We moved from Videss to ALB in 2017. The transition was very straight forward and ALB were on hand the entire time to help with the process including floor walking on the day of the switch to help with any final issues. ALB provided training to all staff which took a considerable length of time. Advanced and the firm were keen to get everything up and running but at the same time cautious to make sure everything was completed properly as a failed roll-out could have proven costly.

ALB continues to develop it’s PMS to stay up-to-date with modern practices, it has also recently made commercial acquisitions to strengthen its market position. Old PMS systems are hard to develop and therefore changes are rarely made if at all. ALB has low-code workflows that can be developed in house (as we do) or under projects via ALB. We try to maximise efficiencies wherever possible and a few that spring to mind are pdfDocs integration, meaning paperless files are possible. Advanced Digital dictation, which has lowered our digital dictation spend and is currently being developed for seamless integration and OverVu, which provides a very easy to use dashboard to give our subject-matter-experts instant financial reporting information. From a third party supplier point of view a big benefit is that rather than the need to run a PMS system from one vendor, conveyancing from another, private client from another ALB has modules and workflows available to you together with all the core elements you would expect; time recording, finance ledgers, diary etc. We have also found ALB to be very open to collaboration and feedback, we have been fortunate enough to be early adopters on a number of products and helped shape the final release on these.

There will always be compromises as with any software and I would expect better reporting within the product itself, rather than having to purchase an ‘add-on’; especially from a company where data is their currency! However the primary purpose of a PMS is to make the process of providing legal services to clients quick and efficient and it does this.

It took a considerable length of time to get the software ready and installed for deployment. 2+ years in our case for first making contact. In fairness to Advanced, we were in a position where we could wait and take our time. As a result we wanted the product to be 'just so' for our needs. We worked with Advanced to make it happen. Had there been more urgency and a willingness on our side to make a few more compromises this could undoubtedly have been faster. Advanced were of course keen to get us up and running but equally cautious on our behalf; no-one benefits from a failed PMS rollout.

ALB brought us up to date with modern processes. The old system was hard to develop workflows to the extent that changes were seldom made. The Document History aspect, especially now that we have taken the pdfDocs integration means running paperless files is possible. Print volumes are drastically lower. Perhaps the biggest benefit is that it is a true one-stop-shop for a legal firm with a variety of needs. We have no need to run a PMS system from one vendor, conveyancing from another, family another... then think about layering Legal Aid. It has all you need built in right out of the box with all the core features you'd expect; Client Matter Inception process, Time Recording, Diary, Customisable Workflow modules, Billing etc. Then there's all the extra modules which other products don't necessarily have; Wills and Deeds databases, Purchase Ledger (Accounts and Cashiers love everything to do with the accounts side), Laserform Integration, pdfDocs integration, OverVu integration for easy reporting.

Inevitably there will be compromises as with any piece of software. Especially one that covers off so many angles. The development tools could be stronger, the way addresses are handled seems to me to be overly complex. Having said that though, the software's primary purpose is to help Fee Earners and support staff provide services to clients and it does this admirably. You can't expect Visual Studio. I've seen users make a mess of the simplest of address databases with strong training provided so it might not be to my taste but I imagine they didn't develop it for fun. My biggest gripe with the software is that some errors look severe. Other software would trap them in a more gentle manner. However, users quickly adjust to this and Advanced do some very clear monitoring to reduce them as the product mores forward.

ALB is a platform with continual development, backed by a strong company with the vision, resources and commitment to deliver. ALB provides us with all the tools we need to deliver our services smoothly and efficiently.

Takes time and effort to make full use of ALB workflows and reporting