Newly Merged UK Law Firm Consolidates Digital Dictation Deployment With nFlow

Cullimore Dutton reduces IT administration with nFlow Version 5.0

nFlow, a leading supplier of digital dictation solutions, today announced that Cullimore Dutton, recently formed by the merger of reputed law firms Birch Cullimore and Mason & Moore Dutton, has successfully upgraded to and consolidated the deployment of nFlow Version 5.0 to 53 users across the new enterprise. nFlow Version 5.0 is a second generation, Microsoft .NET platform-based Digital Dictation System (DDS). Prior to the merger, Birch Cullimore was already using nFlow Version 4.0.

Cullimore Dutton chose nFlow Version 5.0 as its enterprise DDS because it offers centralised administration of the solution. nFlow Version 5.0 does not require any client-side configuration. All user device and hardware driver configuration are served centrally from the server, reducing operational costs. This was a key consideration for the firm as the newly merged entity is split between two office sites.

Further, Cullimore Dutton has significantly invested in creating a virtualised IT environment. Therefore, any solution that the firm deploys must be able to leverage virtualisation technology. nFlow Version 5.0 easily integrates into a virtualised environment, allowing Cullimore Dutton to maximise its IT investment.

With firm-wide access to nFlow Version 5.0, Cullimore Dutton will be able to maximise staff resources, increase productivity and achieve cost savings as a result of reduced operational and IT management costs.

Stephen Roberts, IT Manager, Cullimore Dutton, commented, “The business benefits of digital dictation technology to law firms is a no-brainer, especially in today’s web-based environment. We have been using nFlow’s digital dictation in the Birch Cullimore part of the business for four years now.
“However, in this instance, our decision to upgrade to nFlow Version 5.0 as opposed to opt for another digital dictation system across our newly merged entity, has been based purely on the solution’s technical merits. The solution has very smoothly integrated into our virtual environment, it is very easy to administer and it can also be seamlessly integrated with other third party platforms. In fact, it is by far the quickest implementation we have ever done. We could not have asked for more from nFlow.”

Contrary to industry norm for major solution upgrades, nFlow has provided Version 5.0 software free of charge to existing nFlow users at Cullimore Dutton.

In addition to the existing implementation, Cullimore Dutton is planning to integrate nFlow Version 5.0 with its new case management system, IRIS Law Business, in the immediate future.
Rob Lancashire, Sales and Marketing Director at nFlow, added, “Version 5.0 truly represents a major technological advancement in digital dictation technology – it is not an incremental upgrade to an existing solution, simply to make it “current”. Enterprises recognise this. Further, they are interested in it because in comparison to competitive systems, it is a future-proof technology that can enable them to maximise their IT investments whilst reducing IT administration costs – especially at a time when budgets are under intense scrutiny. We look forward to continuing our long standing and mutually rewarding partnership with Cullimore Dutton.”

nFlow DDS Version 5.0 is the only enterprise-class digital dictation solution of its kind on the market today. It has been completely re-designed from the ground up based on the Microsoft .NET framework, to deliver an unrivalled low cost of ownership, exceptional functionality and benefits to users and customers alike.

Adoption of nFlow Digital Dictation Continues at a Rapid Pace in UK Accountancy Sector

Greenstones Limited realises efficiency gains with nFlow solution; nFlow provides cost savings calculator

nFlow (http://www.nflow.com/), the market leading supplier of digital dictation workflow solutions to the accountancy market, today announced that Greenstones Limited, a Cambridgeshire-based accountancy firm, has become the latest accountancy practice to implement its nFlow Digital Dictation Software (DDS) solution, replacing the incumbent traditional tape-based dictation system. Greenstones chose nFlow for the solution’s proven ability to deliver immediate efficiency improvements to the firm, especially in the current difficult economic climate.

