Introduction: Collaborative software, was inextricably linked with OA, but OA collaboration software and another is essentially different. Correctly understand the relationship between collaboration software with OA, Buddhism and clear doubts on the collaborative software, to prevent the wanton display "synergy" tag, is conducive to collaborative software, the industry's healthy development.
Into 2005, the collaboration software in China has gone through a 5 year. In a group of professional collaboration software vendor advocacy, collaboration software market and our products have been gradually becoming more mature, the explosion in user demand growth, by the media, collaboration software, called a "blowout" phenomenon.
The reason why China's collaboration software is a hot key demand from customers, with the popularity of the Internet and corporate networks continue to upgrade improved Internet-based applications gradually exploded, especially in outsourcing, globalization, the emergence of office and other business models, making more than the completion of a multi-organization collaborative work by a great demand. This demand is among the many existing software products can not be realized, this is where the collaboration software market space. Into the collaboration software market, every manufacturer has a different idea, coordinated the functions of office software product positioning also varies. On the current view of our collaboration software applications, over 50% of applications in the administrative office management, less than 50% of the remaining applications mainly in the business of government functions, personnel, customers, suppliers, etc., used also for cooperative manufacturing CPC relatively rare.
As in the administrative office collaboration software widely used in the field, many people will work together to OA office software and OA (Office Automation, Office Automation) software equated. In fact, although the cooperative office software, was inextricably linked with OA, but OA cooperative office software and the software features, applications have different ideas and so on, which are not.
1, different from the terms to see
Collaborative Software (Collaboration Software) are those with the goal of collaborative teamwork office software tools, including collaborative management groups, such as: Workflow Management, project management, etc.; all kinds of communication software, such as E-Mail, Instant Messaging , VoIP and so on. Network, communication technology, globalization, development and user made new demands, the concept of cooperative office software is also giving a new meaning, for example, with the Internet, work flow, instant messaging and SOA and other technologies and means. Or you can think: Collaborative Office, collaborative governance, collaborative commerce and other collaborative applications, and workflow management, project management, knowledge management, information portals and other collaboration platforms, e-mail, instant messaging, remote video, process editor, collaboration tools, the composition of our sense of collaboration software now.
OA is the modern office and computer technology combine in a new way of collaborative office, the hardware and software systems to support this approach is called OA OA software or hardware. OA in terms of concept or application perspective, in our country has a long development process. OA narrow sense refers to the administrative support for office software applications needed, including: document management, notification, notice, work schedule, work plan summary, office resource sharing management. Generalized OA in addition to the above, also with the office management-related hardware and software products are all included, including the office with typing, photocopying and other hardware, as well as word form editing software, etc.. Before the mid-90s of last century, financial, personnel and other software, its solution is the financial, personnel and related office automation in the management of demand, which was assigned to OA software areas.
From the above software and OA on the concept of collaboration can be seen, although the cooperative office application software and OA, there are many similarities, and even have many overlapping functions, but there is a fundamental difference between them. Coordination office software more concerned about the collaboration between groups, focusing on workflow, communication and so on; OA software is based on computer technology, information on the office, work record and reflect on matters.
2, from the Course of Origin
OA-related concepts and software products in China a long time. From the late 70s of last century, China began to carry out one after another, including computerized accounting, including office automation pilot project. To the mid-90s, the state and enterprises began to OA had a lot of manpower and material resources. At that time, OA's application also only stay in office to improve efficiency of the individual, for example, hand-print transferred to the computer printout, or a simple database software used to program staff to create the file data, to find internal information. However, the essence of OA is to improve the authority or the overall effectiveness of corporate office. Overall office performance can be improved, it is only in line with CSCW (Computer Supported Cooperative Work? Computerized collaborative work) developed the sense of office software systems can do. Therefore, since from 2000, many domestic software firms, started in the traditional OA applications, the introduction of the concept of collaborative management and related functions.
