How a strong partnership between Fosters Solicitors and Access Legal has made their go live a success

"We met the Access Legal team at the industry exhibition, LegalEx, and the team liked what they saw in ALCM so it emerged as the ideal choice due to its comprehensive feature set and flexibility.”

“The ability to customise workflows and having a fully integrated legal accounts system was a key factor in our decision.”

“We also wanted a system that would work well across the whole of our business and not just in one department.”

“Additionally, Access' commitment to ongoing development and support reassured us that we were investing in a future-proof solution."

Future proofing the business was important to Fosters and part of that was to make the business more sustainable and efficient through technology.

“The legal industry often carries a reputation for excessive paper usage” observed Andrea. Fosters wanted to change that—and they did.

“By embracing ALCM, we've taken a significant step towards a more sustainable future. Our teams, previously reliant on paper files, have successfully transitioned to a paperless workflow.”

“This digital transformation has not only improved efficiency but also reduced our environmental impact. Additionally, we've implemented print tracking software to further minimise paper consumption, demonstrating our commitment to a modern, sustainable, and focused legal practice."

"Our previous case management system was severely outdated and limited in functionality. ALCM, on the other hand – and this is no understatement - has revolutionised our operations. Features like drag-and-drop email filing and integrated time recording have significantly improved efficiency. The platform's user-friendly interface and customisation capabilities have empowered our non-technical staff to make meaningful changes therefore enabling a sense of ownership and innovation.”

Adopting new technology always brings new challenges and Fosters’ adoption of Access Legal Case Management was no exception, but Access worked with Fosters to ensure initial issues were worked through and that staff quickly got up to speed on how to use the software. Technical Success Manager, Martin Dunham, attended Fosters’ offices over a number of days to help support them through those challenges.

“There were definitely some challenges on go live and for probably the first three months, but Martin was the key to unlocking everything for us”, Jamie explained.

Fosters has benefitted from having a Premier Customer Success Plan which provides a dedicated team within The Access Group to support their goals and address technical issues. The core team includes a Premier Customer Success Manager, a Named Support Analyst, and an Account Manager to present new or relevant solutions.

“Martin came into our offices for a couple of days and spent time with each of our departments to discuss their issues, some of which he was able to fix there and then and escalate others. But there was a real sense from staff that they were being listened to by Access and that those issues were being looked into.”

"We can't express enough gratitude for the exceptional support provided by Martin” Andrea noted.

“His expertise and dedication were instrumental in overcoming challenges and ensuring we could continue working towards a successful implementation. The team felt heard and supported throughout the process, which significantly contributed to our success. His willingness to go the extra mile, including on-site visits, was truly invaluable. His constant problem-solving and supportive approach allowed our response to the challenges after go-live to be much quicker and more responsive to the individual needs of our users”

“I've reflected on this quite a bit recently. The in-person training sessions with Access were absolutely outstanding and hugely valuable. They significantly accelerated our progress with the system and provided hands-on learning opportunities that were crucial to our success”, Jamie concluded.

Alongside Access Legal Case Management, Fosters has recently also taken inCase, our client onboarding and communication app, for their conveyancing department, the implementation of which at time of writing is still in progress but going very smoothly.

"The onboarding process for inCase has been incredibly smooth. A clear action plan and timeline were established from the outset. We have a business to run and customers to liaise with, so it was refreshing to have proactive colleagues from Access helping.”

“Lou Horrigan (Senior Solution Delivery Manager for inCase) is exceptional, providing guidance and keeping us on track. Her proactive approach and excellent communication has kept everything running smoothly. The collaborative effort between our teams and the Access team has been truly impressive”, Andrea said. 

Access FlexPoints are a cost-effective, flexible way to access our value-added services, to ensure you get greater impact from your Access software solution and something that Fosters has taken full advantage of.

"With FlexPoints, we’re focused on proactive initiatives. Our next steps involve exploring new integrations and advanced reporting capabilities to enhance real-time decision-making. It would be fair to say, we're excited about the potential of FlexPoints to further optimise our use of ALCM and all the tech from Access." Andrea related.

“The importance of a strong partnership with our technology provider cannot be overstated. Without the collaborative relationship we've built with Access, we might have faced significant challenges and delays. The regular communication and proactive problem-solving approach of our Customer Success Manager were instrumental in overcoming obstacles.” Andrea noted.

Andrea continued “We've learned from past experiences that strong post-implementation support is crucial. Access has consistently exceeded our expectations in this regard, providing a comprehensive support network that's always available to assist us.”

“It’s reassuring that you can pick the phone up to any number of, you know, 15 people within the business and you'll get that same quality of service and advice. Long may that continue.”

“Speaking personally, yes I would”, Jamie said without hesitation.

“Our IT team and I have been heavily involved in the implementation process, and the difference in approach compared to our previous provider is night and day. With our old system, we had outdated technology and a vendor who was unresponsive to our needs. Regular updates and roadmaps keep us informed and allow us to manage expectations effectively.”

“Access actively seeks our input and feedback, involving us in shaping the future of the platform”

“With a clear roadmap for future development, we're confident in our ability to continue growing and adapting to the evolving legal landscape. By embracing technology while honouring our rich heritage, we're positioning ourselves for a successful future” Jamie concluded.

"I know Access won’t become complacent and with new tech coming on stream – AI – we can approach that together.”