PLC integration tools

Easier, faster access to PLC know-how.

PLC has developed a series of tools to help you access the know-how you need, where and when you need it. Whether you are drafting in Word, working in your matter management system, searching your intranet or browsing on your mobile, you can access PLC know-how without disturbing your routine.

Integrating with Microsoft® Word®

Open PLC documents in Microsoft® Word®.

Features

  • Open PLC standard documents, clauses and drafting notes in Microsoft® Word®.
  • With a subscription to PLC FirmStyle you can download PLC standard documents in Microsoft Word, pre-formatted to your firm’s house style.
  • Draft documents faster using automated drafting tool PLC FastDraft, then open your completed document in Microsoft Word. Available with 150 PLC documents.

Benefits

  • Instinctive – access PLC without interrupting your flow.
  • Efficient – no need to jump between databases.
  • PLC FirmStyle:
    • Removes all numbering and formatting headaches.
    • Greatly improves turnaround times – no waiting for document production team.
    • Strengthens your brand by ensuring consistency.
  • PLC FastDraft:
    • Create a honed first draft in half the time.
    • Uses shortcuts such as importing data from Company’s House.
    • Shares information across a suite of documents, producing ancillary documents at the touch of a button.
    • Free as part of subscription

Integrating with Microsoft® Outlook®

Keep up to date and access PLC directly from Microsoft® Outlook®.

Features

  • Receive daily, weekly or monthly e-mails highlighting and explaining legal and regulatory developments in your practice area.
  • Receive updates on PLC resources as soon as they are published via RSS feeds directed to an inbox folder.
  • Navigate to pre-selected PLC resources via FileSite or WorkSite (for more information, see DMS/MMS).

Benefits

  • Get the latest news and resources in one place, as soon as they are published, without having to visit the PLC website.
  • Benefit from quality authored content, tailored for you.
  • Updates written by our team of 170 legal experts – not selected and compiled by a machine.
  • Access PLC resources in the same way that you access your matter folders or internal knowledge workspaces.

Integrating with Microsoft® SharePoint®

Access PLC resources from your intranet.

Features

  • A web part is a software program which is placed on a webpage and hosted in Microsoft® SharePoint®.
  • PLC Web Parts enable you to quickly and directly access selected sections of PLC’s online services from your own intranet or portal areas.
  • Three PLC Web Parts are available:
    • PLC Documents – always links to the most recent, maintained, version of your selected practice notes, standard documents, clauses or drafting notes. When PLC creates new resources matching your selection criteria, they will appear automatically, so you are always up to date.
    • PLC Taxonomy - displays and links directly to some or all of the standard PLC topic taxonomy in a familiar file manager format which can be edited to rename topics using terminology more familiar to you, to include your own additional topic headings (providing direct links to internal resources) or to remove topics falling outside your team's scope.
    • PLC Updates - displays PLC's legal updates in real time and allows users to email links to colleagues, rate articles, make comments and print individual items.

Benefits

  • Simple integration of internal know-how with PLC content, delivered dynamically into your practice group or sector pages.
  • Easy to classify and link to know-how resources.
  • Colleagues can easily discuss and share PLC updates.
  • Make the most of both your PLC and Microsoft® SharePoint® investment.
  • Minimal IT support required.
  • Free as part of your subscription.

You can also search across PLC resources from your intranet. Find out how

DMS/MMS integration

Integrate PLC resources into your internal document or matter management system.

Features

  • Integrate PLC resources into your internal document management system (DMS) or matter management system (MMS).
  • Pre-populate your matter workspace with PLC standard documents, clauses or drafting notes.
  • Link directly to the most recent maintained versions of PLC resources from within your DMS/MMS.

Benefits

  • Saves time by enabling fee earners to access internal know-how and PLC resources in one place.
  • Maximise your investment in internal knowledge and PLC.
  • PLC hosts and maintains the resources, so they are always up to date.
More information

We are currently piloting resource integration with some of our subscribers. If you are interested in being part of this pilot, please contact your account manager.

Federated search

Search across your internal know-how and PLC resources at the same time.

Features

  • The search terms you enter are submitted to multiple search engines – your own, PLC's and other resources.
  • Search results from different sources are typically presented on different tabs.
  • Search results are delivered by interacting with our search API technology, so ranking is consistent with that of the PLC website.

Benefits

  • Search across internal and external know-how at once, saving you time and widening your exposure to a breadth of resources.
  • Maximise your investment in internal knowledge, PLC and other resources.
  • Simple to set up as uses the existing search engine functionality of source websites.

For more information on federated search please contact us on +44(0)20 7202 1220 or at info@practicallaw.com

Enterprise search

Search across your internal know-how and PLC resources at the same time.

Features

  • The search terms are submitted to one search engine which trawls for content across different sources - your own, PLC's website, other resources.
  • Search results from different sources are presented in one place.

Benefits

  • Search across internal and external know-how at once, saving you time and widening your exposure to a breadth of resources.
  • Maximise your investment in internal knowledge, PLC and other resources.
  • Control classification and ranking of search results, in the format preferred by your users.

