When Bana Vaid & Associates’ previous software supplier announced it was phasing out its legal accounts system and pushing clients to migrate to a more expensive replacement, the practice took a contemplative look at its options.
Having recently encountered Quill [1] at a legal conference, they spoke with Clare Tuck, Quill’s Regional Sales Consultant, watched a demonstration of its Interactive legal accounts tool and after checking out some other competitors, decided to sign up.
“When we were told our provider was withdrawing support and forcing us down the upgrade path, we seized the opportunity to really review our software choices,” explains Jayne Curle, Legal Cashier at Bana Vaid. “Interactive looked user friendly with lots of accounting features we’ve never used before. It’s now our new legal accounts application.”
Middlesex-based, twin-site Bana Vaid specialises in probate, wills and residential conveyancing. Alongside Interactive, they installed Redbrick Practice Management for case management.
“Interactive and Redbrick talk to each other,” comments Jayne. “To all intents and purposes, we’re using one fully integrated system because it’s such a close API. Data sharing is automatic. What we enter into Redbrick for our matters is fed straight through to Interactive for billing and accounting. It’s a winning combination.”
While confident in their decision regarding Interactive, the practice naturally felt slightly daunted by the software switchover, having used their incumbent system for almost 15 years.
“It was absolutely the right move, but it was also a big move because it meant temporarily stepping out of our comfort zone,” continues Jayne. “Our transition plan was to run Interactive and our old software concurrently for 6 months. Following some basic training, that’s exactly what we did, and mostly learnt the functionality as we went along. Because of this careful approach, we got to know Interactive inside out and have just completed our first full year on Interactive alone.”
As a convert to Quill, Jayne enthuses about the complementary services provided with the software:
“From point of sale to training to ongoing helpdesk assistance, the whole support structure is amazing. Whatever the nature of our calls to Quill, they’re dealt with thoroughly and quickly. If we have staff on long-term leave, licences are adjusted instantly upon request. If we need to speak to a technician, for example when we lost our internet connection recently mid-post, the Quill team’s straight on it and, in this instance, recovered everything. Before, we’d have to wait all day for a response or resolution. The contrast is immeasurable.”
Jayne describes the functionality and delivery of Interactive, both of which are, in her opinion, markedly better to competitive legal accounts systems:
“In the pre-Quill period, it’d take me a day’s time to complete year end. In Interactive, I press a button, press another button and I’m done. All tasks are easier, especially getting reports at month and year end. It’s just such an easy-to-use package.
“In terms of set up, the cloud format suits me down-to-the-ground because I work from home occasionally. I can log in and get on with my work exactly the same at home as in the office. Also, because I don’t live locally to our office, I’ve got peace of mind that, should I not be able to make the journey in for any reason, I can simply operate from home instead.”