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a better flow of data, an enhanced user experience, or
a connection with a disparate data source that now
enables a better work product. Does your planned
integration adequately address these deliverables?
6. Opportunities for Change: We've all been in
situations where we've had to address a problem
with a band-aid fix solution. Implementing a long-
term change can be more daunting, but quick fixes
and workarounds can often pose content, search,
and security risks – in addition to negatively
impacting user productivity and IT resources. Are
there opportunities to map out an integration path
that eliminates "good for now" fixes? How many
quick fixes have actually had a negative impact on
productivity and cost the firm more than a long-term
solution?
7. Go Native or Go Home: Is the integration native
to the provider's platform, or has it been added on,
similar to the band-aid method mentioned above?
It's hard to argue against a natively integrated
application that functions as one with connecting
systems and provides users with desired workflows
and streamlined productivity. Whether integrating
electronic signatures or Microsoft Teams with your
DMS, there's no denying the power of "going native."
Integrations that Matter
In a recent conversation with Zach Abramowitz,
founder of Killer Whale Strategies, NetDocuments Chief
Technology Officer and co-founder, Alvin Tedjamulia,
argues that contract legal management (CLM), an emerging
corporate legal technology with lots of buzz, must start
with, and be seamlessly connected with, document
management. "Contracts are documents," says Tedjamulia,
"and as such, are under the same obligation as any other
documents. But contracts are probably the most important
documents that exist in a corporate legal department. And
the thought of having contracts being managed by any
other type of services that are not the single source of truth
is just mind-boggling."
Alvin's comments are a reminder to consider how
current and future technologies connect and whether
seamless integrations are possible between mission-
critical solutions.
Husch Blackwell is a prime example of a firm that
has achieved native, deeply embedded integrations.
Led by Senior Director of Knowledge Management and
Technology Innovation Gene D'Aversa, the firm has been
able to leverage NetDocuments' native APIs and build
their own native integrations based on their internal
IT expertise, including automating court filings and
digital signature workflows. In fact, the firm created HB
Innovations, LLC, an internal development incubator
for new legal technology, to effectively create and license
proprietary technology solutions that streamline business
and legal processes.
As cybersecurity risks rise, integrations that address
security and tighten a firm's defenses are vital. Recognized
as a leader by both Gartner and Forrester among
Endpoint Protection Platforms and Extended Detection
and Response (XDR) Providers, respectively, Microsoft
Defender for Cloud Apps (formerly known as Microsoft
Cloud App Security) identifies and combats cyberthreats
across cloud services. NetDocuments and other cloud
providers are currently integrated with Microsoft Defender
and therefore can extend customers' existing security and
provide greater flexibility for governance strategies.
As stated in Microsoft's technical documentation,
connecting applications to Defender for Cloud Apps gives
customers improved insights into their system activities
F E A T U R E S
