An Example Scenario of Using HowNow®

There are dozens of potential scenarios we could step you through of the way HowNow® is used to find, create, store, send and generally manage documents and know-how. In a custom demonstration we'll be able to show you those scenarios that are most applicable to your organisation.

For now, consider this example of where a team member of yours—let's call her Mary—wants to know how to do a particular task, such as creating a press release to promote the organisation. Keep in mind that it could be any type of task, such as doing payroll, chasing debtors, organising an event, or processing a standard client job. The principles are the same regardless of the process ...

The Keyword Search

Using HowNow®, Mary simply types in 'press release' and a list of relevant documents instantly appears. (Mary didn't even have to click or press Enter - HowNow® searches as she types.)

The Use of Filters to Further Narrow the Search

Let's say that 16 documents are listed as possible matches. Mary can read the Titles and Descriptions of each of these 16 documents, but if she knows she is looking for the overall procedure that links through to the various other documents involved in the process, one click on the 'Procedures' document type filter on the left of the screen and that list of 16 instantly shortens to show only one document: the procedure for creating and publishing press releases.

The result: Mary has found the information—the know-how—she was looking for within a few seconds.

Importantly, Mary has found this information without having to go and ask (i.e. interrupt) another team member. Mary's better off, the person that she would have otherwise interrupted is better off, and your business is better off.

Mary simply double-clicks the Title or Description of the document to open it.

Automatic Hiding of Irrelevant Documents

HowNow® can automatically filter a user's search results based on which Team(s) (areas of the organisation) they are in. For example, if Mary is in the Marketing Team and is not in the Accounting Team, HowNow® will hide from her view documents that have been assigned to the Accounting Team.

This means that when Mary does a search, she is presented with, say, 16 documents rather than 66 documents. This makes it easier and faster for Mary to find relevant documents.

Document Version Control and Master Protection

Mary can be sure that the procedure she has opened is the current approved up-to-date version of the procedure because HowNow® ensures non-administrative (standard) users only see the 'Current' versions of documents. This ensures excellent consistency across the firm and helps to avoid errors.

For standard users, HowNow® opens the documents in read-only form. This protects the master versions from being changed by anyone who is not authorised to do so.

Using Integrated Procedures™

When Mary opens the procedure, she sees that the first step is to use a checklist to help in the brainstorming of ideas for press releases. Next to that step is a Link button that takes Mary directly to the current version of that checklist.

Mary then sees that step 3 of the procedure involves using a checklist to ensure that all necessary information is included prior to issuing the press release. Again, it's one click through to the current version of that checklist. Everything that is required is literally at Mary's fingertips; she doesn't have to go searching for these related documents.

Continuing ... Step 5 in this procedure involves sending a letter to the target journalists and editors and, again, it's one click through to that template letter.

The Power of Integrated Procedures™

The use of Integrated Procedures™ like this, where all related documents and tools that are used in the procedure are linked at the appropriate steps, allows effective delegation to less experienced team members and it helps to eliminate 'knowledge bottlenecks' where only one or two people in an organisation know how to do particular task.

In this example, if Mary didn't have the benefit of using the Integrated Procedure™, she might have found the template letter at step 5 and sent that out, not being aware of the steps that were required prior to sending out that letter.

Integrated Procedures™ are a crucial element of HowNow® because they help capture the know-how of experienced team members and put all the related documents and tools used in a process into their appropriate context so that less experienced team members can produce the same result by following the procedure.

Use of Favourites

If Mary's manager tells her that sending out press releases is something Mary will now be doing on a regular basis, Mary can right-click the Title or Description of the document and select Add to Favourites. Over time as Mary adds to her Favourites, she could choose to filter her view when doing a keyword search to only search her Favourites. That way she will be able to find her regularly used documents even more quickly.

Allowing users to create their own list of Favourites in HowNow® helps to avoid the common (very poor) practice where staff copy frequently used documents down to their Desktop or My Documents folder which then runs the risk of that copy quickly becoming out of date once the master version is updated.

Using the My Favourites function in HowNow®, Mary has the convenience she wants of very quick access to those documents, but she also has the peace of mind knowing she is accessing the approved and up-to-date master versions of those documents, not copies of them.

Inserting Client Details into Letters and Other Documents

Continuing our example ... when Mary opens the letter, HowNow® prompts her to select the recipient(s). HowNow® collects this name and address information from your organisation's existing client or CRM database and inserts it into the letter. (HowNow® can connect to mutiple databases if your organisation has separate databases for clients and other contacts such as suppliers.)

