Migrated from eDJGroupInc.com. Author: Lynn Frances Jae. Published: 2012-09-13 04:55:08Format, images and links may no longer function correctly. FrameWorkPM, Inc. demoed their new project management software, FrameWork at ILTA. Though the software won’t be available for use until Q1 of 2013, there was a lot to see already. First, let me mention that there seems to be a need in the eDiscovery market for a stand-alone project management tool that will integrate with the other tools a group is using. Another tool was introduced last year at ILTA, but didn’t seem to get any traction. The FrameWork team is developing connectors for some of the most popular processing and review tools, which should encourage adoption. We also discussed the possibility of providing API’s so that companies with proprietary software can integrate the FrameWork tool into their project management department.
About the tool:
Since workflow is the language of project managers, FrameWork is based on workflows. It includes pre-defined workflows, based on FrameWorkPM management team’s years of experience. It also allows users to develop customized workflows. Once a workflow is defined, you can establish schedules and assign resources. Then, you will be able to track cost vs proposed prices and progress vs projections. Customizable scheduled reports help the PM keep the client informed, to avoid the surprise of over budget bills later in the process. At the demo, they displayed four dashboards: Clients, Cases, Projects and Alerts. PMs can customize the dashboards as needed, to accommodate case specific reporting needs.
Because it is still in development, I was not able to see some of the features that are complete on the back-end, but do not have user interface elements yet. These included the in-tool communication capabilities, case histories (with copies of those communications) and the SMS and email alerts. If they are as intuitively laid out as the parts I did see, you can expect to find a useful, efficient, comprehensive project management tool when it is released.
As the eDiscovery market has gotten more competitive, eDiscovery teams in service providers and in law firms have been charged with higher workloads. A tool like FrameWork should help them to handle that larger load more efficiently, to increase client satisfaction, which is the true measure of success in this field. I’ll keep an eye open for the progress of this tool and keep you posted.
eDiscoveryJournal Contributor – Lynn Frances