Eoin O’Connor Solicitors sees substantial productivity gains and staff cost savings by employing an HP and eXpd8 digital storage solution throughout its practice.
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HP and eXpd8 digital solution boosts efficiency for Irish solicitors
Eoin O’Connor & Co Solicitors is a well established legal practice based in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland. Located 20 miles south-west of Dublin, this county town is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Europe and benefits from a young population that relishes the technical culture associated with local employees such as HP and Intel. Solicitors at the firm practice all aspects of law including conveyancing, litigation, family and criminal law.
Challenging a time-honoured system
Traditionally, solicitors have favoured paper-based filing systems because they perceive this medium as comprehensive and reliable. However, like all modern practices, where information and time are critical, O’Connor Solicitors needs rapid access to data when dealing with clients, either at their offices or in the courts.
“Information storage is a major industry-wide problem because most firms usually rely on hard copies,” explains Eoin O’Connor, principal partner at Eoin O’Connor & Co Solicitors. “But, all this paper comes at a cost. We have to archive it at our offices or at expensive off-site facilities.
“With this time-honoured system, we often waste time locating files and this can be a stressful task for our staff. Waiting in court for files to appear and being limited to office working are also major drawbacks. We need a modern digital storage solution throughout the practice, one that allows us to work more efficiently, both in and away from the office.”
Joining the digital revolution
Eoin O’Connor Solicitors approached eXpd8, a Dublin-based HP partner, well known for providing innovative IT solutions to law firms, estate agents and professional businesses that manage clients.
The IT solution proposed by eXpd8 involved its sophisticated client management software, digital dictation and an HP Digital Sender working in conjunction with the practice’s HP ProLiant ML300 Series server, HP Compaq dx2000 Microtower PCs and HP Compaq nx8220 Business Notebook PCs.
eXpd8 client management software controls all client files and staff diaries and automatically notifies users about important legal dates such as court appearances. It also tracks the activities and costs associated with each file. In addition, this advanced package compiles electronic briefs, aids compliance management, interfaces with numerous Microsoft products and complies with Law Society requirements.
The HP Digital Sender converts all paperwork associated with a case to digital files ready for storage. Business-critical information is therefore secure and, when required, accessed rapidly either from an office-based PC or remotely via a laptop computer.
“Initially we converted some files to digital format. As more and more files were stored, we soon discovered that we had more control over, and instant access to, the information,” continues O’Connor. “It only took one call from a client making urgent enquiries to convince me that the eXpd8 and HP solution was the right way to go. The information was at my fingertips. It soon became apparent that once the data was stored digitally, we simply didn’t need physical files.”
Eoin O’Connor Solicitors rapidly implemented the proposed solution and currently operates a modern digital office. All information is stored digitally by using the eXpd8 software and HP Digital Scanner. Staff quickly update files as required and everyone can access information instantly. The firm has also eliminated expensive off-site storage and the HP Notebooks, together with wireless technology, provide a valuable remote working capability.
Remote working wins the day
“Soon I discovered why the new storage system is so effective for remote working,” declares O’Connor. “Recently, while I was waiting for a judge, I dealt with two or three enquiries by simply accessing the appropriate information remotely. In the past I’d have had to go back to the office to view the paper-based files. Consequently, my response time to clients is now considerably faster. Digital storage means I can access information at anytime, from anywhere in an instant.”
Staff at the firm are also more productive. They create file information either within the eXpd8 software or by scanning documents. Searching for old-style files in a manual archive or in solicitors’ offices is a thing of the past; staff simply access data at the click of a mouse. When appropriate, more than one solicitor can access an individual file – previously, this was impossible and inefficient.
O’Connor Solicitors is also seeing additional benefits. Thanks to its reputation for providing a highly efficient professional service, the business continues to take on new clients without the burden of extra staff costs. It will only incur further overheads when even more clients engage the practice but these will be covered by efficiency gains.
HP and eXpd8 information system sets legal precedence
“The new system proved extremely useful during another recent court appearance. While I was going to court, important papers arrived at my office. Previously, if they had not arrived on time, I could not present them to the court. However, my secretary simply scanned the papers, stored the information and told me they were available.
“In court, I accessed the critical evidence from my laptop and presented it to the judge. I believe this was the first time an Irish court has accepted evidence from a laptop. The eXpd8 and HP solution certainly saves me a lot of time and is a powerful tool for legal practitioners,” concludes O’Connor.
Customer at a glance:
Industry sector: Legal services
Name: Eoin O’Connor & Co Solicitors
Headquarters: Naas, County Kildare, Ireland
Founded: 1986
Telephone: +353 45 087 5333
Number of employees: 8
Objective
To provide Eoin O’Connor Solicitors with a modern digital information storage system that would increase efficiency by saving time while simultaneously keeping staff overheads under control.
Approach
- Assess the drawbacks of the traditional paper-based information storage system.
- Consult with eXpd8 about a viable alternative system.
- Implement the eXpd8 and HP Digital Sender solution.
Results
IT improvements
- Digital scanning capability
- Rapid data access
- Remote working capability via laptops and wireless technology.
Business benefits
- Documents are scanned and immediately archived ready for use by any solicitor.
- Time is not wasted searching for physical files. Staff are therefore more productive and can concentrate on other duties.
- The expense associated with off-site storage is eliminated.
- Information is readily available to answer clients’ queries.
- When appropriate, several solicitors can access the same files leading to improved efficiency.
Customer solution at a glance:
Primary applications
- Information storage
Primary hardware
- HP 9200c Digital Sender
- HP ProLiant ML300 Series server
- HP Compaq dx2000 Microtower PC
- HP Compaq nx8220 Business Notebook PCs
- eXpd8 client management software
- eXpd8 digital dictation software
© 2007 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
Publication Number: 4AA1-3411EEW Written: June 2007