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MATTERSPHERE MANAGING THE DOCUMENT LIFE CYCLE

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MatterSPhere: MaNaGiNG the DOCUMeNt LiFe CYCLe

MaNaGiNG the DOCUMeNt LiFe CYCLeWhether you call it document management, document management system (DMS), enterprise content management (ECM), content management, or knowledge management, it often all comes down to the same thing: a solution focused on controlling document files and easing accessibility to file contents. In general, most document management applications are focused on methods that ease the creation, distribution, searching, and archiving of documents.

There are any number of reasons why businesses turn to electronic document management solutions. For many, the sheer volume of documents and content lurking on shared and stand-alone drives, email, and mobile devices—never mind the paper files—can be overwhelming. Productivity, compliance, and customer responsiveness is at risk in the face of this content avalanche. In addition, the inability to easily access and identify content can lead to opportunities lost due to the inability to share knowledge, collaborate, and improve business processes.

A 2011 study by the Association for Information and Image Management reported that businesses struggle with “content chaos” and solutions for managing documents in the following areas:

• Thetimetheyspentperdayfilingandmaintainingexistinginformation,or searching for new information, averages to be around 37 minutes, or 8% of the working day. “Search fatigue” is also considered a significant long-term problem.

• Accountingforthefollow-onbenefitsofmakingbetterdecisionsandnot re-inventing content, productivity of professional staff would be improved by 30% if they could find internal information and documents as quickly and as easily as they find information on the Internet.

• Onaverage,itisestimatedthatchangingtoacultureofelectronic-only filing reduces office space allocated to filing storage from 14.5% to 5.9%, which is a 60% reduction1.

A similar study undertaken by the Gartner Group found that knowledge workers spend about eight hours a week on manual document management tasks. Trouble spots identified within a manual document management system included:

• Documentswerehardtofind.

• Contentwashardtomanipulateandrepurpose.

• Documentswerehardtoupdate.

• Documentswerehardtoshare.

• Contentwashardtopublishconsistently.

• Documentcreationwasanadhocprocess.

• Documentreviewwasanadhocprocess.

• Theimportanceofadocument’scontentwasnotobvious.

• Paper-baseddistributionandstoragewascostlyintermsofstorage,copying and printing.

• Paper-basedarchivingwasexpensivetomaintainandinefficient for retrieval2.

It was estimated that a firm could save at least half of the time and money spent by implementing an automated document management system, when compared to manual document management.

One answer to these document management challenges is to use an overarching document management solution. A comprehensive document management system, such as the one provided in MatterSphere from Thomson Reuters Elite, does the following:

• Providesauniformwayofmanaging,accessing,andsharingdocuments.

• Shiftstheinformationalassetsfromindividuallyownedfilestoacentral firm-wide storage and distribution location.

• Managesarangeofdocumenttypesthroughthedocumentlifecycle,from creation to storage.

• Allowssimultaneousaccessandsharingforcurrentorarchiveddocuments, including multiple versions.

• Allowsthefirmtomonitor,audit,andregulatedocumentaccess and use.

When a well-implemented DMS is thoroughly integrated into the “business of conducting business,” concrete benefits accrue. Storage and overhead costs for searching and retrieving documents are reduced. Less paper is used, and duplication decreases. When document search and retrieval is more efficient, employees—including lawyers—are more productive. Security of information is more assured when documents are in a centralized configuration. Workflow and routing becomes electronic, leading to faster processes and prompt response rates. Finally, the ability for employees and fee earners to work together electronically, no matter where they are located—whether the other side of the globe or simply on a different floor of the building—helps build a collaborative work environment.

Consider the possible savings involved in implementing and using an automated DMS, just for lawyers alone. According to the studies quoted above, the average time to access and retrieve documents in a hard-copy environment is 37 minutes a day, while the average time to access and retrieve document after automation is half this time. Assuming the average fee earn rate is $200 per hour, the annual cost of using an automated DMS translates—for a single lawyer— to $12,000, for time that could otherwise be spent on billable work.

Alltheseadvantagesbenefityourfirm’sbottomline.

MatterSPhere’S DMS—DOCUMeNtS, eMaiLS, aND MOreMatterSphere’sDMSmoduleisanintegralpartoftheMatterSpherepackage and is not a stand-alone application. Designed specifically to enhance the workflow in your organization, the module allows you to:

• Handleawiderangeofcommonfiletypes—documents(.doc/.docx,PDF,RTF),spreadsheets(Excel),images(TIFF,JPG,PICT,PNG,etc.),as well as emails from Outlook®.

• Saveallfiletypesandemailsagainstmatters.

