Lets Start At the Beginning
A case management system is a database. But
unlike you typical databases it is specially adapted to handle contact
and matter information and all related information. The database
is designed not to store inventory, but to short information for
rapid retrieval. The information is typically unstructured items
that would normally form part of a physical case file. Unlike the
typical database this information doesn't fit into fixed fields.
Much of it is in the form of memo fields. By using categories and
classification codes, unstructured information now becomes structured.
When the classification codes are combined with a powerful field
based and full text search engine you now have the core of what
is called a case management software system.
The Contact Form
Enter contact information into Time Matters
using this form whenever you talk to someone, receive an email,
or think of an idea. Over time, you will soon have a wealth of information.
If you simply log the person's email, you will have soon have a
complete thread of your discussions with the person including attached
documents. From the contact address and a powerview in Time Matters,
you can launch a Google Map search with a single click. A few more
keystrokes and you have full directions to or from the site.
The Matter Form
The same information that is linked to the contact
form can also be linked to a matter or case form. However, now unlimited
contact or actor records can be linked to the case. So in one click,
you can have a complete party list. The magic of the database is
that you need only enter the contact information once. Thereafter
the links and the specified relations bring all the information
together.
The Calendar
Viewing matters and contacts is the thing that
separates a Personal Information Manager ("PIM") from a Case Management
System. Whereas a typical calendar in Outlook (or Outlook Express)
is personal, the calendar in Time Matters is public. Every record
on the calendar, when created is link to the "staff" member and
also linked to a Contact and/or a Matter. With Time Matters 6 extended
support for "specified relations" it can also be linked to any other
record type (i.e. documents, notes, outlines etc.).
The calendar can be viewed as personal (day/week/month); as a project
chart, as blocks of open time across multiple users; or as a consolidated
view of all activity in a given day or period. From a single calendar,
group meetings can be scheduled, adding items to other peoples calendars
and tasks can be assigned. The calendar can also track the status
of a given item (done/not done or billed/not billed). And from a
single click in the calendar, one can open all information related
to that case or client. And for those who have PDA's the information
on the calendar can be synchronized to that device and made portable.
The Journal
Time Matters lets each staff member decide what
they want in their personal journal. It is personal, only in the
sense that the way the information is displayed is personal - the
layout. The information itself (subject to security rules applied
regarding records/matters designated as private) is public in the
database. All items on the calendar can show up in the journal.
But the journals can also add phone logs, message logs, links to
email for the user, and a tickler system for upcoming and overdue
events.
The Powerview
They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
And if that picture contains a caption (and some words), it is worth
even more. Time Matters, with version 5, introduced pictures. They
are called Powerviews which are a mix of HTML and Javascript which
allows the user of Time Matters to create their own display form,
and even make it interactive. The Powerview takes the information
from the selected record (and any information on other records linked
to that record) and lets you display those items in a window as
you scroll past the parent record. The "power" in the PowerView
comes when you realize that you can summarize items, produce abstracts,
provide links off the data (ie. run a Google Maps search), and launch
other programs using the data. It is completely extensible. For
those who might be limited by the fixed form size and layout, the
PowerView give you complete freedom, limited only by your imagination.
