CASE STUDY
Addleshaw Goddard
Addleshaw Goddard has transformed the way they use HighQB次元官网网址檚 iSheets functionality to win clients, save costs and deliver work in a more streamlined way from small tasks to large deals. Kerry Westland, TST senior manager at the firm, explains how she and her team have created products within iSheets that are in use by all divisions of the firm, and have been used to win a variety of pitches.
Addleshaw Goddard first started using HighQ for property extranets, making use of the files module to store and securely share property documents.
Starting small with iSheets
Westland and her colleagues in the Transaction Services Team recognized the potential of iSheets as a transactional tool after hearing about how other firms were using it in imaginative ways.
B次元官网网址淚 read the iSheets and document automation manuals and just started to build things,B次元官网网址 says Westland. B次元官网网址淎t first they were really simple. They were tools that help us automate simple, replicable tasks.B次元官网网址
One of WestlandB次元官网网址檚 earliest iSheet solutions was a company search report. B次元官网网址淥ne of the first iSheets I made halved the time we spent creating a company search report,B次元官网网址 explains Westland.
The company search iSheet is set up with pre-defined dropdown options and a fixed template, so instead of manually typing or pasting clauses into a template, users select the clauses they need and automatically generate a correctly formatted report.
Westland explains: B次元官网网址淭his is one job that we repeat all the time and that took quite a bit of time to complete. Now we ensure that it is done in the most efficient way, with the pre-defined answers ensuring quality and consistency. It really has changed the way we work.B次元官网网址
From little tasks to big challenges
Addleshaw GoddardB次元官网网址檚 use of iSheets has evolved dramatically from those early days. Westland and her team of technology paraB次元官网网址s have now created numerous iSheets solutions for clients and different divisions of the business.
B次元官网网址淎s well as for the smaller, repeatable tasksB次元官网网址 we also build iSheets for really big tasks that take months and involve several parties,B次元官网网址 says Westland.
Addleshaw Goddard is currently coordinating the transfer of thousands of properties from one entity to another as part of a sale of a FTSE 100 company.
B次元官网网址淭his is the biggest deal weB次元官网网址檝e used iSheets for to date,B次元官网网址 says Westland. B次元官网网址淲e built a solution that allows all parties involved in the deal to access documentation associated with the transfer of the properties. It has taken a couple of months to develop and at the moment it contains 1,600 questions.B次元官网网址
Working with multiple parties meant that Westland and her team had to think carefully about how they created this iSheet. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e got the client, surveyors, other law firms and other third parties contributing, with around 200 users in total, so we set up a workflow to make sure they access it in the right order.B次元官网网址
The workflow automatically alerts parties when it is their turn to complete their section. B次元官网网址淭he surveyors upload their documents as files and fill in their part of the iSheet. Once this is completed, the firms are alerted to review information from the surveyors and then complete their section, then the client is alerted to fill out their section of the form.B次元官网网址
B次元官网网址淥nce this is done, the firms are notified again so they can use the data in the iSheet to automate the creation of a variety of documents including certificates of title and land registry forms,B次元官网网址 says Westland.
Another benefit of the workflow is that the client has greater visibility over the deal, explains Westland. B次元官网网址淭he client can log in at any time and see what stage weB次元官网网址檙e at in the workflow through data visualization that we have developed, in conjunction with our IT department, for our instance of Collaborate.B次元官网网址
The solution has made a huge difference to how this deal is run. B次元官网网址淧art of the reason for winning the pitch was based on our use of CollaborateB次元官网网址 Westland states. B次元官网网址淏efore iSheets we would have used spreadsheets to gather the data and would have manually created all of the documents. This solution has saved us a lot of time and will ensure the client saves on fees.B次元官网网址
A flexible solution
Westland enjoys being experimental with the breadth of possibilities available in iSheets. B次元官网网址淲e can use it in so many different ways,B次元官网网址 she says. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e working on a deal with a blue-chip organization for a large scale due diligence deal using iSheets. ItB次元官网网址檚 so much more efficient and consistent than reviewing each document and typing out the findings manually. It enables us to automate progress reports too.B次元官网网址
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e also using it for litigation and matter management,B次元官网网址 Westland explains. B次元官网网址淪ay weB次元官网网址檙e handling a debt recovery claim: the client comes on to the system, uploads their documents into the matter folder in the files module. We then upload this to iSheets with key dates for the matter.B次元官网网址
B次元官网网址淲e can automate all the letters and documents needed for litigation. Once youB次元官网网址檝e filled in the defendantB次元官网网址檚 name once, you donB次元官网网址檛 need to do it again. We can include key dates such as deadlines for responses, and we can run reports to show whatB次元官网网址檚 overdue or what responses weB次元官网网址檝e received. We also set up email alerts to inform users of deadlines approaching.B次元官网网址
B次元官网网址淲hatB次元官网网址檚 key here is that the client has real-time access for what they need to have access to, with all correspondence and information available in one place,B次元官网网址 Westland explains. B次元官网网址淚t also enables us to report on this data and spot trends for the client. We can identify possible sticking points and offer suggestions to prevent future claims.B次元官网网址
Changing the way the firm operates
Westland is thrilled with how well iSheets has caught on at Addleshaw Goddard. B次元官网网址淭he interest within the firm is amazing,B次元官网网址 she says. B次元官网网址淧eople across the firm are telling other people that they should use Collaborate in their pitches. Our clients really like it too.B次元官网网址
B次元官网网址淥ur lawyers are thinking differently,B次元官网网址 Westland explains. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e looking at iSheets as B次元官网网址 products that they can sell to clients as transactional solutions. We now have partners demoing Collaborate in pitches.B次元官网网址
Kerry and her team have big plans for the future. B次元官网网址淭here are exciting times ahead, and the firm is really looking forward to trying new things.B次元官网网址
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