ALB

ALB brought us up to date with modern processes. The old system was hard to develop workflows to the extent that changes were seldom made. The Document History aspect, especially now that we have taken the pdfDocs integration means running paperless files is possible. Print volumes are drastically lower. Perhaps the biggest benefit is that it is a true one-stop-shop for a legal firm with a variety of needs. We have no need to run a PMS system from one vendor, conveyancing from another, family another... then think about layering Legal Aid. It has all you need built in right out of the box with all the core features you'd expect; Client Matter Inception process, Time Recording, Diary, Customisable Workflow modules, Billing etc. Then there's all the extra modules which other products don't necessarily have; Wills and Deeds databases, Purchase Ledger (Accounts and Cashiers love everything to do with the accounts side), Laserform Integration, pdfDocs integration, OverVu integration for easy reporting. Cons Inevitably there will be compromises as with any piece of software. Especially one that covers off so many angles. The development tools could be stronger, the way addresses are handled seems to me to be overly complex. Having said that though, the software's primary purpose is to help Fee Earners and support staff provide services to clients and it does this admirably. You can't expect Visual Studio. I've seen users make a mess of the simplest of address databases with strong training provided so it might not be to my taste but I imagine they didn't develop it for fun. My biggest gripe with the software is that some errors look severe. Other software would trap them in a more gentle manner. However, users quickly adjust to this and Advanced do some very clear monitoring to reduce them as the product mores forward. Overall/Benefits It took a considerable length of time to get the software ready and installed for deployment. 2+ years in our case for first making contact. In fairness to Advanced, we were in a position where we could wait and take our time. As a result we wanted the product to be 'just so' for our needs. We worked with Advanced to make it happen. Had there been more urgency and a willingness on our side to make a few more compromises this could undoubtedly have been faster. Advanced were of course keen to get us up and running but equally cautious on our behalf; no-one benefits from a failed PMS rollout. Why Other products which would have been a one-stop-shop solution for us would have also broken the bank. Some were asking for compromises that were too great. Others would have resulted in a fragmented implementation from different providers that we would have only considered as a last resource.