The task of assembling large amounts of data from specimens and bibliographic sources then editing, processing and formatting these data to prepare taxonomic treatments, lists of specimens examined, maps, specimen indexes and other outputs, is a daunting one for the monographer or checklister embarking on new work. Data gathered from specimens and bibliographic sources - names, authors, protologues, synonyms, types, descriptive text, ecological detail and raw specimen data, etc. are readily assembled and formatted into different categories of output, saving vast amounts of time with fussy and complex data sorting and formatting. While default report templates are provided for specific flora and monograph series, a more or less limitless number of reporting formats can be created to work on extracted and assembled data. A few examples of default and user-designed reports can be seen on the Output samples page . While the database can facilitate data transfer and exchange, this is a matter for individual projects to decide upon.
Some projects have an open policy concerning data exchange.