Docbricks
This sheet summarizes value, pricing and use cases. From here you can move to the dedicated areas or to the client portal for the next action.
An open-source document management core (Alfresco Community) plus Objlab modules and declarative domain profiles: turn on only the functions you need and model your sector's document lifecycle (pharmaceutical, engineering, generic) from configuration, not development.
What it solves
- I DMS verticali chiusi costano licenze e vincolano a un solo settore; adattarli richiede sviluppo su misura
- Critical documents (SOPs, drawings, orders) without a governed lifecycle, signed traceability and retention end up scattered in network folders and emails
- Le suite documentali enterprise sono sovradimensionate: si paga per moduli che non si usano
- Integrating the documentary with management systems/ERP and BI tools (Power BI, Qlik) is usually a separate project
Docbricks is the composable document platform of Objlab, built on top of Alfresco Content Services (Community Edition) and consumed via REST API: the core Alfresco is not modified, runs in containers and is orchestrated by an Objlab application gateway (.NET) with a web interface (Angular) that consists of active modules.
The principle is composability: the platform is made of "building blocks" (modules) that are turned on or off for each customer, and of domain profiles declarative that adapt metadata, states, and document lifecycle to the sector without duplicating code. Today there are two real domains (pharmaceutical/GxP and engineering firm) and generic profiles (DMS, manufacturer).
What it does
| Module / brick | What it does |
|---|---|
| Controlled Documents | Document cockpit: navigation, lifecycle states, search, upload, versions |
| Approval Workflow | State-based cycle with electronic signature (who/when/meaning); the states come from the domain descriptor |
| Audit Trail | Native Alfresco tracking who/what/when on each document |
| Watermark PDF | Stamps downloaded PDFs (e.g., "UNCONTROLLED COPY WHEN PRINTED") |
| Log Archive | Searchable full-text archive with retention (keep until expiration, legal hold, purge) |
| Data Quality | Inspection of PDF/XLSX/JSON/Word/TXT before import: preview and checks |
| Import / Export | Native Alfresco protocols (CMIS, FTP, IMAP) with live tests and export of a folder as ZIP |
| Data Connectors | SQL sources exposed as REST/OData for Power BI and Qlik |
| Import/Export Flows | Bridge between ERP and Alfresco: imports SQL rows as documents, exports documents |
| Analytics | Repository KPIs and activity feed |
| Onboarding & Admin | App composition wizard, customer profiles, and module management (core modules always active) |
Key Features
- Declarative domain profiles: the lifecycle is a transition table (initial state, required inputs, effects). The pharmacist has a linear cycle (draft > under review > approved > effective > obsolete) on the SOP; engineering has two distinct entities, project (folder) and technical drawing (file), with loop cycles and revision index.
- Traced electronic signature in workflow: every approval or rejection records signer, date, and meaning of the signature, analogous to principles 21 CFR Part 11. It is implemented on Alfresco metadata (it is not a cryptographic PAdES signature).
- Operational retention and legal hold: preservation until expiration, legal lock preventing deletion, optional automatic job (default off, with simulation mode). Deletion goes to the trash bin and is recoverable.
- Pass-through authentication: the user logs in with their own Alfresco credentials; the gateway acts on the user's ticket, so permissions and audit are those of actual Alfresco. Session in HttpOnly cookie.
- Data integration and BI: SQL sources published as REST/OData endpoints, bidirectional flows between management and documental systems.
Architecture
Three decoupled levels:
- Frontend: SPA Angular composed of active modules (manifest-driven).
- Objlab Gateway: Web API .NET that encapsulates the REST APIs of Alfresco, hosts the modules (workflow, retention, data connector, watermark) and domain descriptors.
- Core Alfresco: Alfresco Content Services Community (Java repository on Tomcat) + PostgreSQL (metadata) + Solr (search) + ActiveMQ + Transform Service + content store. The repository used is Alfresco Governance Services Community, compliant with file plan and retention standards.
The gateway communicates with Alfresco only via HTTP/REST: the core remains standard and updatable. The same platform runs on Alfresco Enterprise when high availability, cloud storage, or SLA support is required.
Requirements
- Container environment (Podman or Docker) for the Alfresco stack; .NET runtime for the gateway and Node/Angular for the frontend.
- Alfresco Content Services Community (tested on release 26.x) with its components (PostgreSQL, Solr, ActiveMQ, Transform).
