In 2007, the systems at this law firm had come a long way since the 1880’s when it was established - but not far enough! Working with CommArc has brought them well and truly into the 21st century.
Back in the 1880s when this Oamaru law firm was established,
no-one had heard of "IT" and communications travelled by horse and
carriage!
In 2007, their systems had come a long way since the horse and
carriage days - but not far enough - and the Practice Manager knew
they had to do something. "There was no integration between the
offices in Oamaru and Queenstown and jobs were piecemeal so we
wanted to consolidate with a central unit and create the ability to
work anywhere", he said. NZ Law recommended they contact CommArc to
develop a strategic plan to move them into the 21st century. "We
were being reactive to our IT rather than proactive," says the
Practice Manager, "we had quite a mish-mash of a system."
After consulting with the firm about their business needs,
CommArc produced a detailed design document setting out their
recommendations and a plan for upgrading the firm's system, phased
over the next 3-5 year period. "We needed to provide a main core of
management software including trust account, email, digital
information, and an accounting package. The two offices needed to
[be able to] work in real time simultaneously."
A server infrastructure, based on thin client (Citrix)
technology, was proposed for the Oamaru office to provide IT
services to all staff, regardless of whether they were working in
Oamaru, Queenstown or from home. CommArc also selected and managed
the move of the trust account system to a more modern product.
"Change was inevitable," says the Practice Manager. "We could
either upgrade an archaic system just to maintain it, or push
forward and bring in a new one." Once the new system was agreed
upon CommArc developed a time line for the installation. "CommArc
did everything from cancelling internet subscriptions through to
setting up printers to print at home."
"Change is never easy, particularly when you leave on Friday and
come in on Monday and even your login is different. CommArc were
superb at handholding with everyone. They answered even 'dumb'
questions in a professional, helpful manner and put everyone at
ease. Right from the start they had everything taken care of.
Little things were important. Things like - Are we going to lose
our email contacts? They put my mind at rest."
One of the firm's concerns was about the after sales service.
What was it going to be like? "It's fantastic," comments the
Practice Manager. "When we need help there are many different
people to go to with all levels of expertise. I'm much more hands
on now. If anything happened with the old system we had to get
someone in. Now we can phone the [CommArc] Response Centre and they
tell me what to do. It's a much faster response to problem
solving."
The firm is reassured by knowing that if issues arise, CommArc
will pick them up, as they continually monitor their system
remotely. Internet security and patches are updated by CommArc on a
regular basis. When new versions of software are installed there
can be teething problems, but CommArc will already be aware of
these and automatically update the firm's system to ensure smooth
running, keeping them informed as they do so. CommArc also ensure
compliance with all MS licensing.
The Practice Manager adds, "We walked in on the Monday morning
[after the new system was implemented on the weekend] and after
some training we were able to get working. Everyone is very
positive about the new system. If anyone asks, I will definitely
recommend CommArc."