ISOWARE 17.2.0 release note

Requirements for Java version

This version of ISOWARE requires Java 21. Java 21 can currently be downloaded here: https://adoptium.net/temurin/releases. Please note that this version of Java does not include an automatic update function, so you must make sure to download and install new versions at appropriate intervals. Alternatively, Oracle's version can be used, but please note the license terms when using this.

Improvements and new features

Inserting images in Swimlane shapes

It is now possible to insert background images into Swimlane shapes:

When editing Swimlane shapes, the following new elements for handling background images can now be seen at the bottom:

The image's indentation from the edge of the shape can be adjusted with Background image margin
The image's position in the shape can be adjusted with Background image position:
- Stretch: The image is forced to match the exact height and width of the shape. This can make the image appear flat or stretched.
- Fill: The image is zoomed in to fill the entire shape. Parts of the image at the top/bottom or sides are cut off to avoid empty gaps.
- Fit: The entire image is made visible without being cropped. If the shape of the image does not match the shape, empty areas will appear at the sides or top/bottom.
Horizontal and vertical alignment can be adjusted with Horizontal background image alignment and Vertical background image alignment

Sharing processes

It is now possible to share a process by creating a sharing link or by sharing a process with another organization

Processes can be shared by:

Copying a sharing link
Sharing a link to the process via email
Sharing the process with another organization

Copying a sharing link

To copy a sharing link, you must have the Edit processes right:

Click More/Share in the toolbar at the top of the process
Select Copy sharing link
Click Copy link to create the link and copy it to the clipboard
The link will now be copied to the clipboard and the share can subsequently be viewed under the Existing shares tab. Here you will also be able to see a QR code for the link, which can be retrieved by right-clicking on the QR code and selecting Save image.
Information about the share can be viewed and edited by clicking on it in the list

Share a link to the process via email

This method is used to send a direct link to a specific process. If the link is sent to a recipient whose email address is registered to a user in ISOWARE, the link works in the same way as you normally open a process in ISOWARE. That is, you must be logged in to be able to view the process. This type of link is called a Internal User Link. If this type of link is sent to an ISOWARE user who does not have the necessary permissions to view/edit the process, ISOWARE creates temporary permissions for the specific process.

If the link is sent to a recipient whose email address is not registered with a user in ISOWARE, the link contains additional information that gives the recipient guest access to the process in question. In this case, the link only provides access to the specific process. This type of link is called a Shareable link.

To send a link to a process as an email, you must have the Edit processes permission:

Click More/Share in the toolbar at the top of the process
Select Share via email
Add one or more recipients in the To field. Recipients are added by typing their email address and pressing Enter
If necessary, type a new subject in the Subject field. This field corresponds to the subject field in a normal email
If necessary, type a message in the Message field. This field corresponds to the content field in a normal email
Click Send to send the email
The link will now be sent to the selected recipients and the share can subsequently be viewed under the Existing shares tab. Here you will also be able to see a QR code for the link, which can be retrieved by right-clicking on the QR code and selecting Save image.
Information about the share can be viewed by clicking on it in the list

Links of the type Shareable link and Link to internal user, where the system has created temporary permissions for the specific process, are basically valid for 30 days (can be changed). If access is desired to be blocked earlier. This can be achieved by clicking on the share in the list and selecting Unshare

Share the process with another organization

When a process in organization 1 is shared with organization 2, the process becomes part of organization 2. This means that users in organization 2 have the same access to the shared process as they have to other processes in organization 2.

This is only possible if an administrator has made the necessary setup of the organization to which the process in question belongs. This is described in the help section Setting up process sharing with other organizations

To share a process with another organization, you must have the Edit processes right:

Click More/Share in the toolbar at the top of the process
Select Share with organization
Check the box next to the organization(s) you want to share with
Click the Share button
The process will now be shared with the selected organizations and the sharing can now be seen under the Existing sharings
Information about the sharing can be seen by clicking on it in the list.
If you want to unshare the sharing. This can be achieved by clicking on it in the list and selecting Unshare

Report Sharing Update

The existing report sharing feature has been updated to have the same capabilities as the new Process Sharing feature.

Reports can now be shared by:

Copy a sharing link (new)
Share a link to the report via email
Share the report with another organization

Copy a sharing link

To copy a sharing link, you must have the Edit own/all reports permission:

Click More/Share in the toolbar at the top of the report
Select Copy sharing link
Under Anyone with the link can read these sections you can choose which sections of reports should be readable by the recipient
Under Anyone with the link can edit these sections you can choose which sections of reports should be editable by the recipient
Under Anyone with the link can access uploaded files you can choose whether files that may be uploaded to the report must be available to the recipient
Under Anyone with the link has access to notes you can choose whether the report's notes should be available to the recipient
Click Copy link to create the link and copy it to the clipboard
The share can now be seen in the Sharing section at the bottom of the report
Information about the share can be viewed and edited by clicking on it in the list. Here you will also be able to see a QR code for the link, which can be retrieved by right-clicking on the QR code and selecting Save image

Share a link to the report via email

This method is used to send a direct link to a specific report. If the link is sent to a recipient whose email address is registered to a user in ISOWARE, the link works in the same way as opening a report in ISOWARE normally. That is, you must be logged in to view the report. This type of link is called a Link to internal user. If this type of link is sent to an ISOWARE user who does not have the necessary permissions to view/edit the report, ISOWARE creates temporary permissions for the specific report.

If the link is sent to a recipient whose email address is not registered to a user in ISOWARE, the link contains additional information that gives the recipient guest access to the report in question. In this case, the link only provides access to the specific report. This type of link is called a Shareable link.

