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OP I N ION BY JASON LEUNG TECH SUPPORT Why a DMS is better than Windows Standardization and easier searching are just two reasons to move to a customized software solution. W elcome to my knowledge manage- ment column! In this column, I will discuss different types of technology that lawyers can use to help meet the modern client's demands to deliver legal services faster, cheaper, and better. In this first article, I will describe a document management system — software used to store and share documents. I will also set out some reasons that led my firm Ridout & Maybee LLP to implement DMS software. If your organization is not currently using customized software for managing documents, it is probably relying on the generic folder structure of a Windows operating system. Your organization likely has a network with one or more shared drives. Each shared drive has folders and each folder has subfolders. Each lawyer typically has his or her own per- sonal folder on the shared drive. That lawyer arbitrarily cre- ates and names subfolders inside his or her personal folder. For example, lawyers may create separate subfolders for each client and then create further subfolders for each of the client's different files. Documents are stored in the subfolders. It is often difficult to search for documents in the Windows folder structure. Lawyers tend to arbitrarily create and name subfolders and documents within their personal folder without giving any thought as to how other people will be able to locate these documents. When other people search a lawyer's folder for a document, they may not understand that lawyer's system of naming subfolders and will have difficulty navigating through the hierarchy of subfolders. Furthermore, if a document is mistakenly saved into the wrong folder or subfolder, it will be difficult to locate in the future. As long as these searching problems exist, an organization likely needs to maintain paper copies of all documents in case they cannot be located in the Windows folder structure. A DMS stores and names e-documents in a standard- ized manner throughout a firm. If used properly, the DMS overcomes the above-mentioned searching problems associ- ated with the Windows folder structure and can help a high- content, e-document-heavy operation transition to becoming 18 FEBRUA R Y 2011 www. CANADIAN Lawyermag.com a paperless office. When a user commits a document to the DMS, he or she needs to profile the document according to several predetermined properties such as document name, file number, client number, practice area, author, and date created. After the document is committed to the DMS, oth- ers can find it by requesting files matching one or more of these properties. For example, a user can search for docu- ments matching a particular client number and author. If the user is not satisfied with the search results, he or she can broaden or narrow the search. Unlike the Windows folder structure, the DMS requires that each document be profiled in a uniform way, including the use of standard terms for each property. When documents are profiled in a standardized