IT: what next?

Solicitors are aware that secretaries use word processing and they themselves may use Outlook, or a similar tool to deal with email or to plan their appointments – but many still rely on a desk diary for court dates, settlement dates and the like.

Axiom, a Glasgow company providing a full range of IT services for business management, point out that modern practice management software deals with all of these issues and if employed properly, can help the busy solicitor in his or her day-to-day work.

It is not unusual for a solicitor to look on the legal accounts package installed in the cashroom, as a tool restricted to client account management. A fully functional legal accounts package will easily deal with this and much, much more, according to Axiom. Just like in any commercial operation, a properly configured accounts system will allow the solicitor to view financial management information on fee income, expenditure, budget reporting and the like. It can even assist in managing the firms’ purchases, fixed assets and credit control. Like it or not, a legal firm is a business and it must be managed professionally if it is to succeed.

Then there is the application that strikes fear and scorn into the hearts of some solicitors – case management. “No machine can deal with my workload better than I can”, is a very common complaint. In the final analysis however, case management and its companion workflow applications, are tools to be used by the profession to help them carry out their day-to-day work.

There is considerable confusion, say Axiom, between case management systems and workflow. Workflow is an automated process that allows the production of work on an automated basis – but there is still the requirement of having someone oversee and drive it forward.

Case management, on the other hand, is the ability to deal with day-to-day work using an application that keeps all of the information relating to a particular case in the one place electronically – allowing it to be accessed from anywhere within the firm. It is the equivalent of the “electronic file” and obviates the need for the fee earner to have the paper file available in order to work with a case. Time is money, and there is nothing more time consuming than chasing files around the office to find out information!

Taking the time issue further, case management will help the firm manage its documents and correspondence, internal and external email, assign key dates and appointments and generally allow for single-user, departmental or firm-wide workload management – and all this can be done without a single piece of workflow software in sight.

Practice management software is serious business, say Axiom, but the question is how it can help a firm manage its business – solicitors should use IT to manage their business and not allow the IT to manage them.

Case management: For the big boys?

The cost implications associated with deploying case management have frequently constrained smaller firms who consider the purchase and implementation of such a system as beyond their means. This reluctance has meant that the average high street firm has gained little advantage from developments within the case management software solution. However, according to TFB, IT suppliers who specialise in the legal sector, history does not have to repeat itself: there are significant benefits to be enjoyed by the smaller firm through utilising case management.

TFB’s Sarah Cox explains: “In the past the preferred alternative was generally to purchase the best practice management and case management packages and amalgamate the two together. However, the advances that have been made within integrated solutions have encouraged such opinions to be swayed away from choosing two expensive packages and opting for a single solution, thereby placing case management firmly back into the reach of high street firms.”

The main advantages which can be expected from deploying case management, whether “best of breed” or “integrated”, are greater efficiency and productivity, says Cox. Firms often discover they can acquire extra fee-earning capability minus the requirement of extra support costs. And of course the monitoring capability of a case management system which is fully integrated with your practice management system is a significant risk management tool, the cost of which has to be measured against the risk of liability where that risk has not been managed properly.

The slow takeup analysis is shared by trakLAW, which promotes its case management software as a cost effective way for a legal office to cut out the repetitious nature of its work by using it to automate many time consuming but necessary office processes. These include time recording, production of letters and statements, feeing of accounts, diary entries, contacts database and task lists.

Sales Director John Scott comments: “You or your secretary can have all your client’s details on a screen in front of you before you take their call or have a meeting with them. The client is impressed because the service you provide makes them feel they are the only client you have, and you have saved time by not having to search for the relevant files and information to give to the client. At the click of a mouse button you can have all the relevant information displayed on a screen in front of you without leaving your desk.

“Time savings achieved by streamlining your back office process can now be used to build your business and client relationships, improving your turnover and bottom line.”

One supplier which has detected an encouraging recent trend in takeup of legal software that delivers real productivity gains for firms, is Visualfiles Scotland, formerly known as Solicitec Scotland. The company claims a spread of business throughout the strata of the Scottish legal profession – small and medium as well as large firms.

