The Paperless Office - Leeds and Yorkshire Lawyers
1st May 2005
In search of thr Holy Grail - 'The Paperless Office'
Since the first semi-conductor was shrunk onto a chip and the first OCR software was written, the computer industry has been on a quest to find its own version of The Holy Grail – ‘The Paperless Office’.
As with all such quests there have been many false dawns and many ideas dashed on the ‘rocks’ of practicality. The reason for this failure is actually quite obvious. Irrespective of the advent of large flat screens, personal computers and mobile phones capable of receiving emails, the fact is that you and I still like to read the printed word.
The tremendous success of the Harry Potter books, not to mention Dan Brown’s blockbuster the Da Vinci Code, show that even with the very latest technology at our fingertips we still demand newspapers that you can wrap fish and chips in and books that you can read on the train.
So instead of embarking on a forlorn and ultimately disappointing search for ‘The Paperless Office’ what we at Linetime decided to do was to search out the ‘Less-Paper Office’.
To help our clients and other modern law firms achieve this newly defined Nirvana, Linetime has just released a new product called ImageRouter part of our latest series of industry standard .NET software modules.
When we were drawing up the specification for this new .NET addition to the Liberate software suite, our in-house design team had to define exactly what the benefits of a ‘less-paper’ legal office would be?
They came up with the following: • An easy to use document scanning, storing and distribution system
• Something that would free up expensive office space
• By utilising low cost “off site” storage for original documents
• Make significant reductions in the time it takes to search for files
• Reduce the cost of distributing post and files inside and outside the office
• One touch print for all documents relating to a file (in PDF format)
The idea was to develop a system where scanned documents and photographs could be distributed quickly and efficiently as computer files, directly to individuals or designated “post masters”. Plus the system had to allow multiple users to peruse files simultaneously (subject to security permissions of course).
In addition, the new system had to deliver significant management benefits, such as:
• A distribution system that was totally secure where documents could never get lost and all images were easily traceable and retrievable
• A system that assists management quality control procedures and helps with Lexcel compliance
• Produces key management statistics on the receipt and speed of file processing In other words the Linetime software developers had to devise a system that gave managers the ability to monitor operator efficiency and promote adherence to SLA’s – internal and external, with all file movements being capable of being strictly audited.
As with all such IT solutions our ‘Less-Paper office’ software should add significant value by making the day-to-day office life easier. A product like ImageRouter.NET achieves this by helping users identify and process documentation quickly. In addition it has a number of unique features such as: Zoom Zone, which allows the user to quickly magnify illegible material; Always on Top, allowing case details to be perused whilst still viewing the image(s) and Case Mode, which will display all images for a selected case.
The whole point of the ‘Grail Quest’ for the ‘Paperless Office’ was one of increasing office efficiency and hence profitability, by enabling the same number of fee earners and staff to take-on more work. ImageRouter.NET achieves this objective in many ways, for example by providing users with immediate access to files across branch offices and a one touch print option for all documents relating to the file in question.
Users can easily identify documents, images and cases, marrying them together with ease. Alternatively, documents and images can be passed between users (all audited and controlled) until the correct final recipient and file are found.
Images and documents can be delivered individually or in a coordinated bundle so that users receive all their latest information at the same time. Notes can be attached as cases progress and these then reside permanently alongside the file for future reference.
A great benefit of implementing ImageRouter.NET and a significant cost saver is the fact that staff can now assemble a bundle of paper documents or a single .PDF file in seconds. No more expensive hours standing by the photocopier.
By installing ImageRouter.NET the modern law firm has taken a significant step towards a Paperless environment as all Emails, Letters, Forms, File notes, Faxes and Photographs are stored within the computer database as a paperless record of the case. The entire file can then be automatically assembled and printed, or distributed by email to court or chambers, sent to clients or simply taken away for further perusal. And of course multiple recipients can be mailed simultaneously – and all at the touch of a button.
So while we admit that like in the Da Vinci Code the search for the Holy Grail of the Paperless Office is rather fraught with problems, products like Linetime’s ImageRouter.NET certainly make the implementation of an efficient and more profitable ‘Less Paper Office’ far more achievable.
Tony Klejnow - Managing Director
Linetime Limited
Moorfield Close
Leeds LS19 7YA
Tel: 0113 250 0020
E: info@linetime.co.uk
W: www.linetime.co.uk