The first release of Laserfiche 12 in November 2024 had our clients asking: To update or not to update?
We thoroughly test out new versions of Laserfiche before we recommend clients update, but we can now say with confidence to system administrators: Laserfiche 12 will make your job easier.
Version 12 will be released in phases between now and 2026. But the initial release contains three features in particular that will save you time on setup and troubleshooting:
- Administration Hub
- Metadata Enhancements
- Forms Test Mode
Several of our team members came together to talk about the benefits of Laserfiche 12 for system administrators. Read on to see what they had to say.
Faster Troubleshooting with the Laserfiche 12 Administration Hub
The Administration Hub is a centralized place where you can get information about your entire Laserfiche ecosystem. It simplifies system management by consolidating logs and system information into one interface so you don’t have to navigate multiple servers to identify errors. That means it’s easier and faster to diagnose and resolve issues—whether you’re troubleshooting on your own or calling MCCi tech support.
MCCi Manager of Support Services Drew Ferrell explained, “You don’t have to hop over to five different servers to find a Forms log, a Web Client log, a Weblink log because it’s all in one spot.”
For instance, suppose you’re troubleshooting a Laserfiche Forms problem—a process is suspended due to a missing value. But you’re not sure if the error originated in Forms, Workflow, or the repository server. In previous versions of Laserfiche, you’d have to log into different systems, search event viewers, and manually cross-reference logs.
With the Admin Hub, all relevant logs are centralized so you can immediately see:
- Where the error originated
- Any authentication or communication errors between modules
- A clear log of system events
This means you can get to the root cause of the error faster and minimize the form’s downtime.
Metadata Enhancements in Laserfiche 12
Laserfiche 12 has a redesigned metadata experience that looks and functions similar to Forms. You can build metadata templates more easily with the new drag-and-drop Metadata Designer. Plus, you have additional options that make it easier for end users to enter data accurately:
- Checkboxes
- Radio buttons
- Conditional rules
In this video clip, Lead Solutions Architect Nathan Whicker demonstrates how to use the new Laserfiche 12 Metadata Designer.
Conditional rules function just like they do in Forms: Certain fields only display based on previous inputs.
Systems Engineering Manager Keith Hay gave an example of a client he recently worked with who needed metadata templates for real estate documents. Assessments, administrative appeals, income and expense documents, sales verifications, and tax-exempt property all required different metadata fields. But there was no way to show only the relevant fields based on the document type selected.
The workaround was to make all fields optional or create separate templates for each document type, both of which made the process of entering metadata more complex for the end user.
But with Laserfiche 12’s conditional rules, metadata fields can now dynamically appear or hide based on the selected document type. For example:
If a user selects “Administrative Appeal,” only the fields relevant to appeals appear.
If they select “Real Estate Assessment,” a different set of required fields will be shown.
This prevents unnecessary fields from cluttering the screen and ensures users enter only the relevant information.
In addition to the new functionality, our users say that the Laserfiche 12 metadata templates look sleeker and more up to date. Fields can be placed side-by-side rather than only listed vertically. This means fields like “First Name” and “Last Name” are easier to skim.
Forms Test Mode: Avoid Disrupting Production Data
Forms Test Mode allows administrators to run processes in a controlled test environment without affecting live data. This means you can modify, troubleshoot, and customize processes in real-time while ensuring that your critical processes keep running smoothly. With Test Mode, there’s no need to worry about breaking a form in production or disrupting other people’s work while making improvements.
Before this update, testing Forms processes required cumbersome workarounds. As Solutions Architect Angela Ellis described: “You’d have to go into each task in that forms process that was assigned to a person, change who it was assigned to, publish it, run a test, figure out if that’s what you needed. And then once you fix the issue, you’d have to go back and reset it back to the person that should have been assigned to or the team it should have been assigned to.”
This method was not only time-consuming but also introduced risks—if an admin forgot to reset an assignment, it could disrupt real users and create confusion.
“Now you don’t have to do any of that,” Angela said.
In Forms Test Mode, you can run a full end-to-end test without modifying live workflows, ensuring that email notifications, approvals, and timed events behave as expected. Also, test submissions are clearly labeled within the system, so they don’t get mixed up with real user data. This makes troubleshooting faster and reduces downtime—without having to alert the entire team every time you make a small adjustment.
Nathan Whicker shows step-by-step how to work on a form in test mode.
Free Laserfiche 12 Certification Course
If you need one more reason to upgrade—when you upgrade to Laserfiche 12 this year, anyone at your organization can get the Laserfiche 12 Gold Certification free!
This 11-hour course (a $900 value) covers:
- New Laserfiche 12 Features
- Getting Started with Laserfiche
- Document Capture Methods
- Working with Forms
- Getting Started with Workflow
- Repository Administration
While Laserfiche 12 has many new features, we think the learning curve is very manageable, particularly with this certification under your belt.
Technical FAQs About Laserfiche 12 Upgrades
Do I need to upgrade to Laserfiche version 10 or 11 before getting Laserfiche 12?
No, you don’t have to be on a recent version of Laserfiche to upgrade directly to version 12.
Is there a database migration required as a part of upgrading to Laserfiche 12?
No, as long as you’re on version 8.3 or later, we can install Laserfiche 12 right on top of your existing installation. Any SQL schema changes will happen on the back end as a part of the upgrade process.
What is the minimum version of Microsoft SQL and Windows Server required for Laserfiche 12?
Laserfiche 12 requires Microsoft SQL Server 2014 SP3 or above and Windows Server 2016. See the full Laserfiche supported OS list.
Your Next Steps
Fill out the form below or email your account executive today! You’ll be enjoying the benefits of easier Laserfiche administration in no time.