Collaborative Application ideas and technology, in OA been the most widely used, and to promote a qualitative leap in the traditional OA. Collaborative concept combines OA, can be called "synergy of the OA" or "collaborative OA", the core of its function has been the work of information from the records reflect the work matters, into inter-group collaboration on a number of work items completed concern. OA in collaboration before the advent of several generations of Chinese have already appeared OA software products. So far, OA software in China has experienced four stages:
The first generation of OA, with individual services center
Based on single, individual transaction processing for
Features: Solving the electronic version of the input, printing, filing and other basic requirements
Disadvantages: only solve single transaction, transaction and poor correlation between the
The second generation of OA, to relational data-centric
Based on single, individual or team for the transaction
Features: Solving the data or document management needs, the data shows some correlation between
Disadvantages: poor collaboration, enterprise information integration is poor
The third generation of OA, in order to record multiple items, reflecting the center
LAN-based, multi-items for the record
Features: a partial solution to the association office in a variety of issues and records, improve efficiency
Disadvantages: not complex processes, lack of effective coordination between other management
The fourth generation of OA, in order to workflow-centric?
INTERNET-based network to support the mobile office
Abstract management infrastructure elements, and elements associated with the management
Work-flow as the center, combined elements of the management and operation of resources
And knowledge management, project management of highly integrated
Through the information portal (such as employee portals and enterprise portal) system show
3, from product development to see
Collaborative software and OA has deep roots and close ties, which makes it easy to confuse the collaborative software and OA. We can analyze the concept of two different software and its development, to further understand the difference between collaboration software with OA.
Reference to the difference between ERP and financial software, collaboration software and see the application of different OA. 1998 ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning, Enterprise Resource Planning) starting wide attention in China, many in our financial software and MRP / MRP business software vendors have turned to ERP. Among them, in order to finance the transformation of the most successful software vendors, UF, Kingdee is one of the outstanding representatives. For historical reasons, and some manufacturers intentionally misleading, so some users have been difficult to differentiate the difference between the financial software and ERP. In the end is not the ERP software, financial software? Theorists should be very clear, but the user level, is often difficult to distinguish. In fact, ERP in part for financial management, ERP-based financial software that can be considered as integral part of ERP. Financial software can not be equated with ERP, particularly those of traditional software to the financial center, but not the label affixed ERP. Reference to the difference between ERP and financial software can be seen, collaboration software and the application of OA in different covers.
Reference to the difference between ERP and MIS, collaboration software and OA to see the core idea is different. MIS (Management Information System, Management Information System) was once widely popular idea of a computer application, the concept of computer applications in China almost synchronously, and has undergone development for decades. After the emergence of ERP, MIS is mentioned less and less. And the difference between ERP and financial software, different, ERP and MIS is not covered by the difference between the functions, but in their core beliefs. And, like MIS, ERP also covers human, financial, material, production, supply, marketing and other management aspects, but the ERP is a "resource plan" concept as the core, to build the management of different levels, but only the MIS system information collect, record and feedback. Reference to the difference between ERP and MIS can be seen, even if generalized OA software can contain all aspects of office-related, but the collaborative software and not the same as the theoretical foundation OA, OA is emphasized by means of a computer "automation" of the work done data record and reflect, and group collaboration software is concerned, team collaboration and communication.
Strictly speaking, it is difficult to distinguish these two sets of software to fully explain the different collaboration software with OA. However, these two groups by analysis software, to clarify the existence of the industry part of the collaboration software with OA of the conceptual confusion, and can see the overall development of the future direction of collaborative software.
The introduction of ERP and financial software concept, corporate MIS system was replaced by ERP, as the traditional OA, e-government, e-commerce software will fully absorb the concept of collaborative management, a collaborative OA, collaborative governance, collaborative commerce. Currently, the concept and application collaboration software, still in the promotion of universal access, the collaborative software to correctly guide the industry is conducive to the healthy and stable development. We are clear that to address the many concerns of the collaborative software to a more positive approach and to promote collaboration software era, but also to prevent arbitrary post "synergy" tag, so as not to "ERP generalization" of the situation in the field of collaborative software appears.