Tag Archives: emailed lesson

Lesson #159

Calendar – Jobs (Weekly View) function

Weekly View displays a week’s worth of jobs at once in a week-by-week format. Similar to the Monthly View calendar, Weekly View is a visual calendar format displaying a week at a time.

Weekly View defaults to all jobs for the current week — grouped by day (including Saturday and Sunday) so you can quickly access the week ahead. Each day’s header includes:

• Date
• Day of the week
• Total number of jobs scheduled and canceled for that day

Each day’s list of jobs scheduled/canceled appears in chronological order by start time. In addition to the start time each listing shows the job number and a third option of your choice — ordering firm, case, or witness. Listings are color coded based on their job status.

Rolling over any entry pops up details about the job. Clicking an entry opens the job’s detail window.You can page back and forth through weeks — or jump to a particular week by entering a date.

If the row of 3 elements in a job listing is longer than the width of its day’s space, it will be cut off (there is no word wrapping) — but details are easily visible if the user rolls over the listing. If there are more jobs scheduled for a day than fit vertically, the day’s space will include a scroll bar so you can access the jobs that are not visible at first. If the whole week is not visible, you can use your screen’s scroll bars to view hidden sections.

You can restrict the listings to jobs for:

• A single ordering firm
• An ordering contact
• A scheduling contact
• One or more job statuses
• One or more job types
• One or more of your business units
• One of your sales reps
• A case
• One or more case types
• A parent firm
• A job location
• A job location city
• One or more job location states

From the calendar you can add a new job, or view/update/turn in/cancel/reschedule existing jobs.

Weekly View customization

Each Weekly View job listing shows its start time and job number. Those are fixed data and cannot be changed but you can select the third type of information that appears in job listings to identify jobs in System Preferences.

You can also set the height of the weekday boxes in rows from 5 to 15. Each row lists one job. The weekly calendar will display each weekday with enough space vertically for the number of rows you set (Saturday and Sunday will be half the height set). If there are more jobs scheduled for a day than the maximum you set, the day’s space will include a scroll bar.

NOTE: This is an MR9-only function. It is not included in MR Lite.

TL;DR: Use Weekly View to see a week’s worth of jobs at a time with brief descriptors of the jobs. 

MR 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.

Case Type: Categories of cases by work type, e.g., Civil or Personal Injury.

Job: Usually the reporting of a deposition, but can also be any kind of service you provide with your reporters or other resources, such as realtime, videoconferencing, or read & sign. More >

Job Status: Stage the job is in, e.g., New or Cancelled.

Job Type: Category of jobs requested by clients, such as Deposition or Real-Time.

Ordering Firm: Firm that is responsible for a job with your company.

Ordering Contact: Contact at the firm that is responsible for a job with your company.

Scheduled By: Contact who initiates a jobs with your company. Can be different from the Ordering Contact.

Lesson #143

Connect – Create Full-Text Search function

If you add the Full-Text Search plug-in to your RB Connect and RB Connect Mobile, your clients can search for specific text in their repositories and Transcript Packages, and get results in seconds. When they locate the right file in their repository, they can download it. When they find Transcript Packages that include the text, they can go directly to the first instance of the text in a transcript and click through to all subsequent instances.

Before your clients can use Full-Text Search in their RB Connect repositories, you must index the files. Use the Create Full-Text Search function to index files that contacts can search for specific words in their repositories. (The Full-Text Search plug-in gives the same functionality to Transcript Packages automatically — no need to set up an index first.)

You can index files from any or all client-related repositories (case, job, invoice, or witness). You can index most text-based files, with the exception of some proprietary file formats. Full-text indexes you create automatically upload to your repository.

You choose which files to index. We do not recommend indexing all files because the monthly charge for the Full-Text Search plug-in is based on the storage space used by the indexes. You can also delete old indexes in this function to manage your storage space usage.

