POSTAL STRIKE SHOWED HOW VITAL IT IS TO FIRMS

[TrueBlueTerrier]

POSTAL STRIKE SHOWED HOW VITAL IT IS TO FIRMS

11:40 - 15 February 2008

Simon Rous, chairman and head of commercial at solicitor Ashfords in Exeter, considers why businesses cannot afford to ignore their IT facilities

Ensuring effective methods of communicating with clients during recent postal strikes reminded me again of the importance of IT in today's business environment.

The industrial action meant alternative methods needed to be established to ensure documents and correspondence were sent and received in accordance with client requirements.

We have seen IT playing an ever-increasing role within our business over the past few years, with many of our clients requiring all our dealings with them to be conducted electronically wherever that was possible.

Embracing the power of IT effectively, as we have found, involves many levels of consideration.

IT systems, like the law, are rapidly changing and evolving. It is unlikely that the IT system of today, without continuous updates and modifications, will be adequate to cope with the challenges facing businesses in the future.

With many our clients operating at the top of their field, the need to have cutting edge IT facilities is often a necessity rather than a luxury.

All businesses need to ensure they get the cost benefit ratio of IT investments right. An unwise investment in IT can be a very costly mistake.

The increasing complexity of IT has also changed the way in which IT facilities can be managed.

Ashfords has a dedicated IT team providing 24-hour support and service to our team of solicitors throughout all our offices. Such a comprehensive level of support continues to justify its existence when we are able to give an appropriate and timely response to our clients' needs.

Employee training must also be considered as an integral part of any IT investment. IT systems are a classic example of only being as good as the people who use them.

We run regular in-house IT training to ensure our employees are able to use our IT facilities to their full extent.

As the introduction to the market of new technologies - such as voice recognition - occurs at an ever increasing pace, I conclude that we will continue to keep IT central to our operations and plans. So, if and when there is another postal strike, we will be ready.

[axeman]

And as we all know they have to have proper legal documents in court not downloaded versions !! and thats why they are stored for 10 years or more
yes 'it' plays a part but none more so than mail to be legal it's got to be sent in writing and sometimes recived hand to hand

comunication with clients can be done over the phone ...of course at a price!!! thats why you never see a poor solicitor