Jeffrey Worth on Storage, The Cloud, and ServeManager

In an article series tackling what it's like Behind the Scene at a Process Serving Office, process server Jeffrey Worth is offering his perspective on the ins and outs of working as a process server. In one of his recent posts, he discussed the cloud and how it offers a secure storage solution.

Jeffrey, who describes himself as “a little OCD” when it comes to file backups, details how and why he transitioned from physical files to the cloud and ServeManager.

Like many process servers, file storage began with papers and a lot of file cabinets. Because process servers need to keep their records in case a serve is ever challenged, it's important to have easy and reliable access to their files. Relying solely on physical files just doesn't make sense anymore, not when there are alternative storage solutions that eliminate the risks of storing files physically. As Jeffrey puts it, what if there is a fire? Or a flood or a break in or any other unexpected disaster? Jeffrey actually purchased a file server and was able to scan and save documents to his laptop which would then auto sync to the server, but any time the internet was down he couldn't access his email, and with the file server being physically in the office it still wasn't keeping his files safe from damage in there was a disaster.

Relying solely on physical files just doesn't make sense anymore, not when there are alternative storage solutions that eliminate the risks of storing files physically.

With that realization, Jeffrey moved to the cloud. He started using Google Business and syncing his laptop and server with his Google Drive account, but that really only took care of email and other documents. All of his attempts and affidavits were still hand written and at risk. He says the third, and final step in moving to the cloud came when he found the right case management software for his business.

Excerpt

The third step came a bit later when I finally found a company that dramatically improved my customer service ability. I signed on to ServeManager. As I received a document I scanned it to PDF, and create a case with ServeManager. This saves another copy of the documents on ServeManager. ServeManager also saves all of my attempts, and Affidavits in PDF format.

How has this dramatically affected my business? Here is a list:

• Email anytime, anywhere! (Office internet down? That’s fine I can still access from another location or my phone!)
• Access to all my business files anytime, anywhere (offic

  As you can see, since Process Serving has progressed, I find myself needing to be in the office very little! I am able to access all my documents instantly, no matter where I am at or what I am doing. This has dramatically improved my customer service and allows me to get the job done without being tied to a computer!e internet down? That’s fine, I can still access from another location or my phone!)

• Client need a copy of an Affidavit anytime, anywhere (Office internet down? That’

  As you can see, since Process Serving has progressed, I find myself needing to be in the office very little! I am able to access all my documents instantly, no matter where I am at or what I am doing. This has dramatically improved my customer service and allows me to get the job done without being tied to a computer!s fine, I can still access from another location or my phone!)

• The client need a list of attempts I can email it to them or they can access it using

  As you can see, since Process Serving has progressed, I find myself needing to be in the office very little! I am able to access all my documents instantly, no matter where I am at or what I am doing. This has dramatically improved my customer service and allows me to get the job done without being tied to a computer! their FREE ServeManager account anytime, anywhere (Office internet down? That’s fine. . . You get the point . . .)

As you can see, since process serving has progressed, I find myself needing to be in the office very little! I am able to access all my documents instantly, no matter where I am at or what I am doing. This has dramatically improved my customer service and allows me to get the job done without being tied to a computer!

Our Take

Having reliable storage and accurate logs of job data and attempts is crucial for process servers. Especially when looking to those in New York City who are required to log their attempts with a third party software vendor, the shift to online accountability and storage is no longer an option for process servers—it is a requirement.

As developers at ServeManager, we agree that the cloud is a great solution for storing documents, which is why our software is cloud-based. The security level is essentially the same as major banks use, and there's an added benefit in that there is never a need to update software or worry about hardware and backups. Plus, you can access your files from any device.

As developer Chad Jolly put it, “You shouldn't have to be an IT person to serve papers and run a small business. You shouldn't have to worry about data backups and hardware crashes and disaster recovery.”

We love the cloud because . . .

• You can access your files any time from anywhere: on your computer at the office, your tablet at home, your mobile device in the field.
• No midnight runs to the office to get that document you have on the hard drive that needs to be completed by morning.
• Your data isn't affected if there's a problem with your computer or device.
• Data can be accessed by employees and clients.
• In the legal realm, sometimes you are asked to produce information or documents that might not be directly related to why you're in court that day. With the cloud it's much easier to access that information on a whim if, for some reason, anything is called into question.
• It's instantaneous. The information is there and accessible at any moment.
• Cloud makes once complex services like email, storage, and web hosting easy, inexpensive, and “enterprise quality”.
• Cloud services upgrade their physical hardware continuously, so you're always running on the best that's out there without doing anything on your part, and it's completely transparent.

Thank you, Jeffrey for the mention! You can read the full article on his blog: Behind the Scene at the Office - The Cloud.