Stop Thinking Of Document Management As Just 'Record Keeping' -- There's A Lot More To It

iManage is changing DMS -- should "DMS" change with it?

If last year’s rendition of iManage’s ConnectLive show was big, then there aren’t even words for the size of this show. A document management system shouldn’t be drawing crowds like this to a conference, should it? Probably not. But that’s the whole thing with iManage in 2019 — is it even fair to call it a document management system anymore?

CEO Neil Araujo looks back on the history of iManage and notes that “it’s morphed from being a DMS to really addressing the bigger problem of how organizations handle information.”

We’ve already established that iManage offers far more than the traditional “record keeping” features that most people think of when they think of a DMS.

When it comes to the base functions of a DMS, iManage is leading the charge to the cloud and all of its advantages in both storage and security. According to Araujo, cloud growth is up 7.5 times over the last three years and that growth is accelerating. And with that expansion has come increasing concern over the legal status of data that can technically reside elsewhere. With its unique geolocking tool, iManage is getting ahead of these concerns by letting clients dictate where data resides and where it can go.

Meanwhile, the security offered by iManage begins philosophically, with a rejection of the “bolt-on” security model and a commitment to bake the security deep within the DNA of the product.

One of the biggest security risks a firm can face comes from inside — when employees store data in unsecure locations. The compliance report feature allows iManage to track when employees aren’t storing enough to the DMS relative to their task, raising a red flag that those employees may be saving stuff in unsecured locations. Security has to begin from a “zero-trust” mindset. The leaks — intentional or accidental — are coming from inside the firm and platforms have to begin from this understanding even if humans don’t want to think ill of Bob in accounting.

But there’s no reason to stop at thinking of a DMS provider as a solely secure data storage. Repositories are doubling and tripling and users don’t just need those documents saved, they need to use those documents. What iManage has invested in — through its work with RAVN technology — is a mechanism to make that as easy and natural as possible.

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When we say — tongue-only-slightly-in-cheek — that lawyers are Luddites, it’s almost always followed by a jeremiad about the lack of adoption and the need for more “training.” But all the training in the world isn’t going to get an attorney to take up something they don’t understand. That’s where design and intuitive UX comes in. Building an interface that “feels” right to an attorney or one that mimics in key ways the interfaces they already use in their day-to-day life… that’s what sparks adoption and that’s the thinking that went into the new iManage release.

People are certainly paying attention. The client list — over 800 institutions attend the conference at this point (out of iManage’s over 3000 clients worldwide) — include firms ranging from Quinn Emanuel to Clifford Chance. Corporate clients from Air Canada to McDonald’s. “If you like a beer, you can go to Heineken.” Actually, as someone who does like a beer, I will not be going to Heineken, but congratulations on getting their business.

With this exponential growth has come a significant growth in headcount, increasing its investment in human capital by 4 times. “It’s a bunch of rock stars but without any chips on their shoulders,” said Araujo.

All the more impressive when you remember that iManage pulled this off without taking private equity money. When iManage extracted themselves from HP, the company’s leadership recognized that its future relied on a long-term vision that wouldn’t be available with investors pushing for instant gratification and pondering the next sale.

How we view the industry — where are we taking this over the next quarter century —  we’re very careful about getting people bright but can also work well with our customers and partners. Our number one value is respect. We want a 25-year horizon and that’s why they don’t take private equity money.

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For a company with this sort of long-range vision and commitment to change the whole narrative of “document management,” perhaps it’s time to bring back terms like “data management,” “information management” or “knowledge management.” After all, half of iManage’s new clients last year bought more than straightforward DMS.

But maybe the answer isn’t a new term, but a comprehensive reconception of what document management even means. Maybe it’s time to start asking if a product that doesn’t provide these services can legitimately claim to be managing a firm’s documents.


HeadshotJoe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.

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