Introduction: The problem of traditional filing systems
In many law firms, a large portion of client documents are still stored on local file shares or in systems such as DATEV DMS, Addison with DocuWare, and others. Tax assessments, annual financial statements, contracts, and working documents are stored there in complex folder structures. Access is usually via a Windows drive or a DMS program with search and filing functions.
This has several disadvantages:
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The files are only visible within this system.
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Information about clients – such as service recording, responsibilities or the current processing status of a case – is located in other software solutions or databases.
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These sources are not connected to each other.
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Modern collaboration (comments, simultaneous editing) is often not possible at all or only to a limited extent in the classic DMS.
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Queries across multiple sources can only be implemented with great effort.
The result: a lot of manual work, media disruption, and a lot of effort to link client data with the associated documents.
The modern approach: Microsoft Fabric as a central data lakehouse
With Microsoft Fabric and the integrated OneLake, you can for the first time seamlessly connect documents from SharePoint, client master data from SQL databases and other sources .
Fabric is a new platform from Microsoft designed to store, analyze, and connect any data in a single data pool – the lakehouse. OneLake acts as a universal storage location for all information, regardless of whether it originates from SharePoint, a traditional file share, or a database.
A key advantage: The SharePoint Connector in Fabric allows entire SharePoint libraries, including metadata such as client number, document type, or creation date, to be automatically transferred to OneLake.
This creates a modern, central repository: Every uploaded annual financial statement or tax assessment ends up in Fabric not just as a file, but with all relevant additional information. At the same time, you can integrate client master data from your SQL database (e.g., performance data, financial accounting data, or the responsible processing department) into the same data space.
This gives you a complete view of all relevant information , without any media disruption or additional exports. While this is already partially possible in the production system today, it's not automated and doesn't work with artificial intelligence.
The decisive step: Away from the classic DMS
However, to fully exploit this potential, it is crucial to break away from a mindset that has been shaped for decades:
Working exclusively in the classic DMS (e.g. DATEV DMS or Addison DMS/DocuWare).
These systems store documents in their own databases or archive structures that aren't designed to connect them to modern data lake architectures like Fabric. Even if interfaces exist (such as import functions from DocuWare to SharePoint), they often remain limited to pure filing processes and don't allow for true, dynamic linking to master data or AI-supported evaluations.
Anyone who wants to use Fabric should establish SharePoint as the primary repository ("master") . This means:
✅ In the future, all documents will be stored directly in SharePoint libraries in a structured manner, e.g., by client number and document type.
✅ Classic DMS solutions (DocuWare, DATEV DMS) are only responsible for archiving purposes or historical records.
✅ Changes to the document, versioning and collaboration take place exclusively in SharePoint – no longer in parallel in another DMS.
This step represents a cultural change: away from the monolithic archive system towards a unidirectional (yes: not bidirectional!) SharePoint DMS structure that can be directly transferred to and evaluated in Fabric.
Advantages in everyday office life
This architecture brings with it numerous advantages that are particularly noticeable for tax advisors:
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All data sources in one system
SharePoint documents, SQL data, CRM information – everything is brought together centrally. -
Real transparency
At the touch of a button, you can see which documents are available for which client, what stage of processing they are at, and what deadlines apply. -
Optimal basis for copilot
Copilot provides unprecedented transparency and can answer questions like:
“Which tax assessments of which clients differ from the previous year by more than X percent and when does the respective objection period expire?
This type of analysis is only possible if documents, metadata and SQL queries from the law firm software are combined. -
Better collaboration
Client documents can be collaboratively edited, commented on, and versioned directly in Teams or SharePoint. -
Future-proof scalability
OneLake is optimized for large amounts of data and avoids the typical limitations of a SharePoint library or DMS. -
Automated reports
Fabric can generate reports without the need to manually export data.
Possible objections and classification
A common objection is:
“We already use one DMS – why should we use a second one?”
The answer is simple: Traditional DMS solutions are isolated storage islands . They don't offer a unified platform that brings together documents, client information, and AI-supported analyses.
Another argument: “We are losing our usual ways of working.”
That's partly true – but SharePoint now performs almost all the functions of modern DMS systems: versioning, rights assignment, document preview, full-text search.
And only SharePoint can seamlessly bridge the gap to Fabric – without media disruption and without parallel worlds.
Conclusion
Combining SharePoint (as the primary repository) with Fabric and OneLake gives tax advisors the opportunity to take their practice to a whole new level:
✅ You create an audit-proof, structured filing system.
✅ You connect client documents with all relevant data sources.
✅ You use Copilot to get targeted answers from all information.
Anyone who consistently pursues this path must abandon the mentality that a traditional DMS is always the "leading authority." Instead, SharePoint becomes the new master —the central hub for all documents. Fabric transforms it into a lakehouse where knowledge, data, and analytics converge in real time .
For any tax firm that wants to work in a modern, scalable, and collaborative manner in the long term, this approach is not just an option, but a strategic decision for the future – especially if AI is to lead to real productive added value.
