There are a couple of very common issues in enterprise publishing, and they almost invariably lead to bottlenecks. For example, if the designer is the only person who can modify a page layout, even minor changes will depend on his or her availability. If only a small number of people in a workgroup have the publishing know-how to prepare a publication for the printer, delays are likely to occur. Most enterprises have learned to live with these constraints in their document production because there just doesn't seem to be a better way.

In the typical publishing workflow, design modifications can only happen on a workstation equipped not only with the appropriate software, but also the necessary fonts for a document. Even graphic elements for a page layout are usually stored locally on the designer's computer (very often simply on his desktop), until the files are prepared and transferred to the printer or service bureau.

While this way of working may be acceptable in small workgroups, it can become extremely time-consuming when different departments or offices are involved in the document creation.

A Different Approach
Quasar's Nuqleo system takes a different approach to solving these problems. By using modern Web technologies such as those common to the AJAX approach, the company managed to create a completely de-localized, browser-based system that allows users anywhere in the world to access data and documents, to contribute to the publishing workflow, and even to modify certain aspects of a page layout document without needing the software or the expertise of a designer.

While the design files, images, and texts necessary for the design process are stored in a central server, Nuqleo manages access and user privileges in a sophisticated manner. In other words, if a user logs in with the necessary privileges to perform basic text editing, Nuqleo will not expose any other aspects of the workflow. This gives the system a lot of security against involuntary changes, and it also allows a high degree of flexibility in the management of documents.

This notion not only applies to texts, it extends to many aspects of page design as well. While Nuqleo relies on Adobe InDesign for page layout and typesetting, users with the appropriate privileges can access design files in a browser window and make explicitly authorized changes.

One of the key advantages of Nuqleo is that it allows Web-based editing of text and design. This means that last-minute design changes can be made even when the page layout application is not present on the computer that participates in the editing process.

Flexibility and an Easy Learning Curve
Managing collaboration in this way provides companies with a considerable amount of flexibility, and also allows the administrator to define a system that has minimal training overhead, since only the functionality that is needed to complete a task is exposed to the user.

The systems can be seen as a toolkit for modern publishing processes rather than a one-stop solution for magazine, book, or catalog publishers. By opening up very early on in the development process to the considerable complexities of modern enterprise publishing, the company managed to create a system that can speed up the enterprise content publishing workflow significantly.

Key Aspects
•  De-localization: Users from around the world can log into the system and collaborate on a publication.
•  User Administration: Sophisticated support for internal users and external contributors allow an administrator to allocate precisely which documents, elements, or program functions can be accessed by a specific user. Nuqleo even manages contributors who are not allowed access to the system by managing external assignments via e-mail.
•  Web Editing: Most editing operations are conducted directly in the browser. Many aspects of a page can be modified without the need for a page layout application on the host computer.
•  Workflow Automation: Nuqleo allows simple construction of complex workflow scenarios. A visual workflow editor lets you combine any number of steps and conditional settings to cover every possible situation.
•  Phonetic Search: Proprietary search algorithms can find text even when exact spelling is unknown. (This is particularly important in multi-lingual projects.)
•  Visual Tagging: Allows fast access to visual information that can't be captured by keywords.
•  Integrated Image Management: Nuqleo offers centralized picture management with automatic image quality control and IPTC/XMP metadata support.
•  Translation Management: Nuqleo supports translation management and can manage alternate designs, visuals, etc., for local markets.
•  Project Management: Built-in project management tools and a retro-planning module automatically manage documents from start to finish.
•  Publication Management: There are many different ways in which publications can be represented in the Nuqleo system. Through the flatplan manager, a publication can be displayed and updated in real time in a browser window. Different views let administrators check the status of different sections. Inserts and cover-mounted objects are also managed, and a highly realistic preview allows a user to display a publication and turn its pages on-screen

Few providers of dedicated publishing systems have the necessary understanding of the complexities that enterprises face in their publishing tasks. There is no "typical" enterprise, and even less a "typical corporate publishing workflow."

Quasar provides a system that offers the flexibility and ease of use to be able to tackle the organizational issues so common in enterprise content production, collaboration, and automation - while also providing the necessary integration with other systems and environments if it is required.