How Fosters Solicitors and Access Legal’s strong partnership made their go live a success
Fosters Solicitors head of business and commercial Jamie Arnall, and partner and practice manager Andrea Spooner, share the firm’s journey to streamline operations, improve client satisfaction and embrace digital transformation by adopting Access Legal Case Management
Fosters Solicitors boasts a long history over more than 260 years, and the firm has grown to become one of the largest in Norfolk, with more than 100 members of staff serving clients across a full range of legal practice areas.
Having used the same case management system (CMS) since the 1990s, in 2023 they recognised the need for change and decided to switch to Access Legal Case Management (ALCM).
“Our legacy CMS had become outdated and inflexible,” explains Jamie Arnall, head of business and commercial at Fosters Solicitors. “We recognised the need for a modern, integrated solution that could streamline our operations and enhance client service.”
Why Fosters Solicitors chose ALCM
“ALCM 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,” Arnall says.
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” observes partner and practice director Andrea Spooner. 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,” Spooner highlights.
“ALCM has — and this is no understatement — 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,” she adds.
Overcoming challenges to focus on success
Adopting new technology always brings new challenges and Fosters’ adoption of ALCM was no exception, but Access worked with the firm 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”, Arnall explains.
Fosters benefits from having a Premier Customer Success Plan, which provides a dedicated team within The Access Group to support their goals and address technical issues, which 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,” Arnall finds.
“We can’t express enough gratitude for the exceptional support Martin provided,” Spooner notes, adding: “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.”
“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”, Arnall concludes.
Alongside ALCM, Fosters has recently also taken inCase, our client onboarding and communication app, with implementation progressing 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.” Spooner said.
Gaining value from FlexPoints
Access FlexPoints are a cost-effective, flexible way to access value-added services, to ensure customers get greater impact from their 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,” Spooner relates.
A strong partnership
“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.” Spooner notes.
She continues: “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 people within the business and you’ll get that same quality of service and advice.”
Would you recommend The Access Group?
“Speaking personally, yes I would,” Arnall says 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,” adding that “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. I know Access won’t become complacent, and with new tech coming on stream — AI — we can approach that together,” he concludes.
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