Is There a Change in the Document Management Paradigm?

The functionality offered by a number of new web-based “Document Management” programs on the market raises the question of whether the basic document management paradigm is shifting.

Traditional document management for law firms has several key characteristics:
  ● It is based on a client/matter approach and is locked down: everyone must use it all the time.
  ● It integrates with ALL the programs you use that generate documents (but may not integrate with databases)
  ● All your documents are full-text indexed and you have advanced search capabilities.
  ● It integrates with your email program and scanners.

The newer programs push two characteristics.  First, they are all in the cloud, so you save on expenses connected with your server (although it is dubious that you save money over-all). This means that you can access your documents from anywhere, without having to be in or connected to your office. Second, they are “easy to use” with drag and drop from Windows Explorer.

Typically, however, these programs do not integrate with everything and do not enforce usage. So they fail on that key functionality of document management systems. The “ease of use” via Windows Explorer amounts to “ease of making mistakes” and recreates one of the problems that lead firms to document management in the first place – increased error and loss of documents.

In short aside from the hype, these programs tend to have two things going for them. First, they are “in the cloud,” so that users can access any file that has been deposited there (and remember, this does not happen automatically). Second, they tend to integrate with file sharing programs like DropBox, Smartsync, Sugarsync, SpiderOak, etc. While this by no means replaces traditional document management functionality, it does represent a significant challenge to those programs.

Document management programs such as Worldox are starting to offer more fully-featured web access programs. Worldox now offers an iPad app for example (and other vendors either have one or have one in development) which is free (although you have to pay for the underlying infrastructure separately). Worldox also recently issued a “hook” which lets you access Worldox when uploading or downloading files from Dropbox.

Comments

[markustoday]

I was curious about this, thanks for the info...

[comment system]

The "hook" which lets you access Worldox when uploading or downloading files from Dropbox Sounds exciting! At my work place we use a lot of cloud computing solutions, and Dropbox is one of them so this fits right to our needs.

[LegalTrack]

It would be interesting to see an article from you on comparing worldox with sharepoint.

[Ruby Badcoe]

You are right: easy access is one big plus factor for web-based document management programs. Files that can be easily accessed from anywhere are convenient. On the part of consumers, such programs are a welcome development. All they need to do is to carefully select the program that is best suited for their line of business.