Owen Hodge Lawyers are a mid-sized Sydney-based practice with three offices and 50 staff. Over the past eight years, the firm has grown via the strategic acquisition of eleven smaller suburban practices.
They always knew that to be successful with this strategy they would need reliable and scalable IT that would seamlessly support their business no matter the size.
Several years ago, due to their successful growth, Owen Hodge spoke with Innessco about implementing a hosted desktop and help desk. Their IT provider at the time convinced Owen Hodge to stay put – citing the risk of excessive cost and time.
A change of heart, timing and provider
A few years later the firm’s close relationship with its IT provider cooled and so they decided to re-visit the idea of a Hosted Desktop and help desk solution.
“There’s a lack of control that can be felt when your IT becomes intangible, so the challenge is getting your head around the fact that the Hosted Desktop and help desk can do everything that needs to be done.” – Rolf Howard, Managing Partner
The practice’s eagerness to embrace the possibility of digital technology to support superior service delivery made committing to a change easier than it had been previously.
After carefully weighing the possibilities afforded by digital technology against the time-cost of changing technology, Owen Hodge opted for a more-modern approach to managing their firm’s IT.
A simple and painless transition
Managing Partner Rolf Howard expected to discover complexities during the transition given the firm was leaving a known provider who had served them well to a new provider in a new digital environment but the complexities never materialised.
“There were no problems – it was surprisingly painless!” – Rolf Howard
Moving to the Hosted Desktop did not cause any problems for them or their staff, and they were surprised – but delighted – about the hands-on approach Innessco directors Robert and David had during the transition process.
“Robert and David were more proactive than I had anticipated – they didn’t pass the buck. They spent time visiting our firm a lot, which was reassuring”
While the partners were ready, some of the staff were harder to convince.
Some members of the team worried about not having an IT staff member onsite. This was quickly quashed when they realised how supportive the help desk was, and that they could get a response at any time. Within 6 months of engaging Innessco, the whole team was on-board and pleased with the change of service.
“It’s so much simpler than having to wait for the IT person to get to the office. The whole system is a whole lot better.” – Senior Lawyer
A surprising cost advantage
Even though the change was not motivated by cost savings, Owen Hodge found that the change has allowed them to re-align some office administration roles and responsibilities that were previously focused on supporting IT issues, freeing up significant staff overhead cost.
Perhaps more importantly, they have found an IT solution that fits into their strategic growth plan, and will continue to support them no matter the size they grow to.
“We needed good, reliable, and scalable IT capacity – and that is now our reality. They are a better IT department than we’ve ever had.”
Find your solution.
If you are similar to Owen Hodge Lawyers and have out-grown your IT provider, you might benefit from a discussion about your options for your IT.
To find out your options, contact Innessco today here, or give Innessco a call on 02 7200 4400 or email robert.cox@innessco.com.
Alternatively, you can get a comprehensive idea of how well your firm’s IT is performing by heading over to innessco.com/evaluation-tool/ and taking the quick survey.