Selecting files to index

To find files to index, you can leave the defaults selected of all repositories, all file types, and all cases, then enter a date/date range of when the files were uploaded to search. Or refine your search results by selecting:

• A single repository
• A single case
• One or more file types
• A file name or partial name
• A job or invoice number
• A different type of date range — either the job date or invoice date associated with the file(s)

Files that fit your search criteria will appear in the results along with:

• The repository they are stored in
• Their file type
• File size
• What type of user can access the file (files must have Contact access for your clients to see them)
• Whether they have been published to RB Connect (files must be published for your clients to access them),
• When they were uploaded and who uploaded them
• Whether they have already been indexed

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

Select the files in the results that you want to be text-searchable and create the index. If there are any problems, RB9 will stop the process and direct you to fix them. For example, if you selected an unpublished file, it will direct you to publish the file before attempting to index it. Or if a file contains no text to index, it will alert you so you can remove it from your indexing selections.

Managing indexes & files

You can update and publish files without leaving this function.

Click a file’s hyperlinked file name to:

• View its details
• Change its File Type
• Change its Access Type to include contacts
• Publish or un-publish it
• Make notes about the file
• Download the file
• View who has previously downloaded the file and when
• Delete the file from your central repository

After indexing files, a checkmark appears in each indexed file’s Full-Text Search column in the Create Full-Text Search results screen. When you no longer need a file indexed — for example a case was closed or a client is no longer active — you can de-index it to remove its Full-Text Search mark from the results screen and save on storage space.

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

TL;DR: Index client repository files so they can quickly search their repositories by content in the Full-Text Search plug-in.

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.

Full-Text Search: Clients can search for specific text in their RB Connect repositories and Transcript Packages, and get results in seconds with this plug-in. When they locate the right file in their repository, they can download it. Requires RB Connect. More >

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 >

Transcript Package: Bundle containing interactive transcripts with all of their related files to be viewed in a browser through RB Connect and RB Connect Mobile. More >

Concept #7

Transcript Package

Transcripts that work better in browsers & on mobile devices

Offer clients an interactive transcript that bundles related files — such as exhibits, video, and PDF transcripts — with it into a convenient package. It can be used by your clients through RB Connect on their computers or through RB Connect Mobile on their mobile devices. Transcript Packages eliminate the need to provide hard copies of transcripts but give your clients the option to produce their own easily anytime saving time and money.

Like RB-PDF Transcripts you can hyperlink exhibits in Transcript Packages. Unlike PDF transcripts, linked files in RB Transcript Packages are not added into the transcript keeping file size down and improving speed performance.

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

While PDF transcripts are designed for print RB Transcript Packages are designed for screens: standard computer screens and screens on mobile devices like smart phones. If you have RB Connect your clients can work with their Transcript Packages on any screen, but if you have RB Connect Mobile too your clients can work in an environment designed for the smaller screens of mobile devices — no pinching and zooming to read and interact with their transcripts. And if they want hard copies they can export transcripts in several formats.

In Transcript Packages attorneys can:

• Highlight text.
• Set different highlight colors to designate different content categories.
• Make notes on transcripts and exhibits.
• Download attached exhibits, videos, and other files one at a time, all, or a selection of files.
• See exhibits in context by tapping on links in the transcript.
• View streaming video instead of waiting on long downloads.
• Search transcripts by word, page, comment, or highlights.
• Export their highlights and notes to work with offline.
• Export their transcripts in full-size PDF, condensed PDF, or AMICUS versions.
• Customize the appearance of exported PDF transcripts including condensed.
• Generate and export word indexes and word lists.

Easier for production staff

If you are already providing RB-PDF Transcripts to your clients, your production staff will find the process of creating Transcript Packages familiar yet faster.

For example Transcript Packages like RB-PDF Transcripts are created using the original ASCII file. And the linking process is exactly the same as exhibit linking in RB9’s PDF Transcript Creator.

Even better is how Transcript Packages can save your production staff’s time. They do not have to customize the appearance of transcripts. If your clients want their transcripts to look a certain way they choose customization options when exporting files from Transcript Packages in a browser or on their mobile devices. And if you have the optional Full-Text Search plug-in, Transcript Packages are automatically indexed for searching across multiple transcripts — saving staff time creating indexes.

Like RB-PDF Transcripts your production staff can preview Transcript Packages before releasing them. Then they notify clients automatically via email when their Transcript Packages are available.

The only RB-PDF Transcript features Transcript Packages do not have are digital signatures and transcript stamps (e.g., “Original” or “Certified Copy”).

NOTE: Transcript Packages is an RB9-only feature. It is not included in RB Lite.

TL;DR: Transcript Packages are interactive transcripts designed to work in browsers and on mobile devices, and are easy to produce.