The nFlow DDS solution is facilitating greater business efficiency through better utilisation of staff resources and faster turnaround time of transcripts. In addition, fee-earners and secretaries alike at the firm are able to prioritise tasks based on client imperatives, greatly improving client service.

nFlow is seeing an accelerated adoption of its DDS in the accountancy sector, primarily driven by firms’ needs to reduce operational costs, increase staff productivity and business efficiency as well as enable mobile working. Some high profile firms that have recently implemented nFlow’s solution include PKF LLP, Scott-Moncrieff, and Johnston Carmichael, to name a few.

Simon Chaplin, Managing Director, Greenstones Limited, said, “We have been using analogue tape technology for dictation for many years, but in today’s web-based business environment, moving to digital dictation is crucial and perhaps an obvious thing to do. For us, adopting technology that improves business efficiency and productivity is critical to meeting our business goals.

“nFlow has been brilliant – the company has delivered exactly what we bought, both from the technology and customer service perspectives. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend nFlow to anyone”

Rob Lancashire, Sales and Marketing Director at nFlow, added, “The fixed fee nature of accountancy work means that any increases in business efficiency and productivity directly impact the bottom line of a firm, making adoption of digital dictation workflow technology an easy choice to make.

“In fact, to enable practices to quantify the savings they can make as a result of using digital dictation workflow software, we have developed a cost savings calculator to help them make the business case for this technology within their firms.”

The nFlow Digital Dictation Cost Saving Calculator is available free of charge on www.nflow.com/cost-reduction-calculator.php. Alternatively, practices can contact nFlow directly on info@nFlow.com for access to the tool.

nFlow DDS is a work-flow based solution that includes microphone and headphone-related hardware, and offers an intuitive Microsoft Outlook-style interface. The solution can be deployed in both, Terminal Services or Citrix environments and utilises the industry standard Microsoft SQL Server. It also supports a wide range of mobile devices including BlackBerry and Windows Mobile.

London City Law Firm Consolidates Digital Dictation Deployment With nFlow

Devonshires Solicitors to benefit from increased productivity and flexible working practices

nFlow, a leading supplier of digital dictation solutions, today announced that Devonshires Solicitors, a leading London City law firm, has successfully consolidated the deployment of nFlow Version 5.0, its second generation, Microsoft .NET platform-based Digital Dictation System (DDS). Driven by the business need to adopt industry best practises, the firm has replaced its traditional tape-based and incumbent digital dictation systems with nFlow Version 5.0 for 120 users across its social housing, projects/PFI/PPP, employment, property, corporate/finance and litigation (including fraud) departments. In addition, the firm has also installed the nFlow Mobile for BlackBerry application, to facilitate remote working and offer employees greater flexibility.
The firm chose nFlow Version 5.0 for the solution’s balance between good product functionality and simplicity, .NET-based infrastructure, very low overhead systems management capability, competitive pricing and proven company track record. Further, the company’s non-intrusive approach to customer service and product support was very appealing to the firm.

With firm-wide access to digital dictation technology, Devonshires Solicitors will benefit from increased productivity, ability to extend remote working practices, and capability to devise creative ways to maximise staff resources in the long term.

Andrew Cowan, Chief Executive at Devonshires Solicitors, commented, “Working practices in the legal sector are changing rapidly, and given the competitive nature of this business especially in the current climate, we are committed to adopting technology that aids productivity in the firm to give us a distinct advantage – not just from a client perspective, but also for recruiting and retaining talent. Digital dictation is one such technology.

“We considered all the major digital dictation solution suppliers, but chose nFlow as it was able to meet all our selection criteria – right from technology compatibility to product functionality through to understanding our needs and approach to customer service.”Users of nFlow Version 5.0 at the firm include fee earners and secretarial staff. A standard unified system across the firm will facilitate more efficient workload sharing and task management. The clarity of dictation recording delivered by nFlow Version 5.0 will considerably reduce the time spent by staff in creating and reworking transcribed documents. Further, the remote access offered by the solution means that fee earners will now be able to send their dictations to their office for typing from any physical location, resulting in faster turnaround times on deliverables to clients.
Rob Lancashire, Sales and Marketing Director at nFlow, added, “We are very encouraged by the interest we are continuing to see for Version 5.0, despite the current economic conditions in the UK. We believe this is because we offer pure bred .NET-based, future-proof technology that easily integrates with existing IT infrastructures, enabling firms to maximise their investment; whilst achieving proven and instantaneous operational efficiencies of anything between 15 – 30 per cent.”

