Canon Introduces Smart Document Assistant Workflow Assistant for Legal Sector

If there’s any sector that deals with massive amounts of documents, it’s the legal sector. Canon Solutions America today introduced a new workflow solution, Smart Document Assistant, designed to relieve the burden of processing those documents.

Smart Document Assistant is an artificial intelligence application that automates the intake of information and matches it with other documents in a legal document management system. It automatically associates an incoming document with the appropriate legal matter at a law firm or legal department, classifies its type, titles the file, and stores it in the proper folder within a document management system (DMS).

Designed to streamline the manual document profiling tasks necessary for all incoming documents, the software uses machine learning to continuously improve on its abilities, and over time learns whom to notify about a document’s arrival.

Canon notes that n a traditional law office, legal document management has involved cumbersome mountains of paper, case files, and supporting records. While some law firms have undertaken measures to go digital, many continue to rely on massive amounts of paper to get their work done. However, using machine learning technology and artificial intelligence software, Smart Document Assistant can recognize the type of document, matter number, client names and other key data points in order to associate these data with other related documents. The more documents fed through the system, the “smarter” the system becomes, and less manual intervention is required going forward.

The result is said to be greater accuracy and compliance with document handling procedures, and faster document access for legal staff.

Machine Learning

Designed for increased accuracy and enhanced service, a user’s acceptance and correction actions form a “machine learning” feedback loop in which accuracy improves over time. Smart Document Assistant can send notification emails of the document’s arrival to an editable machine-learned list of relevant lawyers, records room, and other staff for that legal matter. The technology is also pre-trained to recognize a variety of litigation and court document types and can be trained to recognize company-specific document types.

Peter P. Kowalczuk, president of Canon Solutions America, commented: “When it comes to managing legal documents, the power of artificial intelligence can help take a firm’s organizational excellence from good to great, and Smart Document Assistant can be that differentiating factor.

“By reducing the time needed to manually add metadata to new and existing documents, firms can better maximize efficiencies as well as ensure greater accuracy when handling large and/or complex matters. This solution was also strategically introduced during a time when law firms may have been forced to reduce their reliance on paper, accelerating the need for alternative, more cohesive ways of remaining organized and maintaining strong client communication through automated systems.”

For more information about Smart Document Assistant, visit Canon Solutions America here.