The cloud is no longer ‘pie in the sky’ for mid-sized law firms, who are increasingly overcoming any misgivings they once had about security, cost, and performance, and recognizing that it can satisfy their (and clients‘) requirements for innovation and superior service delivery.
Firms may decide to test the water by migrating to the cloud gradually at first, but often, the ultimate goal is to move their practice and financial management systems into the cloud — and to ensure that these business-critical capabilities are always optimized. Law firm leaders want the confidence of knowing that the IT infrastructure their firm relies on will remain fit-for-purpose and up-to-date at all times for years to come — with next to no input required on their firm’s part to maintain or upgrade it.
Large law firms using the 3E practice and financial management solution have for some time been able to have it hosted in the cloud, but this option may have seemed out of reach for many mid-sized law firms, because 3E offered more than they typically needed. More features, more functionality, more options for customization — many of which would never be used by smaller firms, resulting in unnecessary cost, and therefore limited return on investment.
To address this issue, Elite has now launched 3E Essentials, which is a simplified yet ample version of 3E for mid-sized firms. It retains the core capabilities of 3E, but packages them into a pared-back format that is even easier to set up and use, focusing specifically on the primary requirements of the mid-tier market. In this way, you can access many of the same benefits that large law firms enjoy, in a way that suits you, allowing you to:
Reduce complexity
Sometimes, the more options you have, the more complex a solution becomes. With 3E Essentials, less is more. You can tailor the software to suit your needs by simply choosing from a list of pre-set configurations that you just turn on or off ahead of going live. There is some scope to change basic set-ups, but no need for time-consuming custom coding to make it your own. Integrations with key generic third-party software applications are included, as are dashboards, reports and metrics, which again can be adjusted as required to suit your preferences. 3E Essentials also comes with a selection of pre-built stock templates and workflows that can be personalized before being deployed. You can self-serve most of what you need.
Increase insight and efficiency
All of the above enables you to work smarter. Key information and insights are clearly displayed, it’s easy to drill down into the data to find the information you want, processes like creating documents or time entry are streamlined, and digital training resources are easily accessible via a digital library and in-app guides. Users can complete tasks quickly and easily, and finance teams and firm decision-makers are well-informed. All in all, there’s far less effort required on your part, so you have more visibility over your business and more time to spend on client work.
Minimize pain points
Managing periodic software updates to on-premises systems is a headache your firm could do without, given all the disruption and downtime it causes, but in the cloud, updates can automatically take place in the background without you even noticing. It shouldn’t only be large law firms that have the advantage of having all their software update seamlessly in the cloud — now mid-sized law firms can get rid of this pain point too.
Save time and money
Time is money. Mid-sized law firms will want to minimize the time it takes (and the internal resources required) to get their cloud solutions up and running. Thanks to the simplicity of 3E Essentials, they can accelerate their time-to-value by going live in as little as four months from when the cloud migration project first kicks off. Moreover, because it is a scaled-back version of 3E, it’s a more cost-effective option at the point of purchase.
Be capable and competitive
To put themselves on par with larger law firms, mid-sized firms need to embrace the capabilities of cloud-based solutions that those firms are already using — but in a way that’s not overwhelming or overly expensive. By doing so, they can position themselves ahead of the mid-tier pack too.
With its robust security, resilient performance and scalability, the cloud should be available to everyone. Discover more about how to become 3E Capable with 3E Essentials.
