Automated document generation solution

Our client is an international enterprise producing personal protective equipment for different key industries. The client’s product portfolio is diverse – from gloves and goggles, to full body protection, the company provides cutting-edge, high-performance equipment and devices to protect risk groups in healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, and other hazardous sectors.

One of the challenges our client was continuously struggling with, was the manual management of documents. Due to the wide product portfolio, the creation and update of documents was time-consuming and inefficient. Another challenge the client pointed out was keeping the documents always up-to-date for the end customer. This meant providing most recent information on specifications and certifications.

Abto Software was contracted to deliver independent applications to meet the needs of two separate divisions. Even though these were separate requests, we saw an opportunity to combine required functionality into one multi-purpose platform, precisely tailored to the daily needs of both in-house divisions.

Our custom-built, automated document generation solution:

• Allows creating and updating marketing documents of three different types skipping used manual tasks, and can be upgraded to generate other types as well
• Helps maintaining the most recent information on specifications and certifications always up-to-date and easy-to-access

During the project’s scope, we focused on delivering a tailor-made, automated document generation solution, which would:

• Reduce repeated manual routines (marketing document creation, update, and management)
• Unify processes across divisions
• Reduce time and cost
• Increase performance and productivity

The custom-built, automated document generation solution provides the following functionality:

• Document List
  • Document name
  • Last update
  • Document status
• Document Details 
  • Section 1: Document Details (document name, last update, responsible user, document status)
  • Section 2: Activity Log (last update, responsible user, document details)
  • Additional functionality (document download, archivation, editing, and regeneration)
• Add Document 
  • Step 1: Team selection
  • Step 2: Product details
• Add Template – this page allows creating non-standard templates by setting:
  • Template name
  • Template style
  • Reference number
  • Preferred section to include
  • Additional information

Step 1: Discovery phase

At the discovery stage, we analyzed how the marketing documents have been previously created and updated. The process was time-consuming and inefficient, as there were two separate divisions manually managing supporting documentation using different tool sets, which caused format heterogeneity.

We analyzed and mapped the process in the diagram below:

The process can be simply described as follows:

1. The customer requests a PDF document with up-to-date product information
2. The designers collect assets for the PDF document on the main website, SharePoint and Asset Bank
3. Once the required assets are collected, the designers use LucidPress or InDesign to create a document
4. Once the new document is created, the teams in charge of quality/regulatory and marketing approve it
5. After approval, the document is uploaded to the appropriate folder (Asset Bank)

Step 2: Requirements elicitation

As it became obvious that steps 2, 3, and 5 cause significant time losses, we suggested automating them.

• To automate step 2, our team:
  • Found out what assets are needed for creating and updating the documents
  • Suggested a folder structure to upload and update those assets in the Asset Bank more easily
• To automate step 3, we:
  • Went over every component to understand if it is static, or needs complete replacement
• To automate step 5, we:
  • Went through the process of creating and storing the documents
  • Clarified core user expectations

Step 3: Architecture

Step 3.1: User flow

The main user flows we implemented are displayed in the diagram below:

After log-in, the user is taken to the main page with the following functionality:

• Validation Packs – the page to review PDF documents
• Document Details – the page to create and update PDF documents
• Add new Validation Pack – the page to create validation packs
• Document templates – the page to design document templates

To create a new marketing document, the user sets the following details:

• Product group
• Product name
• Product characteristics
• Preferred template

Step 3.2: Solution architecture

The platform was planned to be integrated with third-party services:

• Azure AD
• Asset Bank
• SharePoint (if necessary as read-only)
• PIM

How the internal modules are connected both with each other and with third-party services is displayed on the diagram below:

Step 3.3: High-level architecture

For the automated document generation solution, we suggested a typical layered architecture:

• Similar-functioning modules or components are grouped into separate horizontal layers
• Each layer has a distinct function
  • Front-end for user access
  • Back-end for business logic
  • Data & integrations layer

The details:

1. The connector between tools is via REST API, which provides:

• A set of limited query requests
• A fixed data object (JSON format)

2. The custom file configurations (documents, templates) containing data are stored in the MS SQL Server database

3. All documents are stored in the Asset Bank

4. The integrated email server is used for notifications (a notification is sent with the help of any tool providing appropriate API

5. As the Asset Bank does not provide notifications, the cron command utility (job scheduler) or either scheduled tasks are used to track all changes for the uploaded documents

6. If extension is required, microservice architecture is applied with the Kafka notification event bus

Step 4: Deployment

The process of deployment is displayed on the diagram below:

Azure App Services used:

• Azure App Services
• Azure Web Jobs
• Azure Web Function
• Azure Active Directory

Azure DevOps Services used:

• Azure CI/CD Pipelines
• Azure Boards
• Azure Test Plans
• Azure DevOps Wiki

The project’s main challenges can be reduced to:

1. Developing the platform simultaneously with business process updates on the client side

2. Integrating the platform with proprietary solutions developed specifically for the client’s needs

At the discovery stage, we conducted thorough analysis of the enterprise solutions we would further integrate. During the architecture stage, we ensured to consider the features and limitations of those in-place solutions to avoid potential mismatches.

3. Designing an intuitive interface to simplify the transition from manual to automated routines

4. Adherence to security requirements

To ensure the software would meet the provided security requirements, our team:

• Created an IP whitelist, so that only a limited number of users could access the platform
• Utilized the MS Azure Active Directory Single Sign-On, so that the users could use the credentials they’re using for other enterprise applications

The platform:

• Reduces repeated manual routines associated with marketing materials:
  • Creation
  • Formatting
  • Editing
  • Transferring
• Unifies processes across divisions (asset access and collection, marketing materials creation, update, and approval)
• Optimizes overall resource allocation, including time and cost, as well as labor
• Increases performance and productivity:- Improves visibility, which allows to make timely adjustments
  • Improves tracking, which allows to review the history of changes
  • Reduces possible human error
  • Standardizes processes, including format and structure of all marketing materials

The ease of use and user-friendliness of the designed interface made the user experience easy from day one. The platform drastically decreased human hours spent on manual processes, and minimized potential risks associated with human error.

As soon as the project finished, the client has extended the cooperation to make the most out of the product. At the very moment, our team is working on extending the capabilities of the delivered software.