If your Word program opens reasonably fast but not so when you click on a file to open, either locally or over a network, the issue may have to do with a setting that handles Protected View.
What is PV? “Files from the Internet and from other potentially unsafe locations can contain viruses, worms, or other kinds of malware that can harm your computer. To help protect your computer, files from these potentially unsafe locations are opened in Protected View. By using Protected View, you can read a file and see its contents while reducing the risks.”
If you know the location you are opening the file from, such as a data server, then you can turn off PV and significantly speed up opening the documents. To do so, open Word, (2010 or 2013), and click on File, then Options, then Trust Center, then Trust Center Settings. Then click Protected View and un-check all the check boxes. Done.
Please use caution if you deactivate PV. Only open documents that you know are safe and stored in a safe place. You can always reactivate PV following the above steps…