Tag Archives: Production

Lesson #132

Setup – System Preferences function

Production System preferences

Set up your accounts and printing specifications, then you can print shipping labels and envelopes for correspondence from RB9. You can also record repository activity after setting download preferences.

Envelopes

You can print addresses from your RB database directly onto a variety of envelopes in RB9. Specify defaults for the envelope size and setup you use the most to minimize printing time.

You can specify which standard envelope size — such as #10 — to use. Or enter custom dimensions if the available sizes do not match your most-used envelopes. Designate where addresses print on envelopes measuring in inches from the top and left sides. And choose a typeface and size for how addresses will appear visually.

Your default settings for printing envelopes will appear in the Envelopes and Labels panel when you print envelopes. You can change any of the specifications when printing.

NOTE: Envelopes and Labels is an RB9-only function. It is not included in RB Lite.

FedEx Accounts for Shipping Labels

If you use FedEx to ship items to clients, set up RB9 so you can print FedEx labels from within RB9. Then you can track FedEx shipments without having to leave the system.

You can set up multiple FedEx accounts in RB9. There are 2 ways to use FedEx accounts in RB9:

1. Include all company FedEx accounts in RB9

If you have multiple FedEx accounts, set up RB9 to include all of your company’s FedEx accounts.

2. Accounts = label templates

RB9 FedEx accounts can also used for different label templates. So even if you have only one account with FedEx you can set up different accounts — i.e., label templates — in RB9 that use the same FedEx account credentials, but have different options set for the account preferences. For example set up accounts/label templates for the different priority options (overnight, 2-day, etc.) or accounts to match specific client requirements.

System Preferences lists all of the FedEx accounts already set up including your default account. Set up as many FedEx accounts as you need. You can update or delete any of these accounts, designate a different account as the default, and export this list as an Excel or CSV file to save, print, share, or use in other applications.

Get developer credentials first

Before you can use RB9 to print FedEx labels and track shipping you have to update your external Federal Express account to a developer account so you can obtain the extra information such as your Client ID and Secret that will allow you to print labels from RB9. The Help menu in System Preferences for FedEx labels includes step-by-step instructions for obtaining this information and adding it to your RB9.

Once you have your developer information added to RB9, you can set your other default shipping specs for the account you are creating. All of these options can be overridden when creating a new shipment.

Label template options

Options you can set defaults for include:

• Service type (e.g., Priority Overnight)
• Pickup/drop-off location
• Whether or not you require a recipient signature acknowledging delivery and if so what kind of signature.
• If you want the recipient to be alerted via email so they can track their shipment online.
• If you want to receive email alerts about the shipment.
• Saturday delivery
• Saturday pickup
• Packaging options (e.g., FedEx envelope)
• Package dimensions (length, width, height) measured in inches
• Package weight in pounds
• Declared value for insurance purposes
• If you want to give the recipient the ability to return the package to you with the delivery fee charged to your account, and which delivery method to use for the return.
• If you want to use the standard FedEx pricing or the simpler FedEx One Rate pricing.
• If you want to include the related RB9 invoice number, job number, and/or witness name on the label.
• Any other information that you want to appear on the outside of the package
• If you have a special printer that requires a particular type of file, you can specify the file type.

NOTE: Shipping is an RB9-only function. It is not included in RB Lite.

Repository

Choose whether the default when uploading files to the repository is published or not. You can change the selection when uploading files and if publishing you also have to specify who will have access to the files.

If you want to track file downloads in RB9 by clients, resources, or internal staff, turn on repository logging options for one or more of these types of entities. Best practice is to track all 3 activity streams as required by general security rules for business applications.

If you turn on one or more of these options, the Repository Download Log will track the selected activities and report all relevant activity for a specified time period.

When you turn on tracking for download activity by contacts, your contacts can also see their download activity in RB Connect’s Repository. A Reviewed column will be included in the Repository results grid, and any file they download will record the date and time in that column so your clients can see at a glance if they have downloaded a file or not.

