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8/10/2019 LPM MacDonald Oates Case Study
1/3
FROMHERETOCLEMENTI...
YEAR10
MARCH 2014
LEGAL PRACTICE MANAGEMENT 1
BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR EVERYONE IN PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
THE ONLY
MAGAZINE
FOR LAW FIRM
MANAGERS
LPMLEGAL PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
DECEMBER 2014
EXPERT
COLUMNISTS
AND ADVICE
FROM LEGAL
BUSINESSMANAGERS
LAW FIRM
PROFILE
How focusedmarketing andgeographicstrategy is growingAaron & Partners
in the north-west
ADECADE ONFROMTHEREPORTTHATBROUGHTYOUTHELEGALSERVICESACT,LPMASKS...
WhatdoesSMElawfirmmanagementthinkofthesuccess,ornot,ofClementisattempttoref
ormlegalbusiness?WepolledtheLPMaudiencereadtheresultsinside
HastheLSAdelivered?
ENDOFTERMREPORT
8/10/2019 LPM MacDonald Oates Case Study
2/3LEGAL PRACTICE MANAGEMENT0
DECEMBER 2014INDUSTRY VIEWS
SPONSORED EDITORIAL
Any legal business seeking growthsoon finds that firm-wide
consistency of behaviours and
processes becomes essential to
sustainable development. But Hampshire-
based firm MacDonald Oates also saw that
unifying people and processes could be an
opportunity for much more it could put
the firm in the cloud, with all the benefits
that brings.
MacDonald Oates understands that its
clients needs are evolving, particularly as
technology clears the obstacles to better
service. Partner and head of operations Nick
Ellin says that recognising the right kinds of
change frees its people from the IT grindand enables a focus on client service to
become more responsive and competitive.
Ellin and the rest of the firms
management recognised that the business
needed to change its existing IT set-up to
build in more efficiency the documentmanagement system and server
infrastructure had reached the end of their
usefulness. Disparate systems and processes
in the firm therefore meant that people
were having to manage several sets of client
data never a recipe for consistency or
efficiency.
Software on local PCs was set up slightly
differently for everybody. Each department
had its own way of doing things, so there
wasnt any consistency. The software was a
mix of legacy systems that became
increasingly untidy. This wasnt effective.
Standardisation is key.
SEAMLESS EXPERIENCEOne of the firms central strategic IT
objectives was to integrate systems to allow
its people more flexibility. There was a
reliance on people using a complicated files
Nick Ellin of MacDonald Oates tells LPM howmoving into the cloud with DPS has transformedthe way his firm does business and how itsenabling a flexible future
SPONSORED EDITORIAL
DECEMBER 2014INDUSTRY VIEWS
RADICAL
REFRESH
ABOUT THE SPONSOR
DPS Software is committed to
developing products that meetthe specific and changingneeds of law firms. Its legalsoftware products and hostedIT solutions have enabled
legal businesses across thecountry to increase workvolumes and revenue.
www.dpssoftware.co.uk
http://www.dpssoftware.co.uk/http://www.dpssoftware.co.uk/http://www.dpssoftware.co.uk/http://www.dpssoftware.co.uk/http://www.dpssoftware.co.uk/http://www.dpssoftware.co.uk/http://www.dpssoftware.co.uk/http://www.dpssoftware.co.uk/http://www.dpssoftware.co.uk/http://www.dpssoftware.co.uk/http://www.dpssoftware.co.uk/http://www.dpssoftware.co.uk/8/10/2019 LPM MacDonald Oates Case Study
3/3LEGAL PRACTICE MANAGEMENT1
DECEMBER 2014INDUSTRY VIEWS
SPONSORED EDITORIAL
and folders structure on a network drive that
stored everything from office material to client
and matter information.The firm was beginning to pay the price of
being unable to link its matter information with its
accounts systems, and needed a better way to
track work and its finances. Not only that, fee
earners and operations staff alike were struggling
with an unreliable terminal server connection,
ageing servers and an unreliable digital dictation
system.
The firm looked at several document
management systems that would integrate with
the firms existing account software, before
deciding upon an offering from DPS. Working
with DPS it soon became apparent that a much
more ambitious plan could
be offered: an ambitioustriple jump from LAN-based
servers to a new accounts
system integrating a case
and a document
management system and
then into the cloud with all
of it.
It didnt make sense to
keep plastering the cracks
the software and hardware
were creating. We reviewed
the cost of support for all of
our various third parties,
factoring in the depreciating
service compared to thepotential gains of fresh and
stable infrastructure from
DPS it was no contest.
We wiped away all the
inconsistencies between our
ways of working and producing documents in a
completely new way. Rather than using our folder
structures, we would be creating cases and
documents straight from the CMS.
Since then theres been a mighty sea change
in how the firm does things, says Ellin. Weve
effectively outsourced our headaches, and then
some. Not only do our people have a completely
new desktop, they are logging onto the cloud
system and using the latest Microsoft Officeproducts, plus DPS One Office, which brings
everything a person might need on a matter file
together with a couple of clicks. MacDonald
Oates fee earners are now able to be far more
responsive regardless of location, delivering the
service from wherever they are or need to be,
he says.
The success of MacDonald Oatess firm-widerefresh has fed more ambition at the firm, says
Ellin. Now its rethinking process at every stage
and seeking to deliver services more innovatively
wherever it sees opportunity. Our partners
appreciate the importance of IT to the overall
business success. DPS has been instrumental in
such a variety of critical ways its very much
part of our business plans and IT strategy.
SERVICE ON-DEMANDNow that the firms fee earners have been
enabled to work remotely, be it from court or a
client site using tablets or laptops, Ellin says the
need for paper
documents is diminishing.We are moving
towards a paperless
environment and
becoming less reliant on
having files on our desks.
A couple of departments
are already scanning in
their post and attaching it
to the file history on a
particular matter, and they
can update it using the
document version system
we have in place. Were at
the stage now where we
want anybody to be ableto pick up a file wherever
they are.
This will also deliver
more value to clients in
the future, says Ellin, as
MacDonald Oates looks into developing its
extranet capability, particularly in conveyancing
work.
Client portals will go a long way in delivering
extra benefits to clients. Having clients call the
firm to find out the status of a transaction may be
a thing of the past, he says. Instead, they could
receive a text, or the client can just log on late at
night when were closed and check the status of
certain milestones in the process.A leap through the client portal may well be
the firms next advance, but theres already great
potential in whats already on its desks or
rather, in the cloud to gain a significant
competitive edge. LPM
We wiped awayall the inconsistenciesbetween our ways ofworking and producingdocuments in a completelynew way.
MacDonald Oates
20 fee earners, 40 total staff
Offices: Petersfield and Midhurst
Specialisms: Full service
LPM FACT FILE