Articles
Technology Can tablet devices improve your productivity
Brent Snow
Over the past couple of years, I have had many requests from lawyers to allow their tablet device (e.g. iPad, Galaxy Tab, Microsoft Surface, etcetera) to connect to their office network to receive mail and documents. My first question to them is: Why?
The most common of all the answers I get is that they want to be more productive. You might think that the question I ask is obvious in its answer. However, I think there is a misnomer here when using the term tablet and work productivity in the same context. The tablet is a consumer device built for consumers, not business.
So it begs the question: Will a tablet really increase a lawyer’s productivity? I hope to provide you with enough information that will enable you to answer that question wisely.
Productive time
It is important to look at what productivity means for a lawyer when using a consumer tablet device. My simple definition would mean that a lawyer can spend some of their time on a billable activity when it would have otherwise been impossible without the tablet device.
Most lawyers will spend their time in the office where they have ready access to a computer or even a secretary or WP that can assist them in their billable activities. In light of this, we are only talking about those times that a lawyer would be away from the office and does not have access to a computer.
I would like to eliminate reading emails as a tablet-specific productive activity because that activity is easily done on a BlackBerry, iPhone or other smartphone that you would already have. You will not find any real improvements reading emails on a tablet. You might have a wider display from which to read, but that does not improve your productivity.
Documents
The real question is whether productivity is increased when working on your documents. Documents are the lifeblood of the legal business and have to be considered when speaking of a lawyer’s productivity. Does a tablet increase your productivity when you need to work on a legal document?
The answer to that question is ‘yes’ and ‘no’. It really depends on a number of factors. Here are some of the factors that come into the picture when looking at this issue.
- Is the word processor you use at work different from the one on the tablet? For example, MS Word at work and an iOS-based word processor on your iPad like Pages or DocsToGo.
- Are you able to access your work document easily? Larger firms will keep their documents in a document management system which you may not have access to from your tablet.
- Can you easily edit a document with the on-screen keyboard? You may have to type so slowly that you spend two or three times the amount of time than if you had a keyboard from which to type. I am sure the client would not appreciate being billed for that extra time.
- Does your tablet have appropriate security? If you lose it, or it is stolen, can your IT staff remotely wipe it clean and protect your firm’s IP? This is not a productivity issue, but it is an important factor that should be considered before you begin using a tablet at work.
Let us take a look at each issue more closely. This will enable you to determine whether the tablet can be a real productivity device for you.
Word processing
Having the same word processor on your tablet as you have at work is an important factor to consider. Here are a few scenarios:
Your secretary has created a legal document in Microsoft Word. It is emailed to you, and you open it on your tablet. Already you run into problems because the headers and footers do not present the same. You make an edit, but the fonts are different, and it does not have the same styles. It takes you a while to fiddle around with it, but you get your edits in. Now what do you do? You cannot send it directly to your client because it would look extremely unprofessional. The only option you have is to send it back to your secretary, and she spends more time cleaning up all the edits and reformatting the document. That is, if it did not get corrupted and she could not open it. Corruptions in Microsoft Word documents are a common problem.
You and your secretary have an Apple computer at work and have created a legal document in Pages (some of the small legal firms have Apple computers at work). The document is emailed to you. You can easily open the document and see it in its full glory. You can begin editing and then email it back to your secretary without too many issues. Please note that the Pages app on the iPad is a cut-down version and does not have all the features that you would find on your Mac, but you still will not have so many problems as in scenario 1.
If you own a Google Android tablet like the Samsung Galaxy Tab, then all I can say to you is good luck! Only very simple documents will open properly on this device (not that it is a bad device; it just does not have the compatibility with Word that it should).
Luckily, for the Microsoft Word users out there, there is some hope. On 26 November, Microsoft released its new tablet device, the Microsoft Surface. The reason why I say you are lucky is that the Surface has a full version of Microsoft Office on it, so editing and reviewing documents can be so much less painful and it is a move in the right direction for business use.
Accessing documents from a document management system (DMS)
There are a few ways you can get your documents onto your tablet:
- Email them to yourself or have someone else email them to you.
- Synchronise your tablet device to your work computer.
- Put them on an SD card and then transfer them from the SD card to your tablet.
If you are an iPad user, you may have a better option; getting your document directly from your DMS. The iManage Worksite and Hummingbird DMS systems both have iPad apps available to access your documents directly from the DM system. The Microsoft Surface tablet also has a USB port so you can attach an external drive.
You might think that the email option is a good one. However, you have to know ahead of time which documents you need emailed to you. If you need another document outside of those that you emailed to yourself and your secretary is at lunch or gone home for the day, you may be out of luck.
The only easy and productive option is having an app that allows you to go directly to your DMS and search for your documents. As of now, only the iPad has that capability. I believe this option will be available on the Microsoft Surface, but I am unsure about the Android devices.
On-screen keyboard
This issue is more of a personal issue. How proficient are you at typing on the on-screen keyboard that is included on most smartphones and tablets? If you are used to that type of keyboard and are proficient in using it, then editing a document might be a piece of cake for you. If you are not so proficient, then it may be a waste of time to try.
Time is precious, so you may find it quicker to email the information to your secretary from your phone and let her do the editing. Why carry around a big tablet when email can be done on a small smartphone?
There are some solutions out there to help you with this typing issue. I have an iPad case that has a built-in keyboard. This is made by Kensington and connects via wireless Bluetooth. However, it is bulky, and it needs to be charged. Kensington also makes a keyboard case for the Galaxy Tab. Logitech, and a few other companies, also make keyboards for the tablets.
Microsoft has thrown in a bit of a game-changer on this issue. It has introduced two different keyboards: the Touch Cover, a 3mm-thick keyboard that is wafer thin with a very flat keypad; and the Type Cover, a 5.5mm-thick keyboard that has more defined keys like a traditional keyboard. They do not require charging as they receive their power from the tablet. They connect with a very strong magnet into a type of docking port.
You really have to make up your mind as to your personal preference and whether this is an issue for you.
Security
Legal firms have for a number of years enjoyed the security that has been available to them in the BlackBerry. RIM, the manufacturer of BlackBerry, provided a great security feature that allows the BlackBerry to be wiped clean of any firm information if the device is lost or stolen.
It has been difficult for firms to move away from this and open security up again. In fact, many firms are now allowing iPhones in the business with the introduction of security tools that allow you to manage them like a BlackBerry.
This issue may be one of the biggest issues stopping your firm from allowing you to use a tablet as a work tool. Securing firm IP is critical and should not be taken lightly. However, there are now tools available that will allow your firm to manage your tablet like a BlackBerry. If you lose it or it is stolen, then your IT staff can have it remotely wiped clean of any firm data. Just remember that it will include wiping your personal data as well, an important consideration.
Conclusion
It will be important for you to weigh up the reasons why you want to use your tablet as a work tool. Yes, your tablet may have improved your productivity in your personal life, but that does not mean it will improve your work productivity. Look closely at your work habits and consider them in the decision. You may find that the way you work does not match with the capability of the tablet. Alternatively, you may find that it does, and it can become a productivity tool for you.
As most tablet devices are intended for the consumer market, they are lacking in some of the business features that are most needed. Microsoft has made a move to change that with the Surface. I believe it will not be long before we begin to see more tablets that are geared toward business users. When this happens, I believe the tablet will be a good productivity tool. For now, I think it is still a nice-to-have device for personal use.
Brent Snow is director, global support and Asia-Pacific regional IT for Baker & McKenzie.