Creating ‘automated engagement’

Charlotte Parkinson of Modern Law Magazine, spoke to Tracy Blencowe (pictured), Business Solutions Director at Eclipse, about how  IT solutions can best help customers engage with the claims process.

Service provision is changing – end client and business partners are demanding increasingly more engagement at lower costs.

So how can IT help?

Technology can put the client at the centre and personal the experience – creating ‘automated engagement’ regardless of the client’s location. There are now applications available that will enable you to deliver that level of engagement – tightly integrated with your back-office Case Management software system.

Let’s look at an example scenario:

Meet Ian – he’s been involved in a car accident and is looking for a firm to take on his injury case. One firm he visits online is utilising a system that holds Ian’s hand throughout the entire process. So as soon as Ian has completed the initial online form, his data is captured in the firm’s Case Management system to trigger next steps, etc. Even the ‘signup’ process can be done via secure online methods.

Personalisation of the online system means that Ian can create a personalised map and snapshot of the accident site. He can also access plain-English explanations of the process, and useful FAQs. Ian can upload images of the accident scene, and / or any injuries, which are incepted into his file within the Case Management system.

Ian stays informed and in control throughout as he has access to ongoing claim milestones and ‘next steps’. He can check on his file and its documentation any time and from anywhere. It’s a transparent view which gives Ian the full picture and a greater understanding of the injury claims process.

Through marketing features in the online system, Ian also receives tailored communications, news feeds, blogs and even special offers that are relevant to him. He is free to just pull information, so he won’t get irritated by blanket ‘junk mailers’. A more positive relationship can develop, and once the claim is finalised and compensation received, Ian can then take part in a satisfaction survey – the results of which are automatically captured in the Case Management solution, triggering relevant tasks inside the firm and providing critical client data.

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Award winning commercial law firm chooses Proclaim

Sherrards Solicitors to implement Eclipse's Proclaim Case Management solution

Sherrards Solicitors is implementing the Proclaim Case Management Software Solution from Eclipse Legal Systems.

Established over a century ago, based in St. Albans with a second office in London, Sherrards Solicitors is ranked by both the prestigious Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 legal directories. In addition to the Highly Commended award in the Exporting Legal Services category at the 2013 Law Society Excellence Awards, Sherrards has recently been crowned the ‘Client Choice Litigation Law Firm of the Year in England’ Global Awards Winner 2014.

The growing law firm provides a full range of commercial services to clients including international businesses, sole owner companies and not-for-profit organisations together with conveyancing and probate services to private-clients.

Sherrards Solicitors is taking the Proclaim Conveyancing Case Management Software solution for the property team, which will have instant access to the single desktop tool - facilitating a consistent approach to each file. Proclaim will streamline a vast number of administrative processes, with features such as automatic submission of SDLT forms reducing turnaround times, resulting in a superb client experience.

The firm is also taking advantage of Proclaim’s inbuilt reporting platform to provide centralised and instantly accessible key information on each file – making responding to client and estate agent queries straightforward. As part of the installation, Proclaim’s flexibility will enable a connection with the firm’s incumbent financial system for fast and accurate billing.

Andrew Mills-Baker (pictured), Chief Financial Officer at Sherrards Solicitors, comments:

“We pride ourselves in offering first class standards of service with a well-earned reputation for being approachable, available and dedicated to the needs of our clients. Proclaim’s streamlining of non-value adding administrative tasks will free up more quality time allowing us to perfect our clients’ journey even further, whilst greatly increasing our volume of work - surpassing the service offering of many larger London firms.”

Client Case Study: Unity Law

Proclaim Practice Management powers multiple award-winning Disability Discrimination specialist.

“We saw Proclaim as the market leader. It has given us clear operational advantages, putting us ahead of our business plan aims.”
Chris Fry (Managing Partner), Unity Law

South Yorkshire based Unity Law was formed by litigation expert Chris Fry in November 2010, with 6 staff providing a specialist service for victims of industrial disease, clinical negligence and work-related injuries. The practice has since won numerous high-profile awards for its service and now has over 25 staff.

The Challenge
As a new start-up business, Unity Law needed to differentiate itself from more established competitors by providing a higher level of service and a unified approach to client care – “clients not numbers”. To achieve this, a Practice Management Software solution was needed that would free up fee earners to maximise quality time spent on each client case by automating administrative tasks.

The Solution
A Proclaim Practice Management solution was implemented throughout the practice to create a seamlessly-integrated system providing an efficient and consistent approach to each case. The inherent flexibility of Proclaim would also allow for straightforward integration with productivity solutions such as document scanning, and expansion into new work areas in line with the practice’s strategy for growth.

The Results
Time-stealing tasks have been eradicated, with Proclaim automating non-value adding tasks to enable fee earners to focus on the complex litigation cases taken on by Unity Law. Integration with document scanning now means that Unity law’s ‘document inception’ processes are seamless and enable fee earners to access all client and case related information digitally, onscreen.

Compliance is assured thanks to Proclaim’s controlled workflow processes which ensure that no action is missed, and timely reminders are issued around legislative requirements.