To send a link to a report as an email, you must have the Edit own/all reports permission:

Click More/Share in the toolbar at the top of the report
Select Share via email
Add one or more recipients in the To field. Recipients are added by typing their email address and pressing Enter
If necessary, type a new subject in the Subject field. This field corresponds to the subject field in a normal email
If necessary, type a message in the Message field. This field corresponds to the content field in a normal email.
Under Anyone with the link can read these sections you can choose which sections of reports should be readable by the recipient.
Under Anyone with the link can edit these sections you can choose which sections of reports should be editable by the recipient.
Under Anyone with the link can access uploaded files you can choose whether files that may be uploaded to the report must be available to the recipient
Under Everyone with the link has access to notes you can choose whether the report's notes should be available to the recipient
Click Send to send the email
The link will now be sent to the selected recipients and the share can subsequently be viewed in the Sharing section at the bottom of the report
Information about the share can be viewed by clicking on it in the list. Here you will also be able to see a QR code for the link, which can be retrieved by right-clicking on the QR code and selecting Save image

Links of the type Shareable link and Link to internal user, where the system has created temporary permissions for the specific report, are generally valid for 30 days (can be changed). If you want to block access earlier, you can do so by clicking on the share in the list and selecting Unshare

Share the report with another organization

When a report in organization 1 is shared with organization 2, the report becomes part of organization 2. This means that users in organization 2 have the same access to the shared report as they have to other reports in organization 2.

This is only possible if an administrator has made the necessary setup of the report template on which the report in question is based. See more in the help section Setting up report sharing with other organizations

To share a report with another organization, you must have the Edit own/all reports right:

Click More/Share in the toolbar at the top of the report
Select Share with organization
Check the box next to the organization(s) you want to share with
Click the Share button
The report will now be shared with the selected organizations and the sharing can now be seen in the Sharing section at the bottom of the report
Information about the sharing can be seen by clicking on it in the list
If you want to cancel the sharing. This can be achieved by clicking on it in the list and selecting Unshare

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

To comply with heightened cybersecurity standards, including NIS2 and ISO 27001, ISOWARE now introduces Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA / 2FA). MFA adds an essential layer of security by requiring a 6-digit one-time code from an authenticator app upon login, in addition to username and password.

Standard and Compatibility

ISOWARE utilizes the open TOTP standard (Time-based One-Time Password / RFC 6238). This allows users to choose any standard authenticator app, including:

Microsoft Authenticator
Google Authenticator
Duo Mobile
1Password, Bitwarden, etc.

Administrator Configuration

MFA can be enabled per user by an administrator:

Navigate to System Administration → Users
Click on the desired user and select Edit User
Check the MFA Enabled checkbox and click Save

User Onboarding (Pairing)

The first time a user logs in after MFA has been enabled, an onboarding wizard is displayed:

The user opens their preferred authenticator app on their smartphone and selects Add account → Scan QR code
The QR code displayed on screen is scanned (or the secret key entered manually)
The user enters the 6-digit verification code from the app into ISOWARE and clicks Confirm

Daily Login & Trusted Browser

During subsequent logins, the user enters their username and password, followed by the 6-digit code from their phone.

Users can select Trust this browser for 30 days on trusted devices to skip the verification prompt for 30 days per browser.

Resetting Upon Phone Replacement

If an employee loses or replaces their smartphone, an administrator can reset the user's MFA pairing with a single click in the user's profile, allowing the user to pair a new device during their next login.

AI & MCP Server Integration (Microsoft Copilot)

ISOWARE 17.2.0 introduces full support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and enterprise AI assistants, including Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft Copilot Studio, Claude, and Cursor. This empowers corporate AI agents to securely query and retrieve information directly from ISOWARE.

Model Context Protocol (MCP) & OpenAPI

ISOWARE now includes a built-in MCP server (via Server-Sent Events at /rest/mcp/sse) and a standardized OpenAPI 3.0 specification (/rest/mcp/openapi.json), making it easy to connect Copilot Studio as a Custom Connector or MCP agent.

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) & Data Privacy

Security and confidentiality remain paramount:

User Authentication: Every employee authenticates using their individual ISOWARE account via OAuth 2.0.
Granular Permissions: The AI agent only accesses processes, reports, tasks, and projects that the specific user has explicit read permissions for in ISOWARE.
No Model Training: Customer data is transmitted encrypted and used solely to formulate the immediate response – data is never used to train public or external AI models.

Available AI Tools Catalog

Connected AI agents have automatic access to the following toolset:

search_processes & get_process_details: Search approved processes, standard operating procedures, and working instructions, presenting answers with direct clickable links formatted as [Title](url).
search_reports & get_report_details: Search quality reports, non-conformities, audits, and customer claims, including field entries, root causes, and corrective actions.
search_projects & get_project_details: Search and filter projects by status, owner, and deadlines, and retrieve full project data including subtasks and linked reports.
search_tasks & get_task_details: Search and track tasks based on status, priority, responsible user, and parent project.
get_my_assigned_items: Retrieves a 360-degree personal to-do dashboard of all open quality reports, tasks, and projects assigned to or owned by the logged-in user.

Built-in Vertex AI Chatbot

In addition to Microsoft Copilot integration, ISOWARE also supports an optional built-in AI chatbot directly inside the ISOWARE web interface, powered by Google Vertex AI, enabling users to ask procedural questions directly in the browser.

ISOWARE release note

Version 17.2.0

Contents