Weightmans set to build business on DNA platform

Axxia Systems and top 75 firm Weightmans have announced details of a major project that will see Axxia DNA rolled out to the entire 750 strong organisation.

A comprehensive consulting phase to define requirements, deliverables, budgets and timeframes will precede a phased, tailored migration that will place the new web-based business management system on every desktop across the five office network.

Managing partner Patrick Gaul explained the firm's decision:

"We have recently restructured the firm and are embarking on a strategy to 2010. Our IT infrastructure is integral to every aspect of that strategy. We need to embrace a next generation IT solution that fully supports our business lines.

Real-time, accurate management information on a wide range of our business processes was an essential buying criterion.

It seemed to us that DNA had excellent process management capability and would help us to understand what is happening in the business and help our people to manage it better.

We have used our case management system for many years now and we see great potential for further developments in terms of internal performance, efficiency in our business systems, enhanced client communication and marketing.

The beauty of DNA is in its entity structure and workflow modelling tool which gives us in-house control over the design and deployment of even highly complex workflows which means we can be responsive to changes affecting the business and gain a competitive edge. 

That's in addition to all the inherent advantages of BPM - consistent standards, production efficiencies, cost reduction, enhanced risk management and performance monitoring. We are excited by this enabling technology and we intend to maximise our investment in it."

Weightmans' Head of Business Systems and Services, Stuart Whittle, explained that there were a number of additional but equally critical boxes that DNA ticked. "From an IT perspective, the fact that we can avoid the ‘big bang' and instead enjoy a managed, measured migration has been very influential in our thinking. We need to ensure continuity for all 750 members of the firm and so we have to dictate the pace - the quality of the Axxia roadmap means that at no point will we be having to compromise our operations.

Another plus was the sheer breadth of functional elements that exists within the unified DNA solution - this will probably significantly reduce the need for investment in and management of third party products. Add to that the improved user experience, the reduced training time and the traditional gains of a web-based/thin client application and you have a very compelling argument on Total Cost of Ownership grounds alone. When you take everything into consideration, including the stability and experience of the solution provider, a ‘yes to DNA' was really the only logical outcome."

Axxia's managing director, Stuart Holden, commented: "Weightmans is one of our largest, most progressive clients and we are delighted that they have chosen DNA to underpin their strategic programme. We have invested heavily over the last three years to deliver a solution that aligns with our clients' vision of how they want to work - more and more now want to harness the full potential of leading-edge process control and we are giving them the means to do that. For some it will be a fast-track route, for others a more stately progress but the end game is the same - an unrivalled business management capability that will safeguard and strengthen the legal enterprise."

The Weightmans deal comes at a time of increasing activity amongst the Axxia user base as more and more firms start positioning themselves to embrace a browser and business process management future. Indeed, the stream of clients looking to move forward has had a significant impact on Axxia's recent trading performance. Conversions to Artiion, the foundation stone of onward migration, have fuelled a 216% increase in user sales in the October-December period compared with the same quarter last year. A 100% increase on last year is forecast for the forthcoming quarter.

Published on: 26-03-2007