What is epiplex500 Enterprise EPSS edition and what does it do?

epiplex500 epss is a complete enterprise systems knowledge, training and process improvement solution
epiplex500 epss

Delivers unprecedented speed, flexibility and ease of use
Automates the creation of documentation, simulations and live in-application software support for almost all
    MS Windows based applications including major enterprise systems.
Provides extensive customisation and editing capabilities
Generates an interactive library of transaction processes complete with screenshots and step by step instruction,
    ready to enable end users, project managers, process/business analysts/consultants to create simulated real time
    environments corresponding to their role and their need.
Provides real time contextual support to the users ‘live' in their application environment.
Documents and Simulations can also be generated in multiple languages making epiplex500 a truly global
    enterprise solution.
Provides multiple concurrent licenses and includes all software and server components required to capture,
    create and deploy a comprehensive library of automated documentation, interactive simulations and
    live in-application support.

epiplex500 epss is designed for an organisation's Training-Content Authors and business process managers - enabling them to create and deploy automated documentation, simulations, training materials and Contextual live in application
support for most windows based software applications.

epiplex500 epss provides a collaborative authoring environment where multiple authors and developers can store
competed learning materials for later deployment to end users.

Using the Epiance award winning ‘capture' technology epiAUTHOR simply records the steps and functions of the tasks
within a software application and generates a variety of desired simulation and document types including:

Audio-Visual Simulation (Playback, Practice and Test modes) in the following formats

- Web Based (DHTML) – SCORM® Compliant
- Flash Movie (.swf) – SCORM® Compliant
- Workflow based

Documents (Software Documentation, User guides, System procedure guides, Training manuals, Training slides, Task ‘Cue' cards) in the following formats:

- Flash Simulation outputs
- Microsoft Word (.doc)
- PDF (.pdf)
- MS PowerPoint (.ppt)
- XML (.XML DocBook Compliant)
- Online Assessments (HTML)
- Online Web Presentation

Why is epiplex500 Enterprise EPSS Edition so unique?

epiplex500 epss increases productivity by delivering unprecedented speed and accuracy. This is achieved through epiplex500's depth of capture – meaning that higher levels of application information, structure, control and details
are incorporated into the finished output. This substantially reduces the need for extensive editing and re-working
by the subject matter experts or content authors.

epiplex500's epss unique collaborative authoring environment ensures that all the authoring and content files are
stored in a centralized repository and provides Version control capabilities are also provided by this repository.
A predefined e-mail workflow takes care of notifying all the stake holders the latest status updates of development
activities, thus ensuring smooth communication flow across various functional divisions in an enterprise.

Who uses epiplex500 Enterprise EPSS Edition?

epiplex500 Enterprise EPSS Edition is an ideal time saving tool in an enterprise for:

Training Content Developers – Create e-Learning contents for training.

Process Management Team – Ensure employees to adhere to the best practice.

Project Managers – Create service manuals and process documentation

Documentation Managers – Manage the productivity of Document generation

Training Managers – Create Training manuals, classroom slides, training guides and end user cue cards

Software Developers – Create System documentation, installation guides, user guides

HR & Office Managers – Document business processes, staff support and induction (on boarding) manuals

Risk Managers – for Standardizing and documenting business processes

Change Managers – Create rapid documentation and distribution of process change

Technical writers – Create technical documentation, installation guides

System Administrators – Create systems documentation and systems validation

Help Desk professionals – Create task specific assistance information

What is the License policy?

Epiplex500 Enterprise Version comes with a bundle of following:

Portal Developer License: This is a potable single user perpetual license.

Portable Capture: 4 perpetual portable capture licenses  

ERMS ( Enterprise Repository Management System): This can be purchased as an Add-On perpetual license.

Product Description

Capture

Capture is the core component of Epiplex500 EPSS which sequentially records all the actions performed by the users on major software applications which run on Microsoft Windows platform. These sequence of events recorded are transformed into in individual steps with descriptions and images and stored in a file, which can be published as training contents in the form of simulations and documents.