Related RB concepts

Full-Text Search: Clients can search for specific text in their RB Connect repositories and Transcript Packages, and get results in seconds with this plug-in. When they locate the right file in their repository they can download it. More >

RB Connect: Online repository, calendar, and access to your office for clients and resources includes interactive transcripts, downloadable invoices and e-commerce for clients, and online turn-in, one-touch job acknowledgements, and downloadable pay statements for 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 like hyperlinked exhibits, word lists/indexes, errata sheets, and enhanced headers/footers containing case and depo information from your RB9 database. It can be branded and customized extensively to match client requirements; and can include digital signatures, condensed transcripts, security restrictions, stamps, and archival formats for the courts. More >

Lesson #142

Connect – Transcript Packages function

Bundle transcripts with hyperlinked exhibits, video, PDF transcripts, and other related files, so your clients can view, highlight, and comment on transcripts and bundled files in browsers and on mobile devices. Your clients can also export different versions of the transcript and download the associated files.

RB9’s Transcript Packages are interactive transcripts clients can view in RB Connect in web browsers and RB Connect Mobile (RBCM) on mobile devices. Users can download/view attached files, view streaming video, comment on transcripts and exhibits, highlight text, and export transcripts in a variety of formats, including their highlights and comments.

The Transcript Packages function is included free in RB9, but requires RB Connect for your clients to use it. Transcript Packages are readable in RB Connect on desktop computers and laptops. If you add RBCM to your system, your clients can easily work with their Transcript Packages in an environment designed for the smaller screens of iPhones or other mobile devices — no pinching and zooming to read and interact with their transcripts.

Producing interactive transcripts vs PDF transcripts

If you already provide RB-PDF Transcripts to your clients, your production staff will find the process of creating Transcript Packages familiar yet faster. For example, Transcript Packages, like RB-PDF Transcripts, are created using the original ASCII file. And the linking process is exactly the same as exhibit linking in RB9’s PDF Transcript Creator.

Where it saves staff time is that they do not have to customize the appearance of transcripts. If your clients want their transcripts to look a certain way, your clients choose customization options when exporting files from Transcript Packages in a browser or on their mobile devices.

Like RB-PDF Transcripts, your production staff can preview Transcript Packages before releasing them. Then they notify clients automatically via email when their packages are available.

Unlike PDF transcripts, there is no physical file to deliver, and your clients do not need a third-party application like Adobe Acrobat to read and work with their transcripts. Your staff cannot apply digital signatures or transcript stamps to Transcript Packages, but they do offer end users export options for PDF, condensed PDF, Amicus-formatted ASCII, word lists, word indexes, highlights, and notes.

Assembling transcript packages

You can assemble a Transcript Package after uploading an ASCII transcript to a witness repository in RB9 and publishing it to RB Connect. (If you don’t want to make the ASCII file available to your client before you create the Transcript Package, you can wait to publish the ASCII until you have created the package and are ready to notify the client.)

To create a Transcript Package, use the search criteria in the Transcript Package function to find the right ASCII file. You can search by job number, job date or date range, witness name, and/or one/some/all of your business units.

In the returned results, files are listed by job number, job date, witness name, file name, case, and date the ASCII file was uploaded. 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). Export the list as an Excel spreadsheet or a CSV (comma-separated values) file to save, print, share, or use in other applications.

Any Transcript Packages that were already created and fit your search criteria are also listed along with who created them and when. You can easily tell which is which because ASCII files are indicated by a radio button. Finished Transcript Packages do not have a button; instead the file name is hyperlinked to the package so you can manage the attached files, preview the package, and send the client a notice that the package is ready and waiting on their RB Connect.

When you create a Transcript Package, any exhibits, video, and other files that were uploaded to the related job’s witness repository are available to bundle with the interactive transcript. You choose which ones to include, and like the returned results list, you can export any of these sub-lists as Excel spreadsheets or CSV (comma-separated values) files to save, print, share, or use in other applications.

When you create a package that includes exhibits, you can have RB9 automatically add hyperlinks to the exhibits in the transcript the same way you link exhibits in RB-PDF Transcripts.

After generating the package, you can preview it to check for errors and missing attachments, and that any attached video streams correctly before sending an email notification to alert the client. The Transcript Package preview screen is the same as the Transcript Packages screen in RB Connect/RBCM (minus the ability to make or export highlights and comments), so you can be confident about sharing the final product.

