Document taxonomy proves crucial to law firm success
Document taxonomy has nothing to do with taxes or taxidermy. It actually has a very basic meaning: It’s the organization scheme firms use to manage and archive their documents.
Document taxonomy complements a document management system by standardizing the way documents fit into the system. And, it’s fast becoming a top priority of law firms, as vast amounts of content must be captured, managed, shared and acted upon quickly.
Progressive firms able to implement effective document taxonomy plans gain a competitive edge over their less-evolved counterparts. While slowpokes peck away at document processing, archiving and retention issues, advanced law firms are able to focus on billable work.
Fast document finding and sharing, using standardized policies, procedures and security measures allows the proactive practitioner the ability to focus on billable work, not document processing, archiving and retention tasks.
Mission Critical Systems has launched a website explaining document taxonomy options, organization and management: www.legal-document-management.com.
The website details a variety of choices for law firms in the 15-500-employee range, using the iManage Worksite Enterprise Content Management system developed by document management powerhouse Interwoven.
It includes a case study to help law firms get their heads around the challenge. The firm needed to import 317,000 documents, creating standards for filing documents and policies for retention, simplified document classification and upgraded email handling along the way. The case study documents the planning, rollout and training protocol involving 180 users.
“Document taxonomy isn’t sexy, but it can significantly impact billable time for small to midsized law firms,” notes Steven Nichols, director at Mission Critical Systems. “It needs to be sophisticated enough to support fast finding and sharing of information, yet not intimidate or confuse its users. This requires establishing and maintaining a delicate balance.”
Gene Smith, MCS president, adds, “Document taxonomy creates a true document retention policy without a lot of wiggle room that can lead to chaos. It enforces firm standards, and helps the firm act more cohesively. It also systematizes document production for better collaboration, uniformity of work, and more robust knowledge management.”
For more information, contact Steven Nichols: steven.nichols@mcstech.net.
