What's Possible in the Collaborative Framework

Highlights

• simple brower-based interface
• browse content by folder, popularity, recency or type
• search content including attached documents
• personalize your look and feel
• add comments to pages through the browser or by email

• receive email notification when relevant content changes
• view published reports using charts, tables, or 3D plugins
• one-click Excel access to reports and data
• ad hoc fast counts and record selection from the browser

• add new pages or folders from your browser
• one-click publishing of documents from your desktop
• smart formatting of your input text into HTML

• one-click publishing of Quadstone data, visuals, reports
• contextual links to Quadstone System tools for analysts
• automated publishing of content such as standard reports

• comprehensive online help
• secure access-control and activity monitoring
• role-based control over content and functionality access
• customizable workflow support
• fully configurable and extensible standards-based platform

Feature Overview

The Collaborative Framework will provide a shop window for our customers' analytical results. It will enhance and extend the core capabilities of the Quadstone System, providing support for both Quadstone and non-Quadstone analysis content and complementing any existing intranet capabilities. It will provide an effective means to disseminate analysis results within the organization as well as increasing collaboration and productivity of analysts via its simple knowledge management repository (providing a "collective memory").

We will provide an out-of-the-box configuration that runs alongside the Quadstone System installation and can be customized or extended to meet end-user needs. The Collaborative Framework will accessed via a standard web browser and will provide the following high-level features:

• Dissemination & distribution of analytical results to "analysis consumers"
• Shared knowledge base to store, organize and search analytical results in a single location, including Reports, Documents, Spreadsheets and Presentations.
• Integrated with the Quadstone System, to allow one-click publish of Quadstone (or third-party) datasets, key visuals, crosstabs and displaying the results as interactive 3D visuals, 2D charts, tables and lists of records.
• Offline collaboration via email-enabled threaded comment trails and subscription based notification, user and role-based access controls and simple analytical workflow
• Democratization of data to enable more "self-service" from analysis consumers to answer fast-counts to complement existing intranet
• Flexible administration allowing you to manage and control access, functionality and usage of the Collaborative Framework.
• Simplified access & administration of the Quadstone System by providing localized documentation & training materials, links to Quadstone support, server status

The Collaborative Framework's key non-functional requirements are that it will be:

• Easy to use (for both finding results and publishing new documents)
• Fast and responsive
• Well linked with email (primary existing collaboration mechanism)
• Require little customization out-of-the-box
• Able to leverage Quadstone System technology but not restricted to it

For more information, review the comprehensive online documentation or explore the available training and supporting services.

Dissemination & Distribution

These features are the basic knowledge or content management features common to many web-based portals.

• Display of analytical results via standard web browser
• Easy to browse and view content for the non-expert user
• Easy publication of results for the analyst user
• Alerts / notifications (by email) from key data, document, comment or report changes
• Easy customization for integration with existing web-based information systems
• Standards-based graphical user interface look-and-feel
• Lists of recent publications or comments, and most popular viewed content
• Print-friendly pages
• Online help pages/text
• Front-page summary of promoted content
• Designed specifically for disseminating analytical results, making best use of available space for display of results
• Used internally for analysis projects, proof of concepts, presales demonstrations and project development

Analysis repository / shared knowledge base

These features are specific enhancements to a basic content management system which specifically target our markets: departmental analysis groups within large organizations.

• Organization of content in hierarchical folder structure, with graphical content navigation tree
• User reorganisation of content
• User specific bookmarks
• User publishing of new content, restricted by role, by creating:
  • new project folders
  • notes or discussion articles
  • uploaded documents (such as Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets)
  • links to additional web pages
• User provided title, description and other relevant information to all content, including file attachments.
• User edit of published content, restricted by role
• Direct publishing to the Collaborative Framework from the local PC through a SendTo action from Windows Explorer
• Unstructured search of Collaborative Framework-managed data (content title, description or comments)
• Unstructured search within uploaded documents

Integration with the Quadstone System

These features highlight how the Collaborative Framework will be enhanced through having a Quadstone System installation and how a simpler interface will be provided to basic Quadstone System functionality.

• Publish Quadstone System results (graphical views, crosstabulated results, references to analytical datasets: foci, Profile and Audits, Model Snapshots) directly to the Collaborative Framework from within the Quadstone System
• Special Quadstone System content types with additional information fields, viewing options and further user actions:
  • Quadstone views (.qsdv, .qspv, .qsmv) and crosstab result (.qstv, .qsxt) type:
    • Additionally containing the crosstab result file and a reference to the source focus
    • Viewed as an inline view with an interactive Result Viewer Plugin (including the Map Result Viewer Plugin, with a choice of the most appropriate viewer), 2D charts (bar charts, pie charts), HTML tables
    • For all users, integrated with web-based fast counts engine (see below).
    • Publish fast-count crosstab results to the Collaborative Framework for dissemination
    • For authorised users, integrated with web-based record selection and viewing engine (see below).
    • For analyst users, quick start fully functional Quadstone System session from published results.
  • Quadstone focus (.ftr) type:
    • Additionally containing a reference to the source focus (not the focus itself); viewed focus metadata (by record and field).
    • For authorised users, integrated with web-based fast counts engine (see below).
    • For authorised users, integrated with web-based record selection and viewing engine (see below).
    • For analyst users, quick start of functional Quadstone System session from published focus.
  • Audits and Snapshots (.qshtml, .html), viewed integrated within the Collaborative Framework
  • Quadstone System Build files (.qsb), additionally containing the Build file itself and a reference to the source server file, viewed by the Build files contents and run from a quick link to the Data Build Manager client
  • Published model reports (.qshtml)
• A new DBC to provide publishing to the Collaborative Framework: regular / repeatable / batch publication to the Collaborative Framework of content as part of a Quadstone System data build process, integrated with the Data Build Manager module, to provide links to standard datasets and report results.
• Search Quadstone metadata

