CAPS™ is an inherently real-time workflow framework. With every transaction, updates are generated automatically and displayed instantly on screen where applicable, without any required user interaction. The same real-time features can be used for real-time statistics and monitoring. Any data stored in any of the attributes in the system can be gathered and processed statistically. The output is viewed by an external application through its COM interface, for example by Microsoft® Excel. With every relevant transaction the viewing application is updated, resulting in a constant up-to-the-minute managerial view. Managers of all levels are thus enabled to at any time have a current view of the state of and the changes in their particular business. Also up-to-the-minute reports can be generated.