Major Features:

Wide spectrum of Application capture: The robust Epiplex500 EPSS capture engine captures accurately on a wide
spectrum of software applications including Web based, Java, and Mainframes. Due to this there is very minimal edits
required post capture for publishing the contents. This drastically reduces the turnover time required for developing the
training contents.  

Template based Sentence description: the sequences of steps which are recorded are automatically translated into readable step descriptions (sentences). These sentences are generated through a sentence template which can be
edited or a new template can be created to suite the organizations standards. New sentence format can be created in
different languages as well. Formatting (Font Name, Size, etc) of sentences are also applied through templates.
This feature felicitates applying standard sentences and formats throughout the organization for the published contents.

Audio Capture: Epiplex500 EPSS has the ability to capture the voice of the subject matter expert (SME) as the process
capture is being done. When simulation content is published, the recorded voice is automatically attached to the
corresponding steps and the learners can listen to the audio when the process is played back in simulated mode.
This is useful when tacit knowledge of a Subject Matter Expert has to be translated into training contents.

Full Motion Capture: This feature enables the SME to record the screen actions in the form of a full motion movie.
This is useful when any object in motion has to be captured and simulated to the users. Typically used in engineering
design applications (CAD/CAM) training where 3D objects are used.

Adding Notes: Notes added at the Capture stage are usually used as a way for the Subject Matter expert doing the
capture to pass information to the training material developer. These notes can also be used to provide more information
about a process or a step in the training content.

Aliases: Some applications to be captured on may not support capturing the names of objects like Text Boxes,
Dropdown List Boxes, Check Boxes, Buttons etc. or may not have names for some of the objects. In these cases the description of the step will not be accurate. Epiplex500 EPSS supports defining an alias name for these objects.
The alias names defined automatically get applied to the objects in all future captures on the application.

Securing and Masking texts: While capturing a process, most of the standard password fields are treated as
secured and the data is encrypted or masked. Post capture, any field can be marked as secured and the text data
masked. Once marked as secured, all future captures on this control will be treated as a secure control. This prevents
sensitive information getting displayed in the training materials published.

Image Masking: The application snapshot images are captured along with the process capture by the SME.
Many a times, sensitive data like Social security Number, Credit Card number, etc. are present in the application screen
which is captured. Post capture, these sensitive information can be erased using the masking feature of Epiplex500 to
prevent the information flowing into the training materials.

Store

Once a task is completed and recorded, the information is stored. epiplex500 provides the usual options for saving and storing work. The captured and stored files can now be used many times without the need to recapture each of the
business processes or tasks again.

Develop and Edit

In this mode epiplex500 provides authoring tools that allows multiple authors and developers in an organization to
review, compile, sort and sequence the captured files into the desired output. A single capture file may be used to generate multiple simulation outputs and documents in the form of Software Documentation, End User Manuals,
Product Manuals, Testing Guides, User Guides, Sign Off documents, Training Course Manuals, etc in multiple languages.
In editor mode, all the tools are provided to add annotations like callouts (Help Bubbles), sticky notes, text and graphical
boxes, arrows, lines and Audio / Video elements. Rich editing features, templates and multi-language support enable
rapid generation of simulations e learning and documents that can be deployed in numerous ways across the
organisation.

Major Features:

Annotations: Rich editing capabilities allows adding annotations like Call outs (Help Bubbles) and Sticky notes.
This assists is providing more information to the end users at each step level.

Audio and Video: Audio and video files can be attached to each step of a simulation output. This feature enables to
transfer the tacit knowledge of the SME to the end users.

Information Step: If detailed description has to be provided to any key step of a process, the same can be
accomplished by adding an information step before this key step. This information step can contain a detailed
description of the step or process, and can contain images, links to external document, websites, etc.

Template based outputs: The simulations and document outputs are template based. Epiplex500 provides various
templates along with the product installation. New custom templates can be developed though an editor. This facilitated
organizations to develop and publish contents in their corporate standards, themes and layouts.

Content Management Server

Epiplex500 provides a web-based application that facilitates collaborative authoring. It provides:

A central repository that stores all Epiplex authoring files and output

A source control and configuration management system to manage multiple versions of files.