Sharing transcript packages

Before sharing Transcript Packages with clients, customize your Connect preferences:

• Turn on Transcript Packages accessibility so your clients can see uploaded Transcript Packages.
• Select one of your RB-PDF Transcript templates as the default for your clients’ export specifications. Your clients cannot select a different template, but they can change some of the specs, including margins, borders, font, Q&A styling, timestamp location, and PDF format (regular PDF or one of the more restrictive PDF/A formats for archiving purposes), when exporting a transcript.
• Customize the contents and appearance of the email notifying clients that a package is available. You can edit the default contents and style the appearance of the body of the email with text formatting, images, color, hyperlinks, and tables.
• Insert contextual data fields into the email subject and body so RB9 will automatically insert relevant data into Transcript Package notification emails. You can have RB9 include the file name, case name and number, job date and number, and witness in the subject and body of emails, plus you can have the direct URL for the Transcript Package inserted into the email body so your clients only have to click the link to go directly to their package, instead of having to search for it in their RB Connect.

If you set the ASCII file to publish before creating the Transcript Package, the package will be automatically available on RB Connect for the client to work with as soon as you create it. If you didn’t set the ASCII to publish beforehand, RB9 will remind you when you attempt to send the notification email alerting the client to its availability on their RB Connect. Once you publish the ASCII file, RB9 will publish the Transcript Package as well and you can alert the client.

When you send the notification email, RB9 records the email sent in the Email Log function in Tools, so you can refer back to it later.

Managing transcript packages

Other things you can do in the Transcript Packages function:

• Download the original ASCII file of any package.
• Search for text in a transcript.
• Skip directly to any page of a transcript.
• Export an AMICUS version of a transcript.
• Export PDF versions of the full-size transcript, condensed transcript, word index, or word list.
• Delete any Transcript Package you no longer need.

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

TL;DR: Create interactive transcripts clients can work with in RB Connect in web browsers and RB Connect Mobile on mobile devices. Bundle related exhibits, videos, and other files with the transcripts, then automatically upload the packages and notify clients. 

RB concepts in this lesson

RB Connect: Online repository, calendar, and access to your office for clients and resources, including interactive transcripts, downloadable invoices and e-commerce for clients, and online turn-in, one-touch job acknowledgements, and downloadable pay statements for resources. RB Connect is an optional plug-in to RB9. More >

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

RB-PDF Transcript: PDF version of a transcript with built-in transcript-specific features like hyperlinked exhibits, word lists/indexes, errata sheets, and enhanced headers/footers containing case and depo information from your RB9 database. It can be branded and customized extensively to match client requirements; and can include digital signatures, condensed transcripts, security restrictions, stamps, and archival formats for the courts. More >

Transcript Package: Bundle containing interactive transcripts with all of their related files (exhibits, videos, RB-PDF transcripts, etc.) to be viewed in a browser through RB Connect and RB Connect Mobile. More >

Lesson #141

Connect – Fulfill Points Redemption Orders function

If you reward clients with points for booking depos with you and you have RB Connect, you can let them access their points online and send you requests to redeem points.

In RB9, award points are used to encourage clients to book with your agency by rewarding them with points for different services. Similar to frequent flyer programs, the RB9 reward points system is an optional service you can enable.

Before setting up reward points in RB9, check what your local laws and regulations allow and what you must provide participants with, such as terms and conditions and any legal agreements you must obtain before you enroll a client in your reward program. Some states do not allow these programs for court reporting firms, and OMTI makes no guarantees or assurances about these programs.

When setting up your reward points program, you choose:

• Which services earn points.
• What points can be redeemed for (such as cash or gift cards).
• Who on your staff manages the program (and gets alerted when a request is made).
• Which clients receive points.
• Which clients can access their points through RB Connect and RB Connect Mobile (RBCM).

View requests & redeem points

Use the Fulfill Points Redemption Orders function to grant requests clients make through RB Connect/RBCM for award point redemptions, plus look up previously redeemed point requests.

Fulfill Points Redemption Orders lists all outstanding redemption requests by default. Each request displays:

• Date and time a redemption was requested.
• Firm and contact making the request.
• Type of redemption requested.
• Number of points to redeem.
• Where the prize should be sent (office, home, or an address entered manually).
• Any additional instructions or remarks the client included.

