Package deal - Technology: Business Software

Entrepreneur, Feb, 1996 by Cheryl J. Goldberg

Compound Structure

One of the major reasons to purchase an office suite is to quickly create compound documents--for example, a word processing report containing spreadsheet information or graphics. Both Microsoft Office and Lotus SmartSuite allow documents to share information by supporting cut and paste, linking, and the Windows object linking and embedding (OLE) feature.

Linking lets you put the same information in the original file and also in a second document. For example, with a spreadsheet inserted into a word processing document, the linking feature would ensure that any updates to the original would be reflected in the second document. However, you can't edit the linked item from within the second document.

But with object linking and embedding, you can actually edit documents inserted in another file. For example, you could insert a spreadsheet or a graphics presentation into a word processing document, then edit it using the commands from the spreadsheet or graphics software while still in the word processing document. Your original document would be updated as well. Embedding is used when you don't think you'll have ongoing access to the original document such as when you receive files from someone else that you need to add objects to.

Microsoft Office goes beyond the capabilities of Lotus SmartSuite with its Office Binder feature. The Office Binder allows you to bring different finished documents from separate Office applications together in a single location. For example, if you write a business plan, you can create, save and arrange your Excel financial spreadsheets, Word reports, and PowerPoint presentations all in the same Microsoft Office Binder. When you're ready to print your business plan, you can print all the sections in the Binder as a single document.

Team Players

One of the hottest new application capabilities is team computing, which allows groups of people to work together on projects over a LAN. With its tie-in to the more business-oriented Lotus Notes database, SmartSuite has a head start in team computing (not only is it the market leader, but Lotus has been involved in database development longer than any other manufacturer) and comes with a wide range of features in this area.

TeamReview, which is part of Freelance and Word Pro, allows a group of people to review and edit word processing and graphics files. Built-in markup tools (a pen in Freelance; strike-through, highlighting, annotations and other tools for marking up documents in Word Pro) allow reviewers to make edits or suggestions electronically and enable authors to incorporate them quickly and easily.

TeamConsolidate allows users to combine edits made by multiple people into one file. The versioning feature enables users to store all versions of the same file in chronological order so you can go back and see a history of the changes.

The TeamShow feature lets you use Freelance graphics to lead an off-site audience through an on-screen presentation.

TeamMail allows users to send an entire file or selected pages from a file via e-mail. This feature is available from within the SmartSuite applications so you don't have to exit your application and enter an e- mail program. Along with TeamMail, a routing feature allows users to view, edit or comment on a document so each user on the route receives the document complete with all the edits and comments of the previous team members.