Definely Vault Frequently Asked Questions

What is Vault and how does it work?

Vault is a clause library designed specifically for legal professionals. Imagine having a powerful tool that breaks down complex documents into easily searchable clauses and definitions, ready to be inserted into your documents whenever you need them. This is what Vault offers, streamlining your workflow and making legal drafting more efficient and accurate.

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How it works

1. You can upload documents to Vault, either as an individual through our Word add-in, or as a firm administrator through our browser-based admin portal.  

2. Synchronisation and monitoring – Admins can connect Vault to your DMS, making sure all clauses and definitions are up-to-date based on any recent changes to the documents in the DMS.

3. Processing and extraction – once a document is uploaded, Definely uses its scanning technology from Definely Draft and Proof to break it down into individual clauses and definitions. An AI service then extracts key metadata, such as the parties involved and the governing law, to enhance search capabilities.

4. Powerful search - All this information is stored in a database and synchronised with Elasticsearch, a powerful search engine. This means that when you need a specific clause or definition, you can find it quickly and easily, ensuring you always have the right legal language at your fingertips.

5. Seamless insertion – when inserting clauses from Vault into your document, the system ensures that the inserted text matches the formatting of your document. This means that the font, style, and numbering will seamlessly integrate with your existing document format.

6. Definely integration – the definition-scanning engine from Definely Draft checks each clause before it is inserted, finding terms that would be undefined if they were to be inserted in your document. Vault is then able to suggest and insert definitions for these terms, so potential issues are resolved before they even make their way into your document.  

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How can I deploy it?

Vault consists of two key components: the client application and the server storage and processing system.

You have two main options for deploying Vault:

1. Purely local PC installation. You can install the Vault client application directly onto individual PCs and specify that the storage and processing of documents should happen only on that local machine.  

2. Server installation. For a more robust solution, we recommend installing Vault on a Definely cloud server. A server installation provides several benefits, including centralised administrator control, easier configuration of DMS integration, and provisioning of 'gold standard' wording to end users.

In both cases, the Vault client application should be deployed to user’s local machines to make sure they are able to search and insert clauses within Microsoft Word.

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Where are the documents and clauses stored?

When you use Vault, your documents and clauses are stored securely, whether you choose a local machine installation or a cloud server setup.

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Secure storage with MinIO

All documents and clauses are stored within MinIO, a highly scalable object storage server. MinIO provides robust security features, including encryption at rest and in transit. This means that your data is protected from unauthorised access both when it is stored and when it is being transferred.

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Fast and efficient metadata storage

To ensure quick and efficient searching, metadata extracted from your documents (such as parties involved, governing law, etc.) is stored in a PostgreSQL server. This setup allows for rapid retrieval of information, so you can find the clauses and definitions you need without delay.

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What security measures cover the data storage?

Vault prioritises the security of your data with a range of measures designed to protect your information both during transmission and while at rest.

1. Encryption for data in transit. To safeguard data as it moves across networks, Vault uses industry-standard encryption protocols, like TLS (Transport Layer Security). This protects information from eavesdropping and tampering while it is being transmitted.

2. Encryption for data at rest. Documents stored within Vault are kept in MinIO, a secure object storage server. This data is encrypted to prevent unauthorised access, ensuring that your information remains confidential and protected even when stored.

3. Access control. Access Control Lists are employed to manage and restrict access to documents based on user permissions. This means that only users with the appropriate rights can view or interact with specific documents. Additionally, document access permissions are inherited directly from your DMS, aligning with your existing security standards.

4. Compliance certifications -  Definely meets high security standards by being ISO 27001 and SOC 2 compliant. These certifications demonstrate our commitment to maintaining rigorous security practices and protecting your data according to industry best practices.

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How does the DMS integration work?

Integrating with your DMS is designed to be seamless and secure, making sure that a member of your team is in control of all the steps from first installation to final deployment.

1. Assigning an Admin. First, we collaborate with you to select an admin from your team who will have full access to your DMS. This could be a member of your IT team or your knowledge management team, depending on your preference and internal structure.

2. Understanding Your DMS Structure. Next, we perform a high-level scan of your DMS to understand its structure. This involves identifying folder names, document names, and their locations within the DMS. This step helps us map out the organisation of your documents.

3. Selecting Documents and Clauses. With the DMS structure in hand, we work closely with your team to determine which documents should be made available to users through Vault. During this process, we also identify documents containing ‘gold standard’ language—those essential clauses that represent the best practice for your firm.

