OchreSoft Technologies: a corporate lawyer at the helm builds customer engagement into an online platform

OchreSoft Technologies was established to deliver Intelliworks conveyancing workflow software, which was based on a set of best-practice processes developed by volume conveyancing firm BPE Solicitors. In August 2010,Richard Bretherton, one of the firm’s original founders, took over as CEO. With a lawyer at its helm, OchreSoft has returned a profit, grown by 10% and is expanding its offerings to other practice areas. Joanna Goodman investigates.

Background

Bretherton is the ‘B’ of BPE Solicitors, a 20 partner firm based in Gloucestershire, Bristol and London. In 2004, BPE Solicitors developed a volume conveyancing software package. This proved so effective that it made sense to develop it into a separate business – OchreSoft – and market it to other law firms and licensed conveyancers. External investors were brought in to fund further development – the creation of the Intelliworks platform – and BPE partners remained as minority shareholders. While non-lawyers were brought in as chairman, CEO and CTO, Bretherton remained as a non-executive director; so he has been involved in the business since its inception. In August 2010, Bretherton became CEO. And in just 15 months, the first lawyer to lead the business has grown the business by 10% and brought it back into profit.

What were the main changes that you introduced on taking over as CEO?

“Instead of focusing on the software, which was already excellent, we focused sharply on customer service,” says Bretherton. OchreSoft’s customers are law firms and conveyancers, so as an experienced corporate lawyer, he could relate to their issues and concerns.

Bretherton made the following changes to build synergy between the online service and its clients:

1. The people employed to deliver training have each worked in the legal profession for more than ten years;
2. The website was rebuilt to include a client log-in area which provides training and other support materials;
3. Bretherton makes a point of keeping in touch with customers, to identify their issues and find out what they are looking for, and developing the product in response to their feedback. For example, OchreSoft recently added a compliance section to its website focusing on SRA outcomes regulation.

What did having a corporate lawyer at the helm bring to the business?

1. Bretherton applied his extensive knowledge and experience of working as a lawyer in theprofession and in-house;
2. He gave the business a wider perspective. Bretherton’s previous experience as a non-exec director for businesses as diverse as a steel fabricator on behalf of 3i plc and a fishing tackle wholesale business gave him a strong grasp of universal business principles that apply equally to OchreSoft and all its clients.
3. He brought clear leadership and common sense to support the OchreSoft’s software products.

What differentiates OchreSoft from its competitors?

OchreSoft has been investing significantly in its software. In 2004, its current CTO, Tony Kenyon joined the business and created Intelliworks – a purpose-built cloud-based platform for OchreSoft’s workflow solutions.

OchreSoft’s products resonate with its customers. They originated from BPE Solicitors’ practical experience and are regularly updated to address customers’ real issues and concerns.

As Bretherton explains, workflow software which involves numerous series of processes requires significant upfront investment. OchreSoft’s recently built probate workflow software cost more than £1 million to develop.

Intelliworks solutions are delivered over the cloud on a pay-per-case basis. Firms enter into a contract based on a minimum number of cases per month. OchreSoft’s original business model was designed to be sold as software as a service (SaaS) delivered via the cloud, so it has long experience of delivering what has since become a popular way of purchasing software.

Intelliworks: boosting productivity and managing risk

OchreSoft’s Intelliworks workflow solution is a series of wizards that take the user through different processes. Once the user has keyed in the details of a property transaction, the software prepares a draft contract that includes all potentially relevant clauses, for example on a flying freehold. The system includes 750 standard letters and other documents that a conveyancer might need.

“The 750 letters are controversial in one respect,” observes Bretherton. “Some lawyers believe that they can craft a better phrased letter, and no doubt they can. But OchreSoft’s documents cover all the bases – nothing has been omitted. In this way OchreSoft supports risk management as well as boosting productivity.”

Furthermore every action in the system is date and time stamped, so there is an audit trail of all amendments which are noted under the log-in name.

Intelliworks is updated centrally. This represents another important risk-management factor. As Intelliworks is generally accessed via the internet – although it is also available as an on-site solution – it ensures that all users are working with the same material, which is always up to date. Intelliworks is continually updated so that all documents comply with current legislation and legal practice requirements.

Who uses OchreSoft?

OchreSoft’s typical conveyancing client is a law firm handling between 20 and 400 completions a month. Bretherton explains that firms that handle significantly more transactions tend to invest in bespoke systems. Licensed conveyancers represent another important customer base.

Law firm clients fall into two categories: mid-size firms that focus on volume conveyancing and big firms where conveyancing is not a main practice area, but handle transactions for private clients and staff. For the latter group, the risk management aspect – making sure each stage in the process is properly completed – is particularly important. For firms that undertake volume work, Intelliworks software boosts productivity and consistency.

As Intelliworks is a stand-alone cloud based system, it does not impact on the firm’s IT infrastructure and is accessible from any location. This represents a major advantage for firms with multiple offices.

Integration

The benefit of a stand-alone system can also be seen as a downside in that it does not integrate directly with a firm’s IT infrastructure. Bretherton explains that Intelliworks’ reporting capabilities enable it to produce reports that can easily be incorporated into a firm’s practice management system. However, Intelliworks solutions are not designed to integrate directly into specific systems because there is no industry standard law firm practice management system. For larger firms where conveyancing represents only a small part of their business, a high level of integration is unnecessary and the majority of small to medium-sized firms do not have highly integrated systems.

Changing the probate culture

OchreSoft has recently launched probate software similar to its conveyancing product. Bretherton explains the rationale behind this development. “Historically, lawyers’ fees for probate work are relatively high, although probate is generally a fixed process,” he says, adding that although commoditisation is helping to reduce prices, firms are sometimes reluctant to buy the software that standardises and speeds up the process because they don’t know what to charge their clients! However, new entrants to the market are changing the probate culture and practitioners and others are beginning to welcome innovation. “If our software helps to accelerate the probate process, beneficiaries will get their legacies sooner” observes Bretherton.

Automation and engagement

Bretherton believes that OchreSoft’s combination of automation and engagement is the way forward for commoditised legal services. OchreSoft is a success story – a software company riding on a rapidly changing market. But Bretherton attributes his success to traditional business priorities: reaching out to his customers – law firm decision-makers – finding out what they want and delivering it – whether or not this is on trend with what other IT service providers are doing.

“The issue with commoditised legal work is that it functions on cost savings, and this tends to drive down skill and engagement,” says Bretherton. “However, conveyancing and probate are processes that take sometime to complete, so the law firm needs to engage with its customers.”

As Bretherton explains, Intelliworks’ end users are law firms, not their customers. OchreSoft engages with its customers, the law firms, and by delivering software that automates standard processes, enables them to enhance the services they offer their clients. OchreSoft’s developers are currently working on a range of new products for the probate market. Given Bretherton’s success in establishing a sure foothold in the growing market for commoditised legal services, OchreSoft is surely one to watch in 2012.

For more information on Ochresoft Intelliwork’s please visit: http://www.ochresoft.com/