NetDocuments (DMS)

A cloud-only solution with excellent cybersecurity; it minimizes data entry and optimizes lawyers collaborating together, so they can working from anywhere

Website:

• https://www.netdocuments.com/

Overview:

• NetDocuments is an innovative document management system, built to streamline matters by providing all material information in one view, enhanced by functionality with a focus on collaboration
• The software has been designed from the ground up to run solely in the cloud,  ensuring that those who want to work from anywhere and on any device can do so effectively and securely
  • The platform boasts built in data-loss prevention software and other enhanced security features
• It has out-of-the-box integration with many practice management systems, so matter workspace creation can be automated
• The solution has been truly developed with how lawyer's work day-to-day in mind, ensuring that ease of engagement with clients has been accounted for
  • From the moment a lawyer starts up their computer they have access to their matters through the Work Panel on bottom right of their screen
  • The Work Panel provides access to their last used documents and can check out those documents without the need to open the platform

• Below is a short video of some of the functionality of the solution:

• The Homepage of NetDocuments is customizable, giving each lawyer a bespoke view of their matters and easy access to the work that is most important to them
  • This is also true of the electronic matter file (the "matter") view: these views are fully customizable ensuring that what is important to the individual lawyer is within a few clicks 
    • Customization of a lawyer's Homepage can be delegated to another lawyer, legal project manager or administrative staff member
  • Searching for matters and documents is simple, and NetDocuments deploys typeahead searching to make it even easier
  • Opening is a document is a one click process, and saving documents is incredibly simple when compared to other DMS's

• Collabspaces provide a secure area in which to work hand-in-hand with the client or an external party

  • These areas allow you share and update matter documents securely with clients or outside parties

  • Clients can also upload material to the Collabspace and alerts can be set to inform the lawyers of this and thus eliminating unnecessary email chains and attachments
  • These spaces are fully audited and as they are Cloud hosted, are available to all material actors in a matter at all times
  • Access to any Collabspace can be tightly controlled by the law firm
• The Threads feature removes unnecessary email chains because matter-related conversations can occur within the matter documents themselves (although users will be notified via email with a link if they are not in the software); this reduces email traffic while also making it easy to store conversations within the matter
• Tasks functionality provides a matter-management (Kanban) board to allow the matter team to assign tasks to team members
  • This is provides a built-in project management tool which can be tailored to any matter type and complexity, streamlining tasks and presenting an easily accessible overview of the status of critical tasks
• With the Sets functionality, users can quickly generate bundles of documents for court or closing binders on a transaction
  • These are created within the workspace in PDF, and can be automatically compressed into a ZIP file
  • With NetDocuments, the user can then create a secure link to the bundle location within the platform for the client to download, thus alleviating the need to send the bundle over unsecure email

• OCR Multi-language Options: There is an option to select up to three languages for which NetDocuments will OCR documents
• Tasks: Users can customize which task email notifications they receive so they can receive as many - or as few - as needed 
• NetDocuments integrates with Microsoft Office Suite (2013 and later)
  • This allows for folder mapping between NetDocuments and Outlook
  • NetDocuments can also be embedded within Outlook, providing matter lists, matter searching, and a user can check out and in documents from within Outlook

Pricing:

• The pricing for the NetDocuments is broken out across five different solutions (a base package, and four add-ons), each compromised of different pieces of functionality geared toward specific law firm needs:
  
  • "Organize" - this base solution includes the document management system, email management, built-in OCR functionality, integration with Microsoft Power Automate, and ndSync 
  • "Protect" - this solution is geared toward enhanced security and includes DLP, Workspace Security Manager, and Customer Enhanced Encryption Keys
  • "Plan" - this solution is focused on matter management and includes Threads, Tasks, Digital Management, Margin Notes, and integration with Microsoft Teams
  • "Deliver" - this solution facilitates the delivery of matter work by including the Collabspaces, and Sets
  • "Learn" - Finally, this solution provides the law firm with enhanced analytics on who has done what and when within NetDocuments. These are comprehensive analytics, providing invaluable insight into the use of the product

Global Abilities:

• NetDocuments is a global organization, with clients in every major jurisdiction; it has company offices in the US, UK, Australia and Mexico

Member Firms Using NetDocuments:

• Foulston Siefkin LLP (USA, Kansa)
• Claro & Cia., Abogados (Chile)
• Estudio Olaechea (Peru)
• PBP Pérez Bustamante & Ponce (Ecuador)
• Rajah & Tann LLP (Singapore)
• Hamel-Smith (Trinidad)
• Brigard Urrutia (Colombia)
• Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP (Ohio)