Data migration from other Practice Management Software Vendors

Quill has migrated data from over 750 law firms across 40 different software systems in the UK to our cloud-based practice management solution. Isn’t it time to set your practice up for success?

Why replace legacy practice management systems?

Nobody likes change. And when it comes to your practice management software– there’s a lot at stake. Many law firms are discouraged from changing legal software providers because they perceive that it will be too hard, too painful and too expensive. But what about the benefits of growing, evolving and progressing your practice? Another worry is, of course, the “shock-horror” of transferring your old database into the new system!

Let’s take a trip down memory lane… ask yourself: why did you invest in a practice management system in the first place?

You must have had high hopes for it: you thought it would improve productivity, streamline procedures, help you go paperless, keep you compliant and support your revenue goals.

Remember those days? Now, ask yourself – do you still want the same things for your business today? Of course, you do!

Customer Onboarding

Once a signed agreement is made between your practice and Quill, our sales consultants liaise directly with our implementation team and provide them with a detailed brief on your business, desired timings and specific data conversion needs.

Complete Configuration Pack

From there, our Implementation Manager and his team will connect with you and ask you to complete the all-important “Configuration Pack”. This document is used to configure your initial database and includes key data fields such as year-end date, VAT quarters, client and office bank account details, nominal structure, case types, fee earners, etc.

Create Practice-Specific Templates

Ahead of the “go-live,” we’ll liaise with our support team to ensure your Quill system is set up with the necessary templates and document administration in readiness for your training. If you’ve purchased our document management system, we’ll also book in training with your document administrators to show them how to use the system as well as edit and create new document templates and i-tags.

Data Conversion

With a goal “go-live” date already in mind, we’ll work with you on a proposed cut off date for transferring over your data. When we take a backup copy of your data for conversion, we’ll also ask for the following month-end reports: Bank reconciliation (including any unreconciled adjustments); Ledger balances; Trial balance; Nominal balances; Unpaid bills/aged debtors; Unbilled WIP/aged WIP (if appropriate); Balance sheet; and Bank balances.

Trial Migration Into Quill

Once we receive and process all of your data, you can take a tour of your new Quill system with all your information migrated over. Now is the time to request changes to the way your data will be stored and organised, and fine-tune your system to your needs so there are no surprises at “go-live”.

Client Sign-Off

Once all requested amends are sorted and you are happy with what you see in the test migration site, your firm is just steps away from going live.

Live Conversion & Training

Once you approve your new Quill system, we will schedule the final data conversion to coincide with the “go-live” date for your new system. In the meantime, we’ll engage with your team ahead to deliver the necessary training sessions.

Go-Live!

Congratulations! As your data is hosted in the cloud, as soon as your live conversion is ready, your team can log straight in and start working within Quill. Our system is super intuitive and easy to use – if you can work a website page, you can work and navigate around Quill.

Ongoing Support

Of course, our support doesn’t just end once your account is live – our teams will be fully briefed about your go-live and will be ready to support your firm. The first two weeks in the new system, you’ll still have your implementation manager and the team available to help, and after that, you’ll be in the capable hands of our support team. We also offer webinars, in-person training and relevant documentation to help you every step of the way. After Quill has been bedded in, we will regularly check in with you to ensure your system is running smoothly.

Practice management without the frustration

We don’t take your decision to switch to us lightly. Law Society affiliate partner Quill’s experienced team has successfully migrated data from over 750 law firms across 40 different software systems in the UK to our cloud-based practice management solution. Our experts take your data – however old the existing system or no matter how messy it may seem – and bring it over to Quill where your accounts, client, matter and document information is all stored securely.

Easy set up and fast adoption

Rest assured that the integrity of your practice management records will not be lost in the data migration process. Our experts will be there to guide you every step of the way until the entire practice feels comfortable with the new way of working and we are confident that your onboarding meets our own internal quality standards.

