You’ve Got It … Now Get the Most From Your Document Management Efforts
By Gayle Lynn-Nelson
(We all have been struggling with ways to manage, organize and synthesize information in a meaningful way for our users. This article is a follow-up to a Webinar at the LexisNexis InfoPro Web site—Lexis® Search Advantage—The Librarian Viewpoint—which addressed that specific issue. It also reviews some information from the March issue of LexisNexis Information Professional Update on Lexis® for Microsoft® Office and Lexis Search Advantage.)
We have all heard the term “Knowledge Management,” and many I know feel they have “been there and done that,” so the term has a negative connotation. So, let’s put it another way … we need something to help us manage the plethora of information and resources so that our end users can get at them when needed. It is all about managing and finding information when and where you need it.
This article has two objectives: To identify the issues that exist in document management and retrieval, and to demonstrate how the library can drive value to enable more effective research. We will also discuss tools that enhance productivity and service, Lexis Search Advantage and Lexis for Microsoft Office.
It is important to understand the issues in document management and retrieval for a number of reasons. One of the most obvious is that it is important to your users and your firm. We all need to be able to find and retrieve previous work product along with a host of other things. Your users do not want to reinvent the wheel and need to be able to manage their work flow.
Lexis Search Advantage helps you use your work product effectively, and by doing so, you can show the ROI because of the time savings to your users. There are many emerging search technologies and it is up to you, the information professional, to analyze and compare them.
There are two main issues we face. The first is searching for information and retrieving information that is useful. The second is collaboration. How many firms can you think of where partners willingly share information? I know when I was in the law firm world my partners did not want to share information as a rule. Well, for a firm to continue to grow and succeed, information needs to be accessible. I would venture to say that for all of us the volume of information has grown exponentially, content repositories have multiplied and subscription services have proliferated. Help is needed to manage all of this data. That is where Lexis Search Advantage plays a crucial role.
So what can Lexis Search Advantage do for you?
Connect Your Internal Documents to LexisNexis Resources
From your internal-document search results, you can view Shepard’s Signal indicators to validate citations. You can also link to cases and codes, news and business information and analytical content on the LexisNexis services. More effective, comprehensive research can lead to more consistent client service across your firm.
Leverage Firm Best Practices
Create best-practice centers of expertise that are readily accessible by all end users, increasing utilization of the firm’s prior expertise.
Help Ensure Higher Returns
Leverage the firm’s investment in your document management system by tapping into your shared knowledge base.
Implement Quickly
Lexis Search Advantage is quicker to deploy than competing products and delivers a quick return on investment. Server implementation costs are low, and only minimal staff effort, training and ongoing maintenance is needed.
Cut Costs and Save Time
Reduce the volume of unproductive e-mail and telephone exchanges seeking experience on specific matters. Lexis Search Advantage minimizes staff training needs since it works through your enterprise search interface. You benefit from the familiar lexis.com interface, taxonomy and search tools.
So, how does this work with Lexis for Microsoft Office?
Just as you can experience seamless access to LexisNexis services and the Web via Lexis Search Advantage with Lexis for Microsoft Office, you can also access these same files from within applications you use every day—Microsoft® Word, Outlook® and SharePoint®.
Why is this important? Your users have the ability to respond faster and with greater efficiency to clients. You gain cost efficiencies by maximizing the value of your current investments in the LexisNexis services and Microsoft products as well as in your own document management system. And your research confidence is increased: You will be sure you don’t miss a thing with work that reflects comprehensive information from the LexisNexis services as well as from your own internal resources and from the open Web.
Your LexisNexis Librarian Relations Consultant can help you take a closer look at Lexis Search Advantage and Lexis for Microsoft Office.
Calculate the Productivity; See the Savings Estimate in Black and White
We have seen a number of emerging trends and technologies to help us cope with all the data and information thrown at us. However we also have seen a decline in the economy and know that cost consciousness will continue, even when the economy improves. We are forced to pick and choose what will give us the biggest bang or leverage our existing investments.
Here’s some help.
The Lexis Search Advantage Productivity Calculator is available via the link below. This interactive tool uses information you supply to provide an estimate of possible time and cost savings when using Lexis Search Advantage. Get a better understanding of how Lexis Search Advantage, combined with some fixed assumptions, might affect your future attorney cost and savings. (The results of the estimate generated will, of course, vary and depend on how closely the variables match your actual circumstances.)
Find the Lexis Search Advantage Productivity Calculator at http://www.lexisnexis.com/Lexis-Search-Advantage-Productivity-Calculator/Default.aspx