For more information on federated search please contact us on +44(0)20 7202 1220 or at info@practicallaw.com

PLC enjoys good relationships with the major federated and enterprise search providers, and is happy to liaise directly with your chosen supplier, or with your IT department, as required.

Federated and enterprise search providers

visit www.solcara.comvisit www.recommind.comvisit www.autonomy.com

Testimonials

click to enlarge Reed Smith intranet "We consider PLC know-how to be our know-how – so it made sense to integrate PLC content into our intranet using enterprise search. Reed Smith pays to subscribe to various know-how databases and we want to make the most of our investments. That’s what we’ve done with PLC."

- Loyita Worley, Senior Manager of EMEA Library Operations, Reed Smith

click to enlarge Macfarlanes intranet "We wanted to reduce the number of databases our fee-earners had to interrogate to get to crucial internal and PLC know-how, so we created a one-stop knowledge portal using enterprise search and federated search."

- Sally Roberts, Intranet and Knowledge Manager, Macfarlanes

 

Further information

For more information please contact the customer relations team or call +44 (0)20 7202 1220.

PLC Annotation

Create and share your own notes on PLC resources

Features

  • A simple text-editor interface, enabling designated users in your organisation to add specific annotations to PLC resources.
  • Your annotations appear at the top of individual PLC resources, confidential to your chosen audience.
  • Choose who can create, edit and view annotations.
  • Optional customisation – ability to create multiple groups (for example authoring and editing) to suit different areas within your organisation.
  • Full history and edit details are stored for future reference.

Benefits

  • Supplement PLC resources with additional commentaries, making it easier to capture and share your knowledge and experience.
  • Annotations may link to internal know-how or individual documents, and are only viewable by designated users within your organisation.
  • Set up, maintenance and hosting are all sorted out for you by PLC.
  • Free as part of your subscription.
Further information

For more information or to try PLC Annotation, please click here.

Linking resources

Reference and create links to PLC resources from internal know-how.

Features

  • Create link to PLC webpages, or individual practice notes, documents and articles from your internal know-how.
  • Each PLC resource and web page has a unique identification number.
  • Add links to PLC resources to your Favourites or bookmarks.

Benefits

  • Reference related PLC materials within your own know-how to point others to further reading.
  • Maximise your investment in internal know-how and PLC.
  • Boost internal know-how by linking to related maintained PLC resources.
  • Reference PLC resources with the confidence that the link will not be broken, because we do not delete notes or articles, or change their URL.

For more information about linking to PLC know-how, please click here.

You can also search across PLC resources and your own internal know-how at the same time. To find out how, please click here.

RSS

View PLC updates on your iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry or smart phone.

Features

  • A simple text-editor interface, enabling designated users in your organisation to add company specific annotations to PLC resources.
  • RSS readers scan for page updates and display them for you, so you can see when we have added new legal updates, practice notes and articles.
  • You will need a feed reader or news aggregator application

Benefits

  • Get the latest news and resources when you’re on the move, as soon as they are published and without having to visit the PLC website.
  • Our legal updates are accessible from most mobile devices including iPads, through RSS feed readers such as Flipboard or Reeder.
  • Much quicker than visiting a page several times a day to check for updates.
Further information

For more information on PLC's RSS feeds to your mobile please click here or fill in the form on this page.
For more information on viewing PLC Rss feed through Outlook, please see here.

 

Twitter

Follow us on Twitter for service-specific updates to your desktop or mobile.

Features

  • Twitter is a real-time information network connecting you to the latest information 'tweeted', by accounts you choose to follow. PLC has several Twitter accounts, you can opt to follow as many or as few of these as you wish.
  • To follow PLC on Twitter from your mobile you’ll need to download an application that supports Twitter.

Benefits

  • Stay on top of PLC updates, UK and EC legislation and regulations, significant new cases, changes in market practice and consultation papers from the EC, UK government and other relevant bodies.
  • There is a Twitter page for each PLC service where the legal updates are published, making it easy to keep track of new PLC content related to your areas of expertise and interest.
  • Track PLC updates whether at your desk or on-the-go.
  • Read our tweets independent of your current subscription, although you will need a subscription to view the underlying content.

To view a list of PLC service specific accounts, please click here.

UK general Twitter accounts

  • PracticalLawUK

    This is our main PLC Twitter account for the UK, publishing company news, press releases, and any freely accessible content from our know-how services.

  • PLCSubsAssistUK

    Practical Law Company subscriber assistance. Tweet us if you have any problems or queries, or would like a telephone tutorial. We're here to help!

  • PLCEvents

    Our official PLC Events Twitter account. Follow for information on upcoming events, as well as tweets from the events themselves.

  • PLCUKTraining

    Tweets from our training department. Get news on training webinars, face to face training sessions and tips on how to get the most from your subscription.

  • PLCMagazine
Further Information

For more information on PLC’s Twitter pages, please contact us on +44(0)20 7202 1220 or at info@practicallaw.com

Further Information

Please complete the form below to request further information on any area:

 
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