Canon Innovates for Major Law Firm and Advances Internal Document Processes
Records Management Challenge
Procopio is a full-service business and litigation law firm with more than 160 attorneys based in San Diego, Silicon Valley, Phoenix and Austin, serving clients around the world. The firm, committed to thoughtful problem-solving and improving its clients’ bottom line, applied the same approach to enhancing its own operational efficiency. Initially, the firm saw an opportunity to improve its records management program and engaged Canon Business Process Services as a partner to get the job done. Now Procopio and Canon are working together on creating a roadmap for innovation. The goal is to help the firm continue to evolve and achieve significant business benefits over the next few years by leveraging digital technologies and implementing innovative business process improvement approaches.
Procopio and Canon’s partnership began when Procopio recognized the need to advance its records management operations. The firm concluded that the initiative would span a variety of objectives: better manage and develop the firm’s records management staff, expand information governance best practices, reduce a backlog of files and implement standardized records management processes and procedures.
Solution
Canon began by providing comprehensive consulting services and collaborating with Procopio to assess workflows and daily activities that supported the firm’s records management operations. The next step was to implement a multifaceted solution.
Canon hired and assumed management of Procopio’s records management staff and introduced more effective, standardized processes that helped increase operational efficiency and reduce costs. Another key element of the solution, based on Canon’s analysis and recommendations, was to relocate the Procopio records management staff and all of the firm’s files to a centralized file room operation. The Canon and Procopio project teams also worked on reducing the firm’s backlog of files. Central to this effort was implementing a process for identifying inactive versus open or active files, as well as streamlining the ability to locate and identify missing files from an average of four days to 48 hours.
The Canon and Procopio teams also established a system for tracking key documents such as incoming, outgoing and transfer files, and monitoring activities including the number of file boxes being sent to and received from offsite storage. One result from instituting these systems and practices was the elimination of approximately 5,000 boxes of files from the firm’s offsite storage location.
Results
Over time, Procopio looked to build on the gains the firm was realizing from the consulting, records management services and best practices that Canon was delivering. The new goal was to leverage similar approaches to drive process improvements in the firm’s office administrative services, including its copy and print center operation. Applying the firm’s thoughtful approach to solving its clients’ problems, Procopio joined forces with Canon to solve its own business challenges and create a blueprint for growth and competitive advantage over the next several years. The strategy, currently unfolding, includes capitalizing on digital technology and workflow automation to drive more efficient business processes, including reduced paper usage.
While continuing to oversee Procopio’s records management program, Canon has expanded its services to include managing print center operations for all of the law firm’s main offices. This includes creating a digital intake center, a hybrid mail room and scanning service that uses specialized mail scanning technology and workflow techniques to convert physical mail into digital information immediately upon receipt. With the digital intake center, currently being implemented in a phased rollout, documents will be received, opened, scanned and incorporated into Procopio’s workflow.
With these new approaches, Procopio and Canon are supporting the firm’s vision of innovation and business process improvement with a special focus on maintaining a competitive edge and delivering the highest quality client service.