NOTE: Repository Download Log is an RB9-only function. It is not included in RB Lite.

UPS Accounts for Shipping Labels

If you use UPS to ship items to clients, set up RB9 so you can print UPS labels from within RB9. Then you can track shipments without having to leave the system.

You can set up multiple UPS accounts in RB9. There are 2 ways to use UPS accounts in RB9:

1. Include all company UPS accounts in RB9

If you have multiple UPS accounts, set up RB9 to include all of your company’s UPS accounts.

2. Accounts = label templates

RB9 UPS accounts can also used for different label templates. So even if you have only one account with UPS you can set up different accounts — i.e., label templates — in RB9 that use the same UPS account credentials, but have different options set for the account preferences. For example set up accounts/label templates for the different priority options (overnight, 2-day, etc.) or accounts to match specific client requirements.

System Preferences lists all of the UPS accounts already set up including your default account. Set up as many UPS accounts as you need. You can update or delete any of these accounts, designate a different account as the default, and export this list as an Excel or CSV file to save, print, share, or use in other applications.

Get developer credentials first

Before you can use RB9 to print UPS labels and track shipping you have to update your external UPS account to a developer account so you can obtain the extra information such as your User ID and Password that will allow you to print labels from RB9. The Help menu in System Preferences for UPS labels includes step-by-step instructions for obtaining this information and adding it to your RB9.

Once you have your developer information added to RB9, you can set your other default shipping specs for the account you are creating. All of these options can be overridden when creating a new shipment.

Label template options

Options you can set defaults for include:

• Packaging type (e.g., UPS letter or express box)
• Package dimensions (length, width, height) measured in inches
• Package weight in pounds
• Declared value for insurance purposes
• Service type (e.g., UPS next day air)
• If you want the recipient to be alerted via email so they can track their shipment online.
• If you want the recipient to confirm to you via UPS that they received the shipment.
• If you do not require the recipient to sign for the shipment.
• Saturday delivery
• If you want to include the related RB9 invoice number, job number, and/or witness name on the label.
• Any other information that you want to appear on the outside of the package
• If you have a special printer that requires a particular type of file, you can specify the file type.

NOTE: Shipping is an RB9-only function. It is not included in RB Lite.

TL;DR: Store credentials and options for FedEx & UPS shipping. Define specs for envelope printing. Set tracking options for repository usage.

RB concepts in this lesson

Contact: Person who works for a firm you do business with, such as attorneys, paralegals, secretaries, legal assistants, claim adjusters, and court clerks.

RB Connect: Online repository, calendar, and access to your office for clients and resources. More >

Repository: RB has 9 repositories where you store files for safekeeping and quick retrieval.

Resource: Person or thing that provides your business with a service, such as reporters.

Lesson #30

Production – Link Exhibits function

Instead of delivering a PDF transcript and its related exhibits as separate files, provide your client with a single PDF document with hyperlinked exhibits embedded inside the transcript. RB9 can automatically add hyperlinks in RB-PDF Transcripts to related exhibits so your clients can view exhibits in context by clicking the links in the transcript.

You can link exhibits to RB-PDF Transcripts as you create the transcripts or add them later in the separate Link Exhibits function. Link Exhibits also includes the ability to apply reporter and agency digital signatures (using the free ReporterBase Digital Signature Proxy) to finish the transcript.

When your clients open the PDF they can view/download any exhibit image by clicking a hyperlinked reference to it in the PDF. They do not have to maintain any additional files or file structure to access the exhibits.

Hyperlinks in RB-PDF Transcripts are called aliases and can be either words or phrases used to reference the exhibits. You set which words/phrases identify which exhibits and RB9 automatically inserts the hyperlinks into the transcript when it encounters those words/phrases.

Use naming conventions to speed the process

If you name exhibit files and transcript references according to a pattern — for example you name files EX01, EX02, etc., and transcript references Exhibit 1, Exhibit 2, etc. — you can save production time by setting up those patterns before producing hyperlinked transcripts so RB9 can link all exhibits at once to a transcript.

