electronic office document management
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Chapter: Administration


Workflow

Workflow in Legal Notes covers the following areas
  • The creation, review, completion and publication of documents
  • The distribution of incoming documents and outgoing documents to solicitors associated with the matter
  • The creation and tracking and completion of tasks, appointments, file recall and outside work (or jobslips)
  • The closing, re-opening, and archiving of matters.

Workflow is primarily controlled by reference to two criteria, namely: a document's status and the individual who has in control of a document or task.

Documents generated by the firm move through status levels that are explained by their names. They are:

  • In Progress
  • Under Review
  • Reviewed
  • Finalised
  • On Hold

Until a document is Finalised or put On Hold, its File TypeDatabase 'Legal Notes', View 'Main', Document 'About File types' is "In Progress". That is, it will appear in the matter view under the file or category "In Progress". For an example of the matter view see Database 'Legal Notes', View 'Main', Document 'Structure', Anchor 'Matter View'

For workflow purposes, until a document has been finalised it is categorised by reference to the individual who is responsible for or otherwise involved with it. For example, Responsible Solicitor (and any other solicitor having the conduct of or otherwise noted in the Matter Record), author, reviewer, and assignor and assignee of a task or jobslip.

The In Progress view categories documents by the people outlined above or, in the case of incoming documents, by the solicitor or solicitors named in the Matter Record ). Each person has their own In Progress view. Further, when an incoming documents is filed or an outgoing document published by email, it is emailed to the relevant solicitors.

For information on the review process, click here Database 'Legal Notes', View 'Main', Document 'Reviewing documents'.

Tasks

Tasks are a species of workflow but are distinguished here to explain their function. Tasks can be broken down into the following categories as they appear in Legal Notes:

  • Task Something to be done or a matter to be recalled. Agents automatically send mail to the person responsible for the Task when the deadline or recall date for the tasks is reached. The messages continue until the task is finalised or the deadline or recall date is changed.
  • Appointments A species of a Task. Upon allocating a matter number to a calendar appointment or invitation, it will, in addition to being stored in your calendar, be filed as a Task in under the specified matter.
  • Jobslips This form covers all forms of work not directly related to a professional task. EG - filing of court documents, searches, service etc

The Tasks view categories Tasks by the people that are working on them and the date for performance.

Mail
Mail forms an integral part of workflow
All solicitors noted in the Matter Record) will be notified by email of all incoming and outgoing documents created for a matter. Reminders of upcoming appointments are sent by email.
If a user is involved in a task or jobslip, notification of any deadline or the status of a jobslip, is communicated by email.

In your inbox, new matter based documents are coloured yellow. Tasks are green and jobslips red.

Emails and attachments to emails can be quickly filed to matters. See Database 'Legal Notes', View 'Main', Document 'Documents'.

Sub topic: Introduction