Document Management - Landscape Overview

Document management systems (“DMS”) became mainstream for law firms during the 1990s in line with the evolving digitisation of document production – storage of written materials was moving from hard copies in lever arch files to soft copies in digital folders. Legal tech providers saw an opportunity to develop document management systems which not only allowed electronic storage of documents, but also met another attorney requirement – a way to track and store versions of documents through the drafting process from first draft to final proof, again replicating the traditional solution of keeping hard copies of amended drafts.