Module Groupware

The Groupware module is an extension for the Time & Attendance module.

Since time and appointment management is often influenced by different planning media (e.g., vacation is planned in time recording, a business trip in business trip management, or a special duty is assigned to an employee via a planning module), the Webdesk EWP Groupware module enables a synchronization of these appointment types into the groupware calendar. The employees' personal appointment calendar is thus automatically always up to date and does not have to be maintained manually by the employee in the groupware system.

Another advantage is the integration of groupware appointments into the Webdesk calendar views: This way, employees also have the necessary information from the groupware calendars in their personal calendar views in Webdesk or in the group calendar views. For companies that value an informative and complete group calendar, the Webdesk Groupware module is an efficient way to implement this requirement in a modern way via the web.

The Webdesk EWP Groupware module can be used, for example, in switchboards to enrich the attendance board with the free/busy information from the groupware system. This allows a switchboard employee to give a qualified answer in the shortest possible time as to whether and when a particular employee will be available again. This feature is of course not only useful for the switchboard, but also for the entire company. Depending on company policy, only the free/busy information can be displayed, or direct access to the appointment details can be activated.

The GW service module (GW = Groupware) provides an interface between Webdesk and a specific groupware service. Currently, connections to Lotus Notes/Domino and Microsoft Exchange are supported. Further connections (e.g., Novell GroupWise) could be programmed subsequently.

Regardless of which implementation is chosen, the same functions are available, such as:

• Display of calendar entries in the annual calendar (personal calendar)
• Display of calendar entries in the group calendar
• Display of calendar entries in the attendance board
• Reconciliation of absences from the Time & Attendance system with the groupware system (by means of a job)
• Display of calendar entries in the org calendar (e.g., global calendar in management views)

Certain parameters in the Time & Attendance module only work once the GW module is in use, such as the free/busy display.