Automated Filing of Documents

In the process of creating the letter and inserting the recipient's name and address details, HowNow® also saves the letter (the Word® document) into the appropriate subfolder on your network. Based on who the letter is going to, HowNow® knows where the document should be filed.

Whether creating a one-off letter to one recipient or creating a batch of letters to hundreds or thousands of recipients, HowNow® files each letter into its appropriate subfolder on your network. This is a tremendous time saver and ensures excellent client records are kept.

In the example of the checklists involved in Mary's press release procedure, if the template has been set to 'Automatically File', when the document is opened HowNow® will first prompt Mary to select the client or contact before opening the document. HowNow® then files the document. This ensures consistent electronic filing of all documents.

Documents Filed According to Rules You Specify

HowNow® saves to your network by following the rules you set up. If you want the protocol for the subfolder structure under each client folder to be a particular standardised way (e.g. Client Name > Year > Matter, with Matter folders of Tax, Workpapers, Correspondence and Permanent), HowNow® ensures 100% consistent maintenance of this folder structure.

HowNow® also creates the folders on the fly as the documents are saved and will only provide the user with the folder options specified by your rules. This means that the folders do not have to be created in advance. HowNow® creates the folders on an 'as needed' basis.

For example, in cases where a firm has folders bearing the year (2005, 2006, etc.) within each client folder, the creation of folders on the fly as documents are filed saves your staff having to manually create (through Windows Explorer) new subfolders under each client folder at the beginning of each year. Apart from the tedium and time wasting of such manual tasks, using Windows Explorer like this introduces many opportunities for errors.

Easy Management of Document Workflow

When a record such as a letter or checklist is created or completed for a particular client or contact, HowNow® initially assigns it the status of Draft. Records such as these are accessed via the Records screen in HowNow®.

In our example, if Mary wishes her manager to review the letter before sending it out, she simply right-clicks the Title or Description and selects 'Assign Review Status'. This changes the document's status to Review. When Mary's manager has finished reviewing the letter, she either selects 'Assign Draft Status' if revisions are required, or selects 'Assign Approved Status' if the letter requires no further changes.

When Mary sends the letter out, she assign Final status to it. She could also choose Final PDF if she wished to convert the document into a PDF file.

This simple document workflow model of Draft > Review > Approved > Final (plus the Final PDF option) makes it easy to manage the flow of documents (i.e. jobs/assignments) through your organisation.

In Mary's example, she can easily choose a view on the Records screen that shows her all her Draft documents or her Approved documents, for example. She could also choose to filter the view on her role in the document creation: Preparer, Reviewer, Signatory, etc. Managers can look at the work-in-progress at the firm-wide level, or on a team member by team member basis, or on a client or contact basis.

Sending Documents to Clients and Contacts

HowNow® makes it very easy to mail or email documents to clients and contacts. In our example, once the letter is finalised Mary could right-click it and select Email as PDF File Attachment to send the letter to the client. If she was sending out a batch of, say, 50 letters and she wanted to email the letters where possible, if she right-clicks the batch of letters and selects the 'Print or Email' option, HowNow® will email those documents where the client or contact has an email address in the firm's database, and in cases where the email field is blank, HowNow® will send the document to the printer. In one step Mary has emailed and printed all the letters in the batch.

Another case of, 'HowNow®, how easy.'

Other Features ...

HowNow® has many more powerful features. For example, the above example didn't mention Document Security and Encryption, File Note creation, the Contacts screen, the Home screen, the Organisation screen, content management features such as Expiry Dates on documents and subsequent Action Upon Expiry such as Warning Message or Set To Inactive.

The above example also doesn't cover the powerful Topics feature (one-click access to every document that relates to a particular subject area), Revision Notes tracking, HowNow® Publisher (great for multi-office organisations such as large accounting, financial planning or franchise groups that need to share documentation with other business units), Master Style Templates, Smart Templates for Merge Letters, Content Utilisation Reports, Automatic Content Updates, and more.

Request a Custom Demonstration of HowNow® Today

Whilst HowNow® has many features, they're all very easy to use. To fully appreciate this it's best to see a custom demonstration of HowNow®. After finding out a little bit about the type and size of your organisation, we'll be able to tailor a demonstration of HowNow® to show you those features that are the most relevant to your situation.

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