HotDocs – Not just for lawyers
Although HotDocs software is frequently used by large organizations and law firms, during my time at HotDocs in both Administration and Marketing, I have found plenty of other uses for the technology that help me to do my job more efficiently.
I started at HotDocs as an Administration Assistant. This was my first office job, and I had very little technical experience. My first encounter with HotDocs came when I was asked to create interactive HotDocs templates from Legal Aid Agency (LAA) forms. This was a simple task where I would take PDF versions of forms from the LAA and, using HotDocs Developer, turn them into HotDocs templates. The templates needed to be updated regularly, and with several hundred templates to manage, I spent a lot of time learning how to create PDF templates in HotDocs with great efficiency.
After a year or so in Admin, I moved to a new position in the Marketing Department, and in this role I have been able to make even greater use of HotDocs.
I have organized several events for HotDocs including HotDocs User Group Meetings. These meetings are for people that use HotDocs, or plan to use it in the future, to gather together and catch up with our latest news. It was at one of these meetings that we launched our Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution, HotDocs Document Services.
As part of the HotDocs User Group Meeting experience, I have created feedback forms with HotDocs Developer and then used HotDocs Document Services to send the forms to the attendees via email, requesting opinions and suggestions for future events. Rather than asking our guests to complete paper forms, that are often forgotten or lost, HotDocs Document Services keeps all of my forms in the same place and even alerts me when someone has completed one. Better still, I don’t have to battle with illegiblehandwriting, as the interviews are all completed online.
HotDocs Document Services has also become an integral part of another one of my ongoing tasks in my marketing role. HotDocs partners with many technology companies, who may integrate HotDocs with their own software, resell HotDocs, or publish their own content using our software. We display information about these partners on our website. During a recent revamp of the website, I was asked to gather that information from all of our partners, and my mind immediately sprang to HotDocs Document Services as the perfect tool for the job.
Once I had created my template in HotDocs Developer, I was able to quickly upload it to HotDocs Document Services and send out this new set of questions in the form of a HotDocs interview to each of our partners. Using this systematic way of contacting them means that all of my questions are answered in the same format, are stored safely in my account for me to use when I need to, and because Document Services is in the cloud, partners can access their interviews anytime and from anywhere they like, on devices such as laptops or iPads.
To summarize, even though I am not a lawyer and don’t have a technical background, I have found HotDocs intuitive to use, and overall it has been an incredible tool for keeping my documents under control, in turn making my working life easier and more organized. HotDocs is widely used by law firms, banks, and corporate organizations; however, it is clear to me that HotDocs can be used in any type of organization. Wherever there is a need to produce documentation, HotDocs makes it easier.