The Sackett Group, Inc.

Introduction

In 1990, MacPac first appeared on the market as a collection, or package, of the automated routines, or macros, that can be created within word processing programs to speed up repetitive tasks. Since then, MacPac has evolved into a full product line designed to meet a range of document automation needs. Our clients extend from small to very large organizations, and from novice users to experienced system administrators and in-house developers.

We aim to provide enough basic information about MacPac products below so that you can distinguish between them. However, we advise you to contact us when you are ready to make a selection for your organization. Buying MacPac is more like going to the tailor for a new suit than to your local department store. We customize the software to fit your documents and workflow routines, and we work with you to ensure that the fit is good. As your organizational needs change, we can make alterations, or support you in upgrading to a product with more functionality.

MacPac 9 and MacPac 10 Comparison

MacPac 10 is not simply an updated version of MacPac 9. Rather, the two are separate products, each with fully developed capabilities. MacPac 10 has been built from the ground up to provide a powerful, robust platform for a set of content management, document assembly, and data integration functions – in addition to the document automation functions that lie at the heart of the MacPac system.

MacPac 9 has been in production since 2000 and provides comprehensive macro and template functionality.  It does not include the document assembly functionality, content management, or automated customization deployment of MacPac 10.

The Sackett Group, Inc. (TSG) is excited about MacPac 10, but that doesn’t prevent us from helping you choose the best product for your needs. Some of our partner clients find that the architecture of MacPac 10 – e.g., its 100% codeless customization and automated customization deployment – better suits their requirements, while others are very happy with the productivity they get with MacPac 9.  No matter which product you choose, we are committed to supporting your MacPac system fully and equally for the foreseeable future. We also support MacPac 9 clients in making the change to MacPac 10, if they decide they need the additional functions MacPac 10 offers.

The chart below summarizes the technical differences between MacPac 9 and MacPac 10. In choosing the best product for your organization, you should also consider differences in how end-users and administrators interact with the two programs.

User Interface (UI)

MacPac 9 utilizes a traditional dialog interface for input and editing of templates. Macro functions are available from a MacPac menu or ribbon (depending on the version of MS Office being used). This applies to global macros, as well as to those designed for editing a specific type of document, e.g., letterhead or letter signature macros.

MacPac 10 utilizes a task pane instead of dialog boxes. The task pane adds a new dimension of functionality and efficiency, because it enables end-users to see changes in the document as they create and edit, instead of waiting for a dialog box to close. Macro functions, both global and content-specific, are available from MacPac ribbons and apply to all MacPac 10 documents. They include editing functions similar to MacPac 9 macros.

Document Assembly

While MacPac 9 includes some document assembly functionality, MacPac 10 combines macro-like functionality, content management, and document assembly into a single document production system. MacPac 10 handles a wide range of functions with ease, from basic document automation of letters and memos to sophisticated document assembly operations involving multiple documents with question and answer storage.

Administration

Though there are many new features in MacPac 10 for the end-user, our clients especially like the administrative backend. Except for enhancements and product resolutions, most changes made by the administrator are published to a SQL server and distributed to the client workstations automatically via a scheduled synchronization process. The administrative component enables the administrator to perform non-content related development and maintenance, e.g., schedule synchronization, configure application settings, edit lists, manage users and groups, and so on. All content design and automation ("templates") are implemented in MS Word. MacPac administrators can configure and automate the product without writing any code.

Additionally, author preferences are globally available for all users, and administrators can configure author preference options for any field in the task pane, such as author detail in letterhead, letter closings, and body text formatting. Authors can give proxy rights to other users, thereby enabling administrative assistants to set up MacPac for other people, and even create clause libraries, style sheets, and Saved Data ("answer files") to make it easy for others to create new documents.

Comparison Chart: MacPac 9 and MacPac 10