Cabinet NG, Inc. — CNG-SAFE /CNG-Books

From the June/July Review of Document
Management Systems

Cabinet NG has released its latest version of CNG-SAGE (6.0) this past January
with major enhancements. They made a significant shift in both the user interface
and the technology by moving to a .NET platform and a SQL back end. This alone
will provide the capability to continue to enhance the features and functionality
of the system.

Usability — 5 Stars
CNG-SAFE utilizes a cabinet-folder-document organization model. Each cabinet
is set up to store a particular database of documents such as clients, vendors,
employees, etc. Once you select the cabinet you wish to access, the system will
provide a three dimensional display of folders. Each folder displays basic properties
and provides a gateway into the individual documents and files and can be configured
with a unique set of indexing values. You can use a concept referred to as “naming
templates” for indexing specific document types automatically. The system
displays an Explorer type view of the document hit list and a preview of the
document to the right. The user can adjust the size, location and display of
the various windows according to their individual preferences. CNG-SAFE provides
a proprietary annotation tool called Imageman that enables users to create their
own stamps. Searching can be performed across multiple repositories, and conditional
searches can be performed, as well.

Scanning — 5 Stars
Documents can be scanned and filed using naming templates that will populate
the indexing values automatically. The templates can include settings for a
sensitivity level for security purposes as well as for a firm’s retention
policy. CNG-SAFE supports batch scanning of files in TIFF or PDF format. In
TIFF format, all pages are scanned in as individual TIFF files, which significantly
enhances the speed at which documents are retrieved and displayed for viewing.
Barcode scanning is supported to allow documents to contain pre-printed bar
codes for automatic indexing.

Integration — 4 Stars
Cabinet NG does not provide direct integration with tax and accounting software
applications. However, an integration tool called Retriever is provided to create
your own integrations. You can create a link to display specific types of CNG-SAFE
folders and documents from within other applications. Integration with Outlook
allows you to file e-mails with attachments or as separate files. A particularly
nice feature is to be able to drag and drop e-mails directly into the currently
active document folder. A Synchronizer module lets you create links with other
applications to update your lists, i.e. clients, vendors, employees, etc.

One particularly distinct feature of the CNG-Books edition is that it can be
used as a DMS for all of your QuickBooks (QB) clients. CNG generates two QB
cabinets: one for vendors and one for customers. You can create a QB transaction
entry from a CNG document or you can link documents to existing QB transactions.
CNG-Books can be synchronized with QB to create a vendor and customer list in
the cabinet, and you can preview the linked document from within the QB transaction
entry screen.

Workflow Tools — 4 Stars
CNG-SAFE’s workflow functionality allows you to move individual documents,
folders or a group of folders. Pushing the “trace” button displays
a trail of who has had the file(s.) You can route files with public or private
access. Private means no one can view the document(s) while they’re in
a workflow; public means you can only view them. You can use rules-based workflows
that can be linear (i.e., A to B to C) or based on dynamic/conditional values,
or you can simply route manually. You can attach notes to the routed documents
and assign a status setting. E-mail notifications can be sent when a document
is routed.

Client Portal — N/A – No Rating
There is no portal module available with the current version.

Technology — 4 Stars
CNG-SAFE uses a traditional client/server configuration model. The vendor did
note that it will be offering a hosting service and will handle all of the administrative
functions as part of this service.

Pricing/Overall Value — 4 Stars
The system is priced at $995 per user for each named license, or $1,395 for
each concurrent license that can be shared by multiple users. A view-only license
is $495. A base package is available for $2,500 that includes two named users,
the server software, one year of tech support, software maintenance, and four
hours of remote installation and training.

2008 Overall Rating — 4 Stars

Technology