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Porter Dodson Solicitors & Advisors is one of the largest legal practices in the South West of England. They offer a wide range of legal services in both commercial and personal matters.
The firm has a number of offices in the region and provides a personalised quality service to all its clients. They have a mixed environment with most offices running Citrix. LexisNexis
Axxia is their PMS and case management software. They have a mix of HP, Lexmark and Olivetti printing devices.

The Challenge
Individuals in the firm were printing to their desktop devices and each time they wished to print to letterhead or continuation paper they needed to change the paper in the tray manually. This was inefficient, time consuming and prone to user errors.
When two of the firm’s offices merged and moved location they took the opportunity to introduce multi-function network printers. This was an ideal time to explore new software that would make the print process simple for users and improve efficiency and productivity.

Smooth Implementaion
After deciding that the print program was the best tool for this, Porter Dodson introduced the software onto their IT systems. The software helped ease a major IT transition.
Jill Wiseman, IT Manager explains, ‘When we moved to network printing there was a great deal of resistance from users, they all felt it would be complicated to print. The software we invested in dispelled all these feelings. It is incredibly easy for users to print and has allowed us to facilitate a
smooth transition between hardware. Introducing
new systems is always a challenge but this gave users little opportunity to complain because it worked so well.’
‘When we have encountered minor issues the developers have dealt with these in a swift manner. We have also suggested changes to the software that they have been happy to introduce, which have helped our staff to work better.’

Administrator and User Friendly
Users no longer have to consider the number of pages they need to print and the type of paper they are printing on. They simply choose an option from the pre-defined list and the program configures the
printer to do the rest. Jill Wiseman stated, ‘users are so fond of the program that were we to take it away there would be uproar, it would definitely negatively affect the way they work.
They love that there is no need to think about what they need to do to configure their print job.’ The administration of the software is also simple. Should a new print style be needed that incorporates a number of different options such as landscape on one page and different watermarks on each page this can be done centrally by the IT department. This is easier than each user
configuring the print themselves and introducing these new styles is simple, time efficient and ensures consistency.

Working Results
The program has resulted in more effective working. Users now print to network devices and the program configures users output to specific trays so each user’s print will always be printed to the same output tray. This helps ensure consistency and eliminates the need for each user to search through a number of documents to find theirs. Porter Dodson has experienced a reduction in paper waste.
With automatic configuration of paper trays and print there are no errors with users placing the incorrect paper in trays.
The program selects the right paper, be it letterhead, continuation or one of the other options. This has impacted on cost as efficient print devices and fewer re-prints are needed reducing toner and paper costs. This also has associated environmental benefits. Jill Wiseman explains, ‘essentially the program makes it easier for our users to work efficiently and productively. They are working on a more modern system that has resulted in a reduction of wasted time and they can therefore service our clients better. It has greatly improved the way our staff work.’

Integral to Recovery
It is already a key element of the disaster recovery plan as it is quick and easy to set up and can be used with any manufacturer’s devices. This flexibility is key and ensures that it can be utilised in any environment regardless of the hardware available.

User Verdict
‘The project has been excellent, with the software performing every function expected of it. It helped enable the firm to facilitate a smooth transition from desktop to network printing and for that I am very glad. Simply put the users are now free to produce their work without worrying about how to print. I would definitely recommend the print program.’
Jill Wiseman, IT Manager, Porter Dodson Solicitors

Porter Dodson

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