In addition to the existing installation, Devonshires Solicitors is planning to use technology available from nFlow to integrate Version 5.0 with its Interwoven document management system to deliver a holistic system that will manage the complete document production lifecycle.
nFlow DDS Version 5.0 is the only enterprise-class digital dictation solution of its kind on the market today. It has been completely re-designed from the ground up based on the Microsoft .NET framework, to deliver low cost of ownership, exceptional functionality and benefits to users and customers alike.

New training initiative from nFlow aims to help reduce document production costs for firms

nFlow has announced a new workshop training concept for firms wishing to reduce costs by training staff on dictation skills to make sure they are producing text as efficiently as possible. This follows their successful online dictation skills seminar last year and the feedback they have received on their training support website – www.dictationskills.com. nFlow say that focused dictation skills training can provide considerable savings, particularly if a firm outsources typing, by significantly reducing the retyping of documents due to incomprehensible or poor dictation and potentially delivering even higher fee earner to secretary ratios.As a workshop the training sessions can be tailored to meet the needs of any firm and can cater for a number of people at once making it very cost effective. In the current climate nFlow suggest that a small investment in training can ensure that firms are getting the very best use of their digital dictation system irrespective of whether it is nFlow, Winscribe or Bighand further enhancing the productivity gains the technology is well known for.

First new customer installation of nFlow’s next generation digital dictation software version 5.0 an unequivocal success

nFlow, a leading developer of digital dictation software solutions for professional service firms, today announced that an installation of its widely reported next generation DDS 2.0 digital dictation system has been successfully completed for 100 users at leading top 50 accountancy firm Johnston Carmichael. nFlow DDS Version 5.0 has been deployed to users across 3 offices in Elgin, Inverurie and Huntly in just 2 weeks. A second phase will see the solution rolled out to an additional 90 users in December. In addition to rolling out nFlow DDS Version 5.0 Johnston Carmichael have also deployed nFlow Mobile for Blackberry to deliver remote dictation for users. The accountancy firm report that the software’s innovative web service architecture and modern Outlook 2007 .NET design has been a great success and delivered an excellent response from users.

Commenting on the project Johnston Carmichael IT Partner, Douglas Rintoul said, ‘Prior to selecting nFlow’s new Version 5.0 product we were already using a small installation of Winscribe over Citrix with our IFA team however there was interest in widening the use of DD so we decided to review the market. This led to a trial of both nFlow and Bighand in our Citrix environment as a comparison to Winscribe. Following this trial we decided to carry out a second trial of nFlow and Bighand with our executive team. Both suppliers were offering new versions so we started with a trial of Bighand however when we saw the nFlow Version 5.0 product we were completely blown away. We felt the excellent opportunities nFlow’s complete .NET design offered us in reducing administration of the application and the simple yet intuitive functionality combined with the modern Outlook 2007 look and feel meant it offered the best solution for us. It was also apparent during meetings that nFlow’s outstanding reputation for customer focus and technical capability was backed with very real passion and commitment, a reputation we saw reinforced during the installation. I can honestly say that nFlow have done an excellent job and that our choice of nFlow version 5.0 has been a great success.’

nFlow deployed the version 5.0 SQL databases and the .NET web services at Johnston Carmichael’s Aberdeen office. Plus they installed audio file repositories on local servers at each remote site. To complete the first phase of the installation the .NET component and driver management service was automatically deployed to all desktops and laptops with the servers prepared for the second phase of the rollout to a further 90 users in 6 offices, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Perth. The result of this was a fast and low cost implementation that saw the solution deployed to 100 users in just 2 weeks.

