FlowShare Service Description

General information

FlowShare was developed to support documentation of software user processes (step-by-step instructions).

This is done by automatically capturing screenshots at the moment of user interaction with other software products. Detected user interactions are mouse clicks as well as certain functional keystrokes. In addition to capturing screenshots, FlowShare also reads the label and type of user interface elements clicked on to create basic descriptions of user interactions.

You can provide the finished documentation in different formats depending on the use case, from local formats to interactive formats for e-learning systems or wikis.

This is what makes FlowShare so valuable when documenting processes:

• • With FlowShare, your team is able to document hundreds of processes with minimal effort while actually performing the task.

• • Anyone can document with FlowShare – not only the IT department and also non-IT-savvy employees. This allows the documentation work to be shared among several shoulders.

• • FlowShare creates accessible and easily navigable step-by-step instructions. This allows questions about processes to be answered quickly.

• • Once defined, all instructions created with FlowShare look consistent, regardless of who creates them.

Product specifications:

1. FlowShare Free

FlowShare Free allows you to use the Desktop App to capture processes with up to 15 steps and publish up to 20 guides online in your FlowShare Portal. 

Set-up, installation and management

• Local installation on your device
  Since FlowShare runs from your computer, nothing needs to be stored in the cloud before you’re not ready to publish it. All your data stays local to you, unless you want to share it online.
• Runs on Citrix and terminal servers
  As an additional option, you can run FlowShare on Citrix or terminal servers. If you plan on using FlowShare among many virtual machines we recommend FlowShare Enterprise with the Floating Licensing option for optimal license management. 
• Fast updates through source .flow files
  Easily keep all instructions up to date by not having to re-capture the process, just update the new steps in the source flow file.

Automatic, cross-application recording

• Documents your process as you perform it
  Focus on what you do best without interruptions, and FlowShare automatically captures every step you take in any application on demand.
• Desktop and browser compatibility on Windows
  Using its own powerful tracking engine, FlowShare works with any application on your Windows computer, including desktop, custom, and web applications.
• Simple arrows showing where clicked
  FlowShare makes it easy to follow your instructions by highlighting where you clicked. The arrows are placed automatically, so you don’t waste time and effort inserting them manually.
• Save time with automated text descriptions
  FlowShare automatically provides your steps with short descriptions, including the names of the items, buttons and menu tabs you have clicked on.
• AI text generation
  Artificial intelligence now makes it even easier to generate titles and descriptions that match your flow. Existing descriptions can be rewritten and reworded in a flash with this feature.

Easy editing: Customize recorded processes

• Make sensitive data unrecognizable
  Blur all sensitive data at once and forever.
• Crop individual or all screenshots at once
  Save editing time by not having to crop screenshots individually, but apply the same crops to multiple steps.
• Adding markers in the screenshot
  Make even the most complex user interfaces in your process understandable by adding additional markers.
• Customize the design of the arrows to your liking
  Set a global arrow style for the arrows that indicate where you clicked on each screen.
• Supports multiple languages for text generation and user interface
  FlowShare speaks English, German and French. Additional languages are included in our Enterprise plan.
• One-click image editing in Paint, Snagit or Paint.net 
  Provide your screenshots with numerous markers by adding visual elements via Paint.
• Multi Language: Translation into other languages
  Recorded processes can be manually translated into additional languages. Automatic translation is available as a separately available add-on (FlowShare AutoTranslate) and is not part of the standard feature set.

Export: Publish and share your processes

• Online Sharing & Embedding in the FlowShare Portal
  You can publish up to 20 created flows directly in your FlowShare portal, as an Interactive Click Simulation (Interactive Demo) or as a static HTML page. The link to your tutorials is not public, but you can share it with people of your choice or publish it on additional platforms using embed code.  

2. FlowShare Professional

FlowShare Professional allows you to capture an unlimited number of guides with unlimited number of local exports, and gives you access to integrations to make your 

Set-up, installation and license management

• Local installation on your device
  Since FlowShare runs from your computer, nothing needs to be stored in the cloud before you’re not ready to publish it. All your data stays local to you, unless you want to share it online.
• Runs on Citrix and terminal servers
  As an additional option, you can run FlowShare on Citrix or terminal servers. If you plan on using FlowShare among many virtual machines we recommend FlowShare Enterprise with the Floating Licensing option for optimal license management. 
• Fast updates through source .flow files
  Easily keep all instructions up to date by not having to re-capture the process, just update the new steps in the source flow file.
• Uniform design for all your process documentation
  Each tutorial and documentation that you or your team export includes your logo, fonts and brand colors, which you can specify in the settings.
• Import & export settings files
  In case of multiple users (teams), settings can be transferred once to further instances, so that uniform corporate design and templates are stored on all FlowShare instances.
• FlowShare portal for managing and sharing flows
  You get access to your own FlowShare portal where you can manage your licenses, update payment information and view billing information on demand.

