For attorneys, dealing with boxes and boxes of paper discovery documents is the norm. But as courts and prosecuting attorneys are beginning to provide documents digitally, defense attorneys can be caught unprepared.

Faced with trying State v. Valentini, the largest gambling conspiracy case in Arizona history, criminal defense attorney Howard Snader knew his old paper-based system wouldn’t work any longer. Full story »

Today’s the fifth anniversary of the largest blackout in U.S. history. Damage – from spoiled food to lost sales – is estimated at $6 billion.

According to the Wall Street Journal Business Technology blog, a recent Emerson Network Power survey showed that only 31% of the respondents had a business continuity plan to prepare for such disruptions, yet nearly 80% said they had experienced at least one power outage in 2007, and two-thirds said they expected another one to occur within 12 months.

Did you know that you can use Laserfiche as the foundation of your organization’s business continuity plan? Despite the recent floods in the Midwest, law firm Arenson & Zimmerman used Laserfiche to continue working, even though power at their offices would be out for at least four weeks. The weekend after the flooding began, staff set up remote computer connections for all attorneys and support staff so they could work from off-site locations.

Without Laserfiche, staff members would have had to carry large boxes of files down nine flights of stairs while holding flashlights. “Although the stair climbing would have put us all in much better physical shape, Laserfiche has allowed us to spend our time producing billable work,” concluded legal assistant Laurie L. Chappell. “Laserfiche definitely helped keep us going during this difficult time.”

What if your offices lost power for four weeks? Do you know how you could use Laserfiche to keep working? Download our white paper, “How Digital Document Management Streamlines Business Continuity Planning,” to learn more about how you can better prepare for disaster, whether it’s a power outage, an earthquake or a tornado.

In many cities, staff have to impose on the city clerk’s office whenever they need to consult a report, contract or other municipal document. But thanks to Laserfiche, staff throughout the City of Goodyear, AZ, can instantly access these items online, which helps them work more efficiently—and frees staff in the clerk’s office to spend more time helping the public.

Full story »

Established in 1993 as a full service broker-dealer, Workman Securities provides comprehensive services to registered representatives and their clients. But paper-based processes were impeding staff’s ability to provide quality services in a compliant manner.

“We used to print out e-mails to conduct surveillance,” remembers Operations Manager Kelly Buda. “And when you consider we have over 260 representatives and home office staff, that was a lot of paper.” Full story »

Did you know that entries for the 2009 Run Smarter awards are now open?

Every year, we award Laserfiche users with Run Smarter awards in five categories: government, financial services, healthcare, education and commercial. The only requirement to enter is that you’re using Laserfiche to improve efficiency in your organization!

Run Smarter award winners receive a scholarship and three night accommodations at the Laserfiche Institute Conference, which will take place January 12-14, 2009, at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport. We’ll also write an article about them that will be in the Laserfiche UserNews, and, probably best of all, they’ll get a beautiful, one-of-a-kind congratulatory plaque!

So don’t wait, because the entry deadline is July 31, 2008.

To enter, visit www.laserfiche.com/runsmarter. If you have questions, feel free to contact me at melissa.henley@laserfiche.com.

In 1954, Frank Bloss and Earle Dillard founded a small insurance agency, working alone out of a one-room office. Since then, Bloss & Dillard, Inc., (BDI) has grown into a successful managing general agency (MGA) with 1,500 agents and thousands of clients in West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

But success has its price, and for BDI, it came in the form of proliferating paperwork. As an MGA, BDI provides a broad range of insurance products to independent insurance agents. A staff of underwriters supports these agents by quoting and binding both commercial and personal insurance coverage, from simple property policies to highly sophisticated excess and umbrella coverage. Full story »

The majority of legal cases in California begin in one of the state’s 58 superior courts. With facilities in more than 450 locations, the superior courts hear both civil and criminal cases, as well as family, probate and juvenile cases. The superior courts make up the largest part of California’s judicial system—which is itself the largest in the United States. Full story »

Thinking of a traditional courthouse records room might conjure up images of file cabinets overflowing with folders, but that’s not how it works in York County, PA, where staff have used technology to streamline the thousands of cases that pass through the court system each year. Full story »

The concept of a stand-alone surgical center is a relatively new one. The SurgiCenter of Baltimore—the first freestanding multi-specialty surgical center in the country owned exclusively by physicians—was conceived in 1989 by a group of physicians intent on providing a better surgical experience for their patients. The SurgiCenter of Baltimore later took on Lifebridge Health and HealthMark Partners, Inc., as partners. Full story »

Since 1983, JJ&R Medical Data Systems, Inc., (MDS) has provided billing and collection services to healthcare providers ranging from hospital emergency departments to urgent care centers. Working through two divisional offices in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, and Baton Rouge, LA, MDS bills more than 60,000 patient accounts monthly.

Processing the thousands of paper documents associated with these accounts, however, was limiting MDS’s productivity. “We needed a system to provide three key features: security, accessibility and accountability,” says Solutions Architect Matt Brown. “We also wanted to cut down on paper-related costs. We spent the better part of a decade looking for a system that could accomplish all these goals.” Full story »

Criminal trials are notorious for the excessive amounts of paperwork they generate. But in Eaton County, MI, prosecuting attorneys are going to court with laptops instead of briefcases full of paper files—an advantage that has led to better communication, easier pretrial conferences and quicker case resolutions. Full story »