![]() ![]() ![]() You can search by document date, author, document type, document tags, and even “word X” within a certain number of words of “word Y.” SearchingĬomplete DMS offerings provide searching capabilities every bit as good as you see in Westlaw, Lexis, or Fastcase. And, if you forget to change the folder to the right client, at least the document is in the “Clients” folder so you can find it later, which brings us to… 2. Once you set a default storage location, whether for yourself or another user at your firm, that person is unlikely to change it. A quick internet search can turn up how to change the default save location in Word for Windows (File > Options > Save), Word for Mac (if you use OneDrive/SharePoint), and Adobe Acrobat. Many other programs offer this “set and forget” save setting. Making this change means when you hit CRTL+S to save a document, you’ll start in the folder you selected as the default. Visit our whitepaper on Managing Your Documents without a DMS for tips on client/matter folder structure. For example, if you set the default location to “Clients,” you can drill down into the client and matter, saving you several save dialog clicks. They just assume that someone smarter than them chose the settings that are best for them, and so they say ‘yes’ a lot when they’re asked questions…hat that means is that if it’s enabled by default, it’ll tend to stay on…” (emphasis added). “‘he tyranny of the default’……the expression I like to use for that we know most users don’t go in and change things. ![]() There’s no forced compliance on where to save documents for the solo and small-firm professional without a DMS. However, human nature can take software’s place with what security researcher and host of the Security Now podcast, Steve Gibson, called “ the tyranny of the default”: Traditional Windows or macOS open/save dialog boxes are replaced by ones directly and exclusively connected to the DMS. The obvious advantage is that every firm document resides in the DMS. This means that the end-user is required to save files into the DMS the system prevents saving to your desktop or a network drive. SavingĮvery full DMS possesses the ability to force user compliance. However, solo or small-firm legal professionals need not jealously eye their larger firm counterparts regarding core DMS benefits.īelow are four core DMS features and some tips on reproducing those features with tools you already own or could acquire at a low cost. By Jeffrey Schoenberger, Affinity Consultingįor solo lawyers or solo law firms with small support staffs, the “big boys” of legal document management systems, like NetDocuments, Worldox, or iManage, are overkill for your needs and possibly cost-prohibitive. Full-fledged document management systems (DMS) possess undeniable benefits, particularly user compliance, security, and searching.
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