case management software « Legal Software

October 11, 2010

Cutting Costs and Improving Service in Trading Standards

Case Management Software for Trading Standards Teams

Local council organizations are being challenged to cut costs whilst the newest Audit Commission report* presses departments to act straight away to “minimize the impact on front line services”. Against this background Trading Standards teams are already coping with larger volumes of inspections, visits, duties and inquiries than ever due to the Consumer Protection Act 2008, meaning they are highly likely to find cost reduction difficult.

Help is available though. Many local councils are investing in computer software in an attempt to reduce costs and reform client service. There is now up-to
-date case management software (with optional Time Recording), which has been designed to save precious dollars whilst amending service delivery. Some IT businesses gain capacity improvements of between 10 and 20% and this lets Trading Standards teams to:

Handle more cases – documentation is automatically completed with frequently used information for example: trader names, addresses and unique document numbers. Together with a shared library of customized document templates, administrative work is confined to a minimum, enabling professionals to focus on front-line work.

Respond faster to developments and queries - secure sharing of documents such as inspection reports, notification letters, emails, contacts database and calendar aids improvements in responsiveness and resilience, regardless of who is on the premises. An advanced search facility allows staff to pinpoint needed information quickly.

Quickly update and distribute advisory information – just one, central library for standard advisory documents allows speedy implementation of changes in line with updated legislation and distribution with the minimum of administrative work.

Stay on top of key dates – integrated diary management makes sure that key events such as visits, notifications and key enforcement are remembered, even if staff members are unavailable. Enable off-site work – secure remote access to central files means that staff can find appropriate information at the touch of a button whether they are on a site visit, at another office or working from home.

Monitor and balance your team’s workload – manage balancing work with decision taking with the aid of detailed management reports, which also provide a source of key information when reporting to performance managers, other departments or external organizations.

Expert local council case management software has helped many pressurized teams to successfully deal with heavy task loads whilst improving responsiveness, governing threats and risks and reducing stress.

Why wait longer to investigate case management systems?

*Surviving the Crunch: Local finances in the recession and beyond, Local Government report, March 2010

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September 20, 2010

Reducing Stress amongst Lawyers with Case Management Software

Filed under: Legal Software — Tags: case, case management software, case management systems, management, software — @ 5:35 am

Lawyers under Pressure
The constraints of current resourcing in both public and independent sectors of legal work are putting pressure on lawyers attempting to deliver good quality services to their clients, whose needs are always expanding . Stress generated malady is on the rise amongst lawyers as they endeavor to balance mounting insistence on profitable outcomes at work with home life. The well documented alcohol abuse problem amongst legal experts is now joined by drug addiction as coping mechanisms for an increasing number of stressed attorneys and legal professionals.

In Oct 2008, The Times online ran an article on stress in the legal profession as follows:

“LawCare, a charity that helps lawyers with work-related health problems such as stress, depression and addictive illnesses … says 30 per cent of male lawyers and 20 per cent of female lawyers drink to excess. This year it has opened 369 new cases, which already easily exceeds last year’s 301. It handles 1,500 calls a year. Three in four of its calls are from lawyers suffering from severe stress. “

In July 2009 Vanessa Lloyd Pratt, a former lawyer herself informed readers:

“It is little wonder to me that the levels of alcoholism and addiction among lawyers has climbed steadily over the past few years with helplines jammed with distressed lawyers, particularly women. While women in other professions may face similar difficulties, what is unique to the legal profession is the intense costs targets that involve long working hours and competitive strategies. We have all seen films that emphasise those pressures such as The Firm. These targets are not just the stuff of fiction but are a reality — particularly during the recession in which some of the biggest legal firms in the world have collapsed and senior management have been ousted. It is little wonder that the buzzword around legal offices is “fear”.”

Response by Employers
It is becoming imperative that public and private sector employers strive to mitigate the effects of mental pressure on their legal professionals, even if only from a self serving motive. Once legal professionals are involved heavily with drink or drugs, it may be too late to rectify the situation from an employer’s perspective and it is certainly too late from the lawyer’s point of view. From drink and drugs policy implementation, to meditation to home working to on site gyms, forward thinking councils and firms are beginning to offer stress reducing programs and flexibility. One of the most easily implemented techniques is to improve communication and working practices in the office, often through the use of IT. When implementing new systems in the department, it is often the intention to improve working practices, but all too often it results in yet more stress for lawyers. Some legal departments are turning to case management software for part of the solution.

Use Case Management Software as Part of Stress Reduction
Discovering legal case management software that unleashes diligent legal teams from background activities in order to tend properly to client care and excellence is of increasing significance to legal professionals in both public and private areas. Very few legal departments can concentrate effectively on clients if they are handling considerable case loads and trying to find information, disseminating documents etc in an inefficient manner in addition to juggling outside commitments. The risk of allowing key dates to escape unregarded or of dropping the ball in some case or matter increases with the difficulties produced by dealing with the ever increasing online and hard copy paperwork born of letters, court documents and computers.

Case management software is not all of equal value. Much of it started out as legal accountants’ software and therefore does not perform all the tasks required of it nowadays. New advances have resulted in case management software that records time expended on clients, speeds up document creation, upcoming dates and appointments are highlighted and also permits collaborative working and produces management reports with ease to manage risk. Some case management systems even assist Lexcel compliance. This is the type of case management software that may enable a reduction in stress amongst solicitors and litigators.

