Second ending: The committee has a semi-organized pile of various drafts of files distributed over seven separate hard-drives, with copies of drafts sent via email to other members of committee. The report is almost ready to be merged. Throughout negotiating and drafting process, law firm C has had Digital Thread technology inserting tracking data into each document which committee has worked on. Because all of documents have been tracked, even though others on committee may not have Digital Thread, representative from law firm C can see genealogy of every document and its who, what, when, and where with Version History. Representative C has spotless documentation because every time she sees a Document Signature at bottom of first page of document telling her which draft she opened, when latest changes were made, where it is stored, and who has taken action on it.

Representative C merges documents without disrupting order of suggested changes, finalizes document, rechecks final draft with both parties, and still has time before contract is due.

This is of course a make-believe story, or is it?

You can refer to flow chart created by Version History and Digital Thread. You can also rely on Document Signature to open with document to tell you exactly what you are looking at. Next question please.

Where?

It is important in collaboration to share information and to refer to others’ findings. When that happens, especially in electronic document world we work in, you may be asking later “Where did that document go?” You may also receive information and ask “Where did this come from?” These questions are not uncommon among businesses. Business is fast-paced, and we cannot remember everything without a little bit of help from a good groupware.

Help is available with proper groupware that tracks documents and lets you know exactly where documents are and where they come to you from.

When?

The toughest part of tracking documents and drafts is knowing chronology of changes. Drafts are flying back and forth, via e-mail, so quickly that without proper groupware, changes could be made out of order.

Confusion need not reign in electronic collaboration. Version History’s flowchart, tracked by Digital Thread, and available with Document Signature every time you open a draft, puts everything into proper editorial perspective.

How?

Saving toughest question for last, imagine that you have various versions of latest drafts recently emailed to you from your faithful committee. You will see them there, you will look at them, and you will probably want to weep. “How am I supposed to put this all together?” is cry heard down hall.

Since groupware is now available which tracks everything, including who’s, what’s, where’s, and when’s, you can now rely on that same teamware to know how to merge changes together. It will put information together and suggest changes that might take one person hours to come up with.

Search through groupware software suites available for Digital Thread, Version History, and Document Signature. It is refreshing to have answers during a potentially confusing and chaotic collaborative process.