General

Technical data and document management, or DMS for short, refers to the organization and management of project- and product-specific documents in technical companies. For example, large industrial and infrastructure projects often generate innumerable documents that different departments and external business partners have to exchange and coordinate multiple times. This includes parts lists, contracts, 3D models, dimensional drawings, test reports, acceptance reports, data sheets, certificates, and approvals.

As a cloud-based data and document management system, Approve on Fabasoft PROCECO brings together all the data from the various sources and links them together to provide a holistic view at all times. The entire exchange of documents and contract-related communication with suppliers and customers takes place via a secure, highly customizable platform. As a result, specialists from purchasing, design, project management, and quality management always have all the information at hand that they need for their work.

Multi-layered product or project structures and connections with components or information from other systems are hard to map with a conventional DMS. The use of a technical document management system is therefore recommended in particular for companies in the industrial sector with a high daily volume of documents and information that need to be exchanged and coordinated with suppliers, customers, authorities, etc. across the company and are also subject to extensive review and approval processes.

Our unique selling points are the high level of customizability with low-code/no-code editors as well as the exceptional user-friendliness with a wide range of functions for document and process management. Another special aspect is the involvement of internal and external partners (such as customers, suppliers, etc.) in the cooperation for digitizing business processes along the entire value chain.

Yes, workflows are automated in Approve and executed in a traceable way at all times. A graphical BPMN 2.0 editor is available for creating individual processes. It allows the user to model business processes even without programming skills. Ad-hoc processes make it possible to flexibly invite internal and external persons to participate in process steps such as "Check", "Release", or "Approve". Documents are therefore managed completely digitally and without process and media discontinuity across company boundaries.

All users involved in a process can find their upcoming tasks in their personal worklist in the web-based user interface. They are also informed of new incoming tasks by e-mail. These tasks can be carried out on a PC, tablet or smartphone, regardless of time and location.

Yes, the user interface is available in 22 languages: Bulgarian, Chinese (simplified), Croatian, Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovakian, Slovenian, Spanish, and Turkish.

Yes, Approve supports numerous different file formats. We also offer an integrated 3D viewer in which various 3D/CAD/BIM files such as .dwg, .dxf, .stp, .ifc etc. can be displayed.

You can log in by using a user name and password, client certificates, SAML 2.0, or Active Directory. Two-factor authentication can be performed using a mobile PIN (via SMS or email) and a one-time password via a RADIUS server. Access is possible via common web browsers, WebDAV and via dedicated iOS or Android apps.

Yes, thanks to the cloud-based technology, you can access the data and complete work steps at any time via the web browser and the iOS or Android app.

Yes, the cloud folder allows you to synchronize content with end devices. This allows you to access the current status of your documents (in the web client and on your local hard disk) anytime and anywhere. In this way, documents can be edited in a familiar environment even without an internet connection. As soon as a connection to the Internet is re-established, these are automatically synchronized back to the cloud.

External business partners can be directly integrated into Approve by gaining access to the information that is relevant to them and collaborating in cross-company business processes.

Yes, Approve is client-compatible and also allows the mapping of multiple scenarios with several plants involved.

Yes, business objects can be provided with keywords. Terms can be selected freely or in a standardized way via a thesaurus.

Yes, Approve supports the implementation of common labeling systems such as KKS, DCC and other customer or industry-specific classification criteria by enabling the correct assignment of documents to the corresponding system elements.

Employees simply search the shared data environment for the corresponding stored codes instead of entering long file names or descriptions. This makes it quick and easy to identify the right documents for any given use case. Changes to the document classification are also documented in a traceable manner at all times, thus minimizing the risk of incorrect allocations. Approve ensures that all project participants have the same level of information and that large projects run smoothly and efficiently.

Yes, so-called citizen developers can create and adapt their own forms/processes/rules for templates or text modules etc. using low code / no code, even without programming skills.

The "Time travel" function allows you to view documents, metadata, folders or even entire projects at specific points in time in the past. This makes changes traceable and older statuses can also be restored if required. The seamless versioning of documents and automatic, audit-proof archiving make an important contribution to the compliance management system. There is also a complete audit trail for adherence to compliance guidelines. The Fabasoft Cloud offers audit-proof archiving that is certified in accordance with IDW PS 880.