4. Synchronising with the DMS. We then set up a synchronisation schedule that fits your needs. This ensures that any changes made to the selected documents in the DMS are reflected on the end users' machines. This keeps the content up-to-date and consistent across your organisation.

5. Admin Console Access. Your designated admin will have access to a browser-based admin console at all times. This console allows them to change which documents are synchronised, giving them flexibility and control over the content available to users.

6. Inheriting Document Permissions. All document permissions are inherited from the DMS. This means that only clauses and definitions from documents that end users have rights to access will be deployed to their machines. This ensures compliance with your existing security protocols and access controls.

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Do you ever update the documents on our DMS?

No, we never update the documents directly on your DMS.

We understand the importance of maintaining the integrity and sanctity of your DMS. That is why we only make copies of the documents stored in your DMS. These copies are then stored and updated within Vault, ensuring the original documents in your DMS remain untouched.

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How are you using AI?

Vault leverages artificial intelligence in a few ways to enhance your search capabilities:

1. Metadata extraction. Our AI labelling service reviews documents to extract key metadata, such as jurisdiction and the parties involved. This process helps to organise and categorise your documents more effectively, adding additional metadata to clauses and documents that users can specify as they search their library.

2. Semantic search. We are developing AI-driven semantic search capabilities. Unlike traditional search methods that rely on simple text matching, our semantic search uses AI embeddings to understand the context of the document. This means search queries are assessed based on the relevance to the document’s content and context, offering more meaningful search results.

3. Contextual language search. We are also enhancing Vault with a feature that allows users to click a hover button within a document, similar to the functionality in Definely Draft. This feature enables automatic searches for similar language within documents that share similar contexts. This helps users find related clauses and definitions quickly, in a form that is more directly relevant to the document in front of you than a simple keyword search.

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What is on the roadmap that is worth knowing about?

Our teams are still hard at work building several enhancements to Vault that will keep it growing in feature-richness and architectural quality.

• User interface redesign. Based on feedback from dozens of customers, we are redesigning the user interface to enhance usability and make it easier to get from Point A to Point B. The new design will offer a more intuitive experience, reflecting the experience of our users across the entire Definely platform.  

• Significant architectural improvements. We are investing in major architectural upgrades to improve search performance. As Vault handles increasingly large volumes of documents, we are focused on optimising search speed and efficiency to ensure that even with tens of thousands of documents, users receive quick and accurate results.  

• Semantic search and improved AI processing. We are advancing our search capabilities with semantic library search. This improvement will enable users to search not just by keywords but by understanding the context of the content, leading to more relevant search results. We are also improving our AI labelling systems to better extract key document metadata without users or admins having to lift a finger.

• Version control for stored clauses. We are introducing version control for clauses stored in Vault. This feature will allow you to track changes over time and manage different versions of clauses, making it simpler to handle revisions and ensure that you are using the most up-to-date language.

• Collaboration and predictive suggestions. We are adding collaboration features and predictive suggestions to facilitate better teamwork and enhance drafting efficiency. These features will help users work together more effectively and receive intelligent suggestions based on their work and context.

• Granular filter terms. We are developing more detailed filter options to help users pinpoint exactly the document with the precise wording from a specific deal. This enhancement will make it easier to locate highly specific information quickly and accurately.

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Can I create documents with this?

The focus of Vault is to help lawyers insert discrete clauses and definitions into existing documents with ease and accuracy. This product is not intended for building entire documents from scratch like traditional document automation software – instead, it is intended to help incorporate precise language into drafts.

While this is the primary focus of Vault, we are always open to feedback. If creating entire documents from scratch is something that would benefit you or your firm, we would love to hear your thoughts and explore potential solutions.

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What differentiates this from other products on the market?

Vault stands out with several key features that set it apart from other solutions:

1. Autonomous clause and definition extraction. Vault leverages Definely's technology to autonomously extract clauses and definitions from documents. This process benefits from Definely’s proven record of accomplishment in accurate definition detection, ensuring that critical legal terms and clauses are identified and organised properly.

2. Unified plug-in for comprehensive functionality. Unlike solutions that require separate tools for different tasks, Vault integrates seamlessly with Definely’s single plug-in that helps with comprehension, proofreading, and now content selection. This unified approach keeps things simple for end users (one place to go) and IT teams (one package to deploy).

3. Integrated defined term checking. Vault includes built-in functionality for defined term checking. As you insert clauses into your documents, Vault automatically verifies and updates definitions. This feature mitigates errors before they make their way into your documents.

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