Link Exhibits includes a default list of commonly used exhibit file names with their transcript aliases which you can edit, delete, and add to, and you can have as many alias patterns as you want to cover all the ways you label exhibits and how they are referenced in transcripts. Exhibit file names and transcript references are case-sensitive so you should take that into account too when setting up alias patterns.

If a transcript has a unique alias pattern you can set it up in the transcript as a one-time thing on the fly when creating the PDF transcript following the same conventions as in Link Exhibits. You don’t have to learn another way or add links manually in another application. The pattern won’t be saved after the one use though.

Finding, linking, & monitoring transcripts

In the separate Link Exhibits function, you can search for RB-PDF Transcripts to automatically link exhibits in by job number, witness name, upload date/date range, and/or business unit.

The results list any RB-PDF Transcripts that match your search criteria. Each listing includes its information from the search categories (except business units) plus the job date, file name, file type, last exhibit marked, and case.

You can sort your results in the grid by one or more columns in ascending or descending order (but when you exit the function RB9 will revert back to the default order). You can export the grid as an Excel spreadsheet or a CSV(comma-separated values) file to save, share, print, or use in other applications.

While the results list all relevant RB-PDF Transcripts you can only link exhibits to transcripts that don’t already have linked exhibits. The already linked RB-PDF Transcripts are listed so you can monitor what has already been done plus you can download any file listed and view who else has downloaded the file and when.

When you select which alias pattern(s) you want to apply to a transcript RB9 will tell you if there are no matches in either file names or aliases in the text so you can make corrections as needed.

(The Link Exhibits function only works for RB-PDF Transcripts. Exhibits can also be hyperlinked to Transcript Packages in the Connect module following the same conventions.)

NOTE: This is an RB9-only function. It is not included in RB Lite.

TL;DR: Automatically add hyperlinks in RB-PDF Transcripts to related exhibits so your clients can view exhibits in context by clicking the links in the transcript.

RB concepts in this lesson

RB Connect: Online repository, calendar, and access to your office for clients and resources. More >

RB Connect Mobile: Clients and resources can access your RB Connect on their smartphones and tablets in an interface optimized for mobile devices. More >

RB-PDF Transcript: PDF version of a transcript with built-in transcript-specific features. More >

ReporterBase Digital Signature Proxy (RB-DSP): Apply reporters’ and your agency’s free digital signatures to RB-PDF Transcripts through the normal production process. More >

Transcript Package: Interactive transcript that includes related files, including video and PDF transcripts, and can be used by your clients through RB Connect on their computers or through RB Connect Mobile on their mobile devices. Users can highlight text, make notes, view hyperlinked exhibits and other files, and export the transcript in a variety of formats, including condensed or word list only. More >

Lesson #29

Production – Create Master Word List function

A word list shows the words appearing in a transcript and the number of times they appear. A Master Word List compiles word lists from multiple transcripts belonging to a case into a single word list.

Use this function to compile word lists from multiple jobs on an on-going case into one master list to give to reporters for related jobs, instead of access to all of the previous transcripts, for their preparation.

You can:

• Select which transcripts to include.
• Edit the master list’s default file name.
• Choose which file the master word list will use for its properties (such as its title).
• Customize the document’s appearance including # of columns per page, border treatments, and font specifications.
• Set its file type.
• Designate who can access the master list online.
• Add a description to help users select the correct master word list in RB Connect.
• Download a copy for yourself or to share with others.

(You can also allow reporters to create their own word lists in RB Connect. Instead of full access to previous transcripts in an on-going case, they can only select transcripts, then RB Connect assembles the master word list for them.)

NOTE: This is an RB9-only function. It is not included in RB Lite.

TL;DR: Compile word lists from multiple jobs on a case into one master list to give to reporters working on related jobs.

