StreamServe provides a complete environment to both design and execute document composition independently of the applications that hold the source data. It gives business managers direct control over marketing and other messages that can be dynamically included in documents based on the specific recipient and/or information in any given document. This increases the value of customer communication by transforming static documents into one-to-one marketing channels.

StreamServe’s consolidated composition capability also simplifies the IT environment and substantially reduces the workload demands on IT resources, both people and systems. It does this in both the document design phase and in the operational phase.

In the typical IT environment, each individual document type and each variation of it (print, fax, electronic, etc.) must be separately coded. This activity must be repeated for every application or system involved in the information chain, so IT needs to maintain a multitude of skill-sets and system knowledge.

In contrast, StreamServe requires only a single template for each document type (account statement, bill of material, invoice, etc.). From that one template, which is independent of the data-source applications, StreamServe assembles every variation required. Development time is significantly diminished, as is the volume and variation of code to be maintained.

Also, because the document assembly and preparation for delivery occurs within StreamServe, and not in the applications or systems that hold the source data, the overhead demand on those resources is also reduced.

From the recipients’ point of view, StreamServe’s composition capabilities enable you to produce well-designed, clear and consistent communications that reflect the enterprise’s brand identity, including color, graphics, logos, charts, etc. As discussed later, these can be delivered through the recipient’s channel of choice.

Figure 1. Multi-step business application process duplicated for every document variation and each separate output format.

Figure 2. Document created by StreamServe

In addition to producing page-oriented output, the Composition environment can use the same input data stream to compose stream-oriented output such as XML and record-and-field output. StreamServe composition provides intuitive tools to map the incoming business data, compose/design the final output, and add conditional logic to it to make it dynamic and personalized to the recipient. 

The composition environment is very dynamic, covering the needs of basic as well as more advanced users. User-friendly drag-and-drop mapping addresses incoming and outgoing data and document composition. Microsoft Office users will feel familiar with the environment, which shortens the learning process significantly. If more advanced processing or business logic needs to be added to the output, StreamServe provides powerful scripting language that offers a multitude of programming features and supports the usage of variables, condition, loops and invocations of internal or external functions.

The scripting can be used to:

• Personalize output by adding advanced conditional processing
• Carry out calculations, such as totaling numbers specified in a column, setting new offset positioning, assigning numbers to invoices or freight documents, etc.
• Extract information from fields in the data stream and from sources other than the output processed; for example, ODBC, LDAP and SAP BAPIs
• Manipulate strings, numbers, time data, etc.

This powerful scripting language allows customers to meet almost unlimited needs.

Figure 1. Screen showing the Composition tool for page-oriented output (Print, Web, eMail attachment)

Figure 2. Screen showing the Composition tool for stream-oriented output (XML)

StreamServe can receive any XML-formatted document, break it down of internal representation, apply it to any business process and transform it to any format. StreamServe provides a powerful WYSWYG tool to configure both inbound and outbound XML data.