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DECEMBER 2014

THE ONLY
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EXPERT
COLUMNISTS
AND ADVICE
FROM LEGAL
BUSINESS
MANAGERS
LAW FIRM
PROFILE

How focused
marketing and
geographic
strategy is growing
Aaron & Partners
in the north-west

FROM
HERE TO
CLEMENTI
...

A DECADE O
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YOU THE LE
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HAT BROUG

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ASKS...

END OF TER

M REPORT

Has the LSA

delivered?

What does S
ME law firm
managemen
think of the
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success, or
not, of
Clementis a
ttempt to re
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legal busine
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audience r
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lts inside

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR EVERYONE IN PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

INDUSTRY VIEWS

DECEMBER 2014

SPONSORED EDITORIAL

RADICAL
REFRESH
Nick Ellin of MacDonald Oates tells LPM how
moving into the cloud with DPS has transformed
the way his firm does business and how its
enabling a flexible future

ny legal business seeking growth

soon finds that firm-wide
consistency of behaviours and
processes becomes essential to
sustainable development. But Hampshirebased 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 grind
and 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
30 LEGAL PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

build in more efficiency the document

management 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 EXPERIENCE

One 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

ABOUT THE SPONSOR

DPS Software is committed to
developing products that meet
the specific and changing
needs of law firms. Its legal
software products and hosted
IT solutions have enabled
legal businesses across the
country to increase work
volumes and revenue.

www.dpssoftware.co.uk

INDUSTRY VIEWS

DECEMBER 2014

SPONSORED EDITORIAL

LPM FACT FILE

MacDonald Oates
20 fee earners, 40 total staff
Offices: Petersfield and Midhurst
Specialisms: Full service

and folders structure on a network drive that

service from wherever they are or need to be,
stored everything from office material to client
he says.
and matter information.
The success of MacDonald Oatess firm-wide
The firm was beginning to pay the price of
refresh has fed more ambition at the firm, says
being unable to link its matter information with its Ellin. Now its rethinking process at every stage
accounts systems, and needed a better way to
and seeking to deliver services more innovatively
track work and its finances. Not only that, fee
wherever it sees opportunity. Our partners
earners and operations staff alike were struggling appreciate the importance of IT to the overall
with an unreliable terminal server connection,
business success. DPS has been instrumental in
ageing servers and an unreliable digital dictation
such a variety of critical ways its very much
system.
part of our business plans and IT strategy.
The firm looked at several document
management systems that would integrate with
SERVICE ON-DEMAND
the firms existing account software, before
Now that the firms fee earners have been
deciding upon an offering from DPS. Working
enabled to work remotely, be it from court or a
with DPS it soon became apparent that a much
client site using tablets or laptops, Ellin says the
more ambitious plan could
need for paper
be offered: an ambitious
documents is diminishing.
triple jump from LAN-based
We are moving
servers to a new accounts
towards a paperless
system integrating a case
environment and
and a document
becoming less reliant on
management system and
having files on our desks.
We wiped away
then into the cloud with all
A couple of departments
of it.
are already scanning in
all the inconsistencies
It didnt make sense to
their post and attaching it
between our ways of
keep plastering the cracks
to the file history on a
the software and hardware
particular matter, and they
working and producing
were creating. We reviewed
can update it using the
documents in a completely
the cost of support for all of
document version system
new way.
our various third parties,
we have in place. Were at
factoring in the depreciating
the stage now where we
service compared to the
want anybody to be able
potential gains of fresh and
to pick up a file wherever
stable infrastructure from
they are.
DPS it was no contest.
This will also deliver
We wiped away all the
more value to clients in
inconsistencies between our
the future, says Ellin, as
ways of working and producing documents in a
MacDonald Oates looks into developing its
completely new way. Rather than using our folder extranet capability, particularly in conveyancing
structures, we would be creating cases and
work.
documents straight from the CMS.
Client portals will go a long way in delivering
Since then theres been a mighty sea change
extra benefits to clients. Having clients call the
in how the firm does things, says Ellin. Weve
firm to find out the status of a transaction may be
effectively outsourced our headaches, and then
a thing of the past, he says. Instead, they could
some. Not only do our people have a completely
receive a text, or the client can just log on late at
new desktop, they are logging onto the cloud
night when were closed and check the status of
system and using the latest Microsoft Office
certain milestones in the process.
products, plus DPS One Office, which brings
A leap through the client portal may well be
everything a person might need on a matter file
the firms next advance, but theres already great
together with a couple of clicks. MacDonald
potential in whats already on its desks or
Oates fee earners are now able to be far more
rather, in the cloud to gain a significant
responsive regardless of location, delivering the
competitive edge. LPM
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