About Direct Document Solutions
Direct Document Solutions is a firm based in Brisbane, Queensland that specialises in custom document assembly systems utilising the HotDocs® document assembly platform. We do not build and support "off the shelf" documentation packages for bulk re-sale. Our focus is to create document assembly systems that embody the intellectual property, workflow and specific requirements of our clients. We do custom design and programming. Our view is that when a document is created, it should be as close to finalised as possible, if not 100% ready for use, filing or sending to your client. We feel that off the shelf template packages dont offer this level of efficiency and "first draft finalisation", as they are not customised to your firm or company, with your drafting styles, your wording and your exact requirements.
Every system we design and program is written from the ground up with your precedents and templates. We consult with your people regarding every phrase, paragraph and nuance in every single piece of correspondence, memo, contract, document and form. The result for our clients is that our systems embody many of the decisions (in some cases, all decisions) that a staff member would make in creating the same document manually. Whether its specific "one click" lists of liquidators in a winding up system, automatic calculation of fees and court costs in a debt recovery system or hundreds of options to be selected (or not) to produce a lengthy lease, its all in the system. Our systems are built with your data and your intellectual property to reduce your document production times at every turn.
Additionally, all our systems come with the original "blueprint", which lists all variables, dialogs and other such programming techniques in your system. You need never be concerned about whether our design and structure will leave you "beholden" to us. We advocate and use plain english programming conventions and openly write code so that it is as readable as possible. You will have the complete blueprint for any system we produce, so that with a little training, you can maintain your own system should you require. We just dont believe in coding practices that require a "decipher handbook" to read them, or in writing systems that are designed to be unreadable. To read more about our programming approach, visit the DDS & Document Assembly page.
Direct Document Solutions on the Web
The main purpose of this site is to assist in increasing awareness of the document assembly industry and its benefits. While we will definitely advocate what we believe to be the most beneficial and profitable use of document assembly, we will not restrict viewers to a single view of "what document assembly is". We plan to cover various uses of document assembly software, levels of investment, and the pros and cons of these approaches.
Why HotDocs for Document Assembly
There are several document assembly platforms available to the market in Australia. Alternatively, many firms utilise in house systems, often consisting of VBA macros with MS Word merge templates or WordPerfect macro libraries. We chose HotDocs (by Capsoft) as our primary development platform for several reasons:
- Ease of use and navigation for the end user
- Low system overhead and ease of installation/maintenance
- Ability to share code quickly and easily between templates and libraries of templates
- Relatively "simple" programming language (when compared with GhostFill or VBA)
- Native integration with several leading document management systems
- Market penetration by Capsoft in Australia means the product is not supported by only one firm or company
Without attempting to market HotDocs, it simply has the features required to produce intelligent document assembly systems that can massively reduce drafting times. There are other products available on the market however they either utilise a very complex programming language or are supported by a very limited number of entities in Australia. Another product by the name of GhostFill contains a vast array of features and connectivity yet it is not actively supported in Australia as yet.