   
CAPS™ takes collaboration and workflow to a new level, by
combining state-of-the-art techniques of real-time automated data
handling with intuition and optimized usability.
CAPS™ (Collaborative Approach to Problem Solving) sits at the base of all modular collaboration and
workflow solutions of STRAKT™. Business Logic
Modules (BLMs) built on top of this flexible framework
transform CAPS™ into a state-of-the-art workflow solution,
either off-the-shelf, or customized to fit the unique needs of a
specific organization. Applications can be combined to fully take
advantage of a single pool of data, without compromising security and
privacy. Case handling, bug tracking, project management, customer or
employee relationship management, asset management and many other
applications all share the power of the underlying CAPS™
framework and the same database.
Key features of CAPS™:
Real-Time Updates; Updates are generated automatically and displayed
instantly on screen, without any required user interaction. They
allow for quick response to changing priorities.
Event Management; Automated (chains of) responses to specific events
reduce the human involvement to where it is really needed most.
Dynamic Workflow; CAPS™ is designed with changing circumstances
in mind. The definition of tasks can be shared between individuals or
groups and changed or further refined during the process of solving
the task.
High Scalability; Seats and applications can be added as the needs of
the organization evolve. Very suitable for medium and large scale
organizations, as it is designed to handle thousands of simultaneous
users.
High Security; Authentication uses certificates and communication
within the system is encrypted. Authority handling is done on an
attribute level, which allows for privacy where needed, without
sacrificing sharing what can be shared.
Optimized efficiency and usability; CAPS™ has many efficiency
increasing features, among which the support of different views for
users with different needs and support of user preferences depending
on the platform used. The look and feel is optimized for various
platforms. Support of MIME format allows handling of any type of
data (text, sound, pictures, video, word processor formats,
spreadsheets, etc.).
Integrated by design; All applications use the same framework and
database, thus rendering multiple copies of data for various
applications obsolete. Applications can be added as the needs of the
organization evolve, with communication between the modules where
needed. CAPS™ supports access to and from other systems and applications, e.g.,
for statistics, data mining or to start external
applications. CAPS™ can even be configured to act as the integrator between existing software systems.
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CAPS™ encourages users
Organizational factors are often a
hurdle standing between workflow systems
and their successful launch into an
organization. CAPS™ motivates people to
use the system. It can easily be
configured so that every user feels
comfortable in using it and receives genuine support from the
system. Usability and efficiency
increasing features make CAPS™ a
pleasure to use. At STRAKT™ we enjoy using
CAPS™ for bug tracking and project
management.
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Key Benefits:
CAPS™ helps to reduce cost, save time and improve
information sharing, while creating a priceless digital
corporate memory and securing your investment at the same
time.
Save time
CAPS™ saves valuable time by automation of time-consuming tasks
through event management. It eliminates tedious information gathering
and maintenance through automatically refreshed online and onscreen
information. Real-time updates give the user the power to immediately
respond to changing circumstances and priorities. Powerful search
tools help to quickly find relevant information.
Improve sharing of information
Information accessed and shared instantaneously and securely in an
intuitive way where and when needed, no matter how the data is
shared. CAPS™ supports many types of data such as text, sound,
pictures, video, word processor formats, spreadsheets, etc. Access
privileges allow marking even the smallest bits of data for access to
certain individuals or groups, so that everything that can be shared
is shared, without compromising the privacy of specific details.
Digital corporate memory
Although data can be marked as obsolete, CAPS™ will not delete
the data from the database, unless it is specifically requested in an
offline maintenance mode. This ensures that all data needed to
reconstruct "historical" situations, solutions to similar earlier
problems, and changes over time always remain available.
Secure your investment
We take pride in delivering high quality software. Full paying
customers receive all relevant source code and documentation. This guarantees that our
customers keep control over their solution, and allows for the
development of third party application modules on top of the
framework.
Reduce cost
Saving time and quickly and intuitively sharing information saves
money. With CAPS™, you can start small, and grow your system in
seats, features and investment with the evolving needs of your
organization. For some components of the system CAPS™ offers
the choice between commercially available and Open Source versions,
the latter reducing the license fees considerably.
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CAPS™ privileges: confidentiality and sharing the same pool of data
Privileges for accessing data are set at
an attribute level, the smallest entity
of data in the system. This means that
with one pool of data, people with
different privileges will have a
different view of a case, depending on
what is and is not shown. This even
enables partnering organizations to use
one pool of data, without compromising
their confidential information.
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Customized or Predefined
CAPS™ can be customized to fit your exact needs, or used
in predefined applications. The first predefined
application developed on the CAPS™ framework is
CAPS™ for case handling. It is tailored to fit the needs of IT-support
organizations in their dealings with helpdesk issues and case
handling. More detailed information can be found in the
CAPS™ for case handling product overview.
Platform Components
The CAPS™ server and middleware components run on
Linux® or Windows®. A CAPS™ solution consists
of the following parts which
conjunctly give the system its functionality and robustness:
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Database manager
CAPS™ is planned to run on a choice of Oracle® or PostgreSQL,
an Open Source alternative. CAPS™ on Windows® can also use Microsoft® SQL
Server as an alternative. Other databases may be added in the
future as the need arises.
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CAPS™ Infinite Filing Cabinet (IFC™)
This is a process that translates between the database manager
table-oriented world and the rest of the system's object oriented
world. It also manages updates of objects when the database changes.
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CAPS™ Business Logic (BL)
The Business Logic layer caches objects, handles communication with
clients and implements business rules. The business rules are kept in
separate modules in the Business Logic: the BLMs. Client functionality is also controlled by the BLMs.
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CAPS™ Clients
Currently we support Linux®, Solaris™, Windows® (95 and up) and WEB based clients. Other
clients, such as support for handheld devices, may be added as the
need arises.
New applications are made through changes in the rules of the BLMs (red boxes in the figure).
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CAPS™ for change management
Change is the default, in modern
organizations. CAPS™ supports change at
all levels: Relevant changes are
instantly displayed, without any
required action of the user. Priorities
are updates in real-time, and tasks and
problems can be further defined and
changed while the process of solving has
already started. The definition process
can be delegated and shared, so that
everyone can contribute the parts that
most require their specific expertise.
Views of the data change with the roles
people take on. Through business rules,
the CAPS™ applications can be adapted to
and grown with changing needs. In order
to anticipate organizational factors, we
also support gradual change of the
workflow by stepwise implementation
schemes.
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