Meets Legal Software Suppliers Association (LSSA) standards

The LSSA outlines clear recommendations for data conversion such as extracting data in an industry-standard format within a reasonable timeframe, exporting associated case-related documents, generating reports on current data, supporting trial conversions through mutual supplier cooperation, transforming data to accommodate subtle differences between databases and checking data integrity once converted with any requisite correctional activity. Quill is fully accredited by the LSSA.

Learn more

“The team at Quill that I have engaged with have ensured a largely seamless transition from our old system to their platform. They have been helpful, attentive, knowledgeable and informative and above all have delivered on time. I have actually enjoyed working with them and feel confident about our future using the platform given the success of the on-boarding experience.”

Neil Heavisides, Managing Director & Chartered Legal Executive Longden Walker & Renney Solicitors

Frequently asked questions

What is data migration?

In its simplest form, data migration (also known as data conversion) takes your data from your previous supplier’s system and imports it into your new Quill database, maintaining the integrity of the records in the process. The precise conversion needs will vary between law firms, depending on whether every financial transaction is required or just a closing ledger balance at the point of transfer. Similarly, some firms will require all case documents to be migrated while others might have an alternative documents solution.

What data can Quill migrate?

Typically, data conversions will include:

Existing client information – including names, addresses, contact details, etc.
Matter and case details – including dates, descriptions, cases, etc.
Unbilled time entries and expenses
Fee earners
Departments and matter types
Branches
Banks – including transactions
Matter ledger transactions – including bills, disbursements, etc.
Time recording – including entries, charge rates, etc.
Nominal ledgers – including chart of accounts and transactions
Document history – including Word Documents, emails, PDFs, etc.

Quill will also migrate your files (documents, pictures, videos, PDF, etc.) provided that you give us direct access to them (USB encrypted key, Dropbox, VPN, etc.). Please note that as a Quill customer you always have unlimited data storage.

What can’t be migrated?

Nominal History that is older than one financial year
Supplier transactions (except in some rare circumstances or as nominal accounts)
User Permissions

How long will my data conversion take?

The length of time it takes for a transition is largely dependent on how your data is currently formatted and the complexity of the data you wish to import.

To get an idea of the timing, we will sample your data. This will show us the complexity of the job and we can then give an accurate estimate as to how long the process will take. Typically, most systems can be converted within a week but some really complex ones might take a few months.

Remember, Quill’s data migration is custom to you, which means you get exactly what you want and where you want it, and your software is customised to how you like to work.

What advice do you wish your clients heeded when it comes to data conversion?

Great question. The best advice we have is to remember the adage “rubbish in, rubbish out”. We insist that you take the time before migration to understand the data you currently have and make decisions on what you do and don’t want to bring over. Be realistic. This is the ideal time to update templates, remove any previous duplication, errors or old coding and clean up matters. It would be useful to also highlight any known issues with your historical data early on to your Implementation Manager. Trust us – we’ve seen it all!

How will my team get trained on using Quill?

Our system is super intuitive and easy to use – if you can work a website page, you can work and navigate around Quill. During step seven of the migration process, we’ll talk you through your custom training needs. Below is an example of a typical training schedule:

Day one: Legal cashier training (full day)
Days two-four: Fee earner training (one hour) with a maximum of six attendees per training (more sessions available as needed)
Month-end training: Scheduled for the first month-end with the new system
Optional: Document management training (1.5 hours)

Will I still need my own servers?

The Quill system is hosted in the cloud, which means all you need is secure access to the internet. Everything else is taken care of as part of your licence model – there are no hidden costs. For many of our clients, they find this to be an easier option rather than paying separately for this IT overhead.

What if my current provider won’t provide my data to me?

Unfortunately, some providers make it as difficult as possible for clients to migrate their data. They will store your data in a proprietary format without giving you the ability to download yourself without incurring disproportionate fees to export your own data. And yet, this data is not theirs to hold – it belongs to you. This is unethical and also breaches data protection legislation and the LSSA’s standards. Not to mention being the worst type of client retention strategy there is! But don’t let this deter you – our consultants are experienced with these tactics and will talk you through the best approach to obtaining your data.

What systems requirements do I need to use Quill?

Take a look at our handy PDF that details the systems requirement you need for Quill’s legal software.