RB concepts in this lesson

Job: Usually the reporting of a deposition, but can also be any kind of service you provide with your reporters or other resources. More >

RB Connect: Online repository, calendar, and access to your office for clients and resources. More >

Lesson #28

Production – PDF Transcripts function

Use the included PDF transcript creator to generate PDF transcripts (including condensed versions) that automatically include job and case information from your RB9 database. You can also:

• Customize the look of transcripts, and create transcript profiles to match client, court, and other requirements.
• Attach original ASCII and AMICUS files automatically.
• Add word lists and word indexes, either as attachments, appended to the transcript, or as separate files. Customize their appearance.
• Include a word index as PDF bookmarks for easy navigation.
• Hyperlink exhibits in the transcript.
• Apply your own stamps, such as “original” or “certified copy.”
• Add custom cover pages. Create cover page templates for different clients or other purposes.
• Attach errata sheets. Create templates for different uses.
• Set security restrictions, such as passwords and what actions users are allowed.
• Digitally sign transcripts with reporter and agency signatures.
• Generate PDF/A transcripts for archival purposes.
• Duplicate, rename, or delete PDF transcript files.

RB-PDF Transcripts are PDF versions of your reporters’ ASCII transcripts. As PDFs, they retain the appearance of the original document and can be easily shared with others because PDF is a universal format.

What you can do

You generate RB-PDF Transcripts from “page image” ASCII files or any ASCII file which includes line numbers, page numbers, and page breaks, as generated by most CAT systems and word processing applications. While the transcripts mimic the look of the original ASCII transcript, you can apply a variety of customizations to satisfy client requests, court requirements, and other restrictions.

Set up different transcript profiles to cover different transcript requirements and save time when creating RB-PDF Transcripts by selecting a specific profile. You can override any of the preferences in a profile when creating individual transcripts.

You define the appearance and basic options of transcripts in transcript profiles with specifications for paper size (including custom sizes), margins, border appearance (how many, thickness, location), line number treatments, text treatments (including separate options for Q&A bolding), attachments (such as the original ASCII), and PDF format (including PDF/A for archival purposes). You can also tailor header and footer content and appearance, including logos, in transcript profiles.

Transcripts can automatically include job and case information, like the case name, job number, and witness name, in headers, footers, cover pages, and errata sheets.

If clients want condensed transcripts, you can create  2- or 4-pages/sheet condensed transcripts, which are exact replicas of full-sized transcripts but reduced in size so that 2 or 4 transcript pages fit on one sheet of paper. Like full-sized transcripts, you can customize the look and options of condensed transcripts.

You can create and apply stamps to RB-PDF Transcripts without leaving RB9. Set up stamps that say “original” or “certified copy,” then when generating transcripts, select and place stamps wherever you want in the document. You can apply stamps to full-sized and condensed transcripts as well as word lists and word indexes if you create them as separate documents. You can apply as many stamps to a document as you want.

You can have RB9 automatically add hyperlinks in RB-PDF Transcripts to related exhibits, so your clients can view exhibits in context by clicking the links in the transcript. You designate which file name patterns link to which text patterns in the transcript (e.g., Exhibit 1, Exhibit 2, etc. in transcript refer to file names EX01, EX02, etc.), either by selecting these alias patterns from your default list (set in Link Exhibits Patterns) or entering linking patterns manually in the transcript. (You can also perform this task in the stand-alone Link Exhibits function.)

If desired, you can set security restrictions to limit access to an RB-PDF Transcript. Set passwords and restrict certain features, such as printing, editing, copying, and commenting, on any transcript when finalizing it in RB9.

Apply reporters’ free digital signatures to RB-PDF Transcripts through ReporterBase Digital Signature Proxy (RB-DSP), which makes the production process easy while maintaining the reporters’ control of their own signatures. You can also use the system to create and apply agency digital signatures.

If you require a different PDF format for archival reasons, you can create RB-PDF Transcripts in PDF/A formats, which include limited features.

