Versión Española Fortis ERM How to Purchase Fortis ERM Narrated Demonstrations

Electronic Report Management

• Power! ODBC, SQL, client/server or (e-client) Web-based architecture.
• Freedom! Use ERM on its own or as an integral part of the Fortis document suite.
• Choice! Use ERM over a Local Area Network, Wide Area Network, or thin client.

Why you need Fortis ERM…
How often have you wished that you could just get a simple piece of information? How often do you have to search through reams of greenbar printed material - statements, purchase orders, invoices, or other computer-generated reports - just to find a single line item? Volumes of data are stored on microfilm, or simply archived to a back-up media that is, in many instances, tape.

Are you faced with daunting deadlines that require research buried in mass quantities of data - without an easy analytic tool? It's costly, laborious and mind-numbing. Just ask anyone who's worked in a bank research department tracing checks, item entries on a statement, or, at the request of an auditor, tracing a general ledger transaction history, mis-application of payments, dividends and interest. Finding those facts is like looking for a few gold flakes in a ton of ore!

Statistics from Ernst & Young suggest we spend 30 percent of our work day inquiring about and searching for decision-support information. Suppose you had the perfect drill down analytic tool, a mining capability that not only pinpointed the data you require - quickly and easily - but also gathered supporting documentation related to the task. Would it make your business more efficient, productive and profitable? Resoundingly, the answer is yes!

ERM is simply a business process improvement. It will impact your tasks, customers, colleagues and suppliers in an evolutionary manner. The focus is a simple one. Yet it has a huge influence on improving the speed of tasks that are currently tedious, time-consuming and often not completed because of the reliability and accuracy of the source.

With Fortis ERM, the information you need in pursuit of daily decisions and business tasks is accessible and provided with complete disclosure of the customer support or relationship information.

Read on to find out how Fortis ERM, used alone or combined with our Web-imaging (PowerWeb) or CD creation (CDExpress) capabilities, can help your organization simplify business processes and work smarter.

Customer choices - "The Westbrook trademark!"

• Fortis ERM may operate independently or as an integral part of the Fortis document suite.

• Network environments can be LAN, WAN or Web - operating on either a Microsoft 2000 server or Server 2003 platform.

• Powerful industry standard database selections are Microsoft SQL Server, MSDE or Oracle.

• Industry standard Windows clients can be Windows 2000 & XP workstations.

• Present and distribute electronic statements and reports using the Fortis Windows client, the thin client of PowerWeb, or even CD-ROM via the publishing tool of CDExpress.

Technically speaking: Here is how ERM works
The host computer in your organization generates print output - usually with forms (carriage) control that instructs the printer how to format the pages. Fortis ERM allows for the definition of the layout of computer-generated documents. The resulting layout template allows Fortis ERM to intelligently extract information from the print file. This index data is used to locate the documents by the user population.

A Fortis database is designed to suit the business problems, storing the report or document types. Each unique report or document type is defined as an application. During application setup, the layout or presentation of the report is defined. There are typically two types of electronic reports: computer listing paper, often referred to as greenbar in modern times; or a form that would typically be printed onto a form, statement, purchase order, or invoice printed stock. This greenbar listing paper, once electronic, can be presented in a color of your choice.

The form overlay feature is used to allow documents to be viewed as they would appear on pre-printed forms. For example, if the document is a bank statement, electricity bill or a company invoice, then the overlay template is created with that type of document and when viewed, appears and behaves identical to the printed materials. The one exception to the commonality with the printed material is the ability to search and mine your data when locating the match(es) to your request, no matter the volume or data search complexity.

Using the Fortis ERM database administration station, the system administrator creates Fortis databases to store the various report (or application) types. Fortis provides the document explorer with document types and folders that may be designed to represent the business solution for your department, division, project, subsidiary or entire corporation.

Reports may consist of hundreds, thousands, or even millions of pages of detail. To simplify retrieval, Fortis ERM can segment the report into sub-documents. For example, when reviewing a general ledger report containing hundreds of account numbers, defining the account number as an index field will instruct Fortis ERM to consider each account's activity as a separate document even though it physically shares the report page with other account numbers. This view of the report is referred to as a logical document.

Fortis ERM processes the reports - it captures, sorts, and indexes the inbound print spool files from various host machines or platforms. The process is even further accelerated with the ability to process capture routines during off-peak hours, referred to in the product as a lights out operation.

Once the data capture process is complete, the documents are readily available for use in the daily business routine. Reports, statements, invoices or any other electronic document may be retrieved and distributed by printing, faxing or exporting. One of the unique qualities of Fortis ERM is the ability to output the reports, its database, and the complete Fortis retrieval engine to a self-contained CD.

Fortis ERM works independently or as a complement to Fortis document management!
Fortis handles ERM reports simply as another document type, so searching for information is fast and easy! Fortis ERM permits unlimited document types to be created. Each document type has data fields associated with it. Then each, any, or all data may be used to find a document or report.

Queries may be defined as such when the user is requested to enter some information or characteristic of the report or document required. Once the data is entered, the results are presented distinguishing each document type or report that has been found to match. Queries may be constructed and used to find related documents - in a banking application the research department may examine the report detailing cleared account activity. Ideally, it would be most helpful to review the customers' statements and cancelled checks. In an accounting function challenged with customer collections, the accounts overdue report lists customers' names, specific invoices, amounts, perhaps even days overdue. To enhance the chances of collection and to be prepared, additional support materials assisting in the process would be the customer's invoice, the monthly statement, and perhaps the original purchase order.

This is all possible with Fortis ERM. We simply handle documents and electronic reports or statements as document types, all vital in the completion of a business task.

For convenience, Fortis reports the specific data you requested when viewing a report or a statement. Should the document type require presentation - such as a statement, invoice, or a bill - then the appearance may be identical to the printed material, complete with forms overlay.

Thin client architecture using PowerWeb and Fortis ERM provides a comprehensive platform for collaborative computing. Fortis ERM in a thin client environment allows documents or reports to be searched. Participants in a thin client may also add their input using annotations or additions to the database. Our thin client ERM allows the ability to design and customize the behavior, interaction and appearance, providing a means to elegantly use PowerWeb for all e-commerce documents or report needs. Each of these activities have tasks that involve documents, whether computer reports or statements.

Use Fortis ERM with PowerWeb as an ASP offering!
Focus. It's one of the greatest benefits that Application Service Providers (ASP) give to their customers. Small- and medium-sized companies look to application service providers to help them scale quickly and cost effectively - and even gain parity with competitors. Larger companies, including those with subsidiaries constrained by scarce resources and competition for an IT's attention, view ASPs as a means to become more agile. In every case, the customer offloads responsibility for hosting business applications to the ASP. With PowerWeb and Fortis ERM, the ASP has the tools to design and implement a style, functionality and objective so the customer may become free to focus on building their business.

Deliver Reports, statements and invoices inexpensively on a CD
Fortis ERM with CDExpress is nothing short of a revolution. It is as convenient as a briefcase, but that is where the similarity ends. Almost limitless CD capacity facilitates the Fortis ERM search, display and output features in a highly portable, inexpensive medium that is limited only by your imagination. Any report, bill, statement and/or invoice is combined with the database and complete retrieval engine onto a self-contained CD. The output directly from the Fortis ERM server permits selection of data to suit your customers' needs. The result is a mini-Fortis ERM scaled for retrieval only and mass distribution to an audience beyond the reach of the LAN, WAN or thin client…delivered on CD: the portable report repository.

Service has been taken to a new height, with traditional service bureaus performing and providing a mechanism for CD preparation.