• Useaone-clickfeaturethatallowsyouto“Save”or“SaveAs”anydocument into Microsoft Office™.

• AccessthewebandmobilecapabilitiesavailablewithintheThomsonReuters Elite framework.

1 © AIIM 2012, www.aiim.org, “Capitalizing on Content: A Compelling ROI for Change.”2 Logan, Debra, Document Management: Assessing costs and Benefits, Gartner, Inc., 2000.

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TheuniquestrengthofMatterSphere’sDMSmoduleisthatitisembedded directly into MatterSphere. MatterSphere is the first truly intuitive and integrated front-office system for legal and professional services firms. MatterSphere is built entirely on Microsoft.NET, providing a familiar interface used to manage clients, matters, and all associated details. Since matter-related information is organized within Office applications, all actions, documents, and emails can be easily initiated and accessed directly within Outlook, Word®,andExcel®. A system of electronic file folders emulates the physical file drawers containing all matter details. Thus, MatterSphere brings familiar “manila file” management to the world of distributed data, multiple applications, electronic documents, and email.

The MatterSphere DMS module also includes full version control, check-in/check-out/lockoptions,capabilitiestopreviewandcomparedocuments, and advanced security features, and easily accesses all ofMatterSphere’spowerfulmatter-focusedfunctionalities.ItisalsoUnicode compliant, and able to handle multilingual files.

DOCUMeNt MaNaGeMeNt eMbeDDeD iN MiCrOSOFt OFFiCeAccording to a recent McKinsey Global Institute report, most professionals spend 28 hours a week or up to 80 percent of their on-line time working with documents and email3. To be effective and efficient, a document management system needs to tie in closely with the applications legal professionals depend on for their daily on-line work needs. The MatterSphere DMS is directly embedded into Microsoft Office, the suite most used by legal and professional firms. Word, Outlook, andExcelarereadilyavailablewithinthemodule.Newusers,facedwiththefamiliarMicrosoftenvironment,experienceashortlearningcurve,andthefirmcanleverageitsexistinginvestmentintheMicrosoftplatform.

SaviNG DOCUMeNtS WithiN MatterSPhereThe creation, management and storage of documents are pivotal activities in a modern law firm. The MatterSphere Document Management and Save process is embedded within Microsoft Office. A user simply needs to select the Save or Save As functions ofMSWordorExceltoinitiatetheMatterSpheresave.

MatterSphere provides comprehensive matter-centric document management capabilities including:

• Savesalldocumentsagainstmattersandexposestheminasimple searchable format

• Adialogueboxallowsformatterprofilingformanualsaves,though the process can be automated with Auto Save functions

• Documentssearchcapabilityatbusinessunit,file,and contact level

• Searchesdocumentsonanypartofthedocumentdescriptionas well as to, from, type, or date properties

• PreviewsMicrosoftWorddocumentsandOutlookemailsdirectly from within the matter-centric view

• Displaysallotherdocumenttypesintheirnativeapplications

• Preventsdocumentsfrombeingdeletedbyusersoncesavedmatter-centrically

• Includesrevisionmanagement,documentversioning,andcheck-in/check-outfeaturesinadditiontothestandarddocument actions available within Microsoft Office

• Displaysdocumentpropertiestoshowdetailsofallactivity

• Supportsadvancedcollaborativefeatures

• Enablespasswordprotectionatclient,matter,and document level

• MultiplefiletypescanbestoredandretrievedwithintheMatterSphere Document Management System including Word, Excel,Outlook,PDF

With the integrated DMS module in MatterSphere, users can view and create letters, contracts, email, and more from within the familiar Microsoft environment.

3 McKinsey Global Institute, The social economy: Unlocking value and productivity through social technology,July2012.

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eMaiL MaNaGeMeNt MaDe eaSYMatterSphere’sDMSmoduleallowsyoutoprofileyourincomingandoutgoing email within the same window, saving a simple file to a matter within a matter-centric storage. Email attachments can also besavedagainstclientand/ormatter.Emailsandtheirattachmentsare then accessible to all users with proper permissions. The Email Management component of MatterSphere DMS is easy to configure and easy to use.

SiNGLe Matter FiLe eaSeS iNFOrMatiON reCOverYNo more hunting down that one email sent to a colleague or photographic image that is key to a matter. MatterSphere has a central repository that presents an organized view of all client and matter information in one place. The matter file screen has one-click access to information and processes, and display tables and fields to view information in ways that suit the matter or the user.

Eases the task of document and email management, allowing users to access all files pertaining to a matter from a single database.

One-click access in the sidebar provides instant access to information and processes, while display tabs and fields along the top can be configured to suit the matter or user.

