INNOVA: An Innovation in the Document Creation Process

Like it or not, in order to produce and collaborate on documents, the legal community is dependent on more and more software products which are increasingly sophisticated and interdependent. To maximize the financial investment in these products, it's optimal to leverage the integration opportunities that they offer. Firms have the option to take on custom development to achieve this goal, or to invest in a third-party product where the software vendor is responsible for keeping their product updated to integrate with new versions of other programs on the desktop. Innova, developed by SoftWise Corporation, is an example of a comprehensive, feature-rich, template program that standardizes and simplifies the document creation process. It integrates with a variety of contact management, document management and fax server programs typically found on a legal desktop.

Formerly known as MacroSuite, Innova incorporates all of its predecessor's functionality and adds a whole lot more. It tackles the everyday things that users need to do, such as creating letters, memos, faxes, pleadings etc. It also offers a visually intuitive solution to that area of

Word that is most troublesome ' automatic paragraph numbering. Administrative tools are in a series of GUI-based modules so firms, regardless of size, can take on the long-term maintenance and management of the product themselves. Firms have the ability to customize Innova to meet the needs of their environment.

Although not visible, architecting Innova with a SQL data repository (Access is available for smaller firms) provides firms with a host of new feature options that make life easier for both the user and firm administrator. With a database repository, firm administrators can map to any ODBC compliant database to access internal or external contact records if Innova doesn't integrate directly with a program that's used. The same mapping capability is available to access client matter information. Database changes made in Innova (eg, document ID layouts) are dynamically available to users. Data replication between multiple databases on the same SQL server or on multiple SQL servers is facilitated with Innova's built-in replication utility, one that is far more flexible than that provided by Microsoft's SQL out of the box. Changes can be made to any of the Innova databases anywhere in the enterprise and those changes will be replicated to all other databases in the enterprise. Any one of 15 functional modules (eg, Personnel List, QuickFills, Doc ID Configuration) can be easily enabled or disabled for replication.

Having a database sitting behind Innova is also important from the user's perspective. For example, because Innova is reading information directly from that program's database, users can access contact records via Innova's Contacts Viewer dialog and drag and drop them into the appropriate control on a dialog. Additionally, Innova's QuickFill feature allows users to complete and memorize information in any control on a dialog (ie, contact information in address block fields) for quick & easy retrieval. Contact data in a QuickFill is stored as a record pointer to the contact management database, not static text. Thus, when a QuickFill is opened, a user knows he/she is getting the most up-to-date information available for a contact. This reduces embarrassing mistakes such as missing a name or address change. QuickFills can be shared with others in the firm so no one has to “reinvent the wheel” when someone else has already done it.

This accelerates firm productivity. Administrators can create QuickFills and publish them firm wide (ie, frequently recurring numbering designs or active litigation cases).

Many of Innova's dialogs are designed with an Explorer-style display where Explorer functionality (right click, drag and drop and Favorites) is enabled. When a user needs a template ' whether Innova, custom or other ' they will select File/New. Innova's File/New dialog box has a tree view structure that allows administrators to organize templates according to Best Practices of the firm. Folders can be created or modified via Explorer so that administrators can easily manage template availability over time. Users select the appropriate practice area to access a needed template. They can also create their own Favorite folders and drag regularly used templates from the master repository and drop them into those folders. Templates in a user's Favorite folders are dynamically linked to the master template so that if an administrator makes a change to a master template, the change is automatically reflected in the template residing in the appropriate Favorite folders.

Shrink-wrapped integrations with leading fax server software are also available in Innova. Users can produce perfectly formatted fax cover sheets using a single dialog. These fax cover sheets can be sent directly to the fax server software, along with all the information required by that server, in a single operation and without requiring the user to re-key any data. Faxes can be sent to multiple recipients showing all recipients or showing only a single recipient per fax cover sheet.

The fast track to frustration in native Word is setting up automatic paragraph numbering and a table of contents (TOC). Having to navigate through so many dialog boxes is confusing and any mistake along the way can de-stabilize a document. With Innova, the user defines all aspects of a numbering design (or multiple designs) or TOC in a single dialog box that sits on the same screen as a sample working document. Visually seeing what you're doing as you're doing it enables even a novice user to painlessly “get it right” the first time.

Innova's Dialog Designer is the first ever drag and drop development platform built into a template package. It mimics the functionality of Visual Basic without the need for any programming skills (full GUI environment). Administrators can add, delete, or move controls on any Innova shipping dialog and/or create any custom dialog to correspond to a custom template in their environment. This toolkit, which provides the ability to grow the core product using in-house resources, is an enormous value-add that will provide significant financial savings for firms over the long haul.

When making software-purchasing decisions, firms typically analyze the initial cost of the software program as well as the long-term costs to manage and maintain it (which are often substantial). Aside from the cost component, firms traditionally review the “user-friendliness” of the product along with the customization capabilities that it offers to fulfill specific firm requirements. Another element in the decision-making mix is the allocation and skill level of internal resources that need to be dedicated to product maintenance and management. Innova addresses all of these issues with positive results. Its flexible, easy-to-learn feature set allows users to positively impact their productivity and gives them control of their workflow. Administrators can readily manage Innova using GUI tools and thus can spend more time and energy attending to other critical firm projects. Integrations with other software programs on the desktop means that Innova is contributing to a firm's ROI. Choosing Innova enables firms to focus more attention on their primary business, law, with less technological pain. Innova contributes to the potential for any size law firm to increase profitability.

