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What is eSentio's Quickstart program?
eSentio’s Quickstart program is based on a SharePoint intranet solution designed specifically for law firms. The QuickStart intranet empowers firms to very quickly deploy a fully developed portal solution with advanced legal-specific features, such as dynamic client and matter pages, a robust firm directory, advanced search capabilities and aggregated financial information using a well-defined legal-specific content structure for practice areas, offices and firm services.
What technologies are used?
One of eSentio’s primary objectives when designing the QuickStart intranet was to take advantage of the built-in functionality of SharePoint 2007. We felt it was very important for firms to be able to leverage as much of their existing Microsoft investment as possible. As a result, the QuickStart intranet was developed using native SharePoint web parts and is 100% Microsoft .NET (C#) with significant XSLT web part customizations.
What differentiates eSentio's QuickStart program from the competition?
Our approach to the market is different than other vendors. We provide a complete structure, predefined templates and a robust set of web parts specifically designed to support how a law firm is organized and attorneys work. A QuickStart engagement results in a complete intranet/extranet ready for use, not just a framework. Our clients tell us the primary value we provide is saving them hundreds of man hours of development time, allowing them to analyze how we solved many difficult SharePoint development issues and quickly getting them up and running with a highly productive solution.
You say your QuickStart intranet has been created using native SharePoint 2007, why can’t we just create the same type of sites and web parts ourselves?
An experienced SharePoint developer could create a similar solution with approximately two (2) man-years of effort. eSentio assembled a team of SharePoint experts with experience in law firms, legal applications and system integration to build the QuickStart intranet. Out of the box, SharePoint is a web development platform that requires extensive project work to transform it into a robust law firm intranet. Our QuickStart saves your firm the time and troubles of having to do it yourselves.
How does your QuickStart handle security?
Active Directory users and groups synchronize with SharePoint groups to use SharePoint’s native item-level security. Matter security is handled by assigning security levels, which are customizable. Matter information created in SharePoint automatically inherits security from the matter. When searching, the only items in the search results are those the user has the rights to view. When integrating external systems, the security model of external systems is respected within SharePoint.
For content managed by SharePoint, access to information and functionality is handled using native SharePoint security features.
How do users manage content on the QuckStart intranet?
Content maintained in SharePoint uses standard add/edit functionality; access is made possible by standard SharePoint utilities and functions.
Most content from external systems is managed by the external system and is sourced in SharePoint in a read-only format. External content can be supplemented with information kept in SharePoint to show an aggregated view of the requested data.
How does the QuickStart intranet connect to non-SharePoint data sources?
Content that is external to SharePoint can be used in the QuickStart in various ways. The most direct method is to use QuickStart SQL tables that automatically populate SharePoint lists on a pre-determined schedule. Connections can be built that use an external system’s API or connect directly to a database for presentation in SharePoint.
We have an existing Document Management System. How can we connect it to SharePoint with the QuickStart?
eSentio’s Document Management System (DMS) integration provides robust functional access in SharePoint to the firm’s document repository, while respecting the repository’s native security model.
eSentio also supports Interwoven’s SharePoint connector and web parts. Firms that use Interwoven for their DMS can use Interwoven’s product to provide access to DMS functionality through SharePoint in the QuickStart. Additional Interwoven DMS web parts allow access to documents, content and functionality through the API and custom-built web parts.
How does the QuickStart intranet handle Enterprise Search?
The QuickStart intranet supports SharePoint’s native enterprise search to make content searchable from a single search box. Modified relevancy rankings provide more usable search results by promoting the display of relevant content. For example, searching on a user’s last name displays content from the custom Firm Directory at the top of the categorized list.
The QuickStart intranet integrates with InterWoven’s Universal Search (IUS) product which efficiently and securely indexes multiple content sources and makes them available within a single search.
What DMSs does eSentio integrate with?
Currently, the Quickstart integrates with Interwoven, but API connectors are planned for additional systems.
What if we don’t have a well-adopted Document Management System?
Providing content from a Document Management System in the QuickStart context of matters and clients often increases user adoption. For example, an attorney is much more likely to adopt a DMS if their work product is readily available in SharePoint along-side other needed information.
What Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems does the QuickStart product integrate with?
Currently, the QuickStart does not integrate with an external CRM system. However, our consultants have a great deal of experience with industry standard CRM products (e.g., InterAction). Based on your needs, our consultants can outline how the content will be presented in SharePoint and can create data connectors to provide the required connectivity and web parts.
What if we don’t have a well-adopted Customer Relationship Management system?
Providing direct, contextual access to contact information in SharePoint often increases adoption of a CRM system. For example, an attorney can more readily see the value of CRM when contact information is available in SharePoint in the context of viewing all client information.
What financial systems does the QuickStart intranet integrate with?
The most direct method of integrating financial information is through the QuickStart SQL tables and the SharePoint BDC using a scheduled job to source and populate accounting data into SharePoint lists. This method provides control of the client, matter and timekeeper content to be made available to dashboard web parts in the QuickStart intranet.
Custom connections can be built using a financial system’s API or by direct database access. We recommend using the accounting application’s native web application services (e.g., Webview from Elite) to provide drill-down access to content detail. These web application services can be accessed via hyperlinks on appropriate SharePoint sites.
How do you sell / price your QuickStart?
The QuickStart program is sold on a per-seat basis with installation services. For firms that want to take advantage of our consultant’s SharePoint expertise, full requirements analysis, implementation and custom development services are available.
Please contact quickstart@esentio.com for pricing details.
