The adoption of Zoho One has significantly enhanced the freedom and autonomy of staff at Barings Law by centralising access to all necessary tools on a single platform. At the English law firm, half a million clients are now managed on a single platform, dramatically boosting efficiency, enabling it to double its monthly case load and saving tens of thousands of pounds per year in subscriptions alone. Melanie Cope Machial, Head of Marketing and Technology at Barings Law, explains how Zoho One has simplified the company’s IT infrastructure and enabled it to track its marketing campaigns, manage client relationships and analyse data all in one place.
Barings Law, a leading law firm based in the Northwest of England, has made a significant shift in its technology strategy by consolidating apps from an array of different providers to Zoho One, a comprehensive suite of 55+ business applications, enabling the firm to double its monthly case load.
The switch was driven by the firm’s need for a user-friendly and cost-effective solution that could streamline its operations, automate many of its processes, provide a secure way for staff to work from home effectively, improve customer experience and offer scalability for growth.
As a primarily litigious law firm specialising in areas such as PCP claims, business energy claims, business interruption cases, undisclosed commission claims and immigration cases, Barings Law focuses on making justice accessible to all. For example, it currently helps individuals fleeing Ukraine with pro-bono asylum applications.
Melanie Cope Machial, Head of Marketing and Technology at Barings Law, commented about the switch from ‘dinosaur software’ to Zoho: “Technology is not quite where it should be for law firms, so thank goodness we found Zoho. Any business can hit the ground running from the moment they sign up with Zoho – it’s easy to understand how to use by any user skillset and we can now provide our clients with the most seamless experience possible.
“Previously we used many disjointed applications with a lot of providers which was chaotic to stay on top of. We had problems with customisation which needed additional costly input from outsourced specialists and we can now do that with ease ourselves.
“We have barely scratched the surface on Zoho One’s applications and it’s very reassuring to know that as we grow as a law firm, Zoho One’s apps can scale with us. Staff have so much more freedom and autonomy using Zoho One. Our teams can now focus on the legal stuff which is really what matters.”
Sachin Agrawal, Head of UK at Zoho Corporation, added: “Zoho One can significantly transform a business, making it truly remarkable to witness the extent of the positive changes it can bring. It’s fantastic to see the dramatic impact Barings Law has seen across its entire business and to understand just how much it has saved in costs alone.
“We work hard to continuously improve our product suite and look forward to continuing to work with Barings to scale with it as it grows. Innovation is often difficult in some of the more traditional industries, but with Zoho One there are so many options for businesses to innovate within industry requirements and frameworks to improve processes and differentiate in increasingly competitive markets.”
Barings acted on a partner recommendation to evaluate Zoho One and after comparing with several other providers found it to be a ‘no-brainer’ to make the switch. The firm used Zoho One to build an integrated case management platform to handle everything from client onboarding to litigation and settlement. With around half a million clients, thousands and thousands of cases per month are now handled using the platform and after switching to Zoho, Barings Law was able to double its monthly case load.
Barings switched from Pipedrive to Zoho CRM, which is now used as the central single source of truth for its approximately 500,000 clients. It was also using Proclaim for case management software, which is now also managed via Zoho CRM. It switched from DocuSign to Zoho Sign to manage the highly important secure signing of legal documentation; from Sprout Social to Zoho Social to manage its social media campaigns and from Mailchimp to Zoho Campaigns to handle email campaigns.
Melanie Cope Machial, Head of Marketing & Technology, Barings Law, spoke exclusively to Intelligent SME.tech:
You said technology is not quite where it should be for law firms, why is this?
The technology landscape for law firms presents a unique set of challenges compared to other industries. While most sectors benefit from a wide array of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) options, the legal industry faces a scarcity of such solutions. This limited choice is further compounded by the market dominance of a few key players who, being well aware of their position, often exhibit rigidity in their pricing structures. Such inflexibility can be a significant barrier, especially for law firms seeking cost-effective and adaptable technology solutions.
