Looking at the official document circulation system formed in the current market, the differences of its development models are mainly reflected in the system structure and technical means of development. The system structure mainly refers to the relative relationship between terminal operators and application service systems, and the technical means of development refers to the system platform and its main development technologies.

1, system structure

According to the different terminal conditions of the system, the development structure of document circulation system can be divided into two modes: B/S (browser/server) and C/S (client/server), each with its own characteristics, which is the mainstream of document circulation system development at present.

(1)B/S mode

The B/S mode system takes the server as the core, and the program processing and data storage are basically completed on the server side. Users do not need to install special client software, but only need to connect to the server through a computer in the network and use the browser to conduct transaction processing. B/S mode has the characteristics of easy upgrade, easy maintenance, low difficulty in using the client and strong portability, but it is also restricted by problems such as poor flexibility and simple application mode. Early OA systems generally adopted B/S mode, and some MIS and ERP systems also adopted this mode. The main application platforms of B/S mode system are WindowsServerFamily, LotusNotes, Linux and so on. The main technical means adopted by B/S mode system are Notes programming, ASP, JAVA, etc. , and also uses technologies such as COM+ and ActiveX control.

(2)C/S mode

The C/S mode system takes the server as the data processing and storage platform, designs a special application program at the terminal to collect and preliminarily process the data, and then transmits the data to the server. Users must use client applications to manipulate data. C/S mode has the characteristics of high degree of specialization, flexible development means and fast operation, but it is affected by high maintenance cost and weak adaptability. C/S mode is the main application mode in the early development of e-government, and it is also the mode often used by some professional MIS software. C/S mode system can adapt to almost any operating platform, and its development technology is varied. Most computer languages can develop application systems in C/S mode.

2. Means of development

There are many ways to develop the official document circulation system. The main technical means such as LotusNotes, ASP and VisualStudio can develop the official document circulation system. They have different characteristics and play their respective advantages in different fields.

(1) official document circulation system based on LotusNotes

LotusNotes is considered as the most mature platform of official document circulation system. Because of its powerful workflow design ability and adaptability to complex official document circulation workflow, it has become the first choice for developing large-scale official document circulation system. LotusNotes can not only realize the official document circulation system in C/S mode, but also adapt to the application mode of B/S. Its perfect document database and authority management system provide a strong guarantee for the smooth realization of official document circulation. However, LotusNotes has poor flexibility, single external form and high development cost.

Reference System: Lenovo Zhisheng Collaborative Office System of Crown Group

(2) Official document circulation system based on ExchangeServer.

ExchangeServer and LotusNotes are similar, and both have strong workflow setting ability. The early office automation systems generally used ExchangeServer, and the clients used email systems such as Outlook, which was not intuitive and flexible enough. At the same time, the secondary development based on ExchangeServer is also difficult, and the compatibility and expansibility between systems are poor. At present, the official document circulation system based entirely on ExchangeServer is rare in the market.

Reference system: None

(3) Document circulation system based on Windows.Net framework.

Windows.Net framework has strong flexibility and expansibility, can be well combined with operating system platform, and can transmit data with various applications. Its system can apply two modes, B/S and C/S, with flexible external expression, low development difficulty and cost, and can easily use various middleware. There are many development tools under the framework of Windows.Net, mainly VB, VC, ASP and so on. As a general development tool, Windows.Net framework has a wide range of applications, but its professionalism is not strong, so it needs to be redefined in the development of official document circulation system, and its stability is average in the process of large-scale application. At present, the widely used office automation system based on browser and developed with ASP generally has a simple function of document circulation, which can be classified into this category from the technical means.

Reference system: official documents of scholars

(4) Document circulation system based on JAVA.

JAVA has powerful data processing function and stability, and has advantages in large-scale data processing and security, and is suitable for developing browser-based application systems. The development mode of J2EE is suitable for the development of workflow software and has strong flexibility, which is similar to ASP in development mode. At present, there is no official document circulation system completely based on JAVA in the market, and its official document circulation function is mainly manifested in some office automation systems developed with JAVA.

Reference system: government OA office system OIS of Shanghai Yongxin Computer Service Co., Ltd.

Second, the key technologies

The official document circulation system involves complex office processes, and it is restricted by many aspects in the development process. Looking at the current official document circulation system, its success is influenced by several key technologies, including identity verification technology, digital signature and transmission encryption technology, workflow definition technology, application approval technology, electronic signature and trace tracking technology.

1, authentication technology

Due to the confidentiality and seriousness of official document processing in government agencies, the official document circulation system must use the corresponding identity authentication technology, and form a complete user authority system on this basis. At present, most official document circulation systems use direct user name and password identity control mechanism, and a few systems also use smart card identity verification system. At present, authentication technology mainly includes simple user password matching, physical address identification, smart card and other hardware identification, biometric identification and so on. Their security levels are different, and their development and application costs are also quite different.

