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Case Study in the series on Case tracking Online
Yuill + Kyle specialises in debt recovery law and credit control. We have operated a general practice from Glasgow city centre since 1908 and currently have around 20 employees. We take the view that we are able to assist any organisation with its debt recovery wherever located, no matter its size.
Clients are able to instruct us online through our dedicated extranet, giving them access to our case management system where they will be able to track all of their cases and see all the appropriate documents.
Our software supplier is Solicitec. Predominantly we use a powerful case management system called Solcase version 7 which allows for the automatic generation of legal documents so enhancing our ability to raise court actions faster and more efficiently that ever before. We are also currently on Windows 2000 based platform and utilize the many software program in the Microsoft Office Suite comprising Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint and Publisher. Our email facility is channeled through Microsoft Outlook which we have found to be highly efficient and user friendly. There are various other smaller programs, however just as important, that we get from this supplier, such as PCAnywhere which is a program which allows remote PCs to communicate with PCs in our premises. SOS provide a powerful accounts management software which is used in tandem with the SolCase Version 7. SOS required extensive training to learn how to use this system and also to tailor-make the documents and forms required in the day to day workflow.
Our case management system was an enormous project which involved extensive staff training. The training was arranged over a couple of days at our supplier's premises. We required all of our staff members to be capable and confident enough to implement intricate scripting changes to tailor the system to our requirements. This included adding our own standard letters for all stages of the legal process and to fashion the system to make diary notes, add appropriate outlays to the ledger and to produce legal documents when required. Implementation of the case management system was from July 2001. It took us approximately 4 months to learn about the system and to train the staff to the required level of excellence in utilizing the system, thereafter putting the system to the test and using it in our daily workflow.
We are delighted to say that a broad spectrum of clients are successfully using the system on a regular basis. Clients such as international banks, English solicitors, multi-national corporations and not forgetting the individual traders who require assistance are all making excellent use of our advanced case management system through our staff and our extranet website at www.ykonline.co.uk.
We host our own server which is on site at our premises in Glasgow. Data is updated continuously from our case management system and reports are uploaded on a regular basis and when requested by our clients through the ykonline site.
Our supplier is responsible for the security for all the hardware and software. We are also actively involved in this area. This has been a relatively expensive exercise and yes, as you can imagine, we have encountered problems along the way. However, at present there are no outstanding problems.
We have our own IT manager. However, a number of our staff are competent to ensure the smooth running of this type of system. On the whole you need intermediate IT knowledge to run this type of system.
The basic cost of purchasing this software was in the region of £30,000, however, several upgrades and additions have been made since the implementation of the system in July 2001. Any additional software we need as we go along is costed over and above this.
We are very happy with the level of service and support we are receiving from our suppliers. We aim to continuously add value to our clients and the system we have in place greatly helps us in achieving this goal.
Stephen Cowan, scowan@yuill-kyle.co.uk.
Firm: Yuill + Kyle
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