Digitec Sets a Precedent for Cost Recovery

When Jenkins & Kamin, L.L.P. needed to gain control of their document management costs, they looked to Digitec to hand them the reins.

The practice of law is a paper-laden, document-intensive business. Even in this age of secure document transmission, digital scanning and storage, legal documents still need to be printed, studied, signed, scanned, delivered and filed. Case file boxes and CDs fill up quickly. To make matters worse, the copying and document management systems in place are often unequal to the task. More likely than not, upgrades to systems are handled piecemeal because wholesale change is daunting — resulting in system components that don’t “talk” to each other and leaving users confused, frustrated and inefficient. And then there’s the issue of lost cost when documents aren’t tracked, counted and billed appropriately.

Growing Pains

By 2011, Jenkins & Kamin, L.L.P. had grown to include 17 lawyers. As the firm grew, they continued to rely on manual systems of cost recovery. Saddled with legacy systems of outdated and inefficient printing, scanning and document management equipment and software, the firm’s practices were not accurately tracking or reporting the copies, print-outs and faxes that needed to be billed back to their clients.

“At the end of 2007, we restructured the firm internally and reassessed all of our business systems and processes,” said Sherri Evans, Managing Partner. That was when they started seeing sizable gaps in their cost recovery. Time-consuming processes such as manually recording faxes, copies and postage were sometimes overlooked in the interest of rapidly responding to client needs. “Case management was always our primary focus,” Evans remembered. In addition, their aging equipment was more often malfunctioning than functioning. But up to that point in late 2007, any serious effort at improving equipment operations, document management processes and capturing those costs amounted to nothing more than a Band-Aid® solution. That was when Evans, backed by the firm’s IT staff, decided to confer with Digitec. After Digitec performed a comprehensive cost/benefit analysis, Evans realized that no one at the firm was truly aware of the magnitude of unrecovered costs.

Customized, Scalable Solution

Within a month of initial contact, Digitec presented Evans with a fully customized, scalable solution for Jenkins & Kamin. Armed with the result of the cost/benefits analysis, they proposed replacing all of the firm’s legacy and outdated printers and copiers with new, networked Kyocera printers and Konica-Minolta multi-function devices. They also recommended implementing a scanning solution that automated a time-consuming Bates stamping process and as well as allowing them to scan and store the digital files on the firm’s server. The new copier equipment now ties back into the firm’s accounting system, thus eliminating manual data entry of the records.

Implementation of the new systems went smoothly. After a series of planning meetings, the preparatory work was done and the equipment delivered. Then a third-party firm completed the hook-ups. Training was user-friendly, intuitive and effortless.

Immediate Results: Costs Recovered

In addition to saving Jenkins & Kamin 25 percent on their printing and equipment maintenance costs, Digitec also implemented a tracking solution that now captures all printing, copying, scanning, faxing and mailing costs. The tracking system alone increased recovered costs more than 60 percent.

“With our new state-of-the-art scanning equipment, we now have the ability to scan, save and send from one machine, significantly speeding up our response time” Evans said. And it has certainly paid off. The incremental cost of the new systems doubled the firm’s ability for cost recovery, in effect paying for itself in a matter of months. The firm also saw an immediate improvement in staff time management. It was no longer necessary for paralegals to spend hours searching for and retrieving documents or copying and faxing. They could now focus on more productive tasks.

Long-term Performance

The firm has continued to realize significant cost savings from year to year and revenues continue to increase from the more efficient and effortless capture of billable tasks. Additionally, Digitec’s superior level of service, attention to detail, anticipation of the firm’s needs and proactive approach to document management innovation gives Evans and the firm’s partners peace of mind about their investment in the Digitec solution, and the associates and paralegal staff efficient, trouble-free systems and equipment for the long term. _______________________________________________________________________________

About Digitec

Digitec offers customers a single source for their imaging and information technology needs, including copier products, digital imaging solutions, and enhanced document workflow and management technology. The company provides a balance of technical expertise, professional approach, quality service and consultation to help customers better negotiate the future. Digitec prides itself on its customer-centric focus and delivery of the best and most appropriate solutions possible, backed by knowledgeable service-minded customer representatives. Digitec serves the greater Houston metropolitan area from its offices in Sugar Land, Texas. For more information about document management and printing solutions for the legal market, please contact us today.

About Jenkins & Kamin, LLP

Jenkins & Kamin, LLP, is respected as a family law firm with a quality, tailored approach to cases and commitment to family law. The firm’s partners and associates routinely handle all types of family law matters, including: complex divorce litigation, property settlements, child custody and visitation, child support, modifications, parentage, marital agreements, mediation, arbitration, collaborative law, appeals and all other family law-related matters.