Optimizing Workflow in Your Firm

Workflow is essentially the system of how work “flows” through your office – all the steps that happen between when a client first contacts you and when you close their file. While we’d all like our workflow and office systems to be smooth, efficient processes that run with little manual interference, the truth is that most law firms’ workflow is haphazard at best.

Often, your workflow has a few key places that are hemorrhaging time and effort. These are the spots where human errors quickly derail your processes and rack up non-billable, unproductive minutes by the truckload. Allegedly, the technology and tools available to us today should solve these trouble-spots for you, but all too often we’ve found that firms just can’t get their technology and their internal systems to mesh into a smooth workflow.

Knackly is one of those technological tools mentioned above, but instead of addressing just one aspect of your workflow, Knackly addresses many. This allows us to overhaul your entire workflow, taking care of many of the big trouble-spots we see in law firms and getting you closer to your ideal, optimal workflow system.

If you’re like many of our clients, your current workflow looks something like this:

• A Client contacts your office.
• Your staff takes down the client’s contact information and (hopefully) schedules an appointment while they’re on the phone.
• Your staff creates a file for the client, maybe in hard copy, maybe in your client management system, likely both.
• If unable to schedule your client’s appointment when on the phone doing their intake, your staff emails and calls the client until they can get an appointment set up.
• You and your staff go through the client’s situation to determine what information and documents you will need to collect in order to proceed with the client’s case.
• Your staff begins the process of collecting data and documents from the client, a process that usually involves several emails and phone calls, possibly the client coming in to deliver documents, and maybe the client filling out a questionnaire – where they have to input much information that your staff has already collected by other means.
• Your staff combines all of the client’s information and documents into your filing system – which, if the client fills in your questionnaire by hand, can involve a fair amount of effort in interpreting the client’s handwriting.
• When you finally meet with your client, you have the questionnaire and printouts of other important information on their case with you; you take notes that will need to be checked later to ensure that you have everything written down correctly.
• Your staff begins the document drafting process. They usually find a version of the documents your client needs in files from old clients, and spend their drafting time revising those documents to fit your current client’s needs.
• You conduct a lengthy, detailed review of the documents – you check names and spelling, the client’s information, and whether the documents have all the right provisions and formatting. You frequently find errors that need fixing, and sometimes end up redrafting the entire document.
• After several rounds of revision, the document is ready to be sent to the client.

With Knackly, your workflow can be redesigned to a cleaner, smoother process – something like this:

• Client contacts your office
• Your staff collects the client’s information and adds them to your client management system (Clio, Practice Panther, etc.)
• The information from your client management system automatically pulls into Knackly and is saved in a secure online database
• Knackly automatically sends an email to the client with a link to your Knackly online questionnaire
• The client fills out the questionnaire; all of the information the client gave to your staff is already filled in for them, saving them time and making input a breeze (plus giving them a favorable impression of how your office works for them)
  • The client is also able to upload statements and documents to the questionnaire, so they can give you all of the information and documentation you need in one easy step
  • After they’ve filled out the questionnaire, the client can download a document showing all of the information they input, so they can review it for accuracy and let you know if anything was entered wrong or needs to be changed.
  • Knackly gathers all the information you will need from your client in this one step based on the documents you will need to create so that you don’t have to sit down and determine what information to collect.
• Upon completion of the online questionnaire, Knackly automatically sends an email to the client – if you have an online scheduling link, that goes directly to the client; otherwise, the email would contain your contact information and a reminder for the client to schedule their appointment.
• Any time you are dealing with that client’s case, you have all of their information in front of you – whether meeting with your staff, reviewing the client’s needs or in your client meetings. You can make changes and additions to the client information any time you need to, quickly and easily.
• Once all the information is in, you can hand off the document production to your staff, who can run the Knackly interview to create the documents.
• Due to Knackly’s ability to ensure your documents are correct and error-free, you can send them to your client with just a quick review.

Knackly combines getting information and documents from the client, saving that information somewhere accessible for you and your staff, managing and updating client information, and producing documents all in one smooth workflow process, along with significantly reducing errors, typos, and inconsistencies across all of your documents. With Knackly, you can refine your office workflow into something that runs smoothly and efficiently to handle all of your clients’ needs.

Additionally, if you feel lost in your workflow or your office processes, we have experts in refining your system who would be happy to step in, have a detailed discussion with you about your current system and your goals, and help you reach the kind of workflow you are looking for.

Schedule a consultation here to learn how Knackly can specifically get you to your optimal workflow. We look forward to hearing from you!