The technical cogs behind the Chadwick Lawrence wheel

There is no doubt 2020 changed the way we work as a nation and subsequently how we work as a firm. We had to adapt quickly to the new working from home environment, which for the individual meant sourcing an appropriate desk or ironing board, a quiet-ish place to work and being strategically placed close to your internet modem! But for many companies a bigger task was at hand, managing a process to place all colleagues online to be able to access everything required so the business can continue to run as normal.

At Chadwick Lawrence we have an exceptional IT department that support how we work efficiently and effectively on a day-to-day basis. Pre-pandemic our tech team ensured we were prepared for such an event, that the firm were unable to work from the office, placing in a system which would allow up to 500 users to work remotely if required. This meant in March 2020 when we were hit with the unexpected closure of our offices, we took 40 ‘at home users’ to 180, in a matter of days. Without the foresight of the forward-thinking team, ensuring this infrastructure setup was already in place, it would have meant a difficult transition for colleagues and a larger impact on our customers.

Our team has implemented several tools to make communication and remote working more streamlined. Introducing a piece of software called Zylpha that allows the firm to e-bundle, which is an electronic creation of a document bundle, with the ability to search, index, paginate and produce in a format such as a PDF. This can then be used to submit to the court in an electronic format rather than sending physical files.

Alongside this the firm have adopted the full Office 365 suite utilising Teams for both internal and external, day to day communication and collaboration. Microsoft planner for planning works and projects, Microsoft Forms for correlating feedback from both colleagues and clients, then plugging this into the Microsoft Power BI platform to present the data. For HR purposes we have too launched a new internal cloud HR app, which aids with keeping colleagues engaged whist working remotely.

These significant technological advances have meant the IT team at Chadwick Lawrence were acknowledged with a nomination for the TSG Customer Success Award. The nomination recognises those companies achieving fantastic results, through the use of technology. TSG highlighted Chadwick Lawrence was nominated for being at the forefront in sourcing best ways to incorporate the latest technologies to improve the productivity, morale, well-being, and personal success of colleagues in these challenging times.

Dan Bell, Head of IT, commented ‘I am really pleased with what the team has achieved over the last 12 months. We have faced some unexpected challenges and worked hard to ensure all colleagues could continue working efficiently and impact on clients was minimal”.

Dan continued: “We have more changes in the pipeline, to streamline our technological offering, including updating our current telephone system to improve home working and help the overall customer experience.’

Neil Wilson, Managing Partner, commented ’We are very proud of how the firm is now working and has adapted. Prior to 2020, we were striving to be forward thinking in how the firm’s employees worked, encouraging flexible and remote working, and this approached has placed us on the front foot to drive us through these unprecedented times. The IT team have always explored ways to be innovative and have been a major part in our continued success as a legal firm.”

As we carry through 2021 under unusual circumstances, Chadwick Lawrence will continue to implement innovative strategies. Ensuring employees can work fluently and customers continue to receive the same high standard, Chadwick Lawrence service.