The document summarizes the results of a survey conducted at the 2014 Oracle OpenWorld conference regarding how Oracle users review documents. The survey found that while email continues to be the primary method for sharing documents, it is inefficient and time-consuming. Respondents indicated a desire for solutions that allow real-time collaboration and comments. However, lack of time is a barrier to implementing improved solutions. The document concludes by advertising the PleaseReview document review software.

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Making time to save time #winbacktime
Exploring document review amongst Oracle users
A whitepaper
January 2015

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“A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it.”
Albert Einstein

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It’s been 12 months since we last spoke…
In 2014, PleaseTech Ltd conducted a survey at the Oracle OpenWorld 2014
Conference in San Francisco. This followed on from similar research
conducted in 2013
The research set out to examine whether Oracle users and their partners
have altered the way they review and collaborate around documents over
the last 12 months, or indeed if they face different challenges
259 business and technology professionals from around the world
responded to the survey

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Let’s begin
The last 12 months has seen a sharp increase in the number of
respondents for whom document review is a significant part of their job
Email is still the key tool used to share documents for review
A third of respondents spend 50% of their time working offline on a
mobile device
The ability for the whole team to access and review a document at the
same time is the most desired improvement to current review processes
Versus the previous year, a third more respondents are likely (or very
likely) to consider using an Oracle partner to solve specific business issues
‒ A surprisingly high number would consider building an in-house
solution

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We asked Oracle attendees, ‘in terms of finding a solution to a specific
business problem would you…’
10
16
34
28
12
4
5
22
51
17
8
14
31
39
9
12
15
25
31
16
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Very unlikely Unlikely Neutral Likely Very likely
Only consider an alternative
Oracle solution %
Consider an Oracle partner %
Any 3rd party %
Build an inhouse solution %
There are no strong feelings either way, and
opinion divided as to which way to go

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40% are likely / very
likely to only
consider an
alternative Oracle
solution
Versus 32% in 2014
39% are likely to
consider a 3rd party
Versus 26% in
2014
Compared to 2014…
31% are likely to
build an in-house
solution
Versus 24% in 2014
51% are likely to
consider an Oracle
partner in 2015
Versus 32% in 2014
Whilst respondents would generally prefer an
Oracle/partner solution, they are becoming
more open to 3rd parties and Oracle partners

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Looking specifically at document review as a business process, just
how significant is it in people’s jobs?
29.9%
40.5%
13%
16.6%
46%
33%
11% 10%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Significant Part Insignificant Not involved
2014
2015
Demonstrating a sharp increase in the number
of people for whom document review plays a
significant role

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And how are they reviewing documents?
29% Shared
hard copy of
documents
32% Face to
face
meetings
36% PDF
annotations
43% Word
tracked
changes
62% Email
This reflects data collected in 2014, illustrating
that email continues to be the most common
tool used

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Recent Osterman Research surveys have also found that…
1.
• Email is the dominant communications and
collaboration tool in most organizations
2.
• It serves as the primary method for transporting files
3.
• 98% of the bits that flow through the typical email
system are the files that are attached to emails
4.
• The typical information worker currently spends 167
minutes per business day doing work in their email
Further proof that email and email
attachments remain the dominant means to
collaborate on documents

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We know from previous research that the use of email to facilitate
document review causes problems…
Manual process of merging changes from multiple
contributors
Cannot access the document at the same time
Working on the wrong version
Too time consuming
The process is too unwieldy and inefficient
People overwrite others' changes
Cannot capture any metrics / details for the
review
Formatting and style issues on the document
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Strongly agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Research conducted by PleaseTech at Oracle OpenWorld, October 2013
Yet it continues to be one of the most widely
used tools…

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So, when reviewing documents, what would improve the current
review process?
58% Everyone can access & review the document at
the same time
52% Seeing other people’s comments & changes
47% Ability to compare review versions
38% A report showing all activity on the review
37% Approved changes are added to the document
35% The process is controlled so nothing gets
missed
Reviewers are clearly aware of email’s
limitations

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How often are people working on a mobile device?
45% of those surveyed are increasingly using mobile devices
Suggesting we’re using mobile platforms
to work from email
9%
Most of the time
15% never
30% about 50/50 online/offline

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If you experience review challenges, what is the main reason for not
researching or implementing a better solution?
Time (29%)
Budget
(25%)
It’s the chicken and the egg…we know poor document review processes are time
consuming, but we don’t have the time to resolve the issue…if the process was improved…

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So what does this tell us?
The increasing use of mobile devices is no great surprise and simply confirms
what everyone knows
Email and email attachments continue to be the primary means to share and
review documents
We know this causes problems for those involved in document review…
‒ Poor collaboration
‒ Time consuming
‒ Too manual a process
The ability to access and review documents at the same time is the greatest
change that would improve current document review processes
‒ Enhancing collaboration
‒ Saving time
‒ Automating the process
Yet TIME continues to be the
greatest barrier to sourcing a
solution

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#winbacktime

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Tickled your interest?
Listen in to a joint webinar hosted by PleaseTech and Oracle WebCenter Content,
featuring a short demonstration of PleaseReview, the leading document review
software from PleaseTech
www.slideshare.net/PleaseTech/pleasereview-oracle-slides
Or send us a message…
Email: info@pleasetech.com
Web: www.pleasetech.com
Tel: +44 (0)1666 826540

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About PleaseReview
PleaseReview is a secure, collaborative, browser-based environment for the controlled review
and co-authoring of Microsoft Word (and other) document types. Its unique functionality gives
secure, simultaneous access to the same copy of the document (on or offline on any device),
control over who can do what to where, automated consolidation of proposed changes and
comments and comprehensive reporting and metrics.
About PleaseTech
PleaseTech Ltd is the document authoring and review specialist, providing software solutions for
the collaborative review and authoring of documents. A UK based business, PleaseTech focuses
on providing controlled collaboration and co-authoring through its review product, PleaseReview.
Launched in 2005, it has over 100,000 users from more than a hundred companies across the
globe. Clients range across industry sectors and business disciplines, with the majority operating
in regulated and document-intensive industries, such as life sciences and defense. It is in these
sectors where the creation and review of large, often complex documents is of particular
importance due to strict regulatory and corporate compliance requirements and tight deadlines.