Unlocking Efficiency – An In-Depth Look at Accruent Meridian The Document Management Powerhouse

Engineering documents and drawings are vital assets for any organization that needs to design, build, operate, and maintain physical assets. However, managing these documents can be challenging, especially when they are scattered across different systems, formats, and locations. How can you ensure that your documents are secure, compliant, and accessible to the right people at the right time?

That’s where Accruent Meridian comes in. Meridian is a comprehensive software solution that helps you manage your engineering documents and drawings throughout the asset lifecycle. Meridian enables you to store, access, and share documents in a centralized and controlled way, while also providing features such as version control, workflow automation, and collaboration tools.

But that’s not all. Meridian also leverages rendition and OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology to enhance document management, collaboration, and security. In this blog, we’ll explore how these technologies work and how they can benefit your organization.

WHAT ARE RENDITIONS AND WHY DO YOU NEED THEM?

A rendition is a copy of a document in a different format than the original file, usually in a non-editable format such as PDF or DWF. Renditions are useful for several reasons:

• They provide a consistent and reliable way to view and share documents across different platforms and devices, without requiring the original software or application.
• They protect the integrity and quality of the original source documents, which are kept for editing and revision purposes.
• They reduce the risk of unauthorized changes or tampering with the documents, as renditions are read-only and can be digitally signed or encrypted.
• They improve document performance and storage efficiency, as renditions are typically smaller in size than the original files.

Meridian integrates with Accruent Publisher, a separate software component that renders and optionally publishes renditions to the same or to other document management systems. Accruent Publisher supports various rendering modules that can convert different types of files into renditions, such as AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, and more.

WHAT IS OCR TECHNOLOGY AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

OCR, or Optical Character Recognition, is the process of converting scanned images of text into editable and searchable text. OCR technology can help you to extract information from scanned documents, such as invoices, contracts, or reports, and store it in Meridian as metadata or content.

Meridian uses OCR technology in two ways:

• To index the content of scanned documents for full-text search. This allows you to find documents based on their content, not just their properties or file names.
• To extract data from scanned documents and map it to Meridian properties. This allows you to automatically populate document properties based on the information in the scanned files, such as document number, title, author, date, etc.

By using OCR technology, Meridian helps you to unlock the power of scanned documents and reduce manual data entry.

HOW DOES MERIDIAN ENSURE DOCUMENT SECURITY AND COMPLIANCE

Document security and compliance are critical for any organization that deals with sensitive or regulated information. Meridian ensures document security and compliance by:

• Using a centralized repository with secure global access to store and manage documents, ensuring that only authorized users can view and edit them.
• Supporting various rendering modules that can convert different types of files into non-editable renditions, such as PDF or DWF, for reference, printing, or distribution purposes.
• Integrating with network and application firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and multi-factor authentication to keep data repositories safe from intruders.
• Applying security roles to the folders of a vault, which defines the privileges of the members of the role. The members can be network domain groups, Meridian Enterprise groups, or individual user accounts.
• Enforcing document workflow statuses, which restrict the actions that users can perform on a document depending on its state. For example, only the owner of a document can change it when it is in the Under Change state.

HOW ACCRUENT MERIDIAN CONNECTS WITH OTHER APPLICATIONS TO BOOST DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCY

Accruent Meridian is not just a standalone software solution. It also connects with other applications to enhance document management efficiency and collaboration. Whether you need to work with 2D & 3D CAD applications, EAM software, or other document management systems, Meridian has you covered.

APPLICATION INTEGRATION: WORK WITH YOUR FAVOURITE CAD APPLICATIONS

If you use popular 2D & 3D CAD applications like Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Revit, and Solidworks, you can integrate them with Meridian and enjoy the following benefits:

• You can access and manage your documents directly from your CAD application, without switching between different systems.
• You can view the latest and most accurate information about your assets and their documentation, ensuring compliance and safety.
• You can initiate document change requests from your maintenance management system, triggering workflows and notifications in Meridian.
• You can link your maintenance work orders to your engineering documents, ensuring traceability and accountability.

DMS INTEGRATION: COLLABORATE AND SHARE DOCUMENT WITH OTHER DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

If you use other document management systems like SharePoint, Documentum, or OpenText, you can integrate them with Meridian and enjoy the following benefits:

• You can collaborate and share documents with other departments or external parties, without compromising security or quality.
• You can publish renditions of your documents to other document management systems, ensuring that everyone has access to the same information.
• You can synchronize metadata and content between Meridian and other document management systems, ensuring consistency and accuracy.
• You can leverage the best features of each system for different purposes, such as document creation, review, approval, distribution, or archiving.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

For those interested in exploring the capabilities of Accruent Meridian and how it can revolutionize their document management processes, the SolidCAD website offers valuable insights and the opportunity to schedule a demo.

In a world where information is power, Accruent Meridian empowers organizations to harness the full potential of their documents, streamline workflows, and enhance security, ultimately driving efficiency and success.

To learn more about how Accruent Meridian can help you integrate your EDMS with other software applications, contact us today  SolidCAD Meridian Team. We would love to hear from you and show you how Accruent Meridian can transform your engineering document management process.