The Challenge

The firm was under growing pressure to produce and distribute on time thousands of documents per month to meet court filing dates and requests of opposing counsel. The firm was missing court submission dates because getting information to satellite offices was slow.

Capturing, compiling, and distributing documents became a burden. Due to inefficiencies inherent in manual processes, this resulted in higher staff costs.

There was no easy way to associate document output cost with client matter data. The firm was absorbing client printing and scanning costs. This resulted in lower chargeback and reduced profits.

Because the DPC did not have capabilities to do oversized document production in-house, wide-format production of marketing, real estate materials, trial diagrams and exhibits were sent to print shops outside the firm. That protracted lead-time and created additional time pressures and added costs.

Mail distribution was also costly due to unmanaged courier costs. The mail delivery process in the firm was ineffective resulting in document delays to partners.

The Solution

Océ provided a comprehensive solution focused on document production, mail, and distribution. The goal was to provide reliable document distribution via electronic workflow.

Océ implemented thirteen Canon networked multi-function devices (MFD) equipped with eCopy to enable electronic distribution between offices. Each new document hub provided convenient scan to e-mail, fax and created an imaging gateway to the firm's case management system (CMS). Océ also upgraded the firm to a fax server, which reduced printing and handling of incoming faxes by routing the faxes to recipients' desktops.

Océ implemented CopiTrak and LaserTrak cost recovery systems to capture and associate client matter number with each printed, copied, and scanned document. The system is able to automatically generate reports documenting expenses.

The DPC was improved with the installation of Océ TDS 400 mono and CS5070 color wide-format print systems. These systems gave the DPC the ability to print wide-format floor plan and blueprint documents in-house providing the firm with lower document production costs and faster turn-around.

Océ redesigned the mail center to collect and distribute the mail more effectively. Océ merged DPC document delivery with hourly mail delivery getting the mail documents to the attorneys faster.

Océ manages the firm's mail list database, keeping the information updated to improve the mail sorting process and actively manages the courier services of the firm, negotiating best terms and prices.

The Result

The initiatives implemented by Océ Business Services have resulted in:

• $38,000 in savings the first year growing to a current savings of $500,000
• Court filing deadlines were met using the MFDs for faster fax and scan to e-mail document distribution between satellite offices
• The firm's document cost recovery expanded to capture all office and DPC document production for all client matters
• Distribution also improved by merging the copy and mail delivery schedules
• Attorneys gained immediate access to their faxes in a digital format and ability to add the faxes to their CMS with a mouse click.