You can sort the list 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 list as an Excel spreadsheet or a CSV (comma-separated values) file to save, print, share, or use in other applications.

You can also view a single contact or a single firm’s outstanding requests.

When you fulfill a request, you can add your own notes about the redemption. When you complete the fulfillment acknowledgement, the request disappears from the list, and your client’s RB Connect/RBCM display their request as completed so they know they can expect a delivery. RB9 also updates the current points available and the spent points balances in the contact’s listing.

View the point redemption histories

You can view previous point redemption activity for a range of dates for all clients or a single firm or contact. The default lists all redemption requests fulfilled today and includes the same information as the outstanding requests list, plus any notes you made about the redemption, the date and time the request was fulfilled, and who on your staff handled the request. Like the outstanding requests list, you can export the list to save, share, print, or use in other applications.

You can also view the list for a different date range, by the date requests were submitted instead of when they were fulfilled, and narrow the results listed to a single firm or contact.

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

TL;DR: Grant requests clients make through RB Connect/RB Connect Mobile for award point redemptions, plus look up previously redeemed point requests.

RB concepts in this lesson

Award Points: Used to encourage clients to book with your agency by rewarding them with points for different services.

Contact: Person who works for a firm you do business with.

Firm: Company you do business with.

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 >

Lesson #140

Connect – Publish COD Invoices function

If you allow clients to make payments via RB Connect and RB Connect Mobile (RBCM), your COD clients can also use them to pay invoices before downloading transcripts online and on smartphones and other mobile devices.

CODs are handled differently

COD (Cash on Delivery) clients are handled differently from other clients. Traditionally COD invoices require the client to pay the invoice when presented, typically along with the items listed on the invoice. Often agencies have difficulty getting paid by COD clients because they are not regular clients. By offering COD clients the option to pay online or mobily, you guarantee you get paid before they can access the transcript, and they can get their transcripts as soon as the transcripts are ready.

Because RB does not regard COD invoices as sales, they are not posted. (CODs are handled differently than sales to avoid overstating revenue and to minimize the number of voids that would occur to clear uncollectible CODs from your accounts receivable.) Since COD invoices are not posted, as a default they do not appear in RB Connect/RBCM. Use the Publish COD Invoices function to allow clients to pay for and download transcripts that were billed COD.

Manually publish CODs online

To give clients the ability to pay for COD invoices online, you manually publish them to RB Connect in the Publish COD Invoices function. (When you publish an invoice to RB Connect, it will also appear in the client’s RBCM if you offer that service.) The default view shows all outstanding COD invoices. (Invoices are designated as COD in Turn In.) For any invoice listed, you can see at a glance the invoice date and amount, if it has already been published to RB Connect, when the invoice was sent to the client, the Bill To and Sold To clients, the job number and date, case name, and your assigned business unit.

You can narrow the list to invoices generated within a range of dates, a single invoice number, job number, case, Bill To firm, and/or one or more of your business units. You can sort the list by one or more columns in ascending or descending order (but when you exit the function, RB will revert back to the default order). Export the list as an Excel spreadsheet or a CSV (comma-separated values) file to save, print, share, or use in other applications.

From the list you can choose which invoices to publish to RB Connect. You can also select invoices that have already been published and unpublish them so that they no longer appear in clients’ RB Connect/RBCM.

Set up for online payment first

Before your clients can pay invoices online in RB9, you must set up a business/merchant account with PayPal or one of the other accepted online payment processing services, then enter your credentials in Connect Preferences.

The default setting for RB Connect is no online payments. If you want to offer online payment of invoices, including COD invoices, through RB Connect, you must first set up an account with one of these services:

• PayPal
• Authorize.net
• First Data (Payeezy)
• Square
• Stripe

PayPal is easy to set up and integrate with RB9, and is a good choice if your clients have their own PayPal accounts. The other options are payment gateways; their benefit is that your clients do not have to have accounts with them to make payments through them.

In addition to setting up a merchant account and entering your credentials into RB9, you must choose which users are alerted in RB9 when a contact makes a payment online. You can also customize the email subject and message for payment receipt notices to clients.

