Burgoynes has selected SOS Connect from Bath-based Solicitors Own Software for streamlined and integrated case, workflow and customer relationship management.

Burgoynes is a pre-eminent practice of consulting scientists and engineers specialising in the forensic investigation of fires, explosions, engineering failures and other incidents. The firm operates from eight offices in the UK and others in the USA, Singapore and Hong Kong. As probably the largest practice in the UK, the firm has investigated many disasters including the explosion and fire at Buncefield in 2005. The organisation provides expert witness services to the legal, insurance and commercial sectors.

The firm, which was founded in 1968, decided to replace the existing disparate systems used for recording case instructions and marketing with an integrated solution to improve efficiency and client service. Initially the view was that a CRM (customer relationship management) system would best meet the requirement. However as Burgoynes Partner Peter Jowett said: "On further examination these systems didn't really hit the mark. Many of our clients are solicitors so we decided to look at the systems that they use. This led us to SOS Connect."

There are many parallels in Burgoynes' working practices with those of law firms including taking and recording case instructions, assigning a fee earner to a case, standard business processes, workflows and the use of template letters. "We chose SOS Connect because we found the software more closely aligned to our business needs than any CRM system, it offered far better value for money as well as the flexibility to create a more tailored solution".

SOS Connect will be rolled out to Burgoynes' eight UK offices and is expected to be implemented by summer 2010. Burgoynes will then review extending the use of Connect for accounts and other requirements to create one fully integrated system.

David McNamara, managing director of SOS said: "We are delighted to welcome Burgoynes as a new client and look forward to working with them in the coming months on this exciting project."

About SOS www.soslegal.co.uk
SOS is one of the most progressive providers of software and services to the legal profession and one of the largest with 400 clients and a 20 year pedigree. SOS Connect, the flagship application, is breaking new ground in practice and case management combining efficiency through high levels of process automation with flexibility for lawyers to create and control their own work flows. The Virtual Practices division for smaller firms delivers all the benefits of SOS Connect as a fully-hosted solution together with an outsourced legal cashiering service.

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