Plenty for law firms to consider when backfile scanning
When law firms – regardless of size – are trying to boost their capacity or simply run more efficiently, they often consider the ways in which document scanning will help them meet their goals. With that in mind, however, it's important to remember that many firms will likely have to undergo significant efforts to bulk scan their old files as well.
Backlog scanning is vital to helping law firms effectively move to paperless processes for things like reviewing old cases and adequately tracking past activity for employees, according to Techno FAQ. Even the smallest practice will have to continually assess issues such as how long it will need certain types of documents, what needs to be stored physically as well as digitally and so on.
Getting in front of it
Experts further note that when law firms delay their efforts to digitize – at a time when many other industry participants are doing so – they're also creating more backfile scanning needs, the report said – seems a little redundant after sentence opening. It may be vital to think about how many new paper files firms produce each month, and how long it will take to scan that many more documents into a management system for each month a firm delays in making the step toward adoption and daily use of such a platform.
Setting up long-term
When getting a firm to shift to paperless document management, it's wise for decision-makers to think long and hard about how they will set policy for everything, from retention of older documents to scanning new ones into a system remotely, so that all involved know what is expected and required of them, according to D4 Discovery. That, in turn, will help avoid any hiccups during (or after) the adoption process, especially if automated workflows are set up to ensure all necessary documents end up in the hands of the people who need them.
The more law firms can do to grease the skids for a successful adoption effort, the better off they will be when it comes to guaranteeing they get it right the first time, without the significant need to revisit any issues that may have otherwise cropped up.
