More Case Management
Software Reviews (Continued from page 41)
The core functions of this program are the integrated calendar, the To-Do list and the contact manager. Largely ignored are some of the most useful features of the program (all of which are integrated) such as the case-management functions, in- cluding document management, messaging, reporting functions, its link to Timeslips (and other time and billing pro- grams) and its synchronization with remote Time Matters databases. Version 2.0 of this program was re-
viewed in the April/May 1999 issue of Law Office Computing. Most of what was said in that review is applicable to Ver- sion 3.0 of the program. The calendar, To-Do list and contact manager retain their look and feel, but the program is greatly improved in functionality and sta- bility and appears to use computer memory resources more economically. Aside from the calendar and To-Do functions, the real strength and beauty of Time Matters lies in its ability to refer- ence every bit of information about a case or a contact in one place. For example, if set up properly, Time Matters will show every event (appointments, hearings, etc.), every To-Do, every piece of mail, every e- mail, every billable (or non-billable) charge, every message, every phone call (in and out), every note, every contact (parties, attorneys, adjusters, witnesses, judges) and every document associated with that case. And you can (and should) create each one of these items from within Time Matters. If you do, you’ll be re- warded with a complete history of your case in the tabs on the Case Form. For documents generated by another
office, you can scan directly into the docs tab. The feature supports “TWAIN” driv- ers (which is the standard for scanners). As of this writing, this feature supports only one page scans. Time Matters said that multi-page scanning will be sup- ported in the next service release, which may be available by the time you read this article. In the mean time, you can scan into whatever format you like and refer- ence the file in the docs tab. It will have the same functionality as if you had initi- ated your scanning software from within Time Matters. You can just double click on your case in the Case Reference Sub-list, and there it is. You also can highlight the document you want to see (a description is associ-
42
ated with each file name), click Go To, and it comes up in the appropriate pro- gram. This holds true for spreadsheet documents, portable document format (PDF) documents and anything else ref- erenced in the list. This means that you have an indexed and summarized list of every document pertinent to the case in a list on the docs tab of the Case Form. Time Matters still can synchronize with 3Com’s handheld Palm devices. More importantly, Time Matters can be set to synchronize with a remote Time Matters installation on a notebook computer. Set up appropriately, it can create an exact duplicate of an individual user’s files (or the whole firm if you wish) on the note- book, so that when you’re not connected to your network, you still have all the in- formation you would have if you were in your office. You even can have Time Matters copy the actual files referenced in the docs tab of the Case Form copied to your notebook. When you create a new file or reference an existing file in the docs tab of the Case Form, use an ampersand character to re- place the default file location. If the default file location set up in a remote Time Mat- ters database on your laptop is c:\wpdocs, and you want the file saved to c:\wpdocs\client\
client1.ltr.wpd, enter the file name “&client\
client1.ltr.wpd.” You can edit the file on any computer
on your network. Whatever changes are made to the file will be updated to your notebook when you synchronize the next time. Real-time messaging allows the recep- tionist (or anyone else) to send you a real-time message, which notifies you of a phone call, the arrival of a client or other event. Because it’s instantaneous, you can get the message even when you’re on the phone and gives the option to stop what you’re doing to address the new event, or to ignore it until later. With the reporting functions and vari- ous filters, you can get a list (with detail if desired) of every phone call received from opposing counsel between specific dates, for example. You can attach notes to each record and display them later, connected to your case or a contact. If you link to Timeslips Version 10 with proper setup, creating a new case record in Time Mat- ters creates a new Timeslips record as well and obviates the need to enter the infor- mation twice. Timeslips created in Time Matters still do not show the time you switched the timer on, which can be use- ful. Time Matters reports that this is a
Trial Reporter
limitation of Timeslips and not Time Matters. But this minor inconvenience is easily remedied. First, click on the timer button in Time Matters (Time Matters will record the time you switched on the timer). Then click the “send to billing” button. In Timeslips, you will see that the recorded time has already been transferred with the slip. Now, turn on the timer in Timeslips, and you have a start time that will only be a minute or two behind the actual start time referenced in Time Mat- ters.
Time Matters contains a document as- sembly feature that should be sufficient for most firms and eliminates the neces- sity of purchasing other software. Time Matters also contains extensive auditing features. Time Matters has powerful, sophisti- cated security features. If you aren’t the only one using the program, use them. Assign one person the task of entering codes and other information. If you don’t, you run the risk of having multiple desig- nations for the same functions, which is counterproductive. For example, I have seen several data- bases where a user, not seeing the term “lawyer” on the scroll down list, enters the term “attorney.” Thereafter, some users will characterize some contacts as lawyer, and some as attorney; this results in two, dissimilar lists of the same thing and makes it much more difficult to create an accurate list. One great benefit is its abil- ity to view similar information together( for example, all “deadlines”). Fragment- ing the database with multiple designations( for example, “due on”) nul- lifies this benefit.
SUMMARY While all of these CMS will adequately
manage your caseload, when you evalu- ate which is best for your needs, keep in mind what I call the “Goldilocks Factor.” In the software field, size matters. Most solo practitioners or small firms can’t af- ford $100,000 for a CMS and, conversely, a very inexpensive program will almost certainly not be expandable enough to handle the requirements of a mega-firm. A CMS must not be too small (inadequate to meet the needs of multiple users and a thriving, varied caseload) or too large (ex- pensive and a drain on resources). Like Goldilocks, you want to find something which is “just right’ for your needs. Good luck.
Spring 2001
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