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| Document Production Systems 8.0 | |
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Advanced Logic Systems’ Document Production Systems 8.0 is designed to facilitate automated document production. Included within the program are document assembly tools for six key practice areas: estate planning, probate, corporate, limited liability companies, income tax and charitable organizations. DPS is a program that lets you assemble essential documents in a quick and integrated process. I was pleased to see in this latest version of DPS, Advanced Logic Systems has refined some already well thought out features. For example, one of the most essential elements of a worthy document assembly system is the transferability of client data from document to document. After all, if you have to keep entering the same information in a different order, no one really is saving time. Often a set of related documents will require the same information to be entered in different places for various documents. With DPS, the process is much more efficient. DPS 8 has precisely parsed the data entry so its insertion into a document is accurate in the final product. More importantly, DPS permits you to return and change or complete data you didn’t originally enter, an essential element of any document assembly system. Once you select a form and fill your information into the blanks provided, you can produce your document. After saving, you can open either a Portable Document Format file, which isn’t editable, or open a document within your word processor of choice. Anything with a PDF background, such as a tax form, can be generated only in PDF form. I found the revised program was able to create perfectly integrated documents easily within both Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect. This permits further refinement of the document, adding particular language or terms, without wasting a lot of time on formatting. Within the program, even before you assemble the document, you can set up guides to create personalized documents for your firm. With a little attention, this feature streamlines the office’s work and lets you set up a series of automated instruction screens permitting other staff members to create tailored documents. There are a few bells and whistles missing from the program. The interface is a little dated, and there is no direct link to a customer support Internet site, although a list of frequently asked questions is available online, and telephone support is free. The most glaring lack, however, is the inability to transfer data from one practice area to another. For example, if you created a set of corporate documents for a client to execute, and then the client instructs you to create an LLC instead, the fundamental data must be entered again. Although this scenario is less likely to occur, Advanced Logic Systems recognized the integration of estate planning and probate work, and includes a set of instructions to transfer estate planning data to a set of probate documents. The existing method is cumbersome, and Advanced Logic Systems assured me an easier method is in the works and will be released soon. The company’s most extensive selection of documents pertains to Iowa, but federal forms are available for use in any state. I did find the probate documents were based on those used in Iowa, and if this is a central feature of your practice, you probably want a state-specific assembly system. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised with the refinement of some intriguing DPS features that once again make this a product worth considering. |
Advanced Logic Systems Inc. Price: Varies by state, practice area and practice size. Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP Reviewed by Denise P. Ward, Esq., Grean & Ward, Port Chester, N.Y. PROS CONS VERDICT |
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