Simplifying document management with Comala Document Management and MultiExcerpt

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Confluence document management can make or break your customer experience. But managing your Confluence documentation so content is consistently approved, current, and trustworthy can be challenging, especially if you have a big team. The right tools can help.

For example, the new integration between MultiExcerpt and Comala Document Management (CDM) for data center and server enables MultiExcerpts to recognize CDM workflow statuses. MultiExcerpt Includes on pages with a CDM workflow implemented will only display content approved via CDM, ensuring people only gain access to approved, up-to-date information. 

We developed the integration in response to user feedback (thank you for your suggestions) because many customers use both MultiExcerpt and Comala Document Management within their Document Management Systems (DMS). Some use CDM to automate reviews and approvals so readers know the content is approved.

At the same time, many of you appreciate MultiExcerpt’s dynamic features because they enable content updates across pages and spaces. But challenges arose when adding MultiExcerpt to a page or space with a CDM workflow because its live update functionality jeopardized the document’s integrity. 

Integrating CDM and MultiExcerpt addresses these issues, making documentation updates easier, faster, and more reliable by automating the process.

Comala Document Management automates the lifecycle management of critical documents like knowledge base articles, policies, and documentation required to meet compliance standards. Automation enhances document quality, enforces best practices, and increases overall efficiency.

MultiExcerpt enables users reproduce and reuse content by combining multiple Confluence excerpts onto a single page. As a result, you can quickly disseminate information from a centralized source to different pages and spaces, guaranteeing consistency — and saving time you’d otherwise spend copying and pasting content!

Getting started

Confluence admins must install or upgrade to MultiExcerpt 5.6.26 to enable this feature, and enablement within both apps is required. 

MultiExcerpt: Enable the feature in MultiExcerpt’s admin tool (“Comala Published Version Integration Enabled”)

Comala Document Management: Enable the feature in CDM’s “Configuration” admin tool by enabling “Published View Macro Transform”

• When enabled, a MultiExcerpt Include will not contain draft/unapproved content.
• If not enabled within one app, it will default to its standard functionality.
• If a user does not have permission to view the draft content, the MultiExcerpt Include will render a message alerting the user that they can’t view the content before it’s approved.

A comprehensive solution

If you want to go further, it’s easy to transform Confluence into a full-featured content distribution platform and streamline document access. Just integrate CDM with Comala Publishing to deliver approved and up-to-date content to designated, centralized locations for permitted audiences. As a result, collaboration can continue while preserving published versions.

Its newest feature, Snapshot Publishing, will turn dynamic content into static documents so that you can capture your MultiExcerpts at a specific point. Then, publish these snapshots to Collections; this enables you to organize documents outside the traditional Confluence hierarchies.  

Some of Comala Publishing’s newest functionalities include: 

• Managing permissions to Collections by users and groups
• Publishing documents to one or more Collections and vice versa
• Building Collections to contain documents from multiple Confluence spaces
• Easily accessing previous versions when needed
• Integrating with Comala Document Management for automated publishing

Next steps

Comala Document Management, MultiExcerpt, and Comala Publishing offer a 30-day free trial.

Integrating these apps simplifies document management so your team can do their best work. 

Simplify your document management today.

COMALA DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT

MULTIEXCERPT

COMALA PUBLISHING