Understanding Subject Relationships

  • Updated

During an investigation, Subject-related information may become scattered across cases, documents, forms, notes, and other investigative records.

This can result in:

  • Incomplete Subject profiles
  • Difficulty finding supporting information
  • Information stored without investigation context
  • Duplicate Subject records
  • Limited visibility into investigative activity
  • Difficulty reviewing all records related to a Subject

OWL provides a dedicated Subject record where authorized users can organize Subject details and supporting records.

When attached to a Case, the Subject is also available from the Case Dossier, allowing users to review the information without leaving the investigation workspace.

OWL Subjects provide a structured way to organize information about people, organizations, vehicles, locations, and other investigative entities.

A Subject may:

  • Exist as a standalone OWL record.
  • Be attached to a Case.
  • Have supporting records associated with it.
  • Be viewed and managed from the Subject Dossier.
  • Be viewed from the Case Dossier after it is attached to a Case.

When a Subject is attached to a Case, the Subject remains available in its own Subject record while also appearing in the Subjects section of the Case Dossier.

This allows investigators to review Subject information either independently or within the context of the investigation.

This relationship ensures that updates made to the Subject are reflected wherever the Subject is referenced, eliminating duplicate records and maintaining a single source of truth.

From the Subject Dossier, investigators can also:

  • Perform searches
  • Upload supporting documents
  • Launch Data Visualization
  • View and manage all linked records
  • Link Other Record Types

Insurance Use Cases

OWL can help insurance organizations:

  • Organize claimant, insured-party, witness, provider, vehicle, or organization information.
  • Attach claim-related documents, forms, notes, reports, and tasks to the appropriate Subject.
  • Review Subject information directly from a fraud or SIU investigation.
  • Keep Subject-specific activity separate from general case information.

Law Enforcement Use Cases

OWL can help law enforcement organizations:

  • Organize suspects, victims, witnesses, vehicles, locations, and organizations.
  • Associate interview forms, reports, documents, notes, and investigative tasks with the Subject.
  • Review the Subject from within the Case Dossier while maintaining investigation context.
  • Consolidate relevant Subject information in one workspace.

Government and Corporate Use Cases

OWL can help government and corporate organizations:

  • Organize employees, vendors, organizations, devices, vehicles, or locations.
  • Associate compliance records, interview notes, documents, reports, and tasks with the Subject.
  • Review Subject information from internal-investigation or regulatory Case Dossiers.
  • Apply appropriate access controls to sensitive Subject information.

Viewing Subject Information

Investigators can access Subject information in two ways:

1. Case Dossier

When a Subject is attached to a Case, it appears in the Subjects section of the Case Dossier. Investigators can expand the Subject to view its associated records without leaving the Case, providing immediate access to relevant information while maintaining the investigation context.

This allows investigators to:

  • View the Subject within the investigation context.
  • Review Subject details without leaving the Case.
  • Expand the Subject to view associated information.
  • Review documents, forms, reports, notes, tasks, and tips associated with the Subject.
  • Understand how the Subject relates to the overall investigation.

This provides immediate access to relevant Subject information while users continue working within the Case.

2. Subject Dossier

The Subject Dossier provides a complete view of the Subject and all associated records, making it the primary workspace for managing Subject information throughout the investigation.

Additional records can be linked to a Subject from the Subject Dossier at any stage of the investigation, such as...

Templates

Templates help investigators standardize Subject records by applying predefined structures from the Template Library.

Templates can help:

  • Maintain consistency across Subject records.
  • Reduce manual setup
  • Ensure required sections are included
  • Standardize information collection

Forms

Forms provide structured templates for capturing investigative information consistently.

Common examples include:

  • Witness Interview Forms
  • Incident Reports
  • Property Seizure Forms
  • Crime Scene Documentation
  • Intelligence Collection Forms

Using standardized forms improves data quality, consistency, and reporting accuracy.

Tips and Leads

Tips and Leads received from different sources may be associated with the Subject.

Examples include:

  • Confidential informants
  • Public tips
  • Partner agencies
  • Internal intelligence
  • Anonymous sources

Linking tips and leads ensures valuable intelligence remains connected to the relevant Subject throughout the investigation.

OWLDocs

Documents can be attached to a Subject during creation or uploaded later as new information becomes available.

Examples of supporting documents include:

  • Investigation reports
  • Court orders
  • Search warrants
  • Forensic reports
  • Financial records
  • Witness statements

From the OWLDocs page, investigators can also perform document intelligence operations such as:

  • OWLidentify – Image and face analysis
  • OWLxtract – Text extraction from documents
  • OWLtranslate – Translate multilingual evidence

This allows investigators to manage and analyze evidence directly from the Subject record.

Notes

Investigators can add notes to capture observations, findings, or important updates related to the Subject.

Notes are useful for:

  • Recording investigation progress
  • Capturing meeting outcomes
  • Documenting observations
  • Tracking follow-up information

Administrators can configure Note Types, sensitivity levels, and templates to further standardize inputs and improve compliance.

Reports

Reports provide detailed documentation related to the Subject and can include both written information and supporting images.

Reports are commonly used to document:

  • Victim information
  • Witness details
  • Investigation findings
  • Supporting photographs and evidence

Keeping reports linked to the Subject provides investigators with a centralized view of all relevant information.

Tasks

Tasks may be associated with a Subject to manage investigative activities and assign work.

Typical tasks include:

  • Conduct interviews
  • Verify Subject information
  • Collect evidence
  • Review documents
  • Perform a background search
  • Follow up on an investigative leads

Linking tasks to the Subject improves collaboration, accountability, and progress tracking throughout the investigation.

Subject Best Practices

  • Use clear and accurate Subject names.
  • Select the appropriate Subject Type.
  • Add unique identifiers, when available.
  • Attach records to the Subject only when they relate specifically to that Subject.
  • Attach general investigation records to the Case instead of the Subject.
  • Use Templates and Forms consistently.
  • Keep Notes factual, clear, and current.
  • Review Tasks and supporting records regularly.
  • Apply appropriate access and sensitivity settings.
  • Avoid creating unnecessary duplicate Subject records.