See how an integrated practice and document management system simplifies cases with Advanced Legal
In the world of law firms, simplicity and efficiency are paramount when it comes to casework. An integrated case management system (CMS) and document management system (DMS) can streamline the entire process, making casework simpler and more effective for fee-earners and administration staff to undertake. Here are a few ways that integrating these systems brings significant benefits to your firm.
By combining document management and practice management, you unlock the power of true document and workflow automation. Document templates in the DMS eliminate repetitive tasks like formatting new documents or searching for previous versions. Integrated systems leverage workspace and document templates to automatically populate matter details from the practice management system, saving completed files to the appropriate matter workspace in the DMS.
With automation, including no-code or low-code options, you can create in-house apps for self-service workflows internally and externally. This enables the creation of comprehensive document packets without the need for a developer, eliminating cumbersome and time-consuming “find and replace” routines.
Operating without a legal DMS exposes your law firm to unnecessary risks. Even if your practice management solution offers built-in document management tools, users may need to work outside the system to access the required features. This results in documents scattered across multiple locations, conflicting versions, and a lack of clarity regarding matter progress. To address these challenges and reduce uncertainty, a single system of record is crucial. A DMS serves as the central repository for all created and received documents and emails. It provides a clear, organised source of information, ensuring easy access, efficient archiving, and effective information governance.
Digital collaboration is essential for smooth business operations. Your team needs tools that facilitate secure and easy collaboration with both internal and external stakeholders, including clients, co-counsel, opposing counsel, and experts.
While both case management and document management offer collaboration features, a DMS excels in securely sharing, editing, reviewing, annotating, and discussing documents. It eliminates the challenges of managing local copies, untracked changes, and version conflicts. As communication platforms like Microsoft Teams and Slack gain popularity, a DMS simplifies file sharing within these platforms, enhancing collaboration efficiency.
Users gain the ability to find the information they need quickly and confidently, leading to enhanced organisation and more time to dedicate to billable work. A well-organised firm can also deliver much improved client service by having all necessary documents, emails, and practice data readily accessible in moments. With happier clients, your firm can improve client retention and receive more referrals.
By integrating a CMS and DMS, you simplify casework, increase efficiency, and deliver exceptional client service. Stay tuned for our next article in this series, where we will explore the benefits of an integrated system for ensuring data and document security, as well as law firm compliance.
An integration sponsored by both Advanced and NetDocuments
Advanced has been proud to work with document management specialists NetDocuments as a preferred partner for several years and was recently awarded EMEA Partner of the Year for 2022.
After a swell of demand for an integration between CMS and DMS systems, Advanced and NetDocuments recently announced that an integration between NetDocuments and P4W, built by integration specialists Xperate, is to be launched.
This integration is sponsored by Advanced and NetDocuments and is the only one of its kind that will benefit from system updates and support as both systems update throughout their lifecycles.
Managing Director for Legal and Education, Doug Hargrove says “We have a long standing relationship with NetDocuments and are pleased to answer our customers’ requests by bringing this integration to the market. Advanced is delighted to be able to offer this exclusive service between the two products that other independent integrations cannot provide”.
Watch our recent webinar where we discussed more about this integration and the benefits of integrating your CMS and DMS systems. You can also read more about integrating your CMS and DMS systems by reading this whitepaper from NetDocuments.
