By Julian Bryan, Managing Director, Quill [1]
Our recently acquired Cyber Essentials accreditation is yet another tick in the growing list of reasons to use Quill’s software and outsourced support. Carrying the National Cyber Security Centre’s seal of approval with Cyber Essentials certification means our infrastructure is recognised as robust and we’re committed to raising the security bar even higher. Clients now have more incentive to choose their trusted full-service supplier.
But the rationale for designating Quill preferential provider status doesn’t end there. No other legal sector software and outsourcing house can boast the unique combination of Cyber Essentials endorsement along with:
Continually enhancing software
Our Interactive Cloud case management [2], document management [3] and legal accounts [4] application is subject to an extensive development roadmap which is responsive to end users’ demands and agile enough to flex as marketplace priorities change. Functionality is added constantly and communicated to clients through our monthly e-newsletters. Law firms using Interactive are assured of having the optimum toolkit for complete practice management from accounting and AML checking to matter management and time recording.
With an absolute focus on compliance, all new and enhanced features are designed with regulatory guidelines at their core. Essentially, we see our role as software provider to lighten the load where compliance is concerned. We liaise intently with regulators, keep abreast of ever-changing rules and develop our systems accordingly way ahead of deadline.
Take the refined SRA Accounts Rules 2019. Although the rules themselves are simplified, being less prescriptive actually makes them more open to interpretation with accompanying higher risk of error. And the penalties for mistakes are no less severe than previously. We’ve been introducing important changes to Interactive in line with the new rules, for example warning messages about transferring unbilled disbursements (rule 4.3) and narrative-only transactions (rule 2.2) to record monies paid directly from practice to third parties.
LSSA founder member
We’ve been in close alliance with the UK industry body from day one of its formation. We live and breathe its code of conduct, uphold high quality professional standards always and take our accountability to safeguard clients’ best interests extremely seriously. In fact, we assign accountability such gravity that it’s literally in our brand.
Best Companies status
If anything demonstrates what a great company Quill is to work for and do business with, it’s Best Companies official recognition. Being a 1-star organisation indicates workplace engagement as an integral component of our success and growth. In other words, we look after our employees and they, in turn, look after our clients. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.
Living Wage Employer
Having voluntarily signed up to the Living Wage Foundation’s scheme, we promise to calculate salaries for permanent, temporary, apprenticeship and contracted staff on the higher hourly Living Wage rate rather than the lower Minimum Wage. Our responsible leadership stance is a way of actively closing the gap between what people need to earn in order to live in society and the Minimum Wage as defined by government.
ILFM membership
By fortifying our partnership with the Institute of Legal Finance & Management, we’ve credited all of our cashiers, support team and trainers with paid-for-by-Quill membership as well as diploma studies for those at the early stage of their career progressing towards recognised legal cashiering qualifications. As the leading education authority and membership body for the sector, the ILFM is perfectly aligned with Quill, being industry specialists too.
Cashiering service provider
We’re not exclusively a software house. We have a team of 60 experienced cashiers who offer outsourced legal accounting support in compliance with the stringent SRA Accounts Rules, CLC Accounts Code or Scottish Accounts Rules. Clients can choose from Pinpoint [5] – complete with deep integration to Interactive – or Precision [6] – remain using an existing accounts application whilst reaping the benefits of the same rigour and knowledge applied to Pinpoint.
Payroll and typing outsourcing service provider
With an extended range of outsourced services in the form of payroll processing and pension management, and typing assistance, there really is no better logic for selecting Quill as the primary supplier for all back-office requirements.
The former – outsourced payroll [7] – is delivered by our in-house specialist payroll clerks who are fully conversant in the latest payroll and pension legislation, PAYE, RTI, AE, SSP, SMP, SPP and attachment of earnings amongst them. The latter – outsourced typing [8] – is powered by the renowned Document Direct team, enabling clients to dictate from anywhere and receive expertly typed-up documents within agreed timescales.
We’re setting out our stall like this because lawyers are sometimes surprised to learn the full extent of what we do at Quill. The fact of the matter is we’re the one-and-only company who can make bold claims about supplying the complete behind-the-scenes framework to thrive in today’s challenging legal environment. We’re different and proud of it.
Why not take a closer look at our accreditations, awards, portfolio and history? Then get in touch with our friendly team to chat about the best blend of tools to optimise the performance of your practice. Please visit www.quill.co.uk, email info@quill.co.uk [9] or call 0161 236 2910.