Tony Moxham, nFlow’s Technical Operations Director commented, ‘I believe the administration and maintenance functions in nFlow deliver an unbeatably low support overhead. Johnston Carmichael have a number of offices spread across Scotland so when they saw that the centralised .NET component and driver management service gave them centralised control of application maintenance at either a global and granular level they were very impressed. It means they don’t have the overhead of any 3rd party technologies such as SMS to achieve this. When you add to this the on demand service delivery of user configuration without needing additional technology like roaming profiles it all adds up to a very neat solution that suits mobility and hot desking across offices extremely well.’

nFlow DDS Version 5.0 provides a complete service orientated architecture that delivers everything a user needs to the PC when they log in. This is particularly relevant to user experience as rather than use registry keys to configure the experience as older technologies do, nFlow delivers all settings via the service to whichever PC the user logs on. It also delivers the specific dictation and transcription hardware drivers a user needs but is clever enough to automatically switch a user to an alternative device if it is available delivering complete flexibility in terms of hardware used.

nFlow Sales & Marketing Director, Rob Lancashire commented, ‘This project is significant as it not only represents a highly successful early adoption of our new generation DDS solution but it has been achieved in direct comparison with other leading technologies. This reinforces our belief that Version 5.0 represents a new generation of DDS system and validates the comments we have made in support of the DDS 2.0 concept. The success of this first installation is the result of a thoroughbred .Net solution designed in conjunction with Application Development Consultants from Microsoft and an nFlow team with an award winning commitment to customer focus and a deep understanding of customer requirements. We are very pleased the market reaction as it’s already resulted in competitive customer wins totalling nearly 500 users in just the first 2 months If there is a must have for Christmas then I believe nFlow version 5.0 is the DDS equivalent of the iPod.

nFlow Enables Digital Dictation via BlackBerry at Leading Regional UK Law Firm

nFlow, a leading supplier of digital dictation solutions, announces that Freeth Cartwright LLP, one of the UK's leading regional law firms, has chosen to deploy nFlow Mobile for BlackBerry application to allow fee-earners to dictate on case matters from their Blackberry devices when working from locations where it is not possible or convenient to use their laptops. This solution will be rolled-out across the firm’s five sites including Nottingham, Birmingham, Derby, Leicester, and Manchester, imminently.

Based on a very successful pilot, Freeth Cartwright has selected nFlow for the solutions flexibility and easy integration with ‘Case Viewer’, its award winning case management portal; and its simplicity. The implementation and integration of nFlow Mobile for BlackBerry application is straightforward and does not require expensive consultancy or additional investment in technology on the part of firms deploying the solution. In addition, as this solution is licensed per device instead of being monthly or yearly subscription-based, it is an inexpensive solution compared to similar other BlackBerry solutions or portable voice recorders available on the market.

Once fully implemented, all fee-earners at Freeth Cartwright will be able to better utilise their time when working remotely or on the move. Also, they will be able to expedite urgent client matters quickly and more efficiently. For example, fee-earners will be able to record a digital dictation on their BlackBerry through the installed nFlow Mobile and send to it the nFlow email gateway, where it will be imported into the firm’s case management system and automatically routed to the appropriate secretary for immediate typing.

The nFlow Mobile for BlackBerry application will deliver a professional digital dictation experience on the BlackBerry with features such as pause recording, playback, rewind, forward, insert, overwrite, save as draft, title and mark as urgent, making it very convenient, intuitive and easy to use.

Chris Nicholson, IT Manager at Freeth Cartwright LLP, commented, “Whilst we have a digital dictation system already in place, to facilitate further improved work efficiencies for our fee-earners with BlackBerry devices, who very often are away from the office, we were keen to explore if the BlackBerry could be used for digital dictation. On market investigation, we found nFlow to be competitively priced, straightforward and simple to implement along with comprehensive functionality to deliver increased productivity in a fee-earning environment. Also, we were able to see the company’s attention to detail when it came to customer support. They have been fantastic.”

Rob Lancashire, Sales and Marketing Director at nFlow, added, “We are always looking for ways to enable customers to extend the scope of their existing technology and in doing so, maximise their investment. Our solution’s open architecture allows it to seamlessly integrate with third party applications, facilitating improved workflow and therefore operational efficiencies for firms.

