The Problem with Cut and Paste
Typically, the process of creating documents involves some combination of cutting, pasting, searching and replacing. You take an old document or template, and craft it into something new. So, what's wrong with cut and paste?
For lawyers, the main problems are speed and cost. A well-trained lawyer knows which changes are OK, and how to manage the risks. But getting it right takes time. Every clause must be carefully edited, checked and re-checked, or the deal may come back to haunt you. We've all heard the horror stories. Opportunities lost because someone forgot to change a date. Costs incurred because an old tax clause was used. The list goes on and on...
For business users, the main problems are risk and non-compliance. Without significant training and experience, it's easy to get into trouble. Which clauses are critical? Which clauses are nice-to-have? If you delete one clause, does it affect the others? With cut and paste, a certain level of know-how is assumed. Despite the best intentions, inexperienced users can make costly errors, with serious consequences for compliance and risk management.
Cut and paste is a major cause of document bottlenecks. It's too risky to expect many business users to prepare their own contracts, so they must wait in line for expert support. But with many deals, and limited resources, it can take days or weeks for the experts to get everything done.
Cut and paste also contributes to poor productivity. It keeps drafting costs high, and response times slow. If your costs are high and your margins are squeezed, you face a simple choice: get efficient or get our of that line of business.
