Automate Bates Numbering with Encodian Flowr

In today’s fast-paced digital environment, managing a large volume of documents efficiently and accurately is more critical than ever. Legal professionals, corporations, and government agencies often deal with countless files that require precise organization and easy retrieval. This is where Bates numbering, a method used to label and identify legal documents, comes into play.

Integrating Bates numbering into your document management process can significantly enhance productivity and accuracy. This blog will explore how to automate Bates numbering using Microsoft Power Automate and Encodian Flowr’s Add Page Numbers action, streamlining your document management process for optimal efficiency.

What is Bates Numbering?

Bates numbering is a method of indexing legal documents for easy identification and retrieval. Each document page is assigned a unique Bates number, typically consisting of a numeric or alphanumeric prefix, the specific page number, and sometimes a date or a unique identifier. This system is invaluable in legal settings where the quick retrieval of documents can be crucial.

Why Automate Bates Numbering?

Manual Bates numbering can be time-consuming and prone to errors, especially when dealing with large volumes of documents. Automation not only saves significant time but also increases accuracy, ensuring that each document is correctly numbered and easily retrievable. By automating this process with Power Automate and Encodian’s Add Page Numbers action, you can:

• Reduce manual effort and free up time for more critical tasks.
• Enhance accuracy by eliminating human errors in numbering.
• Improve document retrieval with consistently applied numbering.
• Streamline document management processes across your organization.

Automating Bates Numbering with Power Automate and Encodian Flowr

Encodian is a leading document, file and data automation service that integrates seamlessly with Power Automate, offering a range of 150+ actions, including the ‘Add Page Numbers’ feature, perfect for implementing Bates numbering.

Example Flow

We will create a simple flow like the one below. This flow can be adapted to whatever process is required. The Encodian step that applies the Bates numbering will be the same.

Step-by-Step Guide to Adding Bates Numbering

1. Create a Flow in Power Automate

Set up a new flow. Choose a trigger that suits your needs. We have chosen a manual trigger in the demonstration; however, this could be an automated process, such as when a document is received via email or is added to a SharePoint library.

2. Get the file which will have Page Numbers added

Since we have a manually triggered flow, we will simply use a SharePoint “Get file content using path” action. We can customize this step to our workflow; for instance, if we were triggering on emails received, we would retrieve the PDF attachments.

3. Apply Bates Numbering using Encodian’s Add Page Numbers action

Search for the Encodian connector and select the Add Page Numbers action. This action allows you to specify your Bates numbers’ numbering format, positioning, and styling.

In our example, we will insert a page number consisting of 3 parts:
– prefix “ABC Letter- ”
– page number consisting of 4 integers, e.g. “0001”
– date the letter was written in the format “02 February 2024”

Therefore, the first page of the letter will have a Bates stamp that reads: ABC Letter- 0001 02 February 2024

To achieve this, fill out the following fields in the Encodian Add Page Numbers action:

Field: Page Number Format
Value: “ABC Letter- [PageNumber] ” followed by the expression formatdatetime(utcnow(),’dd MMMM yyyy’)

Field: Custom Number Format
Value: {0:0000}

4. Configure Bates Numbering Settings

Additional settings are available within the Encodian action to get the desired result.

5. Create the file

Encodian will output a PDF file, which we can create in SharePoint

6. Save and Test Your Flow

After configuring the settings, save your flow and conduct a test to ensure the Bates numbers are added as expected. You can adjust the settings if necessary to achieve the desired outcome.

7. The Outcome

Conclusion

Automating Bates numbering with Microsoft Power Automate and Encodian’s Add Page Numbers action is a game-changer for organizations looking to enhance their document management processes. By leveraging these powerful tools, you can ensure your documents are accurately and efficiently organized, saving time and reducing errors. Embrace automation and transform your document management strategy today.

Remember, the key to successful document management is not just in the tools you use, but in how you implement and optimize them to fit your organization’s specific needs. Power Automate and Encodian offer the flexibility and efficiency required to streamline document management processes, making Bates numbering a hassle-free task.