Case management has historically been viewed as the sole domain of repetitive step-type legal work, but as Visualfiles the company has witnessed a sea change in the takeup of its products. Managing Director Colin Kennedy says: “Our clients use our software firm-wide. Fee-earners and support staff throughout an organisation all have the need to create documents, record time, populate forms, record meeting content and keep a comprehensive audit trail of what happened when and by whom, throughout a case’s life span. These are generic requirements of all types of work. When this type of functionality is combined with our policy of integrating our software with complimentary third-party products such as practice management, digital dictation and document management systems, the client benefits from having a single user interface that updates all relevant systems via Visualfiles’ comprehensive integration engine.”

TFB’s Cox comments that in an age when consumers are demanding greater results it is lunacy for high street firms to assume that their own clients will not expect the same. “A firm’s own case management needs should be effectively calculated and attained, thereby allowing them to ensure their own clients’ requirements are exceeded.”

Or as trakLAW’s Scott points out, the nature of the profession means that each firm has to perform similar tasks, so investing in an efficient system is one thing you can do to give your firm a competitive edge over the one next door.

Choosing a system: what to ask...

With over 800 users in 125 law firms benefiting from their support, LawWare Ltd, another leading supplier of solutions to the Scottish legal profession, offer impartial advice to firms looking to update their technology infrastructure. In addition to offering their own LawWare software, they have links with hardware suppliers and will prepare consultancy reports on a firm’s needs.

Aside from Law Society of Scotland compliance, LawWare’s Warren Wander offers some points to consider when choosing a replacement system. These include:

Do you have the equipment infrastructure in place to cope with a modern software solution? Consider seeking a no obligation site assessment from a reputable hardware supplier.

Are your staff motivated towards the introduction of a new system? Ask your supplier to assist in a profile-raising awareness campaign.

Is training minimal if required and are your firm’s training needs fully understood? Ask for a full training needs analysis.

Is the system simple to operate and can you get at the key information you need quickly and in a presentable format? Ask other users of the system for their opinion.

Make sure you are not oversold overly sophisticated software additions that are beyond the scope of your firm’s needs. Perhaps look to take advanced modules in managed stages if suitable and seek impartial advice.

Is there a comprehensive ongoing support and maintenance backup service that includes software updates to the latest versions? Read the support agreement carefully.

What about the hardware?

Whereas the case and practice management suppliers may concentrate on software, one company which equally looks after a practice’s hardware requirements is Ty-com Business Systems Ltd. Although an unfamiliar name to some, Tycom recently took over the maintenance, management and support of over 100 hardware support contracts and this combined with a commitment to new business development has given them a strong presence in the legal sector as suppliers of hardware, third party software and IT support to the profession.

Tycom specialise in providing the complete IT infrastructure solution to Scottish law firms and have forged a number of strategic alliances with legal software suppliers, delivering and supporting the IT infrastructure while they install their accounts or case management software. They offer a project management and consultative selling approach backed up by good quality documentation as the key to successful installations, and a call logging system with guaranteed response times gives reassurance that any problems will be rectified promptly.

The outsourcing alternative

For many firms, however, the capital cost of the IT infrastructure is a stumbling block. The need for improvement is recognised, but the initial outlay is a big hit on the bottom line and not everyone within the organisation has the same priorities.

Within most small to medium sized firms, IT systems have evolved, often over a period of years, with the most IT-literate partner taking the lead. This is an expensive use of their time and may not always deliver the right solution. With the ever-growing dependency on the use of email and electronic documents, the stability and security of IT systems is becoming paramount.

In that situation, says Catherine O’Day, Director of Dundas IT, part of the Springfield Group which offers IT solutions and support across a range of businesses, your options effectively are to:

• train someone in house;
• employ an IT specialist; or
• outsource to a managed service.

