The Benefits of Electronic Document Management for Courts

Imagine requesting court documents and receiving them within seconds instead of days. Electronic document management for courts makes this possible for court officers and the public alike. The cost-effective solution makes court offices and those who access documents more efficient while keeping the information secure.

Advantages of Electronic Document Management for Courts

• Save space: Storing paper documents can take hundreds or thousands of cubic feet. A document management system allows a court to maintain necessary physical documents and frees up space for other purposes.
• Increase staff efficiency: Within an electronic document system, a court can make specific documents accessible from remote locations 24 hours a day, allowing staff members and judges to retrieve forms and view information from their workstations and Internet-connected devices. Thanks to optical character recognition and intelligent character recognition capabilities in document management systems, a judge, for example, can access and search through several volumes of law journals and case files in a matter of minutes. Furthermore, a document management system allows multiple individuals to access the same document simultaneously.
• Improve public access to information: Allowing the public to access documents online, such as license applications, enables a court system to significantly reduce the amount of paper it uses while facilitating access to information. When the public can access documents online, staff members have more time to fulfill their essential duties.
• Improved case file integrity: Document management for courts allows individuals to view files without altering them. If a user with access is able to alter a document, the software tracks the changes to maintain the original file’s integrity and create a virtual paper trail. 
• Scheduling capabilities: Built-in calendars in document management systems make case tracking more efficient. At the same time, a calendar can alert the appropriate individuals when it is time to archive or destroy physical and electronic files.
• Real-time, accurate information: An electronic document system allows approved individuals to update information instantly so others to receive the latest information in real-time. This is helpful for professionals such as probation officers, prison staff, 9-1-1 operators, and attorneys.
• Business continuity: The creation of electronic documents protects vulnerable and sensitive information from thefts, damage, and disasters. If a courthouse experiences a flood or fire, for example, the recovery process will be simpler and less expensive, as copies of physical documents will already have an electronic copy in a safe location. With encryption technologies and security protocols, digital documents are less likely to go missing, receive damage, get altered or manipulated, or be handed to the wrong individual.

Electronic document management for courts makes governments and justice systems more efficient by streamlining processes and maintaining compliance with local and federal regulations. In the event of a disaster, document management systems protect records from losses. If damage to physical documents occurs, Polygon offers secure document recovery and restoration services on-site and at a protected facility. Contact Polygon today to learn how its Code Blue® program complements existing disaster plans and keeps court documents secure.  

[Photo from Connor Turner via CC License 2.0]