When legal professionals think about document management, they are more likely to think of expensive, unwieldy and complex applications, than off a well-organized filing system. But in 2021, document- and file management systems for law firms – and corporate legal departments – have become much simpler and more affordable thanks to Microsoft 365 (formerly known as Office 365).
UNEXPLORED TERRITORY
A large number of law firms all around the globe already use Microsoft 365. In practice, applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams are frequently used in the Microsoft 365 suite, but one often overlooked application, is SharePoint.
One of the most powerful components of SharePoint, is the ability to store and share documents. It’s Microsoft’s Document Management System (DMS) in Office 365.
FROM GENERIC TO SPECIFIC
SharePoint is an enormously adaptable platform, and exactly how it’s used differs from organization to organization. Although this flexibility is a massive boon for users, it can also create confusion for newcomers and those considering adopting SharePoint.
When it is implemented correctly (which, in all honesty, cannot be done by a layman), it is one of the most powerful collaboration and information management tools in the Microsoft 365 suite. And a tool which most people probably already have available in their Microsoft 365 license!
But how can you make SharePoint work, specifically for you as a legal professional? Storing and finding a legal file, is different from i.e. a marketing plan or CV. The legal world has its own unique digital characteristics. You want to be able to:
· Search for specific characteristics of a document;
· Regulate access and security down to a detailed level;
· Create seamless integration with applications like Outlook, practice management or time capturing tools.
MICROSOFT 365 AS A LEGAL DMS
To help law firms to get the most out of their Microsoft 365 investment, Epona has developed DMSforLegal. DMSforLegal enables law firms, corporate legal departments, and accounting firms to use Microsoft SharePoint as a document- and email management system. By using the existing SharePoint structure, the package is more flexible, faster, affordable and better integrated than most other DMS solutions. In addition, you choose where you want to store your data: at the office server, in a private cloud, or in the public Microsoft cloud. Thousands of offices worldwide already use DMSforLegal to simplify their document- and file management.