Law firms face unique challenges when it comes to managing their client matter files. Firms have an ethical responsibility to safeguard client information, meaning data security needs to be a high priority, but at the same time, lawyers also need the ability to access information quickly and easily from a variety of locations. Think of …
Law Firm Matter File Best Practices for the 21st Century Read More »
Last week I discussed three reasons that data migrations fail. You might be wondering to avoid some of these challenges. You can avoid a failed data migration by following these golden rules. Data Migration is a Business Issue The first golden rule for data migration is that it’s a business issue, not just a technical …
Three key things cause data migration failure. The book Practical Data Migration by Johnny Morris explains that the most common data migration failures have to do with technocentricity, specialist skills, and the blame game. Techocentricity The problem with tecnocentricity is that you’re thinking of a data migration as just a technical issue, and not thinking …
I help with a lot of system migrations, moving clients from old data management programs into iManage Records Manager (IRM). Lately, I’ve noticed the importance of a basic understanding of records management, and following best practices when implementing a records management program. I spoke with one firm who had an awful experience with a system …
Earlier this month, I presented at iManage Connect Live in New York City. I was invited to co-present with Ian Raine, the product manager for the iManage Records Manager Software. We talked about what is currently available in IRM, Version 10. I presented some of the common records management problems and how IRM can help. …
If you have been following along with my posts this month, you understand the value of reducing paper in records systems and what it will look like once you are done. The last step in this process is getting support from your colleagues. Change always requires executive support. Getting your executive team to support your …
In my last post, I discussed how switching to an electronic records system can save your firm thousands of dollars. Now you might be wondering, what does switching to electronic records look like? It does take some work up front to make the transition, and you will need to get support from your colleagues for …
Have you ever considered the value of using less paper in your business? It’s probably a lot bigger than you think. There are many hard costs and soft costs to reducing your paper use. Here are 8 ways that using less paper can save your business money. Less money spent on housing and managing paper: …
Having a documented records management policy is essential. This way, the expectations for each person in your organization are clear, and if you are ever subject to a file audit, you can show the auditors exactly how your files are handled and why. I touched on this briefly last week when I defined what a …
If you don’t have a documented records management program in place for your organization, you should make establishing one a priority. A good records management program is systematic. Each record goes through a documented process that is easy for everyone in the company to follow. Your records management program should be published so your employees …