You can duplicate, rename, or delete the PDF transcript RB automatically generated according to your preferences. If you select to have word lists, word indexes, and/or condensed transcripts generated as separate documents when the PDF transcript is created, you can also duplicate, rename, or delete any of them.

How it works

The RB-PDF Transcript creator is a separate function in RB9, but can also be accessed directly from jobs in Turn In. If you do not use RB Connect to have reporters turn in transcripts online, your production staff can access the PDF Transcript Creator from within Turn In as they add witnesses and upload ASCII files and exhibits, so they can create RB-PDF Transcripts without going to a separate function.

In the separate PDF Transcripts function, you can search for ASCII transcripts to turn into PDF transcripts by job number, job or upload date, witness name, and/or business unit.

Listing in the results include both ASCII transcripts and any RB-PDF Transcripts already created including condensed transcripts, word lists, and word indexes. Each listing includes its information from the search categories (except business units), plus the file name, number of pages in the transcript, file type, whether it has been published on RB Connect and who can access it, file description, ordering client, and case.

You can sort your results in the grid by one or more columns in ascending or descending order (but when you exit the function, RB9 will revert back to the default order). From the results grid, you can view and update details about any listed job, witness, or transcript, and export the grid as an Excel spreadsheet or a CSV(comma-separated values) file to save, share, print, or use in other applications.

While the results list all related transcript files, you can only create RB- PDF Transcripts from the ASCII files listed. The already created RB-PDF Transcripts are listed so you can monitor what has already been done plus you can download any file listed and view who else has downloaded the file and when.

The function works like a wizard app, paging you through the steps so you can easily and quickly produce transcripts without missing anything.

If you offer RB Connect, you can also create interactive Transcript Packages in RB9, that are designed to work in browsers and on mobile devices. With these bundles of an interactive transcript and attached files, such as exhibits and video, users can highlight and make notes on the transcript, plus export it in various formats, including RB-PDF Transcripts.

NOTE: This is an RB9-only function. It is not included in RB Lite.

TL;DR: Use the built-in PDF transcript creator to create PDF versions of transcripts (including condensed versions) with transcript-specific features, such as hyperlinked exhibits, digital signatures, word lists/indexes, and errata sheets, and that automatically include case and depo information.

RB concepts in this lesson

Business Unit (BU): One of your company’s revenue centers or any entity in your business that you want to track separately.

RB Connect: Online repository, calendar, and access to your office for clients and resources.

ReporterBase Digital Signature Proxy (RB-DSP): Free digital signatures for reporters and agencies that agencies apply to RB-PDF Transcripts. Reporters retain control of their signatures while agencies are able to apply the signatures through their normal production process.

Transcript Package: Interactive transcript that includes related files, including video and PDF transcripts, and can be used by your clients through RB Connect on their computers or through RB Connect Mobile on their mobile devices. Users can highlight text, make notes, view hyperlinked exhibits and other files, and export the transcript in a variety of formats, including condensed or word list only.

Lesson #27

Production – Repository function

In RB, you can store documents linked to a case, job, task, witness, invoice, firm, contact, location, resource, or all resources in their related repository. In the Repository function, you can:

• Search for files in a single repository or across all repositories.
• Search for files by name, file type(s), job/invoice/order/upload date(s), who uploaded the file, job number, invoice number, case, and/or related firm/contact/resource/job location.
• Classify files for proper user access and availability.
• Download files for viewing, archiving, or emailing.
• View who has downloaded a file and when.
• Delete files you no longer need to store.
• Upload files to the All-Resource repository to share with your resources.
• Re-arrange columns, designate sticky columns, stretch/shrink columns, and hide columns you don’t need to see in the Repository results grid.
•  Choose which column(s) to sort results by. If you select more than one column, choose in what column order to sort the list and in ascending or descending order in each selected column.
• Save your custom grid as your default. Your customizations do not affect other users, and you can restore the original RB grid layout anytime.
• Export the list of repository files as an Excel spreadsheet or a CSV(comma-separated values) file to save, print, share, or use in other applications.