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traCk the eNtire DOCUMeNt LiFeCYCLeFrom the moment you create a document or email using the MatterSphere DMS, you are able to share, track, view, search, and control the file through all its versions throughout the entire process, all in a secure environment.

(a) View document properties easily using the information sidebar and the top tabs. You can view the history of a file, see who has changed it and when, and refer to earlier versions as desired.

(b) Clicking on the “Versions” tab allows you to proceed with different levels of version and assures detailed version control.

FULL-text iNDex aND SearCh CaPabiLitieSFullindexingandtextsearchingcapabilities allows searching across all documents, utilizing Microsoft Search Servercomponents.The“FullTextIndexer”featurewithinMatterSphereletsyou conduct a system-wide search for any given term or name across all clients, matters, contacts, and documents. The search generates a thorough Results List, which automatically categorizes results according to the terms included in the initial search.


SCaNNiNG briNGS PaPerLeSS OFFiCe CLOSer tO reaLitYUsers can scan hard copy documents and letters, saving them in the MatterSphere DMS. The resultant electronic file can then be assigned to a specific matter or a user, and easily shared with other people and offices,eliminatingtheneedtostorethephysicalletter.It’sonestepcloser to creating a greener, paperless office environment.

COLLabOrate FrOM aNY LOCatiON at aNY tiMe With MatterSPhere aNYWhereThe power of MatterSphere Anywhere makes collaboration on Web and mobile platforms an anytime proposition. You can set permissions on theMatterSpherewebmoduletogiveclientsandexternalcollaboratorsaccess to files, allowing them to upload and download as needed for complete and seamless teamwork environment.

the POWer OF MatterSPhere MakeS it MOre thaN “jUSt” a DMSWith the additional Matter Management add-on modules available within MatterSphere, the power of the system becomes far more than just document management. MatterSphere unifies firm-wide informationwithintheMicrosoftOfficeenvironment.Fromclient/matter management, to workflow and process management, contact management, and central data storage: MatterSphere does it all, from document creation to management, review, and follow-up.

By automating and managing processes, not just documents, MatterSphere offers you access to tools that handle all normal legal processes such as tasks, appointment management, file reviews, time entries, new matter processes, matter closures, approvals, and re-allocations. MatterSphere comes equipped with standard workflow modules,oryoucandevelopcustomworkflowstosuityourfirm’srequirements.

CeNtraLizeD Data tieS aLL PrOCeSSeS tOGether— iNCLUDiNG DOCUMeNt CreatiONWithonecentralcontactbase,there’sneveranyworryaboutcontactdata being out-of-date in one place and up-to-date somewhere else. You define the contacts: they can be clients and related parties such as judges, barristers, opposing counsel, witnesses, other related parties, and even matter data. Having all the contact information in one place means reduced information siloes and fewer data entry points.

This database is available to all the MatterSphere processes, including document automation. With the document automation module, you create documents with the assurance that you have access to the most up-to-date contact data, client data, matter data, and appropriate precedents within your firm. A centrally managed corporate style, down to fee-earner level, ensures the proper use of letterheads, memos, telephone in and out, files and meeting notes.

MaNaGe Matter aND DOCUMeNt WOrkFLOWS With a SiNGLe SOLUtiON: MatterSPhereMatterSphere manages the flow of structured information, automates processes and tasks, and tracks staff performance and profitability. The solution helps you collect required reporting information and meet deadlines and, when in working mode, assists with billing processes by making it easy to record and manage time and disbursements. Since the MatterSphere user interface appears inside commonly used Microsoft applications, implementation is easy, user acceptance is fast, and training requirements are minimal, leading to increased productivity for the user and the firm4.

With the MatterSphere DMS module, you get a full-featured, Unicode-compliant document management system that handles documents from creation to completion, in a fully secure environment. Save and view any file type—including Word documents, emails, images, spreadsheets, computer-aided design drawings, PDFs, and more. All the functionality of MatterSphere is included, including document automation and workflow, and the power of web and mobile capabilities with MatterSphere Anywhere.

Find out what a DMS can really be and what it can bring to you and your firm.

One click provides access to processes and pulls it all together.

Contact Thomson Reuters Elite to find out more about MatterSphere and MatterSphere’s Document Management System module.

©2013ThomsonReutersW-311678US/6-13

4 FormoreinformationaboutMatterSphere’staskmanagementandworkflowfeatures, see the Thomson Reuters Elite white paper Managing Taskflow in theLegalEnvironment.http://www.elite.com/exchange/2013/spring/pdf/MatterSphere_Taskflow_wpW-311372US3-13.pdf