Automatic, cross-application recording

• Documents your process as you perform it
  Focus on what you do best without interruptions, and FlowShare automatically captures every step you take in any application on demand.
• Desktop and browser compatibility on Windows
  Using its own powerful tracking engine, FlowShare works with any application on your Windows computer, including desktop, custom, and web applications.
• Simple arrows showing where clicked
  FlowShare makes it easy to follow your instructions by highlighting where you clicked. The arrows are placed automatically, so you don’t waste time and effort inserting them manually.
• Save time with automated text descriptions
  FlowShare automatically provides your steps with short descriptions, including the names of the items, buttons and menu tabs you have clicked on.
• AI text generation
  Artificial intelligence now makes it even easier to generate titles and descriptions that match your flow. Existing descriptions can be rewritten and reworded in a flash with this feature.
• SAP GUI compatibility
  You can also record processes in the SAP GUI with FlowShare. The function must be activated in the settings.

Easy editing: Customize recorded processes

• Bulk-blur sensitive data
  Blur all sensitive data at once and forever.
• Crop individual or all screenshots at once
  Save editing time by not having to crop screenshots individually, but apply the same crops to multiple steps.
• Adding markers in the screenshot
  Make even the most complex user interfaces in your process understandable by adding additional markers.
• Customize the design of the arrows to your liking
  Set a global arrow style for the arrows that indicate where you clicked on each screen.
• Supports multiple languages for text generation and user interface
  FlowShare speaks English, German and French. Additional languages are optionally  included in our Enterprise plan.
• One-click image editing in Paint, Snagit or Paint.net 
  Provide your screenshots with numerous markers by adding visual elements via Paint.
• Multi Language: Translation into other languages
  Recorded processes can be manually translated into additional languages. Automatic translation is available as a separately available add-on (FlowShare AutoTranslate) and is not part of the standard feature set.
• Integrate your own arrow design
  Besides selecting a global arrow style from 6 options, you can also import your own arrow design if you wish. The arrow shows where you clicked on each screenshot. 
• Shorter instructions through StepCombine
  Your instructions will be shorter and clearer because FlowShare automatically merges consecutive steps into a single image for you.

Export: Publish and share your processes offline, online or via integrations

Local Export:

• Uniform design of all instructions
  Every guide and documentation that you or your team exports includes your logo, fonts, and brand colors.
• Templates: Professionally designed instructions without design experience
  With over 10 templates to choose from, FlowShare lets you create documentation that looks like it was designed by a professional. And if that’s not enough, you can:
• Integrate your own design templates for Word and PowerPoint
  For the PPTX and PDF export you can create your own template with your desired design. You can also store a personal template for the DOCX export.
• Local export to various formats:
  You can export your guides into 8 local formats with different templates options: 

• 1. PDF
  2. HTML
  3. Microsoft Word
  4. Microsoft PowerPoint
  5. RPA (OpenRPA)
  6. PNG image export
  7. SCORM
  8. xAPI

• Local Export Template: Interactive Demo
  FlowShare Professional provides you with the “Interactive Demo” format. This allows you to easily create a tutorial that people can actively click through to better understand the process.

Export to FlowShare Portal:

• Online export in the FlowShare portal:
  You can publish up to 50 processes in your FlowShare portal, as an Interactive Click Simulation (Interactive Demo) or as a static HTML page. The link to your tutorials is not public, but you can share it with people of your choice.

Integrations

Integrate your processes captured with FlowShare into systems you already use, or create e-learnings or AI-narrated videos through integrations.

FlowShare Professional comes with numerous partner integrations that allow you to publish the tutorials on partner platforms or export them to completely new formats (e.g. video export via Synthesia).

As of November 2024, the following integrations are available:

• • HeyGen – Create video tutorials with AI Avatars from your flow
  • ELO – Publish your flows in ELO ECM
  • Obsidian – save your flows into your Obsidian Wiki in markdown format. 
  • Synthesia – Create video tutorials with AI Avatars
  • Confluence – directly publish a FlowShare tutorial as a Confluence page.
  • Avendoo LMS – Web Based Trainings in the Avendoo Learning World
  • Know How Nugget Creator – Turn FlowShare instructions into custom nuggets.
  • Guru – publishing the instructions as Guru Cards
  • WordPress – Publishing the tutorials as WordPress articles

A prerequisite for all partner integrations is that you also have a corresponding account with the partner company.

