The Gazette 1993

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GAZETTE
T I E C H N 0 L O G N O T E I S
SEPTEMBER 1993
Document Management:
Some Practical Considerations
An earlier Technology Notes reviewed
basic considerations with regard to the
management of documents'. This
month, I return to the subject with a
more practical review of the main
considerations when constructing a
document management system on an
existing word processing package. A
document management system is a
means by which disciplined control can
be exercised over those documents
relevant on an on-going basis to the
business of a firm and provides for
retrieval, consistency and updating of
content.
A legal practice is a vast production
line of documents. The majority of
these will be replications of documents
used in earlier transactions. Word
processing systems have enabled
practitioners to maximise the benefits
of replication and to incorporate
document editing and construction,
typographical amendments and
presentation or layout.
This use of a word processing system
for text manipulation will invariably
lead to the ongoing storage and re-use
of standard phrases, clauses, forms and
documents. Systems become, in effect,
large libraries of precedents and
information resources which can
become inaccessible or unuseable
without proper management.
The following list, which is not
comprehensive, suggests some of the
principal points to be considered when
introducing or developing a document
management system within a word
processing environment.
1. Know Your Business: Know Your
Documents
Do not overload a supposed document
management system or precedents
system with irrelevant documentation.
It is not an archive, but a working
i dispensary of relevant material.
2. Classify and Order
Organise you documentation within
departments, specialist areas etc. This
disciplines your approach and makes
access to a large amount of
documentation much easier. Make
allowance for the addition of new
categories or of new model documents
or clauses. Documents should be
coded or numbered and listed in a
register which is available to all
potential users.
3. Centralise Your Sources and
Inputs
One person should have a central role
as administrator in determining which
documents are to be included in the
system and be responsible for updating
them. Standard styles, layouts and
typography of documents should be
decided at the start. It is important to
use the security features of your word
processing system to ensure that
documents once entered may only be
amended or deleted by the
administrator.
4. Use the Features
Use all the relevant features of the
word processing system and build them
in at the start. These include such
features as table of contents generators;
automatic paragraph numbering;
automatic page numbering; draft
numbers and date; deletion of notations
on engrossment etc.
5. Use Automatic Features2
Use the features of the system to
automate the internal structures of
documents (These include Macro
features in Word Perfect or Glossary
and Merge in Wang WP) 1 These
features can standardise and automate
the inclusion of such items as fee
earner signatures, formats, tabs and
margins, paper sizes, execution
clauses, dates, front covers etc.
6. Notate the Documents
Documents should include headers and
footnotes which make clear their
purpose and use and draw attention to
specific features. In addition, it should j
be indicated on documents as to when
they were last revised and by whom.
7. Name your Documents \
In addition to numbering, documents
should be given clear names which
readily identify them. There is no point
in having document titles such as !
[Standard Agreement 1, Standard
Agreement 2 or Standard Agreement 3]
which are meaningless to those who j
may not use them regularly. j
8. Print Out and Retain Hard Copies
These allow for far easier access to j
copies of current documents by those
who may not have keyboard skills. It is
far quicker to browse through a hard j
copy document than to browse through
screen pages. It is also easier to photo-
copy and use a paper document as a
draft. |
Reference
1. "Document Case and Client Management !
Systems"; Law Society Gazette; (Vol. 86 j
No. 3 April, 1992).
2. "In the Beginning was the Word Processor"
Nick Holmes, Solicitor Journal, (23 October,
1992) provides a useful overview of the main
facilities available within and for the principal
i word processing systems.
3. The Law Society Gazette (London) carried a
short article on the use of Word Perfect for
document management with some useful
contact names and telephone numbers.
"Making Use of Macros" (4 November,
1992). See also Word Perfect for the Legal
Profession James Behrens (London, 1992).
The Technology Advisory Group is a
group of solicitors who, with the
approval of the Technology Committee
of The Law Society, seek to promote
awareness of and the use of technology
within the profession. Further details
are available from the Honorary
Secretary: John Furlong, c/o William
Fry, Solicitors, Fitzwilton House,
Wilton Place, Dublin 2. •