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Allen & Allen Leverages Aderant Integrated Case and Financial Management
Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen (Allen & Allen) has long looked to technology to help improve employee productivity and streamline manual processes to better and more quickly serve clients. Having grown to 120 employees (including 25 attorneys), our case and financial management software in particular, was in need of an overhaul.
Our first improvement in this area occurred in 2002, when the firm upgraded its case and financial management software, purchasing two separate systems and integrating them through a third-party interface that was customized and installed by a software consultant. While this was an improvement over the firm's old DOS-based case management system and accounting spreadsheets, it wasn't a long term solution.
Fast forward a decade. The firm has not only grown in sheer size, but also opened new offices. In addition, the demands of the firm's personal injury and medical malpractice clients to be updated on the status of their cases, collaborating with outside counsel, and having online access to case details has grown exponentially.
A technology upgrade was definitely in order, but not for the sake of change or simply having new “bells and whistles.” The previous system interface severely limited the firm's ability to upgrade and apply a new version resulting in the firm's use of outdated versions of both our case and financial software. Ultimately, we also lost ongoing technical support from our vendors and it became abundantly clear that “ease of system and technology integration” would be a major factor in selecting a new system that could support the needs of a growing, innovative firm with multiple offices.
Before making the move to a new platform, we came to the conclusion that any integration “challenges” in the future would be severely limited by not only controlling the number of vendors involved in providing the firm with case and financial, but by making sure that everything worked with and complied with Microsoft since Allen & Allen is what would be considered a “MS shop.”
Microsoft and True Integration
While we knew what IT and Accounting wanted in a new system, we formed a 20-member selection committee to get a broader firm-wide perspective and evaluate all of our software options including the existing technology. The committee reviewed nearly a dozen possible solutions before selecting Aderant Total Office (formerly Client Profiles Case and Financial Management) and it's Plaintiff Financial Package (includes T & B, AP, Collections, GL, and Reporting) and Case Management Package (client-intake, full-text indexing, etc.)
The primary reason we chose Aderant Total Office was because of integration and that very few of the vendors the firm considered could provide both case and financial management software. Among those that could, Aderant stood out for its ease of use and feature rich case management tools, its intuitive user interface, as well as its partnership with Microsoft. It was clear to the firm that we needed to switch to a solution that integrated with Microsoft so it was a plus that Aderant is a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner, which gives them direct access to Redmond's legal development and management team as well as various MS-sponsored Technology Adoption Programs (TAPs). From an upgrade standpoint, we knew Aderant would synch its technology updates with Microsoft and as the software giant rolled out new legal-specific solutions, Aderant and the Total Office team would be on the same page.
Furthermore, we faced a series of server upgrades and new purchases, but knew even with the new technology, we would not be gaining any new functionality from the archaic system. Due to the partnership of Microsoft and Aderant, we are able to leverage the latest features and upgrades of both vendors in a tightly integrated fashion. Not only does Aderant offer complete front and back office integration, but also integration with the Microsoft applications used by everyone within the firm. Another selling point for Total Office was Aderant's experience and track record with larger and more complex law firms. The previous case management system was built primarily on small(er) firm requirements so we did not have the confidence our case and financial technology could keep pace with firm growth and expansion.
Beyond the Microsoft “game changer,” we identified other Aderant Total Office automation features that swayed the selection committee in Aderant's favor:
- Automated Settlement processing. Total Office offers a settlement processing solution that takes the gross settlement value, deducts firm fees, referral fees, firm costs, liens and letters of protections medicals (with reductions) and produces a net figure payable to the client(s). This document includes all necessary waivers and is client signature ready cutting our firm's time spent on producing a settlement from several hours to less than five minutes.
- Modular integration. All application modules integrate with each other. For example, when writing a check for a client cost, the costs gets posted to the matter automatically.
- Accounting integrity. Although it might be considered a “no brainer,” Total Office has the proper accounting controls are in place to ensure firm data is not corrupted, either accidentally or intentionally. This relates in particular to trust accounts, but is true across all bank accounts.
Customization
The firm was also drawn by the level of customization that Aderant offered. Again, this is something other systems also offered but not to the extent we were looking for. The true value of software customization is in the time saved performing work on behalf of clients instead of molding the technology to accommodate the way the firm works.
Case in point, the firm has eight different practice areas with detailed and unique screens, pick lists and to-do packages attached to each. In addition to the screens provided by Aderant at the outset, the firm created six new tabs to identify, monitor and track crucial case management information. When different elements are identified, or there is a new ruling or change in the law, the firm is able to design new fields, checklists and pick lists that pertain to the change. Any information then generated through these new fields can be tracked through a written report.
Customization is particularly important to the firm's intake process, which uses custom screens to capture data relating to the nature of the call. Those data fields correspond with a specific merge document that attorneys can use to print a report prior to meeting a new client. In addition to developing fields that apply to the individual and cause of action, the firm also created fields to capture marketing and referral information. The subsequent reports enable the firm to track the types of calls received, the number of calls taken during a particular time frame and who took the calls.
Training (Practice) Makes Perfect
A successful implementation depends on good training. Allen & Allen chose to centralize training, bringing everyone to the headquarters in Richmond over the course of two weeks. A bank of computers was set up in a conference room and customized training sessions were held for management, intake and administrative teams, as well as all of the attorneys and their direct legal support.
Our goal was to implement without dramatic impact on the employees. We wanted to make sure that we had good training in place, and that we implemented the software at the right time for the right people. During the first two weeks, we moved at a measured pace, slowly adapting to the new software. During this trial period, the firm didn't cut any case-related checks or close any cases, affording us time to adjust to the new system and make sure that everything was operating correctly. Allen & Allen also did a lot of advanced planning, especially on the accounting side, working closely with Aderant's technical support team, to confirm the system was properly configured.
The Payoff
Today, three years into our initial Total Office implementation, the case and financial management technology has not only met the firm's expectations, but in some cases, greatly exceeded them.
All-in-one. The aforementioned front/back-office integration has been a godsend, providing increased financial accuracy for billing and accounting. Our controller has reported no more double entries, balanced trust accounts, smooth printing and check handling and better cash flow.
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