By Legal Futures’ Associates Quill
Did you know that our new document management system – called DocsHub – brings all your files, emails, legal forms and other important documents together, safely and centrally stored inside Quill?
Whether you’re using Quill and DocsHub or another system (and why would you when you can get DocsHub for only £19 per user per month?), we’ve got five easy tips that make document management a breeze.
1. Don’t rely solely on Outlook and emails
How often have you searched for that email or realised you’ve forgotten to respond to something? Emails and third-party software can add to the clutter and hinder collaboration.
Quill lets you save the relevant email – and attachments – into the appropriate case so you can trust this as your “source of truth”. This transparency also helps with handovers – so your team can easily see the latest communications in one place.
2. Commit to going fully digital and paperless
Once you’ve made the decision to use a document management system – embrace it fully. Have zero-tolerance for paper-based filing and build the expectation that everyone in your office must be saving files and documentation within one system.
The longer you allow the status quo to remain, the slower your progress will be. It’s time to go all or nothing!
3. Create a Document Management Policy
A policy helps everyone be clear on consistent naming convention, versioning, workflows and expectations. File names should include things like dates, document status, names–details that can pinpoint and categorise the file’s contents more easily.
Some suggestions:
- File names should be easily scannable, naturally ordered and highly descriptive.
- Be clear on what constitutes a “major” version (e.g. v1, v2, v3, etc.) versus a minor version (e.g. v1.1, v1.2, v1.3, etc.) of documents.
- Keep a consistent data format such as case number, client-first name then last name, file title, dd-mm-yy updated and then a version number.
- Avoid special characters, acronyms or generic terms. Make it easy for colleagues to access the right file.
Along with having a consistent naming structure for all your folders, it’s best to also have an office-wide approach to versioning and map out how you’d like your document workflows to happen.
Be sure to ask yourself:
1. Who is responsible for reviewing and approving changes?
2. Who will need to be notified of changes?
3. Where will these changes be captured? (hint: it should be within Quill!)
4. Cut down on tedious tasks and silly mistakes
Did you know that you can auto-populate your firm’s templates and forms? Since all your information is stored in Quill, you can easily merge data using ‘i-tags’ and update fields everywhere.
That means if you need to change any client information, you only have to update Quill and your other documents will reflect that change, saving you time updating things manually and minimising the chance of silly mistakes cropping up.
5. Time record your work along the way
A lot of our clients swear by our document management system because it not only allows them to finish tasks on-the-go but everything is time recorded along the way.
By enabling Quill’s desktop integration with your Microsoft Office Suite, you’re making it easier to capture all your work, upload documents and communicate with clients without ever having to change your normal workflow.
Isn’t it time you went fully paperless and digital with Quill and DocsHub? Get in touch with our team to request your free demo and sign up.
