What it means to be “Powered by HotDocs”
HotDocs is an established, enterprise-class product encompassing decades of user experience in document automation at some of the world’s largest and most reputable organisations. The product empowers businesses to be more efficient, compliant and, in some cases, they’d struggle or even fail to operate if HotDocs wasn’t there. However, in recent years, HotDocs has also empowered many smaller businesses and has lent itself to a range of niche use cases that showcase entrepreneurial flair.
What does it mean to be “powered by HotDocs”? We asked Gene Turner, Managing Director of LawHawk, a strategic partner of HotDocs in New Zealand, for his thoughts. LawHawk was launched in June 2016 after Gene decided to make HotDocs-driven document automation available as a service to his fellow lawyers in the country.
Gene emphasised the importance of HotDocs to the business, he said: “With so many other alternative providers emerging, lawyers need to be able to offer something more than what clients can do themselves over the internet.HotDocs is used to generate documents that users can customise to their own needs, based on a series of questions and prompts. HotDocs’ powerful automation, combined with its cloud platform, enables even the smallest of law firms to access the type of technology that was previously only utilised by larger firms.”
“It wouldn’t have been possible for us to build the business without the ability to leverage a first-class platform like HotDocs. We know we can use HotDocs to give customers high quality document generation, very quickly, and at a price they are happy with.”
Experienced lawyers are using HotDocs’ functionality to create content that generates revenue and selling it via either a bespoke portal or by utilising HotDocs Market. There are a number of smaller providers using the power of HotDocs to provide services to clients, these include Captain Contrat, SoftDocs and three of the four largest publishers in the world. Companies in this field are benefitting from an off-the-shelf, market-proven and trusted solution in HotDocs. The alternative here is a costly, custom-written and coded tool that is typically expensive and relies on significant testing – all adding significant risk and expense.
It also does not take long for even the most basic templates to become complicated when being tweaked on a regular basis – particularly in the legal market where regulations constantly evolve. The power of products like HotDocs is that it is designed specifically for these markets and has the reputation and code to withstand such a large volume of changes.
HotDocs also has a foothold within companies that utilise the technology to add value to client and prospect experience. One such example of this is international law firm, Orrick, who maximise on the power of HotDocs interviews to drive various forms and content embedded on their website, such as this GDPR readiness interview. This use case is a classic and novel example of tailoring HotDocs to generate forms to help identify prospects’ blind spots and enhance Orrick’s sales process. This interview also helps Orrick to understand the background of their prospects’ individual situations.
Another sector that has seen growth in the adoption of document automation is estate planning. The market here, particularly in the United States, has increased efficiency by creatively harnessing the power of HotDocs. A series of companies now offer interactive templates, packages and tailored forms to their client base. Offering legal services online is a growing market, not just in the US, but also in areas in China and the Far East.
An internationalised approach to document automation can be achieved by companies of any size. Potential for integrations to complementary systems, such as business process management and customer relationship management (CRM) software tools to achieve a standardised global approach. This entrepreneurial approach also allows companies to make rapid changes to templates to reflect regulatory changes internationally.
There are a number of ways that HotDocs can be used to generate efficiency, whilst others rate the product as 100% core to their business. While our enterprise client base (such as major banks and legal firms) use HotDocs in a certain way, there are a number of alternative ways that HotDocs can be maximised. Companies of all sizes have the potential to invest in more bespoke and imaginative uses of HotDocs that are more dynamic and generate fresh ideas – all driven by using enterprise-grade technology to benefit their business – typically small and medium sized organisations (SMBs).
The entrepreneurial use cases highlighted above, as a pure document automation tool, still remains the principal reason why our clients in legal, banking, insurance and the corporate world trust us. Nonetheless, alternative uses showcased by entrepreneurs and smaller organisations are worth keeping in mind, as they continue to act as a differentiator and boost competitive advantage. The opportunity for our clients and partners to be “powered by HotDocs” is limitless and enhanced by capitalising on all available integrations.
Our customers are using HotDocs in a number of different ways to consume and deliver services. HotDocs’ cross-industry value lies in generating templates to save time and money, minimise risk, and increase efficiency. With a costly “trial and error” approach involved in creating a bespoke document automation solution, it makes more sense than ever to use a ready-made document automation software with the pedigree of HotDocs that can make mass changes at the click of a button.
To understand more about using HotDocs in your firm, get in touch to find out how we can help. For further information on how HotDocs can transform the way you produce documents, schedule a 30-minute demo.