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

TL;DR: Because CODs are handled differently from sales, you must manually publish COD invoices to RB Connect so COD clients can pay online, then immediately download their transcripts.

RB concepts in this lesson

Bill To Contact: The contact responsible for paying the invoice for a job.

Bill To Firm: The firm responsible for paying the invoice for a job.

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

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 >

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

Sold To Contact: Contact that ordered the services on the invoice.

Sold To Firm: Firm that ordered the services on the invoice.

Users: You and your staff who directly access RB.

Lesson #139

Connect – Transcript Ordered function

If you allow your clients to order transcripts through RB Connect and RB Connect Mobile (RBCM), the Transcript Ordered function is where you confirm, process, and monitor the progress of those back orders.

Clients can request transcripts on previously billed jobs in RB Connect/RBCM’s Order Transcript function. You confirm the back orders and process them through RB9. Clients can track confirmed requests in RB Connect/RBCM. And you can monitor the current status and view order details in the Transcript Ordered function.

Customize the function

Before using the Transcript Ordered function designate which staff members will be alerted when a back order request is received.

You can customize the transcript order request form with your own fields for clients to use to provide instructions — such as turnaround time, delivery options, and other directions that will minimize the need for any client back-and-forth while fulfilling back orders.

You can update your choices and customizations at any time.

View new back order requests

When someone back orders a transcript through RB Connect/RBCM, RB9 sends a pop-up message to the screen of all RB9 users you designated during setup. Alerted users can click through the message directly to the order in the Transcript Ordered function to confirm the order and start the production process.

If you prefer to batch process orders — or just want to check that you haven’t overlooked anything — you can use the Transcript Ordered function’s default view to see all unconfirmed transcript requests sent by clients through RB Connect/RBCM.

The default lists shows each request’s:

• Order date and time
• Contact ordering the transcript and their firm
• Witness
• Case
• Job number
• Job date

You can sort the list 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 list as an Excel spreadsheet or a CSV (comma-separated values) file to save, print, share, or use in other applications.

You can view details about any requested transcript’s associated job and previous invoice, along with client instructions for the back order. You confirm the back order job in this function by changing the job’s status to back order and generating a report that provides your staff with the information they need to process the order. You can export the report in a variety of formats, such as PDF or Excel, or print it to distribute to your staff.

Process & monitor back orders

Processing the order involves creating a task in the job for the transcript and assigning it to a resource, then notifying them about the assignment. The task window lists previous resources associated with the case to help you select the appropriate resource. As the order is produced and shipped you update its status in the job.

On the client side in RB Connect after they submitted a request, the job’s Request Order option disappears so they cannot accidentally back order more than one transcript for the job. They can review the details of their transcript order and monitor its progress.

You can also monitor a back order’s current status and view details using the Transcript Ordered function. You can search active back orders using any combination of:

• A particular date range
• A single order
• A single job
• A firm
• One or more of your business units

In addition to the information listed above for unconfirmed requests, the results include who on your staff confirmed each request and when. From the results returned you can view any transcript’s current status and order details.

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

TL;DR: Confirm, process, and monitor transcript back orders clients make through RB Connect and RB Connect Mobile.

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.

Contact: Person who works for a firm you do business with, such as attorneys.

Firm: Company you do business with.

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 >

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

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

Task: Service requested with a job, such as reporting, interpreting, or video, that require a separate resource (person, company, thing) to accomplish. Work performed in-house (such as creating condensed transcripts or shipping out finished products) is usually not considered a task in RB. More >

Lesson #128

Setup – Exhibit Stamps function

Make stamp templates that can be applied to PDF exhibits when uploading them to RB9 which automatically include exhibit numbers and information from your RB9 database, and are customized to your specifications.

You can create as many different stamp templates as you need, then select a template that will apply serially numbered stamps to PDF exhibits when uploading to the Witness-level repository.

Stamp options include:

• Box size and color
• Border thickness and color
• Number of digits and leading character in exhibit numbers
• Text and RB9 data fields to include on the stamp
• Text styling (such as bold face, text size, and color)
• Where the stamp occurs in the document
• Where the stamp is placed on the page

You can also designate stamps resources can choose from to apply to exhibits when uploading them via RB Connect during turn in.

