Many tasks in the legal profession involve form completion, usually by the client. This kind of task is ideally suited to an online service. The User creates an account, logs in and completes the form. This may then initiate an automated response - an email confirmation etc. It may also initiate an e-commerce transaction, a payment and clearance. In some cases an automated response is also possible - such as the draft of a letter.
Usually, for historical and / or auditing requirements, the legal firm will be using an internal database - and the website completed form will need to be entered into that database - usually to provide a reference number and initiate an internal workflow.
So, the simple on-line form application becomes a lot more complicated.
Some applications are available, pre-developed - on the cloud. These shared services are popular because they are cheap. But they are not customisable for your business. And those customers who want to keep ahead of the game will find themselves demoted to "just one of the crowd" - providing the same service as everybody else.
In any case, "migrating" the internal database to the cloud-based service is not simple, or cheap. And it more often than not will force a working practice on the legal firm.
There is a third way, a method that maintains the Legal Firms identity and independence - to utilise the in-house database as the method of managing and maintaining service. Using a flexible and non-technical platform, such as XPOR, to both run the Application / From process and synchronise with the local database.
XPOR is a unique object oriented web platform. It is entirely focussed on enabling the non-technical person set up and manage what would ordinarily be seen as VERY technical things.
