Matter Lifecycle Management
Technology has greatly enhanced the practice of law. Applications such as document management
and tools such as Blackberries have dramatically increased productivity across all levels of the
firm. Unfortunately, technology has also introduced new inefficiencies.
For one, technology has encouraged the proliferation of information across the firm. Every time
an attorney is forced to burn cycles hunting down a needed piece of information such as a document
or a matter code diminishes their productivity, satisfaction and billabilty.
The Problem
One way firms can reduce such inefficiency is by streamlining matter lifecycle management practices.
Matter centric approaches can help, but do not address all data management challenges:
- Matter Transfer -- Whether due to clerical error, a legitimate need to reclassify
a matter, or restructuring on the part of either a client or the firm, from time to time
the need arises for firms to change the numbering of existing matters. While some applications such as
Thomson Elite provide native matter transfer functionality, most do not. With manual intervention
required, firms face delays and users face potential confusion.
- Recent Matter Lists -- Several legal applications provide timekeepers with fast
access to recent work by maintaining a record of frequent matters. This functionality reduces the time
users spend tracking down information. Unfortunately, these lists operate only on a per-application basis,
limiting their usefulness.
Importantly, the tools and applications that touch matter data aren't designed to share this information.
Instead, organizations must employ manual workarounds, often placing the burden on attorneys.
The IntApp Solution -- Integration Builder
Integration Builder connects matter data across applications to automatically synchronize and update
information wherever it resides. It streamlines key matter lifecycle activities to ensure that timekeepers
have easy access to the information they need:
- Automating Matter Transfer -- Integration Builder can communicate applicable matter
transfer data across relevant systems and immediately reconfigure them as necessary, making the process
transparent to end users.
- Synchronizing Recent Matter Lists -- By updating recent matter data across systems,
IntApp enables attorneys to move between applications and find the matter they are working on immediately.
This is particularly helpful in high matter volume practices such as intellectual property, where
attorneys wrestle with an ever-growing explosion of matter numbers.
BPM / Workflow 