Like it or not, in order to produce and collaborate on documents, the legal community is dependent on more and more software products which are increasingly sophisticated and interdependent. To maximize the financial investment in these products, it's optimal to leverage the integration opportunities that they offer. Firms have the option to take on custom development to achieve this goal, or to invest in a third-party product where the software vendor is responsible for keeping their product updated to integrate with new versions of other programs on the desktop. Innova, developed by SoftWise Corporation, is an example of a comprehensive, feature-rich, template program that standardizes and simplifies the document creation process. It integrates with a variety of contact management, document management and fax server programs typically found on a legal desktop.

Formerly known as MacroSuite, Innova incorporates all of its predecessor's functionality and adds a whole lot more. It tackles the everyday things that users need to do, such as creating letters, memos, faxes, pleadings etc. It also offers a visually intuitive solution to that area of

Word that is most troublesome ' automatic paragraph numbering. Administrative tools are in a series of GUI-based modules so firms, regardless of size, can take on the long-term maintenance and management of the product themselves. Firms have the ability to customize Innova to meet the needs of their environment.

Although not visible, architecting Innova with a SQL data repository (Access is available for smaller firms) provides firms with a host of new feature options that make life easier for both the user and firm administrator. With a database repository, firm administrators can map to any ODBC compliant database to access internal or external contact records if Innova doesn't integrate directly with a program that's used. The same mapping capability is available to access client matter information. Database changes made in Innova (eg, document ID layouts) are dynamically available to users. Data replication between multiple databases on the same SQL server or on multiple SQL servers is facilitated with Innova's built-in replication utility, one that is far more flexible than that provided by Microsoft's SQL out of the box. Changes can be made to any of the Innova databases anywhere in the enterprise and those changes will be replicated to all other databases in the enterprise. Any one of 15 functional modules (eg, Personnel List, QuickFills, Doc ID Configuration) can be easily enabled or disabled for replication.

Having a database sitting behind Innova is also important from the user's perspective. For example, because Innova is reading information directly from that program's database, users can access contact records via Innova's Contacts Viewer dialog and drag and drop them into the appropriate control on a dialog. Additionally, Innova's QuickFill feature allows users to complete and memorize information in any control on a dialog (ie, contact information in address block fields) for quick & easy retrieval. Contact data in a QuickFill is stored as a record pointer to the contact management database, not static text. Thus, when a QuickFill is opened, a user knows he/she is getting the most up-to-date information available for a contact. This reduces embarrassing mistakes such as missing a name or address change. QuickFills can be shared with others in the firm so no one has to “reinvent the wheel” when someone else has already done it.

This accelerates firm productivity. Administrators can create QuickFills and publish them firm wide (ie, frequently recurring numbering designs or active litigation cases).

Many of Innova's dialogs are designed with an Explorer-style display where Explorer functionality (right click, drag and drop and Favorites) is enabled. When a user needs a template ' whether Innova, custom or other ' they will select File/New. Innova's File/New dialog box has a tree view structure that allows administrators to organize templates according to Best Practices of the firm. Folders can be created or modified via Explorer so that administrators can easily manage template availability over time. Users select the appropriate practice area to access a needed template. They can also create their own Favorite folders and drag regularly used templates from the master repository and drop them into those folders. Templates in a user's Favorite folders are dynamically linked to the master template so that if an administrator makes a change to a master template, the change is automatically reflected in the template residing in the appropriate Favorite folders.

Shrink-wrapped integrations with leading fax server software are also available in Innova. Users can produce perfectly formatted fax cover sheets using a single dialog. These fax cover sheets can be sent directly to the fax server software, along with all the information required by that server, in a single operation and without requiring the user to re-key any data. Faxes can be sent to multiple recipients showing all recipients or showing only a single recipient per fax cover sheet.

The fast track to frustration in native Word is setting up automatic paragraph numbering and a table of contents (TOC). Having to navigate through so many dialog boxes is confusing and any mistake along the way can de-stabilize a document. With Innova, the user defines all aspects of a numbering design (or multiple designs) or TOC in a single dialog box that sits on the same screen as a sample working document. Visually seeing what you're doing as you're doing it enables even a novice user to painlessly “get it right” the first time.

Innova's Dialog Designer is the first ever drag and drop development platform built into a template package. It mimics the functionality of Visual Basic without the need for any programming skills (full GUI environment). Administrators can add, delete, or move controls on any Innova shipping dialog and/or create any custom dialog to correspond to a custom template in their environment. This toolkit, which provides the ability to grow the core product using in-house resources, is an enormous value-add that will provide significant financial savings for firms over the long haul.

When making software-purchasing decisions, firms typically analyze the initial cost of the software program as well as the long-term costs to manage and maintain it (which are often substantial). Aside from the cost component, firms traditionally review the “user-friendliness” of the product along with the customization capabilities that it offers to fulfill specific firm requirements. Another element in the decision-making mix is the allocation and skill level of internal resources that need to be dedicated to product maintenance and management. Innova addresses all of these issues with positive results. Its flexible, easy-to-learn feature set allows users to positively impact their productivity and gives them control of their workflow. Administrators can readily manage Innova using GUI tools and thus can spend more time and energy attending to other critical firm projects. Integrations with other software programs on the desktop means that Innova is contributing to a firm's ROI. Choosing Innova enables firms to focus more attention on their primary business, law, with less technological pain. Innova contributes to the potential for any size law firm to increase profitability.