Brodies PMS Implementation
Below is another example of one of the core Lights-On Consulting products, Practice Management System project management.
Brodies was determined to have a fully functioning practice management system on January 13th, 2020, 14 months after contracts were signed.
To the uninitiated, this might not sound like much of a challenge, but the scope and size of this PMS project would typically have a lifecycle of around 18 to 24 months.
Expert solutions consultancy
What was clear was the project relied on quality people delivering milestone after milestone and committing themselves to some hard work and long hours. Lights-On supported Brodies with solutions consultancy with the product and project management of the implementation. In our role as a Solutions Consultant we were able to support Brodies with thinking about how the product could work for the Brodies of tomorrow. We also knew the capabilities of the product from working on other installations with other firms. In our role as the Project Manager, we were able to foster the healthy relationship between Brodies and its new vendor. We were able, as an independent Consultant, to ask the questions that perhaps a firm wouldn’t want to ask its new solutions provider. Ensuring the team all knew the project plan meant that the phases within the project were on track. Communication with all 3 parties was key in ensuring this project was a success.
Time
The speed with which the project was implemented from signing of contracts for a firm of more than 700 people was admirable. Taking into account the amount of work to configure the system to Brodies’ specifications, migrate data across from the incumbent solution to the new solution and finally train all the users to ensure best practice methods were used was commendable. With 10.5 million lines of data to transfer, three data conversions and a full dress rehearsal in November 2019, each member of the core Project team worked flat out to meet the January 13th deadline.
Independent project management
For many, the thought of implementing a Practice Management System is a daunting prospect. They are multifaceted projects which involve specialist skills from a number of areas within the firm including IT, finance, business development and of course the lawyers and business support colleagues. With that comes the logistics of managing people, time and expectations. Having an independent consultant such as Lights-On provide project management experience, solution knowledge and mediation services between Brodies and the new vendor gave Brodies peace of mind that its interests and requirements remained at the forefront and were managed.
Our independence enabled a certain level of freedom:
- We could ask the difficult questions to both parties
- We knew who to ask within the vendor regarding points raised
- We knew how to manage the project as we’d done it many times before
The sacrifice from many to ensure that Brodies met its January 13th deadline was admirable and one that won’t be forgotten by Lights-On for a long time.
“The replacement of a PMS system is one of, if not the, biggest infrastructure project a law firm can embark on. We needed to make sure we had the right people with the right attitude on the assignment. Lights-On provided a Project Manager who perfectly fitted that requirement. His tenacity, professionalism, attention to detail and good humour throughout were instrumental in the successful delivery of the project. I would thoroughly recommend the project management services of Light-On in a heartbeat.”
David Edwards, Finance Director
“Congratulations to the team at Brodies for their tenacity and commitment – we were pleased to have been able to provide support with this highly focused PMS implementation project.”
Lights-On Consulting