An integrated workflow management system that notifies through mail when files of interest are checked into ERMS.

This application facilitates the subject matter experts and the content development authors to collaborate and develop
the content outputs very efficiently.

Publish

Once, the editing and development activities are complete, the following outputs can be published:

Audio-Visual Simulation (Playback, Practice and Test modes) in the following formats:

Web Based (HTML) – SCORM ® Compliant

Flash Movie (.swf) - SCORM ® Compliant

Workflow based

Documents (Software Documentation, User guides, System procedure guides, Training manuals, Training slides,
Task ‘Cue' cards) in the following formats:

  -  Flash Simulation outputs
  -  Microsoft Word (.doc)
  -  PDF (.pdf)
  -  MS PowerPoint (.ppt)
  -  XML (.XML DocBook Compliant)
  -  Customised Templates
  -  Online Assessments (HTML)
  -  Cue cards for practice on Live Applications
  -  Task ‘Cue' Cards for context sensitive help (HTML)
  -  Online Web Presentation

Multi Mode Simulation Output: A single simulation output contains Show, Guide, Test and Document mode.

Show Mode: Displays the on-screen interactions as a series of annotated images in the form of simulated show.
This is an observation phase where the learner understands the process.

Guide Mode: This is a practice mode where the learner does the process in the simulation. This interactive mode
provides appropriate feedback when the learner does any step of the process incorrectly. This helps the learner to
practice the actual process in a simulated environment and go the actual application once perfected.

Test Mode: In this mode the learner is challenged for a test to assess if the process has been understood by the
learner. Step by step actions of the learns is tracked are tracked

Process Model based output: For complex processes which involve a workflow, Epiplex500 EPSS supports integrating processes into a workflow through a modeling tool. These process models can be used to publish a workflow based
simulation and document output.

Document outputs: Professional looking documents of the following types can be generated:

Individual: In this type, each step of the process appears as individual steps in the document, with corresponding snapshot image
and step description. This is usefully for beginners training where each of the process steps have to be explained in
detail.

Consolidated: A consolidated document groups the steps performed on a single screen. One consolidated image is
displayed for the steps performed on a single screen. The various actions performed on the screen are numbered as sub
steps in the image and the respective step descriptions are provided. This document type is suitable for advanced users as this will drastically reduce the file size of the document.

Multi-lingual support: The Epiplex500 architecture supports publishing a single capture file into simulation and
document outputs in multiple languages. Currently Epiplex500 EPSS supports 17 different languages including complex
scripts like Japanese, Korean, Chinese and left-to-right scripts like Arabic and Hebrew. This facilitates rapid development
of contents in multiple languages with ease.

SCROM and AICC Compliant: Sharable Content Object Reference Model ( SCORM, http://www.adlnet.gov/scorm )
is a collection of standards and specifications for web-based e-learning. The contents published by Epiplex500 support
SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 3rd edition. In addition to this, Epiplex500 also support AICC/CMI AGR-010 guideline of
version 1.0 ( http://www.aicc.org/pages/aicc_faq.htm ).

EPSS (Electronic Performance Support Systems)

Epiplex500 EPSS has an agent that provides context-sensitive or Just-In-Time help. Depending on end user's context,
the agent renders help content in the form of Cue Cards, Simulations, Documents, etc, for the process in which the user
is engaged.

Centralized storage of contents: All the published contents are stored in a content server. Based on the context, the
agent fetches the help contents from this server and renders the user. This ensures that all users are provided with the
same standardized help contents. Any changes made to the content will be reflected to all the users when the agent
renders them.

Search Facility: The agent has a built in search engine which helps users to search the required help content based
on task/process name, keywords, etc.

Automatic content Push: The agent can be configured to automatically render any content when the user is a specific
context. This is useful when any important information about change in a process or conformance has to be published to
all the users. Whenever the user visits the process application screen this information content is automatically displayed
to the user.

Renders any help content (non Epiplex generated): Apart form the help contents generated through epiplex500 EPSS,
the agent can also render any other help content (third party) that are available by integrating them with epiplex500
EPSS.