2. Digital signature and transmission encryption technology

Strict confidentiality in the process of government official document circulation is one of the basic requirements of the official document circulation system, and it is also a hard index for the acceptance of government application software. Therefore, a mature official document circulation system must use digital signature technology, and encrypt data transmission based on it. Digital signature technology is also the main technology to identify users and determine the responsibility of documents. In some official document circulation systems, a small CA digital signature authentication system is applied.

3. Document flow definition technology

An important feature of official document circulation in government agencies is its complicated process, which is difficult to be explained by standard procedural language. Therefore, the document circulation system must have a corresponding workflow definition system, so that operators can set up the document circulation process independently. At present, some official document circulation systems based on LotusNotes, with the help of the powerful workflow setting engine of Notes system, have realized the general process setting, but the overall effect is still far from the actual work. Whether there is a flexible workflow definition system has become a key factor affecting the success of the official document circulation system.

4, the application of technology approval

In the process of document processing, there are a lot of approval and modification behaviors, and the operators are mostly leaders in government agencies, so it is particularly important whether the approval technology in the document circulation system is suitable for the office habits of leaders. At present, the popular examination and approval technology is to annotate official documents with handwriting board, then save them in the form of vector graphics, and then the specific clerical staff will process the approved official documents. According to the current development trend, this kind of approval technology will still dominate the official document circulation system, but the specific application forms may change, such as introducing handwriting recognition and adopting new hardware equipment.

5. Electronic signature technology

The validity of traditional official documents is directly related to whether there is an official seal. This "red head+official seal" document processing mode will continue to the document processing system. Because there is no specific regulation, there is still great controversy about the legality of electronic signature. In some official document systems, the analog electronic signature is used to stamp the official document directly, and then it is printed with high-precision printing equipment, or it is used as a certificate for the second stamp of the traditional official seal. Under the premise that government agencies have not formed a large-scale paperless office, the development trend of electronic signature technology is to make official documents take effect in the system by digital virtual signature. Once a paper document needs to appear, the validity of the document will be verified digitally and manually after output, and the traditional official seal will be affixed.

6, trace tracking technology

In the process of document processing, there may be a lot of modification behaviors. In order to ensure the original information of the document and determine the responsibility of the document, it is necessary to track all kinds of modification behaviors and form a process tracking report with attached documents. At present, most official document circulation systems have realized this function, or keep traces of official document processing in the database or on the official document for review.

Development strategy of official document circulation system

The official document circulation system has a wide market demand, which can be said to be a hot spot in the recent e-government market. In the current market, no document circulation product can occupy an overwhelming advantage, and the market space is very large. Official document processing is a non-standardized process in specific office work, and it is difficult to complete it in a programmed mode. There are national standards for reference in style and format. In order to ensure that the products can meet the needs of government agencies and reduce the development cost, a successful document circulation system should pay attention to the following aspects in the development process.

First, demand analysis is the key. E-government is an innovation of traditional administrative office mode and an important direction of political system reform. However, at present, e-government is still in its infancy, and the degree of informatization of government agencies at all levels is not high. Therefore, the current e-government project is mainly to carry out information transformation on the internal office processes of government agencies, and introduce some public management concepts while introducing new technologies. At present, the official document circulation system must meet the needs of government agencies and be seamlessly integrated with its traditional office processes, so that staff can master the operation method of the system in a short time and give full play to the system efficiency. In the process of developing the official document circulation system, people familiar with the office process must participate, visit the office as much as possible, understand the official document processing process in detail, and form a complete demand analysis report.

Second, following habits is the key. Considering the actual computer level of government officials and the project implementation cycle, the system should not be difficult to operate. We should try our best to simulate the official document processing flow and operation mode of the traditional office, especially for some senior leaders, design some humanized operation modes, such as full-text annotation, or use manual and digital methods during the adaptation period, such as leaders still annotate paper documents, and office staff will enter them twice or scan them into the system.

Third, new technology is an advantage. At present, the development of e-government pays more attention to the application of new technologies and how one or more new technologies will make the system more popular. According to the characteristics of official document circulation system, new technologies can be considered in several key technologies, such as fingerprint recognition, handwriting recognition and other biometric technologies, the concept of CA center can be introduced in encrypted transmission, full-text annotation and voice annotation can be applied in approval technology, and visualization mode can be used in workflow definition.

Fourth, openness and compatibility are the highlights. At present, some e-government application systems have been introduced into government agencies, and they are likely to play a very important role in some of them. Therefore, in the development process of document flow system, we must fully consider the compatibility between the system and the existing systems, and set up enough open interfaces to read or transmit data to these systems if possible. For example, the official document system must be highly compatible with the main text editing software used by government agencies, so that data can be transmitted unimpeded between them; Another example is that the official document system is compatible with other personnel information systems or wage information systems, and existing information can be introduced in the process of generating official documents.