Additionally, the emerging players in LegalTech, though bringing innovative ideas, frequently set their pricing at premium levels. Coupled with this is a lack of customisation options, which is crucial for law firms that often have specific, nuanced needs due to the nature of legal work. The ideal technology solution for law firms needs to strike a balance between innovation, customisation and affordability, a combination that is currently under-represented in the market.
Why do staff have more freedom and autonomy due to using Zoho One?
The adoption of Zoho One has significantly enhanced the freedom and autonomy of our staff at Barings Law by centralising access to all necessary tools on a single platform. This consolidation eliminates the need for multiple logins and the hassle of ensuring compatibility across different software suites.
Moreover, Zoho One’s customisable features, such as personalised dashboards and task customisation options, empower our staff to design their own productivity workflows. This flexibility allows each team member to work in a way that best suits their individual preferences and strengths.
Another key aspect is the cloud-based accessibility combined with robust security management, providing our staff with the flexibility to work from anywhere, securely.
In addition, the automation capabilities within Zoho One are a game-changer, particularly for our excellent legal team at Barings Law. By automating routine administrative tasks, our staff can dedicate more time to substantive legal work and client interactions, which are the core of our practice.
Lastly, Zoho One’s powerful data analytics tools enhance our staff’s ability to make informed, data-driven decisions. For instance, they can easily track case progress and efficiently prioritise their workload, ensuring optimal productivity and client service.
Can you tell me how the implementation has affected your day-to-day at work?
One of the most significant changes has been the integration and streamlining of our marketing efforts at Barings Law. With Zoho One, we now have a suite of tools that work seamlessly together, allowing us to track our marketing campaigns, manage client relationships and analyse data all in one place. This integration has saved us valuable time and resources, which we can now invest in more strategic initiatives.
From a technology standpoint, the shift to Zoho One has greatly simplified our IT infrastructure. We’ve moved from dealing with a patchwork of disparate systems to a unified platform, which is not only more efficient but also easier to manage and scale as our firm grows. This has also made it easier to train new staff and ensure everyone is on the same page.
Zoho One has enabled me to have a more strategic focus. With the operational aspects streamlined and automated, I can dedicate more time to strategic planning, exploring new technologies and innovative marketing approaches that can further our firm’s growth and success.
What’s the greatest benefit you have experienced from using Zoho One?
The greatest benefit of using Zoho One at Barings Law has been its cost-effectiveness and holistic approach. The suite’s integration of various business functions into one platform not only simplifies our operations but also significantly reduces the firm’s overheads. This comprehensive solution aligns perfectly with our needs, enhancing efficiency across all departments without reliance on multiple, expensive software solutions.
How will Zoho continue to help Barings Law scale-up?
One of the standout aspects of Zoho One that will aid in the scaling of Barings Law is its inherent flexibility. The platform allows for effortless upscaling simply by adding more users as our firm grows. This ease of expansion is crucial for us, especially as we navigate the challenges of business growth. Remarkably, even as we increase the number of users, the simplicity of administration remains constant, ensuring that our operational efficiency is not compromised.
Furthermore, our experience with Zoho has been collaborative and dynamic. The Zoho team actively works with us to refine and customise product features to meet the unique demands of the legal industry. This partnership is invaluable as it ensures that the software continues to evolve in a way that aligns perfectly with the specific needs of a law firm like ours.
In addition to the customisation, we’re continually exploring and adding new apps from the expanding Zoho One suite. The on-going development and enhancement of their applications means that we’re always equipped with the latest tools and features. This continuous innovation not only helps us keep pace with the changing landscape of legal services but also ensures that we’re always at the forefront of leveraging technology to enhance our services.
In essence, Zoho One’s flexibility, the simplicity of its scaling, the collaborative approach to feature refinement and the continuous addition of new applications make it an ideal partner for Barings Law. I’m excited about leveraging the constantly evolving capabilities of the software, which undeniably contributes to our mission of making justice more accessible to a wider audience – a principle that remains central to everything we undertake as a law firm.
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