Classify files

In the Repository function, you can classify individual files for proper user access and availability. Set what types of users can access a file (office, client, resource, or some combination), in which functions the file will be accessible, what kind of file it is, and if access via RB Connect is permitted. If multiple files will have the same file type and/or RB Connect access, you can set them all at once.

Give resources access to same files

In addition to the Resource repository, where files uploaded to individual resources’ repositories are stored, RB has an All-Resource repository for files you want to share with all resources. Instead of loading generic files, such as blank billing sheets, copy order forms, and instructions, to each individual resource’s repository or each job, you can upload the file(s) once to the common All-Resource repository for all resources to access. (Maximum file name length for repository files is 256 characters.)

If you want to include certain generic files with Assignment Notifications, upload the files to the All-Resource repository and set their file type so they will attach automatically to each Assignment Notification you send out, without having to upload each file to each job.

Customize how you view your Repository

The grid in which you view Repository listings is customizable to your individual preference. You can:

• Set the order of the columns so you can have the information most important to you in the most prominent place.
• Designate up to 10 columns as “sticky,” meaning they do not move when you scroll across a long grid so they are always visible.
• Stretch or shrink the width of columns to better fit the information presented.
• Hide any columns you don’t want to see in the results.
• Choose which column to sort listing by, and choose whether to sort in ascending or descending order.

When you have arranged your Repository the way you want it to look, you can save your layout so RB will display it this way each time you access it. You can always change or refine your layout, or return it to the default RB layout.

TL;DR: Manage files in the central repository.

RB concepts in this lesson

Contact: Person who works for a firm you do business with, such as attorneys, paralegals, secretaries, legal assistants, claim adjusters, and court clerks.

Firm: Business you provide services to, usually law firms, but can also be other court reporting firms, vendors, insurance companies, corporate clients, and courts.

Job: Usually the reporting of a deposition, but can also be any kind of service you provide with your reporters or other resources. More >

Location: Place where jobs occur, such as court rooms, hospitals, schools, doctors’ offices, or private residences.

Resource: Person or thing that provides your business with a service, such as reporters, videographers, interpreters, scopists, account executives, other agencies that cover jobs for you, or a conference room.

Task: Service requested with a job, such as reporting, interpreting, or video, that require a separate resource (person, company, thing) to accomplish. More >

Lesson #26

Production – Send Originals Out function

Track the location of original transcripts, affidavits, and errata sheets, plus keep detailed notes about where and when you sent them and when they were returned.

This information is available in Turn In for each witness, but Send Originals Out gives you the ability to enter and track this information in a dedicated function so you can see at a glance witness transcript information — plus enter transcript location and other witness related information faster.

The main grid shows all jobs that meet your search criteria with the witness name, transcript’s page number info, resource, when the transcript was sent, when it was returned or expected to be returned, related case name, and business unit involved. If you need more information or are updating a witness’s info, you can access it here with a single click.

You can sort your results in the main grid by one or more columns in ascending or descending order (but when you exit the function, RB9 will revert back to the default order). Export the grid as an Excel spreadsheet or a CSV(comma-separated values) file to save, share, print, or use in other applications.

NOTE: This is an RB9-only function. It is not included in RB Lite.

TL;DR: Use Send Originals Out to quickly see the location status of a transcript, plus update related witness information.

RB concepts in this lesson

Business Unit (BU): One of your company’s revenue centers or any entity in your business that you want to track separately — such as branch offices, other companies you own, affiliates, and profit-sharing operations.

Job: Usually the reporting of a deposition but can also be any kind of service you provide with your reporters or other resources. More >

Lesson #25

Production – Letters function

Correspond with contacts, witnesses, and third parties about turned-in jobs, with relevant details about the jobs filled in by RB9 automatically.

RB9 includes its own word processor with mail merge, so you don’t need Word to manage forms, letters, and other documents that use RB data. It includes an extensive variety of form letters to streamline your correspondence. Edit the included form letters in Form Templates and create your own to match your business needs.