Case management software that is developed for today’s lawyer and legal staff can play a role in lowering the likelihood of stress at work as part of a package of measures.

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August 10, 2010

Case Management Software Fights the Credit Crunch and Delivers for the Public Sector~Case Management Software Delivers Better Services and Helps Public Sector Bodies Save Resouces}

Filed under: Legal Software — Tags: case, case management software, case management system, case management systems, software — @ 9:02 am

Trading Standards Teams Reap the Benefits of Specialized Case Management Software

Local council teams are being challenged to reduce costs whilst the newest Audit Commission report* urges departments to act immediately to “minimize the impact on front line services”. With these additional pressures Trading Standards teams are already taking on board larger volumes of inspections, visits, duties and inquiries than ever due to the Consumer Protection Act 2008, meaning they are highly likely to find cost reduction difficult.

It is not all bad news, expertise is available to help councils through this challenging period. Many council teams are turning to computer software in the search to save money and reform client service. There is now up-to
-date case management software (with optional Time Recording), which has been produced to save on bills whilst amending service delivery. A few IT firms have produced up to 20% capacity gains and this allows Trading Standards teams to:

Deal with a heavier workload – paper work is automatically populated with frequently used info for example: trader names, addresses and individual document numbers. Together with a shared database of customized document templates, administrative work is kept to a minimum, allowing professionals to manage front-line work.

Respond more quickly to new issues and inquiries - secure sharing of documents such as inspection reports, notification letters, emails, contacts database and calendar helps to improve responsiveness and resilience, never mind who is in the office. An sophisticated search facility lets staff to pinpoint vital information in a speedier fashion.

Quickly update and distribute advisory information – one, centralized library for standard advisory documents enables quick implementation of changes in accordance with updated legislation and distribution with the least possible administrative work.

Stay on top of key dates – integrated diary management ensures that key events such as visits, notifications and key enforcement aren’t overlooked, even if staff members are absent suddenly. Support off-site working – secure remote access to central files means that team members have access to appropriate information at the touch of a button no matter where they are.

Understand your personels’ workload – manage balancing work with decision taking with the help of detailed management reports, which also deliver important information when reporting to performance managers, other departments or external organizations.

Specialist local council case management systems have helped many pressurized teams to manage heavy workloads at the same time improving responsiveness, governing threats and risks and reducing stress.

View a Case Study about case management systems

*Surviving the Crunch: Local finances in the recession and beyond, Local Government report, March 2010

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July 19, 2010

Case Management Software Increases Efficiencies and Reduces Stress

Filed under: Legal Software — Tags: case, case management software, case management systems, management, software — @ 10:37 am

Legal Experts under Stress at Work
The constraints of current resourcing in both public and independent sectors of legal work are putting pressure on lawyers attempting to deliver good quality services to their clients, whose needs are always expanding . Stress induced breakdown is spreading amongst lawyers as they endeavor to balance rising insistence on lucrative results for their company with family needs. The well documented alcohol abuse problem amongst legal experts is now joined by drug addiction as coping mechanisms for an increasing number of stressed attorneys and legal professionals.

In Oct 2008, The Times online ran an article on stress in the legal profession as follows:

” … statistics from LawCare, a charity that helps lawyers with work-related health problems such as stress, depression and addictive illnesses reveal that 30 per cent of male lawyers and 20 per cent of female lawyers drink to excess. This year it has opened 369 new cases, which already easily exceeds last year’s 301. It handles 1,500 calls a year. Three in four of its calls are from lawyers suffering from severe stress. “

Vanessa Lloyd Pratt wrote in the Times on July 30 2009

Employer Response
It is growing more necessary that government employers and independent legal firms make every effort to reduce the effects of strain on their legal experts, even if for no other reason than the profit they seek to make. Once individuals are addicted to drugs or alcohol, it is very difficult for employing bodies to help their staff and usually results in loss of job for the lawyer concerned and may cause the employer loss of earnings and reputation. A few progressive employers are starting to address the issues with flexible working practices, particularly for staff who are also parents, drug and alcohol policies that are actively implemented and stress reduction activities and training. Some stress can be ameliorated by improving communication and systems within and outside the immediate office environment. When implementing new IT in the office, it is often the intention to improve working practices, but all too often it results in yet more stress for lawyers. Some employers are looking to case management software in an effort to manage workload more efficiently.

Case Management Systems Aid Lawyers
Finding case management software that delivers active legal teams from background activities in order to focus on quality client care is of growing importance to lawyers in both government and independent spheres. Few lawyers can deliver appropriate client care if they are handling considerable case loads and searching for case details, disseminating documents etc unproductively whilst also juggling family commitments. The risk of allowing key dates to pass unnoticed or of dropping the ball in some case or matter increases with the level of difficulty of managing the ever increasing documentation born of letters, court documents and computers.

Case management software is not all of equal value. Much of it started from legal accountants’ software and therefore does not perform all the tasks required of it nowadays. Recent developments have resulted in case management software that records time bestowed on clients, hastens document production, upcoming dates and appointments are warned of in advance and also encourages collaborative working and creates management reports with ease to manage risk. Some case management systems even ease Lexcel compliance. This is the sort of case management software that may help reduce stress amongst attorneys and other legal professionals.

Case management software that is developed for today’s lawyer and legal staff can play a role in lowering the likelihood of stress at work as part of a package of measures.

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