Training in house is possible if you have partners and/or staff with specific interest in IT who are willing and able to take on this function. They will however require significant training especially in the areas of network management and security, and this function can take up a significant amount of time and have a major impact on their current role. External support to deal with more complex problems and upgrades will still be needed. On the other hand the cost of employing an IT specialist to manage and develop your systems may be prohibitive as, even if you can find the right person, you can expect to pay a salary of £25k to £35k for a person with the necessary skills, and a degree of external support may still be needed.

Outsourcing is already common practice in all business sectors to handle a wide range of business functions, from HR and recruitment to PR and marketing. This allows the owners/managers of the business to concentrate on what they are good at, leaving other business functions to the experts.

One area ripe for outsourcing particularly for legal firms is IT. An IT managed service should be able to give your firm:

• a cost effective IT solution;
• IT strategy created and regularly reviewed as your business needs change and grow;
• equipment provided specifically for your business needs and of the highest possible standard and quality;
• standardised IT throughout your organisation;
• full support on an ongoing basis;
• full network, virus and email security.

Importantly, Dundas point out, there is no capital expenditure. For a fixed monthly fee your service provider will also relieve you of staff issues and training costs. A good provider will work with you to build an IT strategy that takes into account the current needs of your business, and the scope for future growth. They should also be available to offer advice on specialist software systems, such as case management products and cashroom and financial accounting packages.

Support should be provided as part of the fixed-fee monthly cost. This should be proactive and include regular maintenance visits to your site, plus unlimited telephone and remote access support. Planning meetings should also be held to ensure that your firm stays up to date with the developments within the IT industry which may benefit you, and that your IT strategy stays current and in line with your business needs.

But what does it cost?

The cost to any firm should be based on individual needs, taking account of existing hardware.

As an example, a firm needing to replace one server, 10 work stations, one printer, plus MS Office, anti-virus software, backup device and firewall with full support, could expect to pay less than £1,000 per month based on a three year contract.

Several firms in Edinburgh and the Lothians have outsourced their IT and are now using a managed service.

Edward Danks from North Berwick solicitors J Paris Steele, says: “We now have an IT infrastructure that will grow as the demands of our business change. We know what our long term costs are and don’t have to worry about unforeseen maintenance or replacement charges.”

Gebals, who have offices in Edinburgh, Bathgate and Broxburn, moved to a managed service 18 months ago as their business grew and the need to integrate their offices’ systems became more urgent. Partner Stan Moffat is happy with the result. “The move to a managed service has worked well for us. We now have a reliable, secure system and are confident that it can develop in line with our business. We can concentrate on servicing our clients and leave the worry of IT to others. It was impressive how quickly Dundas IT identified our needs and put effective systems in place.”

Get ready for digital dictation

Amid all the discussion of software, hardware and integrated systems, don’t overlook the benefits to be gained from investing in digital dictation.

Today digital dictation software is probably the most commonly used tool in many legal offices and is directly responsible for the generation of correspondence, the basis of fee income.

The most obvious benefit of digital dictation is greatly improved workflow in an organisation with a corresponding cost reduction. The benefits also include better working conditions for staff – better sound quality for easier and safer listening. Digital recording will sit comfortably with desktop-based applications, providing easier integration with existing documents, easier archiving and improved security.

Formed in 1996, Voice Technologies quickly found that these critical systems can be labour intensive to support, especially for a practice’s IT department. The company now offers a complete solution, providing local on-site support as well as training and a telephone helpdesk. The company also has in-house engineers to repair dictation and transcription hardware. Since 2001 the company has been working with developer, WinScribe, to provide solutions and now claims over 3,500 digital dictation users.

Support for remote or home workers is built into WinScribe, allowing authors to dictate away from the office and submit via their usual Internet connection. Encryption has been introduced to provide security, and dial-in dictation from touchtone telephone or even mobiles is also available.

“When we first began, most of our clients were working with tape driven analogue systems,” says Heather Wylie, managing director of Voice Technologies. “We have migrated these clients to digital systems and greater efficiency.” The company’s service offers all stages through specifying, implementing and supporting the new systems.

Scottish clients include leading firms such as Shepherd+ Wedderburn, MacRoberts, Anderson Strathern, Ledingham Chalmers and Thorntons.