Then use the Letters function to correspond with contacts, witnesses, and third parties about a turned-in job. Search for the job by number, date(s), one or more job statuses, case, and/or one or more of your business units. You can sort your results in the grid by one or more columns in ascending or descending order (but when you exit the function, RB9 will revert back to the default order). You can export the list of jobs returned as an Excel spreadsheet to save, print, share, or use in other applications.

Automatically include info from your database

When you correspond with contacts about a job, you select which party to the job to contact and which witnesses to include. If the party is not listed, you can add them from your contacts database. When you correspond with witnesses, RB9 automatically includes all parties attached to the job, but you can manually override that for any letter, deleting parties that don’t need to be included in the email or adding others from your database. RB9 will fill in the recipient’s email address if it’s in the database already. Otherwise you enter it manually. You can also send emails to other persons related to the job by entering their information manually.

Customize email’s content & appearance

You choose which email form to use from your collection of form letter templates. The list of available forms is contextual; e.g., when sending a letter to a contact, only the forms you designated in Form Templates as for contacts appear. You can edit individual letters on the fly before sending.

Email letters can include cc’s, bcc’s, custom subject lines, and attachments. You can customize the appearance of the text in individual emails, with different font treatments, text styling, colors, etc.

Send attorneys complete email packages including letters, transcripts, and relevant files — no need to print out and deliver if everything is digital. RB9 records the emails sent in the Email Log function in Tools, so you can refer back to them later.

NOTE: This is an RB9-only function. It is not included in RB Lite.

TL;DR: Correspond about turned-in jobs and transcripts using RB9’s form letters that automatically include job data. Customize individual emails and include attachments.

RB concepts in this lesson

Business Unit (BU): One of your company’s revenue centers or any entity in your business that you want to track separately, such as branch offices, other companies you own, affiliates, and profit-sharing operations.

Contact: Person who works for a firm you do business with, such as attorneys, paralegals, secretaries, legal assistants, claim adjusters, and court clerks.

Job: Usually the reporting of a deposition, but can also be any kind of service you provide with your reporters or other resources. More >

Job Status: Stage a job is in, e.g., New or Cancelled. You can designate your own job statuses in RB.

Lesson #24

Production – Shipping function

When clients call to find out where their order is, you don’t have to leave RB9 to check the shipping status. Use the Shipping function to send products via FedEx or UPS, and you can quickly follow up an order’s current location from within RB9.

You can also use this function to keep track of when and via what other methods you sent jobs out, and update the job status of any shipped job or any other information about the shipping and its related job, case, and contacts.

Use Shipping to:

• Ship out produced service items.
• Print FedEx & UPS shipping labels that automatically include addresses from your RB9 database and your shipping preferences, and are tied to your FedEx/UPS account. If contact information is incorrect you can update it here and RB9 will update the contact’s listing.
• Track UPS & FedEx shipments from inside RB9.
• Note if you used another sending method such as via courier or email.
• Record notes about a shipment.
• Search for shipments using job or invoice number, shipping date(s), delivery method(s), and/or business unit(s) to quickly locate a shipment to track or to create a new shipment with the same job, case, and invoice information. You can sort your search results by one or more columns in ascending or descending order. {When you exit the function, RB will revert back to the default order.)
• Export the list of shipments to an Excel or CSV file to save, print, share, or use in other applications. (Similarly you can export the witness/service item list from any shipment.)
• Change a job’s status to Shipped. RB9 will automatically alert your billing department that the job is ready to be billed if they do not invoice a job until it has shipped.

Shipping is a stand alone function but you can also access it directly within Turn In when entering service items to be billed.

