Professional firms, especially solicitors, are often
asked to provide progress reports by clients who give them an ongoing
large volume of business. A
work-in-progress database will not only provide these reports, but is
also an invaluable tool for management purposes.
A well-writen system will allow semi-automatic generation
of letters, e-mails and documents. It will ensure that time deadlines
are not overlooked, keep an eye on billings and prevent delays because
the only person who knows anything about the case is on holiday.
Any business which has to handle a large
volume of small transactions, whether it is insurance claims, debt collection,
property management, building maintenance, equipment hire or whatever,
needs to be able to take a snapshot of their position at any given time
for management and budgetary purposes, whether they are acting as agents
or principals.
Again, it has to be quick and easy. If it is a big deal
to find the database, and then you need a manual to tell you what to do,
people just won't use it. We design systems that anyone can pick up intuitively.
You definitely don't have to be a trained typist or a technical
wizard (which has the added benefit that budding prima-donnas can be choked
off in short order...)
