaboration, or 'formally' issued from company to company making them available to present and future company users. users can also be seconded to different companies on a project by project basis. They can also be assigned roles such as RFI Controller or Reviewer in a Distribution Group, ensuring that Issues are sent to the correct user.
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Dashboards - Dashboards are fundamental to keeping track of outstanding actions and in ensuring that issued information is actioned promptly. 
Every Dashboard is live and provides each user with the immediate ability to track tasks (personal and company-wide) as well as carry out any referenced actions. The level of information ranges from a Global Dashboard highlighting all actions across all projects on the server, to the Project Dashboard providing rapid access to actions on a single project, at a personal and company level.
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Document Processing Wizard - When multiple files are uploaded to BC using the Drag and Drop file uploader, the Document Processing Wizard becomes operational, driving the user through the most common processes demanded by the project (publishing and issuing). Leading the user directly to the appropriate process has the great benefit that they do not need to reuser what to do next. The Project Administrator can define which processes are applicable to their project.
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Save from Windows - This functionality replaces the tedious task of downloading a document, opening the relevant application to edit it, then go back to the system to revise the original. Save from Windows automatically launches the relevant application in order to edit the file (e.g. Microsoft Word), then prompts the user to upload it again to the server after saving, or unlock the version on the server, or update its associated metadata.
It works in conjunction with File Monitor (see below), ensuring a link is retained between the document on the system and the downloaded version.
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File Monitor - This is one of the key differentiators of BC, allowing users to maintain a list of all documents they have recently edited and access them without the need to browse the system. When used in tandem with the Edit (see Save from Windows above) functionality, it can automatically lock / unlock files to prevent document sharing violations.
Users have control over the number of documents they monitor and how often they are prompted to save or upload documents. It also supports offline working - allowing users to work on a document while offline then reminds them to upload it when they re-connect to the Internet. The File Monitor also offers a quick route to make further changes to a document which you have previously edited as documents do not stop being monitored immediately after editing.
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Search and Report Tools - Searching in BC is extremely powerful, and a number of searching options are available covering basic, common and advanced search techniques. The basic option is a partial keyword search, including document contents; Common Searches (see screenshot below) offer a selection of pre-defined common searches; and the advanced level offers a much greater variety of search criteria taking full advantage of metadata fields and types, configurable by the user. Once a search has been constructed, it may be saved to be run again at a later date, shared with other users, or the results exported into a report.
Generating reports from advanced searches provides detailed feedback on project performance and the ability to calculate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Reports can be generated as text file (to be opened directly within MS Excel); or XML allowing more control over how the data is presented (e.g. imported into third-party reporting tools); or pre-configured and scheduled to run regularly over a time period. For example, a project manager may request that a report details the issue history of all documents which have been received (and which have subsequently been forwarded) during the previous month. Such a report instantly allows the project manager to identify any drawings which have slipped through the net.
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Keyword Language - 
Keyword Language allows users direct control over exactly how the search operates when using one of the
type-in boxes e.g. in the Filter Bar, the Sapphire Search box or under the Find tab. The default search is a whole word search. Thus, typing
"train" will only return objects matching "train" and not
"trainer", training etc. However, wildcards, e.g. *, may be
used. For instance, to search for objects whose keywords
contain "train" would be achieved by entering "train*".
Keyword Language automatically adds together any text
entered into a single text box, i.e. the words are ANDed
together. Therefore only results matching all of the
keywords entered will be returned. Thus, specifying more
search terms narrows down the search and is likely to
return fewer results. More detailed control may be
specified using an OR search when entering two or more
keywords.
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Templates - BC has supported the idea of Project Templates for many years. Project Templates provide consistency to both the structure and content of projects (and sub-projects). Project Templates can be made available to everyone or to specific individuals. This encourages the use of Project Templates, thus ensuring consistency, while keeping confidential Template documents secure.
BC also supports the concept of Document Templates, whereby new documents such as standard financial or HSE forms, may be created directly within the server, from a list of pre-defined templates, ensuring they are consistent and saving setup time. There is also no danger of users forgetting to upload it - the document is stored in BC from the moment it is initiated.
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Metadata - is data about data, or attributes that describe data, and automatically include attributes such as the author's name and file type. However, BC also allows "project-specific" metadata, such as client name, project number or project manager's name. It may also be relevant to include a delivery, submission or review date or allow users to give the document a rating (e.g. from "1 to 10"). Categorising metadata in such a way makes information retrieval simpler - users can search for projects being managed by X or documents with a delivery date of Y.
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Notification - In formal document issuing, an email notifies users of tasks to perform. In addition, users may also wish to be notified by email whenever particular actions take place on a certain folder or document. Event notification allows you to do this so that you don't need to log in to find out what has been happening. There are two distinct types of notification: Instant notification: an email is sent as soon as the event takes place; and Delayed notification: actions are grouped into a single email message sent daily / weekly or monthly. Notification also allows managers to specify which of their employees should be informed when particular events take place.
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Information Management - In addition to sharing documents, BC can also be used to manage and exchange other information formats without the need for third-party software. Information can be shared via threaded discussions, meetings, email messages, relational databases and project websites directly through BC. BC provides a single location to store all project information, benefiting from secure online access, with all events being tracked. In addition to the relational database toolkit, BC enables databases to be created on, or linked to, a backend SQL (Structured Query Language) database via its Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) toolkit. All data processing can take place on the back end database with formatting and output controlled from within BC.
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Administration - The administration processes have been designed in BC 5.1 to keep administration to a minimum. Your Project Administrators control user registration and allocation to companies and workspaces, with the ability to enforce strong password protection on the server for added security. Project Administrators also control the project Constraints, or its routes and rules which govern a project (e.g. Only the Contractor can Issue for Internal Review), and its Issue Profiles, which control the behaviour of individual Issue types (e.g. naming conventions for markups, or whether users from the same company may volunteer a response to an issue).
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BC API - Allows a range of external application modules to be integrated
seamlessly with Business Collaborator. Applications that have already
been developed and integrated include programme management, cost and
tender management, communities of practice, and a news ticker.
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