The default view in Exhibit Stamps is to list all of the stamps alphabetically in ascending order. Each listing includes:

• Stamp name
• Its position on the page
• Its occurrence in the document
• Preview
• Whether it is available to resources to use in RB Connect

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

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

TL;DR: Automatically stamp exhibits in RB9 with your custom serially-numbered stamps.

RB concepts in this lesson

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 #127

Setup – Link Exhibits Patterns function

If you want to embed exhibits in PDF transcripts using hyperlinks instead of delivering a PDF transcript and its related exhibits as separate files, you can add them as you create RB-PDF Transcripts or use RB9’s Link Exhibits function. Automate the process of adding hyperlinks to transcripts by setting up the Link Exhibits Patterns function first.

In RB-PDF Transcripts, hyperlinks are called aliases and can be either words or phrases used in transcripts to reference the exhibits. If your exhibit file names and transcript references/aliases follow a pattern — for example files and aliases are numbered consecutively (file names like EX01, EX02, and transcript references like Exhibit 1, Exhibit 2) — you will save production time by defining those patterns before producing hyperlinked transcripts.

Setting up your own linking patterns

Before creating hyperlinked RB-PDF Transcripts, customize the included default list of commonly used exhibit file names and aliases as patterns that RB9 can use to automatically link exhibits to the relevant references in a transcript. You can edit and delete patterns — and create new patterns — in the Link Exhibits Patterns function.

Setting up a Link Exhibits Pattern entails creating a file name pattern and its associated alias pattern:

• File name pattern is how the files are named. It includes the common (shared) portion of the name and optionally the numerical file sequence which is designated with a ?.
• Alias pattern is how the exhibits are mentioned in the transcript. Like file name patterns, it includes the common portion of the text mention followed by a ? for the matching number. The common portion of the alias pattern can be different from the file name pattern, for example exhibit vs. EX.

If this is unclear, when creating patterns there is more specific information in legends above the 2 pattern fields about how to create each pattern which is helpful. You can also review the existing patterns to get a better understanding of what patterns look like.

Managing linking patterns

The main screen of Link Exhibits Patterns lists all of your stored patterns in ascending order by file name pattern. Sort the list by either file name or alias pattern in ascending or descending order. If the list is too long to find a pattern, you can narrow the results by searching for a partial/complete file name and/or alias. Export the list as an Excel spreadsheet or a CSV (comma-separated values) file to save, share, print, or use in other applications.

You can edit or delete any pattern listed. You can also create new patterns with a file name and alias using question marks in the pattern to indicate where numbers appear. If exhibits are referred to by alphabetic characters, you can make patterns but they have to be one-to-one matches (one pattern example: EX A => exhibit A). There is no ? wild card equivalence for alphabetic characters.

After your initial customization of Link Exhibit Patterns, you can update it at any time. Set up as many patterns as you need — there is no limit to the number of patterns you can create.

Using Link Exhibit Patterns

When creating transcripts in the PDF Transcripts function or adding exhibits to existing RB-PDF Transcripts in the Link Exhibits function, you select which link exhibit pattern(s) to apply. RB9 will automatically embed all the exhibit files from the transcript’s witness repository hyperlinked to the aliases in the transcript that match the selected link exhibit pattern(s).

In addition to your stored link exhibit patterns, you can create patterns for individual transcripts that have their own exhibit references that do not fit your general patterns. When linking exhibits to an RB-PDF transcript, if any file names do not fit your patterns you can create one-off custom patterns for those exhibits. Patterns set up in individual transcripts this way are not saved in your Link Exhibits Patterns database.

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

TL;DR: Customize RB9’s Link Exhibit Patterns to match your company’s naming conventions for exhibit files and transcript references. Then apply them automatically to RB-PDF Transcripts.

RB concepts in this lesson

Alias: Link in RB-PDF Transcripts to related exhibit that can be either a word or phrase used to reference the exhibit.

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

Lesson #126

Setup – PDF Transcript Stamps function

Make stamp templates that can be applied to RB-PDF Transcripts so you don’t have to switch to a different program to stamp a transcript “original” or “certified copy.”

Templates can be styled with different text formatting, border treatments, and stamp colors. Create as many stamp templates as needed. Update templates or delete templates when no longer needed.

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.

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

TL;DR: Apply stamps like “original” or “certified copy” to PDF Transcripts & exhibits without leaving RB9.

RB concepts in this lesson

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