If this is not yet the case, but you are interested in a specific integration, please contact us. We can put you in touch with a personal contact for most integrations.

3. FlowShare Enterprise

FlowShare Enterprise includes all the features and benefits of  FlowShare Professional, plus advanced rollout support via global settings and template integration service, a Customer Success Manager as a personal contact throughout the contract period.

FlowShare Enterprise is licensed in a concurrent licensing model via a hosted license server.

Concurrent Licensing hosted license server

The Concurrent Licensing Option provides great flexibility by allowing an unlimited number of FlowShare users within an organization.

The number of users who can use FlowShare at the same time is limited by the size of the agreed license pool.

You can expand your license pool as needed at any time. With concurrent licenses, you cannot reduce your license pool to less than 3 licenses. If you have more than 3 licenses and want to reduce them, you can do so at the end of your current billing cycle, as a billing cycle is 12 months.

The distribution of step-by-step-guides, training material and presentations created with FlowShare is not limited and can be done at will throughout the company and beyond.

miraminds GmbH sets up a FlowShare license server hosted in Germany for you and makes it available over the course of the contract period.

Frequently asked questions about the license server

1. Can a firewall prevent the external server from working reliably?
The license server is accessed via HTTPS. So far there have been no problems that have impaired the functioning of the server.

2. How does the data transfer work and what data ends up on the server?
An FS instance asks the server whether a license is still available. The server
responds and FS either activates the license or not. The FS instance reports
regularly and informs the server that the license is still in use.

The server receives the following information:
IP address,
Windows logon name of the user,
an ID of the FS instance.

There is a GDPR-compliant contract for order processing (AVV) with the server provider (IONOS).

3. Can occupied licenses be released in the event of network problems or FlowShare crashes?
The server has a timeout mechanism. If an FS instance does not log in for a certain period of time, the license is automatically made available again for others. The timeout, or how often an FS instance should communicate with the server, can be configured. The default is 30 minutes.

4. FlowShare AutoTranslate Add-On

AutoTranslate is a powerful add-on that lets you quickly translate text descriptions in your recordings. The add-on is activated if you have purchased this feature separately. It is not part of the regular FlowShare Free, FlowShare Professional or FlowShare Enterprise plans.

With just a few clicks you can effortlessly translate your entire process recorded with FlowShare into the desired language.
Capture a flow in your preferred language, add a new language.

German, English and French are available as source languages for text generation. After recording, the flow captured in the source language can be translated automatically. Translation works through the API via deepl, which requires an internet connection, and there are a total of 29 languages that FlowShare can translate into.

What languages are currently supported by AutoTranslate?

1. Bulgarian
2. Chinese (simplified available as target language)
3. Czech
4. Danish
5. Dutch
6. English (unspecified variant)
7. Estonian
8. Finnish
9. French
10. German
11. Greek
12. Hungarian
13. Indonesian
14. Italian
15. Japanese
16. Korean
17. Latvian
18. Lithuanian
19. Norwegian (bokmål)
20. Polish
21. Portuguese
22. Romanian
23. Russian
24. Slovak
25. Slovenian
26. Spanish
27. Swedish
28. Turkish
29. Ukrainian

Only the texts that are in the title, description and heading text field are translated. But not the screenshots themselves or respective texts added e.g. via the tab of the rectangular frame or other image editing programs.

DeepL is a German company and processes data in Germany. It is therefore also subject to the EU Data Protection Regulation.
More information on their general terms and conditions and their data security can be found here:
https://www.deepl.com/en/pro-license
https://www.deepl.com/en/pro-data-security/

5. FlowShare Portal and FlowShare Assist

The FlowShare Portal can be used by all FlowShare Free, Professional and Enterprise customers.

The portal offers the following functions:

1. Administrative management of roles, billing data and licenses
   You can manage the organization, add users (there is a distinction between admin, author and viewer – admins can view everything including invoices and manage the organization, authors can publish flows and viewers can use the flow library as well as manage the FlowShare Assist AI assistant).
2. Possibility to publish flows in the Flow Library
   Depending on the plan (Free, Professional or Enterprise), a certain quota
   is available for publishing processes. For Free it is 20 processes, for Professional 50 and for Enterprise by agreement. If there is an extended need for publishing and sharing processes, additional contingent can be booked.
   Flows can be uploaded as a static HTML page or as an interactive demo.
3. FlowShare Assist as AI assistant for end users
   FlowShare instructions are integrated into a GDPR-compliant AI assistant within a Large Language Model. End-users can ask questions about the instructions published in the Flow library and get pinpoint help.