“Like us, Freeth Cartwright has a reputation for innovation and customer focus, which makes us a great partnership.”

nFlow Strengthens Leading Position in the Accountancy Sector With Another Customer Win

nFlow, a leading supplier of digital dictation solutions, today announced that Edmund Carr LLP, a leading South East based accountancy firm, has implemented nFlow as its Digital Dictation Software (DDS) solution of choice, replacing its traditional tape-based dictation system. Edmund Carr LLP chose nFlow for the solution’s ability to deliver immediate productivity benefits to the firm. In addition, the proven feedback from current users of nFlow’s DDS in the accountancy sector significantly contributed to Edmund Carr’s selection of nFlow.

The nFlow DDS solution is facilitating greater business efficiency and reducing operational costs due to better utilisation of staff resources, faster turnaround time of transcripts, and better management and control of dictation tasks, all of which is contributing to an enhanced customer service from Edmund Carr LLP.

Edmund Carr follows close on the heels PKF LLP, ranked amongst the UK’s top 10 accountants and business advisors; and Scott-Moncrieff, one of the leading Scotland-based firms, to deploy nFlow’s digital dictation technology.

Stewart Martin, Partner at Edmund Carr LLP, said, “Given the volume of transcripts that are generated in the firm, it made huge business sense for us to take advantage of modern digital dictation workflow technology to realise improved efficiency gains. We are already seeing a greater utilisation of our secretarial staff and are now able to use the extra resource for other important business activities such as business development and marketing. In fact, this is the best software we have taken on recently - it has delivered instant productivity benefits to the firm, which will give us a definite advantage in the current economic climate.

“When we started looking for a digital dictation solution, based on our market survey and dialogue with innovative technology users in the accountancy sector such as PKF, it became amply evident that nFlow is the leading choice of solution in this sector. However, during our interactions with the company, we were very impressed by nFlow’s understanding of the unique challenges in our industry, and the company’s articulation of its strategic focus on the accountancy sector for the long term. All this combined made nFlow the best choice for our business.”

The nFlow DDS solution is delivering significant efficiencies for fee-earners and secretaries alike at the firm. Fee-earners are able to prioritise tasks for secretaries based on client imperatives. Previously, secretarial staff were simply handed tapes with no idea of how long the transcripts were and what the level of urgency was. Now secretaries are able to view detailed information about the dictations provided and also receive Outlook-style alerts when tasks are due, significantly aiding efficiency and productivity. Also, because dictations are allocated in real-time, they are better able to organise workload and deliver more speedily, enabling fee-earners to offer an improved service to their clients.

These benefits will be even more pronounced during busy seasons such as January when tax returns are due. The bulk of dictations at Edmund Carr LLP are for letters and fee notes. nFlow will enable fee-earners to deliver personalised correspondence as opposed to standard letters, demonstrating attention to detail and a high level of customer care.

Rob Lancashire, Sales and Marketing Director at nFlow, commented, “There is a compelling business case for the adoption of digital dictation workflow technology in the accountancy sector, especially at this time when the pressure to reduce costs is at its greatest. In fact, the fixed fee nature of accountancy work makes the productivity gains from DDS solutions even more beneficial for accountancy firms than it does for law firms, where digital dictation technology is already mainstream. This is driving the adoption of DDS solutions in the accountancy sector.

“We understand the working practices of the professional accountancy sector, and will continue to evolve our solution to meet its changing business requirements. We are committed to this sector for the long term. This along with our attention to detail when it comes to exceeding client expectations is what differentiates us and is the key reason for our growing success in this sector.”

nFlow DDS is a work-flow based solution that includes microphone and headphone-related hardware, and offers an intuitive Microsoft Outlook-style interface. The solution can be deployed in both, Terminal Services or Citrix environments and utilises the industry standard Microsoft SQL Server. It also supports a wide range of mobile devices including BlackBerry and Windows Mobile.