Interfaces

Approve supports numerous interfaces (SOAP, XML, REST/JSON/OpenAPI, CalDAV, CardDAV, WebDAV, CMIS etc.) for linking with existing tools such as ERP or CRM systems. In addition to the internally available text recognition of the Fabasoft Cloud, we also offer a standard interface with ABBYY Cloud OCR SDK.

For highly optimized and efficient information exchange, Fabasoft Approve enables the modeling of specialized web services based on standard protocols such as SOAP or REST.

Yes, while using web service interfaces based on HTTPS, e.g. SOAP/XML or REST/JSON.

Yes, for project-specific integrations, all necessary web service interfaces are available for easy connection to SAP. This enables standard SAP objects (e.g. orders, purchase orders, etc.) to be transferred to Fabasoft via XML-IDOC.

Yes, the integrated 3D viewer enables the interactive view of 3D models in an overlay. You can easily rotate, zoom, and position the 3D model using keyboard and mouse. Supported three-dimensional formats include the IFC and STEP standards.

Support and training

In order to get in touch with our support team and receive quick help, please use the support button in the user interface. This also allows the automated creation of a screenshot and the transmission of additional information for effective ticket processing.

Further contact options: E-mail to cloudsupport@fabasoft.com or phone – Germany: +49 69 6435515 300 | Austria: +43 732 606162 300 | Switzerland: +41 31 310 06 43

Support is available in English and German.

The 24/7 basic support of the Fabasoft Cloud is already included in the license fees of Approve. We also offer other support models tailored to specific customer requirements as additional packages for a fee.

Costs

Our pricing as Software as a Service is as follows:

  • Full access: 50 EUR per user per month (offers the full range of functions)
  • Read access + commenting: 15 EUR per user per month (scope of functions: read access [including search], commenting on documents, digital signing of documents, performing workflow activities that do not require editing rights)
  • Access for external members: 10 EUR per user per month (offers the full range of functions for external members such as suppliers, customers or other business partners)

There is also a storage package:

  • The price of a storage package for 1,000 GB / 1,000,000 objects is EUR 266 per month
  • The price of a storage package for 100 GB / 100,000 objects is EUR 54 per month

The minimum package includes ten full access licenses. The payment period is one year. All prices exclude VAT.

We will be happy to prepare a non-binding offer for you. Simply contact us at approve@fabasoft.com.

We offer annual subscriptions for licenses (for users and for storage packages). These licenses are paid for in advance for one year (= payment period). Licenses can be extended as required during a payment period; we will then charge the aliquot share of the annual fee until the end of the payment period. Licenses can be reduced or terminated completely at the end of a payment period with one month's notice.

Data security and protection

Yes, Fabasoft is an independent Cloud provider and makes Approve available as Software as a Service. This allows efficient collaboration across company boundaries.

Data is stored in European, fail-safe data centers. You decide whether in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland. At each location, Fabasoft Cloud services are operated in two redundant data centers that are geographically separated by several kilometers. This allows for concepts that enable disaster-tolerant operation, for example a high level of protection against natural disasters. The data centers follow the Tier III specification of the Uptime Institute.

Yes, data protection and data security are of the highest priority for Fabasoft:

  1. Data is stored in European, fail-safe data centers.
  2. Designed and operated in Europe, the system complies with the strictest data protection and data security regulations. Regular certifications and audits by independent institutions confirm the high quality, safety & security, and service standards. Please find further information here.
  3. The access to Approve is only possible via HTTPS with TLS encryption.

No, customer data entered or created by the customer in Approve is stored in Teamrooms that are assigned to a Fabasoft Cloud organization. The owner(s) of this Fabasoft Cloud organization has/have all rights to the data stored therein. The access rights defined for the Teamroom allow the owner or the organizational member who created the Teamroom to define who has access or who may change or delete this data. This also means that Fabasoft employees only have a right to access information that has been granted to them by the customer. These authorizations can also be revoked at any time.

Proof of concept

Before investing time, money and energy in digitization measures, companies should test the project on the basis of a smaller, explicitly selected pilot project. We conduct proof-of-concept projects with our customers. In the course of these, we work out the specific requirements together in a workshop – on-site or online – and create a prototype based on this, which the customer can then test extensively.

The project team should at least comprise the three roles of product owner, scrum master, and scrum team. The product owner assumes technical leadership and is responsible for the successful implementation of the project. The scrum master supports the project team in achieving the set goals. The scrum teams are responsible for completing the tasks prioritized by the product owner.