editing multiple word docs at once.

Deebaser

I'm trying to help my old boss out below is the body of his email reaching out to all the nerds in the company that might have a prayer of knowing what he's talking about. I'm Basically wondering if there is a way to have word add a page or two to an existing document from an external data source. This way legal can edit their 4 or 5 different documents of nonsense and we don't have to waste mnhours doing something retarded.

• As you all know we have hundreds of Widget Schedules
• Within each we have section for the application pages (Legal mumbo jumbo).
• The application pages are generally similar across all our Widget Schedules there maybe three or four versions of the application but not too many.
• Every time legal wants to make a change to the application my team have to update hundreds and hundreds of documents.
• My question: Is there any software out there that can automatically make a change to multiple word documents without manual intervention.
• What do legal firms do when they need to update contract language across documents?
• If anyone has heard of software that I can purchase that would make my team’s life easier please forward me the link to the website.
• Reason – over past three weeks, my team have had to update the application pages of hundreds of documents on 3 separate occasions and the way we do it today is a huge waste of time. Takes weeks when it should take hours.

for whatever fucking reason, these stupid legal apps need to be in the actual file. I know coallating the actual fucking paper as needed makes a shit ton of sense, but it sadly isn't an option.

Thanatos

Are these files all identical, or are they different for every single one?

Couldn't you just keep a handful of files, and use shortcuts?

Deebaser

The files are not identical. they're basically different files for each product we offer in each region of the world. They consist of two distinct parts: Useful shit and Shit Legal Puts on there for some fuckoff reason.

The problem appears to be that legal keeps changing their shit. I mentioned breaking the fucking files apart and letting Legal send him the updated bullshit as they pinch it off, but no one was having any part of it. It needs to be solved with techmology.

oldsak

I asked google. This looks like it might suit your needs.

Moses555

I'm sure you could write a "Visual Studio Tools for Office" or whatever it's called now app to do this. Have a bunch of base documents, and legal addendum documents, and some input listing all the combinations you need generated, and run the generator as needed.

Tofystedeth

Can't you insert the contents of the legal section as an OLE link to the appropriate legal thingy, so whenever the legal doc changes, it should be reflected in any documents which link to it? You'd have to do one mass editing of any existing docs, but once that's done you shouldn't need to again.

Deebaser

I just had a meeting about this.
Tof, I fucking love you, man! It works perfectly.
Thank you everyone. Plz lock.

Tofystedeth

Glad to help.