The pace of digital transformation is accelerating among legal and financial firms, and that is driving the uptake of document management solutions – but customers are looking for smart solutions that can drive efficiency and collaboration.
Paper has been at the heart of the work legal and financial firms do since their inception and, while it still plays and important role in their operations – and will continue to – digitalisation is increasing across the sectors too, especially with the rise of hybrid working.
This means that many are turning to document management solutions to manage their digital workload. “Demand for document management solutions is surging,” says Marcin Pichur, regional vice president sales (UK, Spain, Italy, Poland) at DocuWare. “This is driven not only by operational efficiency but by mounting regulatory pressure and the challenge of managing sensitive data across distributed teams. For resellers, this is an opportunity and a responsibility: to guide customers toward platforms that meet sector-specific requirements with precision.”
Simon Godfrey, head of ECM Business Solutions at Kyocera Documents Solutions UK, adds that the legal sector is pushing for smarter document management. “The UK legal world is moving quickly,” he says. “Firms that used to drown in paper are now taking digital seriously. Hybrid working, stricter compliance and clients who don’t want to wait around, it’s all forcing change. For resellers, that opens the door to step in with tools that make life easier.”
Trends
But while demand for document management solutions in the legal and financial sectors is increasing, so are customers’ demands of it. Simon says that document management is not just about storing files anymore. “A decent document management system has to help people work together safely, speed up tasks that usually drag on, and make finding the right document as simple as typing a word into a search bar,” he says. “Version control and audit trails? Those aren’t extras anymore, they’re the basics.
“One shift that stands out is the digital mailroom. Instead of piles of letters being opened and shuffled around, mail gets scanned and sent straight into platforms like iManage or NetDocuments. That means court notices and contracts land in the right place automatically. It cuts the busy work and keeps firms from missing key dates.”
Marcin notes that firms are prioritising automation, compliance and secure remote access. “Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) is central to this shift, automating data extraction and classification from structured and unstructured sources,” he says. “In high-volume environments like invoice processing and contract management, IDP reduces manual effort and improves accuracy.”
Importance of security
Of course, security is a key part of any document management solution and, as Simon notes, it matters more than ever. “Data breaches in law firms shot up 39% last year,” he notes. “That’s a scary number when you think about the kind of information at stake.
“Encryption, role-based access, proper threat detection, these aren’t optional. Kyocera’s Managed Endpoint Detection & Response gives firms round-the-clock monitoring and a team to back them up if something goes wrong. It gives them peace of mind.”
Marcin adds that security must be embedded across every layer, from data storage and access to recovery. “It’s not a checklist, but a continuous, integrated process,” he says. “That means going beyond encryption to include adaptive access controls and resilience planning. Firms that build infrastructure around compliance don’t just meet regulations, they reinforce data integrity, accelerate decision-making and deliver a more confident client experience. As regulatory expectations evolve, this strategic approach becomes a competitive advantage.”
Reseller conversations
As mentioned, demand for document management solutions presents opportunities for resellers, but they must provide the right solutions. “To ensure alignment, resellers should focus on solutions offering flexible deployment, intuitive interfaces and seamless integration with existing systems,” says Marcin.
“Legal and financial organisations often require granular access controls, audit trails and retention scheduling to meet mandates such as GDPR. Embedding these capabilities into digital workflows supports compliance, enhances productivity and strengthens trust.”
Simon adds that law firms no longer just want software in a box. “They need someone who gets their pressure points and builds around them,” he says. “That’s where platforms like Kyocera’s ECM tools fit. They turn paper into digital files, make case documents searchable, and even give staff mobile access, handy when you’re juggling a dozen cases at once!”
Future
It is expected that demand for document management solutions will continue to grow in the legal and financial sectors in the coming years. “As firms modernise legacy systems, scalable, cloud-based platforms that integrate seamlessly into existing environments will be essential,” says Marcin.
Simon adds that in the next year or two AI, cloud moves and tighter rules will help to keep driving adoption. “Resellers who speak the legal sector’s language and bring in secure and easy to use tools will be the ones that win trust,” he notes.
