Legal firms across the South Coast have been given cutting-edge insights on how to improve document management workflows and cut associated costs.

Representatives from 17 law firms, from Bristol, Southampton and Portsmouth, attended the latest free forum at Canotec’s head office in Ringwood.

The oversubscribed day-long event proved so popular that a second one is now being scheduled for later this spring.

David Newman, who heads up Canotec’s legal solutions team, said: “The feedback we got was brilliant – the forum was due to finish at 4pm but we had delegates staying on for another two and a half hours because they were gripped by how our technology can enhance the efficiency of their document management workflows and cut associated costs by up to a quarter.

“Several of the law firms apologised to me in person because they admitted they thought they had answered or exhausted all avenues answers to their own ‘Legal Paper Chase’ challenges and ongoing headaches, then realised during the forum that we had been offering a far more flexible and resilient answer all along.”

One of the examples cited was Lester Aldridge, one of the South Coast’s main legal players. The firm experienced a £45,000 annual drop in document management costs, with the reduction in paper equivalent to 19 trees a month, after utilising Canotec’s expertise.

Canotec deploys software solutions, such as eCopy, Safecom, Uniflow, Copitrak and Invu, to name but a few, on digital copiers, ensuring a less-paper office without compromising business efficiency and client-facing services.

The forum took place as a new report by bank giant JP Morgan which showed that paperless document management in the office can be achieved.

It stated that more than 24 million paper documents, from payslips to bills, have been eliminated by 25,000 of its clients through the promotion of digital processes.

 The report, the feature of an article by BusinessGreen.com, stated that, on average, filing and maintaining 500,000 pieces of paper costs £162,000 in workflow management, another £75,000 to research lost files and around £98,000 in storage and disposal costs.

Cutting annual paper use by 500,000 sheets can save a company £336,000 a year – more than 65p saved per sheet conserved, according to JP Morgan.

Did you know? Figures show that a small law firm employing 40 people will typically use up to 70,000 sheets of paper a month – equivalent to a 60ft pine tree.

We can help your legal firm cut document management costs – contact us for a free, no-obligation review of your printing needs.