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EmC
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Columbus, Georgia
 
2005-03-28, 23:49

I hope someone can help. I work at a small law firm that just went through a partnership breakdown, for several reasons one of the partners has been asked to leave. When the partnership was first formed documents (abstracting files) from this persons old firm were purchased by the newly formed corporation. Now that they are splitting up the court has ordered that a copy of the entire set of all abstracting files, those created before and after the initial partnership, to be given to each partner. Fine, that can be accomplished with a freaking photo copier, but No.

All three of the partners, the one leaving and the two staying, have agreed that this is the perfect time to setup "some type of computer system" to manage the files. Of course they aren't going to set it up so that is easy for them to say.

There are approximately 4,000 file folders with anywhere from two to thirty pages in them. Several separate documents and some handwritten abstract notes. Scanning these in and creating digital versions is not a problem. They will not need to be edited, so OCR is not necessary.

I need a solution that will let me keep track of a file number, property name, and a list of all the documents, pictures, notes, that are associated with the current physical folder. I also need to be able to launch the file from the database.

Example.
File Number: 056
Property Name: 100 Main St., Somewhere USA.
Abstract Notes
Deed & Deed

It needs to run on Windows. Blech. I know. I am working on that too, so if it has a Win/Mac version even better.

Is it possible to do this with a program like FileMaker, I have zero experience with it, but do have some experience with other database software and have created a card catalog for a project at school. Nothing fancy.

While I also would love to learn a new software package like filemaker, I really need something that is not so time consuming, I have full-time school and this job.

Google has revealed some results, but they look like they are from companies that won't be here next year. I won't be at this firm forever, but I don't want them to be screwed six months from now if it quits working and the company has gone belly up.

Any suggestions?

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Paul
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: New York City
 
2005-03-28, 23:59

Filemaker should be able to do this quite easily... I'm sorry I'm not more familiar with the program (actually, I have never used it), but basically all you need is a database that will track metadata on these files as you scan them in, correct?

There are a bunch of other options for this out there (some for mac too!) but I never had any need to look into them. I have seen these products at places like Macworld, so they are out there...

Good luck!

edit:
Here is an unorthodox example of what you could do... iView multimedia might be able to handle the information as well...
The more I think about it, something like this should be brain-dead simple to do with FileMaker... I mean, its a database, with metadata. Have you been to their site and poked around?

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Last edited by Paul : 2005-03-29 at 00:36.
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torifile
Less than Stellar Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Durham, NC
Send a message via AIM to torifile  
2005-03-29, 01:02

Like Paul said, it should be doable with Filemaker. It will take some time to get it working right, but I think anything would...
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InactionMan
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2005-03-29, 01:10

Hummingbird DM is a popular one with law firms and government agencies. It's quite nice and hugely expensive. No Mac version but it has a web interface thingy that should work on a Mac.

http://hummingbird.com

And there are about 400000000 different companies that do DM/RM nonsense and it's not fun trying to separate the good from the awful.
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FFL
Fishhead Family Reunited
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Slightly Off Center
 
2005-03-29, 01:11

Definitely FileMaker.

Actually it would be quite simple, and I do that sort of thing (customizing FileMaker databases with specific functions and an easy user interface) for a living.

PM me if you'd like more details.
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Kickaha
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2005-03-29, 01:17

I hate to bring it up, since you specifically asked for a Windows solution, but I'm really rather hoping Spotlight makes special solutions like this unnecessary. (Assuming the ability to add keywords to files, of course.)

Carry on.
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Gargoyle
http://ga.rgoyle.com
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: In your dock hiding behind your finder icon!
 
2005-03-29, 05:33

I take it a well organised directory structure is not enough? eg.

Files
|--0056
| |---File1
| |---Image 2
| |---Etc.
|
|--0057
| |---File 1
| |---Etc
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staph
Microbial member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Send a message via AIM to staph  
2005-03-29, 05:55

There are tonnes of EDRMS packages out there, and a lot of them will definitely be here next year. The Gartner "Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Content Management" would be a good place to start looking for reputable solutions if you're feeling really enthusiastic (and have a subscription to their service). Having a flick through the back issues of KMWorld might be a good idea too.

A full-blown EDRMS is a useful thing. Things like built in support for retention schedules, and support for physical file space management should be helpful for a law firm… but might be overkill for your scenario.

Disclosure: I work for Tower, the developers of TRIM Context (we'll definitely be here next year).
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EmC
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Columbus, Georgia
 
2005-03-29, 15:44

Thanks all, for the replies. I thought FileMaker would work, but I didn't want to spend forever goofing around on it if it just wasn't possible.
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