Proclaim’s flexibility has allowed Unity Law to electronically exchange data with its costs drafting firm, Compass Costs, removing the delays inherent in postal transit of bundled documentation.

Unity Law is looking to continue its growth with ambitious marketing plans, the goal being to become the UKs leading Disability Discrimination law firm.

Client experience – the differentiator

Charlotte Parkinson of Modern Law Magazine, spoke to Dolores Evelyn, (pictured) Sales Director at Eclipse Legal Systems, about the way general insurers are pulling the client care rabbit out of the hat in their marketing messages this winter (especially for home insurance / motor claims). Does this, underpinned by the joint ventures between law firms to service claims more effectively, ramp up the pressure on the claimant PI lawyers to catch up and get their marketing budget clear?

Essentially, yes – it has never been more important for claimant lawyers to market themselves and their firms more effectively. And that ‘client service’ message, in particular, is key. I’ve seen some great examples recently from law firms who are expanding and succeeding – despite the challenging environment. This proves that despite the obstacles laid before claimant law firms, a smart commercial approach – teamed with time and effort to present a great ‘face’ to clients – can work wonders.

Recent examples include:

• Asons Solicitors in Bolton – now a 250-staff practice and looking to expand further into purpose-built premises with headroom for an additional 500 people.
• Michael Lewin Solicitors in Leeds – founded with 15 people and now fast approaching 150, spread across 4 Yorkshire locations.

What these firms – and others who continue to thrive – have in common is a focus on client service, communications that tell the client precisely what to expect, and transparency throughout the entire process.

These firms are underpinned by robust and scalable software solutions that not only provide lawyers with the right productivity tools, but also provide clients with the means to stay in touch and communicate 24/7/365.

Service, and the overall client experience, is the differentiator.

Invest then integrate…

Charlotte Parkinson, of Modern Claims Magazine, spoke to Darren Gower (pictured), Marketing Director of Eclipse Legal Systems about whether the investment/spend on technology in the claims sector matched the speed of growth for some firms, or are most still using legacy systems?

The claims sector is one where technology is utterly vital. Margins on higher-volume claims areas are often slim, not helped by legislation which constantly moves to push claimant success fees lower and lower.

So, technology has a big part to play here – not only in terms of improving processes and reducing costs… but also in terms of enabling claimant firms to manage the changes put in place by legislation, such as the need to utilise Portals to manage claims (currently RTA and EL / PL).

Of all the service sectors that Eclipse caters to, among the highest levels of investment we see are made in the claims sector. Investment in technology is a major driver of competitive advantage, and those firms that get it right get it very right!

Legacy system replacement is commonplace – as client, customer and market demands develop, so the incumbent software systems often begin to show signs of weakness. Unless the systems in place are highly configurable and have a ‘rapid deployment’ nature then the demands of new market pressures dictate that a more suitable system needs to be found.

Great examples here are the aforementioned RTA and EL / PL portals – for firms specialising in this type of work, integration between its case management technology and the relevant new portals was absolutely vital. Without the ability for the fee earner’s desktop systems to share information with the Portals, work would need to be duplicated and administrative overheads would skyrocket – not ideal in an already margin-squeezed sector. So for many firms the decision was a reasonably straightforward one – invest in technology that could provide this integration seamlessly and in a future-proof manner.

Such changes will continue to affect the claims market, and it will invariably be a firm’s technology backbone that dictates whether or not it can take advantage of the opportunities offered!

The Eclipse Proclaim Personal Injury Awards 2014 – the winners!

Congratulations to all who took part in the Eclipse Proclaim Personal Injury Awards on the 12th November at the Grange St Paul’s in London, headline sponsored by Eclipse Legal Systems.

The Awards which celebrate outstanding contributions from individuals and claims service providers, were hosted by comedian Josh Widdicombe and were attended by over 400 guests.

The full list of winners as chosen by a cross-industry panel of high profile judges can be seen below:

Claimant Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year

David Greenwood – Switalskis

Defendant Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year

Sean McGahan – McKinty & Wright

Claimant Personal Injury Team of the Year
Switalskis – child abuse compensation team

Defendant Personal Injury Team of the Year
McKinty & Wright

Barristers’ Chambers of the Year
Parklane Plowden

Mediation Achiever of the Year
Tim Wallis – Trust Mediation

Rehab Provider of the Year
Argent Rehabilitation

Claims Management Company of the Year
Atrium Legal

Medicolegal Provider of the Year
Medical Records

Insurance Provider of the Year
ARAG

Associated Industries Award
mmadigital

Young Achiever of the Year
Katie Rose – Keoghs

Practice/Operations Manager of the Year
Krissi Gillingham – Photofile

Marketing Campaign of the Year
Hilary Meredith Solicitors

Outstanding Case of the Year
Switalskis

Outstanding Achievement Award
Donna Scully – Carpenters Solicitors

Lifetime Achievement Award
Ian Walker

Eclipse’s Tracy Blencowe and comedian Josh Widdicombe with the cheque for Barth Syndrome Trust.