The data processing location for the individual components (backend, frontend, database as well as storage space) is in Frankfurt, Germany.

The data processing location for the vector embeddings of the flow content into the proprietary AI assistant is in Netherlands.

The data is converted into vectors (number collons) with the help of Azure OpenAI and stored in a vector database hosted in the EU (the Netherlands). Everything runs via the Azure OpenAI service, which is hosted in the EU (France) and all data is processed in compliance with the GDPR.

Secure Processing of Your Company Information with Azure OpenAI Service:

We use AzureOpenAI for AI-features like enhanced text generation and FlowShare Assist. Your prompts (inputs) and completions (outputs), your embeddings, and your
training data:

• are NOT available to other customers.
• are NOT available to OpenAI.
• are NOT used to improve OpenAI models.
• are NOT used to improve any Microsoft or 3rd party products or services.
• are NOT used for automatically improving Azure OpenAI models for your use in your resource (The models are stateless, unless you explicitly fine-tune models with your training data).

Your fine-tuned Azure OpenAI models are available exclusively for your use.
Further information can be found here:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/legal/cognitive-services/openai/data-privacy

Limitations

In general, FlowShare is compatible with desktop software running on Windows operating systems and applications running in web browsers. FlowShare is compatible with most software, but it also has its limitations.

Applications, environments, and configurations that may be incompatible or produce poor results include the following:

1. Operating systems other than Windows 10 and 11 (Linux and macOS are not supported).
2. User interfaces created with frameworks that are not tuned for Windows user interface containers, such as Java.
3. Lower level system windows, such as the Windows Task Manager and others.
4. Applications (including web browsers) that do not support native accessibility APIs or have accessibility disabled.
5. Applications running in a remote session.
6. Configurations with more than two screens can work, but are currently not officially supported.

A poor result means in most cases that the precise automatic text description does not work. The screenshots are still captured even in most limitations.  

Limitations of SAP Desktop GUI Entry:

1. Only screen scaling factors of 100% or 125% are supported.
2. In multi-screen setups, all screens must be set to the same scaling factor.
3. Only one SAP GUI window/session can be open at a time.
4. SAP scripting must be enabled.
5. SAP GUI must be open before opening FlowShare.
6. Not all, but a large number of SAP GUI element types are supported.
7. Compatibility starts with SAP GUI version 6.20 patch level 39.

Restrictions on file export options:

1. For export as Word documents (docx) Microsoft Office must be installed.
2. Exporting PowerPoint-based PDF files requires Microsoft Office to be installed.
3. An Enterprise subscription to Synthesia.io is required to export as video.
4. Drawing inside screenshots except rectangles requires Microsoft Paint to be installed.

Activation

1. For technical reasons, activation by license key is not suitable for virtual desktop environments (activation is lost at the end of the session).
2. Enterprise: For activation via a floating license server hosted by miraminds GmbH, the computer running FlowShare must have an internet connection at all times.
3. Enterprise: A locally hosted Floating License Server as an alternative to a server hosted by miraminds GmbH requires a physical machine (virtual machines are not supported). The server application can be hosted on Windows operating systems. On Unix-based machines, the license server process must run with root privileges.

Installation

1. FlowShare is delivered as an MSI package.
2. MSI parameters are not supported. Standardized rollouts of FlowShare can be implemented using FlowShare’s settings file mechanism.

The Provider assumes no liability and cannot guarantee that proper use of FlowShare is possible in the hardware and software environment available on the FlowShare User’s side in the respective digital medium (PC, laptop, tablet or other client).

It is the customer’s responsibility to check the technical requirements on his side and to implement them by suitable measures (including suitable software or suitable browser).

Maintenance description

FlowShare is continuously developed further. On average, a new release is made once per quarter. This includes bug fixes, incremental improvements, as well as new and enhanced features based on our customers’ requests and feedback. 

You can count on us to take care of fixing bugs as soon as possible. These always have priority during development. In parallel, we are already working on new helpful features. You are welcome to contribute your ideas for the further development of FlowShare here: https://feedback.getflowshare.com/

We are very open to incorporating suggestions from our customers into product development. However, we cannot guarantee that a particular request will be implemented with certainty.

Duty to cooperate

In order to successfully put FlowShare into operation, miraminds GmbH is dependent on certain cooperation obligations of the customer.

1. Designation of a primary contact for all technical issues.
2. Designate at least one key user to communicate on new features and updates.

Support

Help on usage and common problem solutions can be found in our Help Center.

There you can post “Contact Us” tickets, which are usually processed within 24 hours (weekdays 9am-5pm).