FedEx/UPS tracking in RB9

When you generate a FedEx or UPS shipping label in RB9, it automatically:

• Enters the receiver’s address, phone number, and email. It also will validate the address before generating the label unless you deselect that option.
• Sets the Ship From address, phone number, and email to the assigned business unit of your company. (You can select a different business unit.)
• Enters your shipping preferences. (You can set up multiple profiles with different preferences and the same or different business unit.)
• Enters the tracking number in the shipment’s record.
• Enters today as the ship date.
• Adds the estimated shipping cost to the shipment’s record in RB9. Estimated Shipping Cost appears in the Shipping function’s results grid and in individual shipping label windows.

When you click the tracking number in RB9 it opens the related delivery service website in your browser and shows the shipment’s current status.

NOTE: This is an RB9-only function. It is not included in RB Lite.

TL;DR: Use the Shipping function to send products via FedEx or UPS, and track an order’s current location without leaving RB9.

RB concepts in this lesson

Business Unit (BU): One of your company’s revenue centers or any entity in your business that you want to track separately, such as branch offices, other companies you own, affiliates, and profit-sharing operations.

Job: Usually the reporting of a deposition, but can also be any kind of service you provide with your reporters or other resources. More >

Job Status: Stage a job is in, e.g., New or Cancelled. You can designate your own job statuses in RB.

Lesson #23

Production – Envelopes and Labels function

Print addresses on labels and envelopes with information from your RB database automatically included. Start from a case, contact, firm, invoice, job, location, or resource to generate mailing addresses, then select which ones to print.

If entities have multiple addresses in their RB listing, such as office or home addresses, you can choose which type of address to print. You can also create labels and envelopes manually for one-off printing.

Print DYMO labels for correspondence and packages. Use RB9 default label layouts or create your own custom layouts. (Label printing out of RB9 requires a DYMO printer.)

If you want to address envelopes, use this function to generate a PDF file to print addresses directly on envelopes. Before printing, you can specify defaults in System Preferences for the envelope size and setup you use the most to minimize printing time.

NOTE: This is an RB9-only function. It is not included in RB Lite.

TL;DR: Generate labels and envelopes with information from your RB database automatically included.

RB concepts in this lesson

Contact: Person who works for a firm you do business with, such as attorneys, paralegals, secretaries, legal assistants, claim adjusters, and court clerks.

Firm: Business you provide services to, usually law firms, but can also be other court reporting firms, vendors, insurance companies, corporate clients, and courts.

Location: Place where jobs occur, such as court rooms, hospitals, schools, doctors’ offices, or private residences.

Resource: Person or thing that provides your business with a service, such as reporters, videographers, interpreters, scopists, account executives, other agencies that cover jobs for you, or a conference room.

Lesson #22

Production – Production Sheets function

Production Sheets show on a job-by-job basis, who’s ordering what and how many units need to be produced. This static report includes any production and billing notes associated with jobs in the report, so your production staff doesn’t forget any particulars about a client’s order.

You decide which service items are included on production sheets (in Service Item Master), because not all service items need production, such as reporters’ appearance fees. After all jobs are turned in for the day, production sheets listing required service items for those jobs can be printed or exported as PDF, Excel worksheet, or another file format.

You generate productions sheets for either a single job or turned in date. You can customize them to specific rush types (like next day) and one or more of your business units. You can also include already produced items in the report.

Any styling that you applied to Production/Billing Notes in a job, firm, or contact entry, such as bolding or colors, will appear on the report. This can be helpful in making important information stand out on the page.

You can search for a word or phrase in the onscreen report. RB will highlight all instances of your searched word/phrase in the report and list them in a scroll box along with the page number where they occur.

TL;DR: Production Sheets show who’s ordering what and how many units need to be produced for a specific job or from jobs that were turned on a particular day.

RB concepts in this lesson

Business Unit (BU): One of your company’s revenue centers or any entity in your business that you want to track separately, such as branch offices, other companies you own, affiliates, and profit-sharing operations.

Service items: Regular charges that you bill to your clients are called service items in RB. Service items are listed on your invoices to provide itemized details for your clients and third-party payers. In-house, they provide information to help you analyze your revenue streams.