Collaboration

These features will continue to enhance the Quadstone System as a means for collaborative working — allowing groups of people to work better together. This will not be limited to analyst-analyst communications, but will target the standard collobration methods (e.g. email and the web) we all use in the course of our work.

• User added comments, from any authorised user, attached to any published content
• Configurable display of comments: threaded / expanded
• Subscription-based email notification (for Outlook and other popular mail clients) for changes to any content and comments
• Email reply to comment notification (requires a Collaborative Framework email account)
• Content sharing via email
• Automated HTML formatting of all textual information (such as descriptions or comments) for easier readability
• Inbound news channels, pre-configured with standard Quadstone System Support news feeds, and customizable for additional RSS feeds
• Standard Quadstone System Support bookmarks, with per user customisation
• Who's online identification of current Collaborative Framework users
• Simple pre-configured analytical workflow, with options for customized process maps:
  • request new data for reporting,
  • request new reports added to regular build,
  • request data upload.
  All workflows add items to a queue, track and moderate the process, ending in sign off and publishing the results.

Democratization of data

These features are specifically designed to allow less sophisticated users to access some of the Quadstone System functionality — without having to learn about the product, and without any special software installation.

• Web-based fast counts on Quadstone System analytical datasets, providing a simple way for all users to request simple reports (including selection of report dimensions, measures and record selection).
• Publish fast counts results back to Collaborative Framework as new content
• Web-based record selection and viewing engine, providing a simple way for all users to request lists of data from analytical datasets

Quadstone System access & administration

These features are for the Quadstone System users — providing them with a single place to access Quadstone System information.

• Quadstone server status dynamic update
• Localized training materials, FAQ, installation guides
• Collaborative Framework client installation components

Collaborative Framework Administration

These features are for Collaborative Framework administrators and other IT people within the organisation, allowing them to manage and control usage of the Collaborative Framework.

• Anonymous guest access, with customisation to limit access to content
• User based administration:
  • Access restricted by username and password login
  • User customization of Collaborative Framework settings (look and feel, default content displayed, user password settings
• Administrator configuration:
  • Customization of Collaborative Framework theme for a particular organisation or user
  • Preconfigured user roles (administrator, data archictect, analyst, manager)
  • Customisation role-based user access control (what users see, what users can do)
  • Role-based/group-based controls of individual content items
  • Transparent user authentication from local PCs credentials
• Out of the box content: Collaborative Framework configuration, user tutorial, standard links / news feeds, demo content example usage, client install requirements, 5 reports
• Five standard out-of-the-box reports (which will be customized on installation)
• Moderation for approval of comments or documents before publication
• Secure (https) access to the Collaborative Framework
• Automated installation of all required components, with minimal additional configuration required
• Installation by Quadstone installation consultants, will include:
  • Onsite testing
  • Light customisation of installation (for corporate branding only, default bookmarks and news feeds, standard set of example reports)
  • Identification of any future customization work
  • Acceptance testing
• Standards based extensible components for further customization

Documentation

• User: The Collaborative Framework is intended to be easy enough to use that no detail documentation will be required. However for new users, the Collaborative Framework will come with how-to guides pre-integrated.
• Administration:
  • Collaborative Framework usage administration
  • Backup and maintenance guidelines
  • Security features included within the Collaborative Framework
  • Security risks introduced with the Collaborative Framework (possible attach routes)
  • Collaborative Framework System requirements and performance guidelines
  • Configuring user authentication
  • Configuring access through a firewall

Training

• Administration: how to add new users, how to change user permissions, how to install Quadstone System client extensions, how to perform system backups
• User: how to collaborate with the Collaborative Framework, how to add new content, how to use integration with the Quadstone System

Services

• Installation: required with product purchase, and only available from Quadstone staff: Includes:
  • Product installation (the Collaborative Framework is packaged as three separate CDs, providing extensions to an existing Quadstone System Version 5.0C installation. The installer will be a combination of automated installation with manual site-specific configuration)
  • Basic site configuration (installation of a corporate theme, setting of default look and feel, site naming)
  • Initial setup (up to 10 user names created, first project uploaded)
  • Acceptance testing
• Customization: optional additional purchase . Includes:
  • Requirements workshop (what do you want to do differently)
  • Custom workflows (different processes, different content types)
  • Custom content views (different ways to display results)
  • Integrate links to other web based systems
  • Integrate links to company specific information (training guides, standard builds, standard audits)
  • Execute regular reporting as part of a data build, with results published to the Collaborative Framework
  • Bulk load existing documents
• Best practise workshop: optional additional purchase: how to make best use of the Collaborative Framework installation