Awdry Bailey & Douglas has been serving UK businesses, clients and their families since 1750. With offices in Devizes, Chippenham, Marlborough and Royal Wootton Bassett, and over 100 employees, the firm has been providing proactive, smart solutions in order to deliver excellent client service and achieve outstanding results.
Following an exhaustive assessment of their existing in-house infrastructure, Awdry Bailey & Douglas made the decision to switch to a ‘cloud-first’ strategy and appointed CTS to deliver their Managed Cloud solution. By utilising cloud technology, the firm are able to become more agile in their approach while benefitting from increased data protection and business continuity support.
The Need for Agility
The firm was introduced to CTS when they were looking for an expert IT partner to review and assess their in-house infrastructure, applications, networks and IT operation.
“Towards the end of 2019, Awdry Bailey & Douglas recognised the need to improve our infrastructure to align with our plans to grow and innovate as a law firm”, explains Alistair Everett, Partner. “We were looking for a partner with strong knowledge of the legal sector, who would be able to assist us in developing our IT architecture to meet our future requirements, and who would make solid suggestions on how best to move forward towards our goals.”
At the beginning of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it became apparent that cloud technology was critical for Awdry Bailey & Douglas to enhance their remote working capabilities for their entire workforce, in order to maintain a seamless transition to digital working in line with their business continuity plan.
The Perks of Proactivity
CTS completed an initial and thorough examination of the firm’s IT infrastructure and provided an assessment of their technology landscape, identifying areas which could be enhanced in order to maximise effectiveness. CTS also proposed that, in order to facilitate their business strategy and ensure seamless business continuity, the firm replace their in-house infrastructure and start afresh in the cloud.
Awdry Bailey & Douglas’ management board recognised the urgency to be proactive with their investment in technology in order to enable agile working for the firm’s 100-strong workforce, and appointed CTS to deliver their Managed Cloud solution.
To further drive the firm’s technology strategy, in March 2020, Awdry Bailey & Douglas appointed Andrew Burchell as their new Head of IT. Joining the legal sector from a large agriculture company, Andrew has extensive experience of successfully delivering new, innovative and robust solutions to end users, optimising technology to enhance client experience.
Andrew Burchell commented, “Our aim to continuously innovate and develop will be underpinned by CTS’ Managed Cloud platform, as it grants us high levels of flexibility and agility, allowing us to adapt to the needs of our clients and exceed expectations.”
“Our transition to the cloud is an important step forward for the firm; . The experience and knowledge that CTS has of the legal sector meant they understood what we were looking to achieve and provided us with an achievable plan that met our budget and requirements.”
“As a preferred partner, CTS have a strong relationship with LexisNexis and have exhaustive knowledge of our chosen case and matter management system, Visualfiles. With CTS’ proven track recording of supporting law firms, for many years, and their high level of understanding of the application, they have offered invaluable advice regarding cloud delivery models and configuration of the infrastructure to ensure maximum performance.”, he continues.
Mohamed Bakeer, CTS’ CTO, adds: “The flexibility of a subscription-based cloud model will enable Awdry Bailey & Douglas to be highly responsive to changing circumstances; something that has never been more important. As part of our Managed Cloud solution, they will also benefit from ongoing support, management and optimisation to ensure cost control, efficiency and security.”
Trust in Technology
In the current business climate, one thing is certain – a law firms’ ability to flex and adapt to the ever-changing landscape is fundamental. Firms at a stand-still are more likely to fall behind quicker than ever.
Awdry Bailey & Douglas’ understanding of the need for technology transformation and their dedication to actualise their transition has placed them in a propitious position in driving forward their cloud strategy.
“I have been very impressed with the service we have received from CTS. They been both proactive and responsive throughout this whole process, and have provided us with real support and guidance during this period of unprecedented change.
We are delighted to be partnering with CTS, who took their time to familiarise themselves with our firm and our vision for the future, truly demonstrating their commitment to providing excellent services to the legal sector. We know that, with CTS, we are in safe hands and we are keen to build a long-lasting relationship with CTS who will, no doubt, play a key role in our cloud transition at this vital time”, Burchell concludes.
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