Practice makes perfect

In June 2000, Roger Lucas joined Gregsons as IT Manager, following demand from members of staff for a more efficient and reliable computer system and a reduction in time lost through computer downtime. He discusses how he developed the IT systems within the firm .

Founded in 1788 by Jesse Gregson, Gregsons has kept pace with the times to become a thriving modern law firm. It has a wide spread of expertise to meet client's legal needs in family and business matters. Gregsons has one managing partner, four partners and around 39 staff. It has seven departments consisting of family, criminal, employment, residential conveyancing, company/commercial, probate and civil. Gregsons has grown consistently due to demand, despite a number of large competitors. Due to its age, history and family character, it occupies a solid niche in the market, still boasting family connections with its founder.

Upon my arrival at Gregsons, discussions took place regarding the current and future IT needs of the practice. After which, it became apparent that the accounts and IT roles should be split, as this was previously handled by a single person. Although we had a domain name, mentioned on the brochure, we had no website. This was a concern for partners, who were conscious that the web was often the first point of contact for new clients. As requests from clients began to grow, my first task was to establish Gregsons online.

The needs of the practice

All legal firms have slightly different needs. Any new IT system must address both the present and future requirements of the practice, as well as those of the individual staff. True to our policy of involving everyone in the decision making process, a number of project teams were established to assess the impact of new technology on the firm.

While the IT function was based on a Microsoft platform, I recognised the need for a more efficient and tailor-made package that would service the administrative functions of the firm, as well as the seven legal service departments. It would enable the practice to provide a consistent and accurate service to the client, and help to increase profits by improving productivity. It also needed to suit the skills of staff members, who varied in age, experience and computer literacy. With a functional system already in place, they required a system that could be built and added in stages in order to stagger adoption and training.

Meeting the needs

After looking at a wide range of practice management software, I opted for the Partner for Windows product from Technology for Business (TFB) because of its functionality and range of features. The application was is based on step-by-step implementation and training programmes that suited the capabilities of Gregson's staff and time constraints that limited training. It met the firm’s immediate needs and didn’t contain irrelevant options that took-up additional computer storage space, which would slow down the system.

One of the main concerns at Gregsons was the training that the system required. The system consisted of different stages of training, so staff were not bombarded, in one go, with very complicated technical information. The system was first implemented in the accounts department where need was greatest, and was then migrated through the other areas of the firm.

The compatibility with existing Windows applications was another advantage of the system and meant that familiarity and ease-of-use were strong selling points to users. Some of the alternative products proved rather complicated and less user-friendly. We worked closely with the service provider to ensure effective take-up and implementation was achieved and maintained.

The benefits of the new system are two-fold. On the business side, it has enabled a stage-by-stage sequence of upgrades that can be added to and tailored to the demands of the future. It has cut the time spent in training and, therefore, kept interruption to a minimum and productivity levels high.

It was inevitable that a new IT system would be needed and, despite concern over cost issues and changeover time, staff were able to master each stage effortlessly. The people here are adaptable and switched on, but they are busy and this system is easy to train people on the job.

In addition, the implementation of upgrades became a smooth process. There have been very few complaints from the staff and only surprise at the ease with which documents can be accessed, shared and retrieved.

The improvement in client service is key to the new system. Our clients saw an immediate and dramatic change to the service they received, with an improvement in response time and information delivery. On ringing in to Gregsons with a query, they are provided with immediate answers and their solicitor can bring up a document immediately on the screen.

Documents do not have to be retrieved from storage every time there is a query as the full history of a case is immediately available electronically. Both the quickened response time and improved availability of information have helped to change the traditional image of the law firm. This is a major breakthrough in client relations. Clients still think of a solicitors firm as operating behind closed doors; solicitors have to try and get away form this dark image and a bright website is the first stage.

No excuses

Like many other firms of our size, we have a large number of IT literate young people among our staff. There is no reason why we cannot have the usual levels of technology found across the service sector. People are often surprised at the level of technology we have. We have an intranet, e-mail, and a website, and staff can fax from their PCs. Despite this, in an area such as the City, many of the more traditional firms are falling behind their counterparts because of their resistance to change. Factors such as time, lack of understanding, and fear are all commonly cited. However, as I have found at Gregsons, the key to a successful IT system is the way it is implemented. This means not trying to put everything in place at once by trying to get the system up and running within a month.

Industry-led

With the Government demanding more legal audits, a more automated system can take care of the donkey work, which saves precious time with its Legal Aid reporting facilities.

The e-commerce path

The future holds a great deal of change for the traditional law firm. The adoption of e-commerce is going to be a slow process, but partners are aware that the legal sector will have to go down this route, carrying out more web-based work. For Gregsons, this means an overhaul of the current website to include more information and an introduction to each department with links to the relevant staff member. We are also encouraging the use of e-mail, especially as a means of contacting overseas clients. As more and more people these days are aware of their rights, the demand for solicitors is due to rise, and potential clients (as Richard Susskind refers to as the ‘latent legal market’) will head for the internet to look for a solicitor. An online legal service is soon going to be a requirement for many firms. I believe the demand for firms to have a web presence will continue to rise, and consequently, if you don't address this issue successfully, you will be in grave danger of being left out in the cold.

Roger Lucas is the IT manager at Gregsons. If you would like to contact Roger, please email Andrea Tams at andreat@cobaltblue.com.