API Spotlight: Unlocking efficiency with document management APIs

Automating document management

Shahbaz Khan:

Damon, could you just start off by introducing yourself, maybe giving some of our listeners a background of your role at Wolters Kluwer, and specifically more about the Document and Portal products.

Damon Russel:

Certainly. So for those who may not be familiar with me, I'm a lead technology product manager and an AI enthusiast at Wolters Kluwer. I've been with the company for over 18 years, working primarily on our firm management solutions. I actually started my career here with Document and Portal. So these particular products are really close to my heart. I'm excited to discuss the Document and Portal APIs today, which are part of the CCH Access firm management API set.

CCH Axcess Document and Portal are essential tools for firms managing and sharing files. Think of Document as a digital filing cabinet with virtually unlimited storage, but with advanced features like automated document retention to ensure compliance. Portal adds a secure layer of client file exchange with a one-to-one client-to-portal mapping that ensures files are shared with the correct recipient. Both tools are part of Wolters Kluwer’s firm management product line and they're designed to streamline document workflows, reduce errors, and improve client collaboration.

Document APIs also enable powerful automation use cases, such as automatically saving tax returns, approving incoming files from the portal, and even designing your own front end to integrate with Document as the backend.

Thanks for that background, Damon. Obviously, document exchange or even storing of documents is very integral in every firm. And both these products that you're talking about today, CCH Axcess Document and CCH Axcess Portal, are widely respected. However, for our listeners, I don't know if APIs for these products are as widely understood. Could you maybe give us some background on the type of APIs that we offer for these products?

Certainly. We offer over 40 different APIs across Document and Portal to help our firms automate various aspects of the document management workflows. For example, the document APIs can help locate and then check out files, while the portal APIs allow firms to automatically publish documents from CCH Axcess Document to the client's portal. These APIs are designed to save firms time and minimize manual intervention by integrating document management directly into their workflows.

Common applications for document APIs

Damon, 40 APIs is a significant number. Could you maybe tell us some of the more popular endpoints?

Certainly, yeah, with quite a number to choose from, it can be a little confusing, I think, for firms. But the most used and most often used endpoints involve file management. So things like uploading, downloading, checking files in and out of Document. These basic actions really form the foundation and the most automated document workflows we see in use today.

Could you speak to maybe some practical use cases given that you've seen in firms’ applications or they've been able to deploy in their practices?

Certainly. One firm I visited enhanced their scanning process by creating an automated kiosk that scanned and filed the documents directly into the correct client’s folder using Documents APIs. This freed up their staff to focus on higher value client work. Another firm we visited built a custom front end for their document management system, leveraging our APIs in the background, but using a front end that was more familiar to the staff. This allowed them to tailor their document management experience while still benefiting from all of the security and the integration that CCH Axcess Document has to offer.

Some other use cases include saving completed tax returns to Document automatically, approving files coming in from CCH Axcess Portal without the need for manual review, and integrating Document with third party or homegrown workflow tools. One firm I worked with even created an onboarding solution for new clients and offices that automatically organizes files and documents.

So with so many APIs available, firms can take incremental steps or implement more comprehensive solutions like building their own mini DMS, all while using Document as a backend storage solution.

Quantifying time savings

I was going to say developing your own DMS is probably not for the faint of heart, but I respect any firm that goes on that path. Damon, could you maybe give us some numbers on quantifiable time savings that you've seen leveraging some of these processes that you just described?

Yeah, well, it's challenging to provide specific time savings due to the diverse ways that firms can use the APIs. We do hear regularly about the efficiencies that are gained. The more processes firms automate, the more they're able to reduce time spent on manual tasks, which in turn allows staff to focus on more strategic activities.

I guess that makes sense. It is tough to quantify. What about recommendations for firms that really want to go down this path? I recognizing that there's a lot of API endpoints to choose from, and also recognizing that there's a lot of unique use cases that you've described as well. What would you recommend to firms that want to start using these APIs?

You know, being in product management, I always say start with the problems. If you start by identifying specific problems that the firm is looking to solve, you'll be on the right path. For instance, one firm I worked with noticed their staff wasn't assigning the correct file metadata when they were uploading files into Document. Well, this impacted the retention schedules for the files and caused other issues downstream. By developing a custom file upload application using the document APIs, they eliminated this issue entirely by automating the metadata assignment.

Another firm automated the approval process of files uploaded through Portal, again, reducing that administrative burden. Beyond that, firms can use the APIs to automate their tax returns, streamline client onboarding, or even retrieve and export documents between various systems. By focusing on these practical business problems, firms can make sure that they're using the APIs effectively and getting the most out.

I like that approach, Damon. I think especially now when we're seeing so many emerging technologies out there, APIs obviously being a very popular example of one, focusing on the customer problem is probably the right place to start. So I like that. And obviously to all of our listeners, Wolters Kluwer’s support is here to support as well. Damon, could you maybe speak a little bit about how the APIs are packaged? So a firm that's now identified a challenge they want to solve, they recognize the endpoint is available. How are these APIs packaged?

Sure. So the Document and Portal APIs are part of the firm management API set. Now, this also includes APIs for our CCH Axcess Practice and Workstream products as well. So this API set provides firms with a comprehensive toolkit for managing documents, tasks and client interactions effectively efficiently.

Damon, thank you all for that insight. Really appreciate everything you shared with us today. A lot of learning over here. What I'm hearing is that there's endless possibilities around your DMS system, around CCH Axcess Document and the way it interacts in your practice, and obviously with Portal as well. Thank you for sharing all those nuggets and to everyone else listening, join us next time as we further dive into the firm management product set and go more into the APIs around other products within the suite.