Best practices for importing files during onboarding

Importing all the documents associated with your matters is a necessary step before you can begin using Smokeball. While this can be time consuming if your firm has numerous matters with thousands of files, observing these recommended practices will ensure the process is completed as efficiently as possible.

1. Reference the master list of imported matters your firm provided you.
2. Look up the matter's internal reference number.
3. Open the matter in the Smokeball desktop app.
4. Click on the corresponding matter file folder from your computer/server and then drag it into your matter's Documents section.
5. Monitor the progress of the transfer with the Uploads, Downloads, & Exports button.
   • A green circle indicates the transfer is in progress without issues.  
   • If the files are not transferring, a red X will appear in place of the green circle. Select the red X and retry steps 1-4. 
   • If retrying does not work, submit a ticket to our support team for assistance.
     
6. Once all files have been transferred to the matter, rename the client folder on your computer/server by adding SBmm/dd. This will help you keep track of which matter files have been transferred and prevent duplicates.
7. If your firm has any other instructions, such as adding matter tags, additional contacts, email correspondence, or inputting other matter information do so now.
8. Repeat steps 1-7 until all the relevant files have been imported to their respective matters.

Important Note

While following these steps, we recommend periodically logging out of Smokeball and re-starting the client. This will clear Smokeball's cache and ensures that the import process continues at the highest possible speed. Clearing the cache will also prevent Smokeball from taking up an excessive amount of space on your computer's hard drive.