Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner mbB Rechtsanwälte

«With Vertec, we have become significantly faster on various levels.»

Dr. Stefan Lammel, Managing Partner at Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner mbB Rechtsanwälte

Company

The business law firm Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner mbB has roots in Germany but has a widespread network across the world. More than 100 lawyers think outside the box and cover all areas of business law at the highest professional level. The law firm accompanies its clients in all economic regions of the world, in cooperation with the best local business law firms – committed, solution-oriented and fast.

Why were you looking for a new business software?

Our old system was really outdated: There were no extensions to a document management system, it was not easily customizable or configurable, and the evaluation options were limited. So a change was necessary anyway. We then looked at different systems – including one that would have intervened very centrally and offered many functionalities. Fortunately, we have moved away from it, because the benefits of a modular system are clear: we can do much better with it, we are not so dependent on a solution that claims to do it all, but we really focus on the core functions. For us, that means supporting operational service types – be it files, the associated control mechanisms, such as conflict of interest or money laundering checks, and, of course, time tracking and accounting.

What makes Vertec different from other solutions?

What was particularly important to us was that it was a modular system. We didn’t want a centralized system where all of the firm’s processes and document processing took place and we were limited by that. Instead, we wanted an open system focused on a specific area, with many extensions, through which we could connect many other – even changing – products. So we are not married to a single system, but have the opportunity to develop and rebuild our solution on an ongoing basis.

In which areas has Vertec made your daily work easier?

We have become much faster – not least because we, as lawyers, can complete much more in Vertec ourselves, be it in time to track or prepare invoices. As a result, we are no longer only dependent on working with the secretariat, but can also prepare the corresponding procedures ourselves in the evening if necessary. A lot has also changed at the evaluation level: In the past, this was done completely separately, with requests for Excel spreadsheets and the like. Now you can see very well where you stand, what is still to be settled and what the status of the invoices is – so you have very good access without the system being complicated.

Vertec is very customizable. What should you look out for?

I think we can say that we should try to start with the standard, start small and then expand the whole thing little by little. That is how we have done it. At one point or another, we may have exaggerated it with a special kind of customization or even customer development. This is a typical “lessons learned”: we should try to stay with the standard, to operate things as openly as possible at first and not to regulate too much. Adjust only where it really is needed – rather than trying to map a very complex organization from the outset. It is better to trust that employees can work and handle it well, and limit only where it really is necessary.

What distinguishes the cooperation with Vertec?

Vertec has a really nice team – I mentioned that in the presentation, and it’s really true. It’s a good, enjoyable collaboration, and there’s feedback when you get a little lost. You can get everything you want, not necessarily right away, but you get pointed out where other solutions might be better.

The experience of other customers is also taken into account, of course, without revealing company secrets. This feedback is important to us, so that we do not end up in a dead end following the wrong impulses, but remain in this open system, which can be constantly developed and expanded.

Can you identify a quantifiable benefit from Vertec?

That is, frankly, difficult. I can say that it has become faster, quite simply because the lines between me and my secretariat have largely disappeared. I can see many things directly for myself without having to ask anyone or wait until something is presented to me tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. That is very helpful. However, I cannot quantify it.

Unfortunately, we have never taken the trouble to keep the clock ticking. It is also difficult to say whether it is worth it, because in addition to saving time, the quality of the data that can be used is also much higher. That is why I cannot quantify in euros or time how much we have saved. All I can say is that it has been worth it.

 

 

Disclaimer: The video has been transcribed and texts edited.