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Franklins Solicitors is based in Northampton and Milton Keynes and is about 130 strong and comprising some 55 lawyers within that total.
In the early part of 1997 we wanted to update the overall office management software. The nature of our business includes a large volume of conveyancing, personal injury, family, crime and commercial work and conveyancing in particular was proving to be an area where the service levels were under pressure. We could not find anything on the market to provide document and case management that met with our requirements and also, having had a few unpleasant experiences with software suppliers, we wanted to be as independent from them as possible. The end result was that we decided to write our own software for complete control over all front end applications and proceeded to do so in conjunction with a consultant, Mike Walker. The software, now known as OMS (Office Management System) was introduced into Franklins Solicitors by the autumn of 1997 and it has evolved since then into its present day format.
The software was exceptionally successful for us and also attracted the attention of a number of other firms. It began to sell itself and as a result the company FWBS Ltd was created (originally Franklins Walker Business Systems Ltd) out of an amalgamation of the IT department of Franklins Solicitors and Mike Walker to further promote this product.
A year of so later FWBS joined forces with Pericom to act as the distributors of OMS throughout England and Wales. The OMS software is now marketed through Pericom and has, incidentally, achieved the highest levels of marks in the independent customer research featured in the latest edition of the Law Society’s IT Guide.
The OMS software provides a complete database of clients, matters and contacts linked with full precedent and diary management for all work types. The online facility can also be sold as a separate facility for those firms that have other case management systems but want to publish online.
With the “online” software, data from our case management system is transferred to the FWBS website www.interactive-law.com (IL) every 15 to 20 minutes throughout the day, as and when changes occur. The clients, agents and work introducers are given a secure password, generated by OMS, which enables them to view their reports. They log on initially to our own website but are transferred automatically to the IL site, where all the security is handled. Even though the reporting facility is actually hosted on the IL site, it still “looks like” our site and we can also vary the front page view so that for particular work introducers the online reporting can look as if it theirs too.
The online reporting includes viewing the case plan, file notes, and documents if required. The facility also operates as an additional email communication method directed immediately to the correct lawyer.
We have also developed the system to provide automatic updates to other work providers that have wanted case updates logged online, e.g. LMS. The task of updating someone else’s website is otherwise an absolute chore and the automatic feed removed this requirement at a stroke.
The management of the online reporting has not been difficult. The web facility IL is hosted by FWBS Ltd and they undertake all maintenance. Internal case management routines on our own system ensure that case updates occur regularly on standard precedent use and on an ad hoc basis also.
The input from the IT department has been important in assisting in preparing the case plans and linking precedents but that is something that could be undertaken by anyone with a modest enthusiasm for IT work and it is also something that FWBS can train on or actually assist with.
The effect of publishing case progress data online has been most surprising. Phone calls have not eased off at all but they have become more productive since clients now know more about the general state of play and can concentrate upon the particular query involved.
In addition, the volume of traffic to our website has increased dramatically, from 10 – 15 visits per month to over 2,000 and rising. This in turn has driven an increased take up of work from online enquiry.
And, most importantly, the response from the work providers to whom we provide access has been very favourable to the point that larger volumes of work are recommended to us. The recommendations are based upon service quality alone.
Overall client response has been fantastic with regular commendations received in the client questionnaires returned after each case.
From conveyancing the reporting function has extended to personal injury work and divorce. Commercial and employment work clients will also benefit in due course.
The service from FWBS costs £5.00 (plus vat) per case. Not a lot for such a huge return. As far as we are concerned it has been a really worthwhile investment.
Michael Franklin, MLF@franklins-sols.co.uk
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