While the main capital in corporate legal departments (CLDs) is knowledge, in many organizations that knowledge remains an untapped asset. Learn why, and how you can tap into this valuable resource.
Megan Ostling, a Legal Operations Manager at iManage, explores the multiple challenges facing knowledge workers in corporate legal departments, revealing why the traditional approach to document management just isn’t cutting it, in the "2022 Directory of Leading Technology and Project Management Solutions," by Corporate Counsel Business Journal, or CCBJ
Disruption is the new normal
Pointing out that — in the emerging hybrid work model — established habits have changed and disruption has become the “new normal” for knowledge workers, Ostling underscores that “decreased in-person interaction makes it vitally important for organizations to support collaborative knowledge work wherever possible.” This centers upon the knowledge worker's ability to “manage large volumes of high-value, regulated, and secure documents and emails in a way that is efficient, collaborative, and secure.”
Empower people to focus on doing their best work
The solution, Ostling says, is "creating a single version of the truth by organizing documents and emails in the context of the appropriate project or matter,” and what that requires is "a document management system (DMS) that incorporates email management, powerful search functionality, and AI-based smart features that boost productivity." By maintaining transparency of the original context of related materials, matter-centric document organization provides the added benefit of reducing risk to the organization.
Enable global collaboration and secure document exchange
Ostling cautions that “the type of legacy, on-premises DMS solution that many CLDs rely on isn’t designed to support a global enterprise, which leaves its legal professionals with a fragmented view of the business” and creates “significant issues with version control, efficiency, and security.”
Eliminating collaboration pain points is key, she adds, and a modern cloud DMS enables CLDs “to deploy systems globally in a more affordable way, while permitting greater flexibility and a modern working experience for end-users.”
As knowledge work goes, technology follows
Learn more about navigating the evolving workscape of CLDs with modern document management, including Ostling’s valuable strategic insights, by downloading the "2022 Directory of Leading Technology and Project Management Solutions" from CCBJ. You may also download "Tapping into Your Knowledge Assets" the article by Megan Ostling, as a PDF.
About the author
Heidi Hanson