by Bailey White
Staff Writer
Finding a single document out of a caseload that contains 18,000 pieces of paper can be a frustrating search.
Jacksonville-based software creators Hank Meyne and Scott Davis believe they’ve created the solution with a document management program called DocuMem.
With DocuMem, attorneys or their administrative assistants will scan documents to be stored on a web-based server, “then, the attorney can view them anywhere — on the road, at a client’s office, in a hotel room,” said Meyne.
He and Davis have spent years developing document management software for companies such as CSX and Merrill Lynch before realizing the potential DocuMem has for making attorneys’ lives easier.
“If you’ve ever tried to find a document in a room full of boxes you know it can take hours, even days,” said Barry Krawchuk, the vice president of marketing and sales for Crane Pacific Consulting, the company that has exclusive distribution rights for the product in North and Central Florida. “This program makes the search instantaneous. For day-to-day operations, when multiple people need to have access to a document, there’s nothing else like it in the world.”
“Another benefit to document imaging is that the documents are safe from damage or loss,” said Meyne. “Once in the system, they’re there forever. They can’t be harmed by fire, they won’t get damaged by excessive handling and they won’t accidentally be thrown into the trash.”
The software includes a query feature that will allow an attorney to search for a document by name, case number or date.
“We’re also coming out with an optical character recognition feature, or OCR, which means, once the document is scanned, it will automatically be converted to a Word file,” said Krawchuck. “In that capacity, the document can be cut or pasted. And if an attorney needs to relay the document to another attorney or to someone else in the firm, they can even be e-mailed. This system offers plenty of flexibility.”
And, it comes at a great price.
“It’s extremely affordable,” he said, “for small firms as well as medium-to large-sized firms. The price includes technical support, plus our clients will get updated whenever a new addition to the program comes out.”
“A firm that uses this program will cut back on physical document managing fees,” added Meyne. “And it reduces the need to firm sending couriers back and forth, which can cost a lot of money. But the best thing about it is that it’s easy to use. We offer training as well.”
Will DocuMem eliminate the need for paper all together?
“A lot of attorneys will choose to keep hard copies stored away somewhere,” said Krawchuck. “But we’ve heard some people joke that they could keep a shredder right next to the scanner.”