- Current deployment via Compose (suitable for PoC/pilot); for production a hardening and orchestration path is expected.
Compliance & regulations
Regolamento generale sulla protezione dei dati
Copertura funzionale abilitante: audit trail, controllo accessi per utente (autenticazione pass-through), retention e cancellazione dei documenti. Non e' una certificazione chiavi in mano.
Conservazione documentale / retention
Retention operativa con scadenze, legal hold e purge tracciato, su base Alfresco Governance Services (modello a fascicolo / file plan).
GxP / 21 CFR Part 11 (copertura funzionale)
Solo copertura funzionale dei mattoni: firma elettronica tracciata (firmatario/data/significato), audit e versioning, ciclo di vita controllato. NON certificato: la firma e' su metadati (non crittografica) e la compliance GxP richiede la validazione (CSV) del sistema installato.
Reports & dossiers
- Export cartellaZIP
Estrazione di una cartella Alfresco e del suo contenuto in archivio compresso.
- Dataset sorgente datiREST JSON / OData
Righe di una sorgente SQL esposte a strumenti di BI (Power BI, Qlik).
- Report di retentionJSON
Esito del ciclo di retention (esaminati, scaduti, cancellati, falliti, in legal hold), in dry-run o applicato.
- PDF con watermarkPDF
Copia stampabile timbrata in diagonale (es. 'UNCONTROLLED COPY WHEN PRINTED').
Try it
Frequently asked questions
Docbricks sostituisce Alfresco o ci lavora sopra?
Ci lavora sopra senza toccarne il codice: uno strato Objlab (gateway .NET e interfaccia Angular a moduli) che parla con Alfresco Content Services via REST API. Il core resta quello ufficiale in container, quindi non c'è nessun fork da mantenere e la via d'uscita è chiara: i documenti restano nel tuo PostgreSQL e nel content store, accessibili anche via CMIS, lo standard OASIS per l'interoperabilità documentale.
Docbricks è certificato 21 CFR Part 11 o GxP?
No, and one should be wary of anyone claiming it for a product on the shelf: GxP compliance and Part 11 is a system validation (CSV) process once installed, not a factory tick-box. Docbricks provides the bricks that validation requires—signed and traceable signatures with signer, date, and meaning, audit trail, versioning, controlled lifecycle, and retention—and its declarative approach, with explicit profiles and content models, makes it easier to document. The signature is on the metadata, not cryptographic.
Un documento che risponde a più norme va duplicato per ciascuna?
No. The document links to requirements in a regulatory registry, and when attached to a common core, it covers all the regulations that core touches — in a real case, seven regulations, each on its current edition — with just one link. If the applicable regulations for the core change, all linked documents update automatically without manual intervention, because propagation is calculated on read.
Cosa succede quando esce una nuova edizione di una norma, come ISO 9001:2026?
The norm edition is a standalone node, not a property: when the 2026 edition comes out, the 2015 edition remains in effect for those who have not yet transitioned, and every document knows to which edition it corresponds. The view permissions are tied to the single revision, so with the change of edition people re-enter the list to reread and reaffirm: a signature attributable to the authenticated user, valid for audit.
Docbricks produce qualcosa di concreto per l'audit?
Yes: a compliance matrix that crosses documents and requirements, highlights gaps, and exports to Excel. A standard whose coverage has not been mapped is marked 'not measured', distinguished from zero coverage — showing 0% would declare non-conformity that no one has verified. Signed editions and version history remain on the document: this is what an ISO 9001 auditor asks for to know who signed what and when.
Possiamo tenerlo sui nostri sistemi, senza mandare i documenti fuori?
Yes: the preferred mode is on-premise, as an appliance provided and managed by Objlab remotely, with all software included — including Alfresco in its Community edition, so without third-party commercial licenses. The appliance opens the channel to Objlab for support: no incoming port needs to be opened on your network. Updates are assisted and include rollback to previous versions, and backups are verified periodically with restore proofs.
Use cases
Documentale GxP per SOP farmaceutiche
Gestione delle Standard Operating Procedure con ciclo di vita controllato, firma di approvazione/rifiuto tracciata, watermark sulle copie stampate e audit nativo.
Documentale per societa' di ingegneria
Governo di commesse (cartelle) e disegni tecnici (file) con stati distinti, indice di revisione sullo stesso nodo e workflow guidato dal descrittore, senza sviluppo su misura.