Avoid the Run-Around: Smarter Facilities Management in Law Firms
LAW FIRMS STILL “RUN” WITH PAPER
Are paper documents heading toward obsolescence in law firms? Hardly. In fact, despite the persistence of the “paperless office” myth, the use of paper documents continues to grow exponentially. Researchers at the School of Information Management and Systems at the University of California at Berkeley have been tracking the growth of information, including that printed on paper. In their 2003 study, they say, “The amount of information printed on paper is still increasing, but the vast majority of original information on paper is produced by individuals in office documents and mail.”
More than perhaps any other industry, the legal profession depends heavily on the quality and availability of documents. They can be created electronically and exchanged among partners, clients, colleagues, and opposing counsel. Sometimes they’re sent by e-mail or fax. Other times they’re printed and faxed, couriered, mailed, or filed and archived. With so many different types of documents in so many different forms and formats using so many different communication channels, document management is a mission-critical challenge for law firms today.
From contracts and filings to evidence and incorporation records, law firms invest enormous sums of money in systems and labor – including employing the ever-present knowledge workers and “runners” – to capture, manage and deliver those documents. Yet, too often, law firms endure needless delays, costs, risks, and problems simply managing the day-to-day documents that are integral parts of their professional workflow. Consider some of the “running” challenges:
Omtool Delivers Document Process Improvements to the Legal Industry
Omtool, a leading provider of document capture and handling solutions, disclosed the findings of a recent legal industry survey conducted by Omtool. The survey revealed that two out of every three Chief Information Officers surveyed believe "process improvement" is the leading factor determining their technology investments. Omtool's acclaimed AccuRoute document capture and routing product family addresses this need for process improvement by addressing all aspects of a law firm's paper-based business processes, including invoice processing.
AccuRoute has the unique capability to capture and convert documents into multiple formats and then distribute them to multiple destinations, simultaneously. Through the use of our newly added Vendor Invoice Processing (VIP) Suite, law firms can capture, convert, process, distribute, approve and archive all their invoices in one simple, yet all-inclusive process.
Omtool's Vendor Invoice Processing (VIP) solution integrates a continuous automated invoice processing infrastructure with the capability to handle bills and expenses as they arrive whether they are in the form of paper invoices, hard copy or electronic documents. This VIP software, allows the user to convert those hard copy documents into electronic documents and move them through the electronic invoicing and approval process seamlessly.
Document Delivery & Management System
Control and Management of Business Documents Made Easy. Document-based information enters a company in a multitude of ways; by mail or courier, fax and e-mail, either digital or paper formats. The various processes used to manage this information contained on paper or in faxes, e-mails and application files are often de-centralized, making it difficult for employees to access and exchange the knowledge assets buried in company files, on individual computers, on networks. Now imagine all those processes compiled into one centrally organized and managed system where information can be simultaneously directed to multiple destinations REGARDLESS of format. AccuRoute captures and moves information from one format to another, from one location to others, efficiently and cost-effectively.
What is AccuRoute? AccuRoute is a modular, scalable enterprise document delivery and management application consisting of a core server and desktop software with a robust feature set that serves as both a paper on-ramp and a messaging based digital document exchange system. Optional system components add world class enterprise fax and document security features to an already robust platform. Why purchase, install and maintain separate fax, scan-to-archive or secure mail systems? AccuRoute provides all of the functionality you need, in a single Windows Server based, MMC managed system.
OmtoolT Delivers Its AccuRoute® Solution on Sharp OSAT-Enabled MFPs
Andover, Mass. and Mahwah, N. J., April 8, 2008 - Omtool, Ltd. (OTCBB:OMTL), a leading provider of document capture and handling solutions along with Sharp Document Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA), today announced the development and delivery of Omtool's AccuRoute document capture and handling solution for Sharp OSAT-enabled multifunction peripherals (MFPs).
The AccuRoute Embedded Device Client for Sharp OSA-enabled MFPs allows users to access AccuRoute's document capture and handling features through AccuRoute-specific buttons that can be added to the touch screen control panel of any Sharp OSA-enabled multi-function peripheral (MFP). Using these functions, users can scan hardcopy documents at the MFP for delivery to personal or public distributions on the AccuRoute system. Users can also access AccuRoute from the MFP for simple, ad-hoc document routing operations such as a quick scan-to-self for delivery back to the user's desktop or scan-to-fax.
