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By Susan J. Campbell

TMCnet Contributing Editor

 

LexisNexis Interface Software has announced that London-based law firm, Lewis Silkin LLP has selected InterAction as the firm’s client relationship management (CRM) solution.

 

InterAction is designed to be a flexible CRM platform to deliver firm-wide Relationship Intelligence quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively. Lewis Silkin, which has a staff of 250, will integrate InterAction with Microsoft Outlook, Axxia’s Arista practice management system, Hummingbird’s DM5 document management system and other Microsoft (News - Alert) Office applications.

 

These integrations are intended to provide lawyers and staff one seamless environment for comprehensive access to all critical business information directly from their desktop environment.

 

Jan Durant, Head of Information Technology for Lewis Silkin, noted that the firm has established a reputation for innovation, using information technology in creative and integrated ways to improve client services as well as internal operations.

 

Durant added that Lewis Silkin has never been a firm to take the lemming approach and simply buy what everyone else is buying. However, InterAction’s sophisticated, industry specific functionality and integration characteristics placed it at the top of Lewis Silkin’s shortlist.

 

Mark King, Head of Business Development and Marketing for Lewis Silkin, commented that the key to creating a sustainable competitive advantage requires using InterAction’s capabilities fully and strategically, which the firm will do.

 

Traditionally, Lewis Silkin used a simple contact management solution and managed relationships and new business development with a number of software applications and methods. The firm was working with client communications and records, matter information, a new business pipeline and marketing databases that were incongruent and sometimes incomplete or outdated.

With the implementation of InterAction to integrate rich information, everyone in the firm will be provided a consolidated view of client and contact relationships. Duplicated entries into the CRM database will be reduced. The platform also possess the power to reveal how each contact connects and relates to existing relationships, as well as those the firm would like to grow.

 

King noted that Lewis Silkin has thrived by bringing a very personal focus to client relationships. As the firm grows, it becomes more challenging to stay coordinated and provide the high level of service the firm’s clients are accustomed to receiving. As growing pains emerged over time, it became clear to that a comprehensive CRM solution was needed.

The firm experienced an unacceptable frequency of conflicting or out-of-date data held about a subject, such as a client project or business contact. This presented significant challenges in terms of serving the customer and exploiting the full value of marketing opportunities.

According to John McDonnell, vice president and general manager of InterAction, a law firm cannot achieve a full perspective on its clients and fully realize its business opportunities unless its lawyers, business services personnel and information systems are properly aligned with the CRM application. Lewis Silkin’s strategic roll-out of Interaction with simultaneous updates to other systems underscores InterAction’s ability to integrate effective with all relevant systems.

One thing that can hurt the credibility of an attorney and his or her firm is the inconsistency of client information. This is one area where a firm cannot afford to cut corners. Clients rely on their legal counsel for advice, guidance and expertise. If the firm displays a weakness in the area of information management, how can they effectively represent the client?

 

CRM solutions are often put in place to better serve the customer. Another important point is the fact that these solutions can also improve information internally for any organization. By streamlining customer data, the firm can realize efficiencies throughout the organization, reducing the overall cost related to the management of critical information for each client and potential opportunities.

 

By implementing InterAction, Lewis Silkin is positioning itself to not only deliver exceptional service to its clients, but to also improve efficiencies enough to sustain and drive growth.

 

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