This Bluerave Flexi-Pod, or boilerplate, is designed especially for legal firms and provides all the functionality required for the adoption of a new client and for opening new matter for an existing client. Specifically, it covers the following areas:-
- Conflict Check
- Customer due diligence
- Anti Money Laundering (AML)
- Know your Customer (KYC)
- Matter (file) opening
- Management digital dashboard
Bluerave’s New Client Flexi-Pod, is based upon the market leading Ultimus human centric Business
Process Management (BPM) platform. Ultimus is accepted as the fastest BPM solution to develop and
deploy.
Some people argue that the boiler plate approach is both restrictive in design and difficult to adapt. Whilst this may be true with competitor offerings, the Bluerave Flexi-Pods, thanks to Ultimus, remain infinitely flexible and very fast to adapt.
A major benefit of the Bluerave Flexi-Pod approach is that it provides a law firm with a best practice model, shortcutting the discovery process, provides a basis for discussion, and is able to be quickly adapted into an individualised model, precisely meeting the exact requirements of each law firm. Industry analysts assert that the most time consuming, and risky, part of a project is the ‘discovery’ phase.
The discovery phase comprises; working out what happens, why things happen, what the rules are, what the exceptions are, what the escalations are, what management controls and reports are required etc… and all this has to be clearly understood and documented. Analysts suggest that the discovery phase can take up to 75% of the overall projects time and resources, and is the most common area of project failure. The Flexi-Pod approach, by providing a fully functional ‘example’ allows the fast development of a tailored solution. This is achieved using a simple drag-and-drop technology, short cutting the discovery phase, reducing risk, adopting industry best practices and providing a demonstrable
working model within a day.
FAQ's For New Client Flexi-Pod
Some people argue that the boiler plate approach is both restrictive in design and difficult to adapt. Whilst this may be true with competitor offerings, the Bluerave Flexi-Pods, thanks to Ultimus, remain infinitely flexible and very fast to adapt.
A major benefit of the Bluerave Flexi-Pod approach is that it provides a law firm with a best practice model, shortcutting the discovery process, provides a basis for discussion, and is able to be quickly adapted into an individualised model, precisely meeting the exact requirements of each law firm. Industry analysts assert that the most time consuming, and risky, part of a project is the ‘discovery’ phase.
The discovery phase comprises; working out what happens, why things happen, what the rules are, what the exceptions are, what the escalations are, what management controls and reports are required etc… and all this has to be clearly understood and documented. Analysts suggest that the discovery phase can take up to 75% of the overall projects time and resources, and is the most common area of project failure. The Flexi-Pod approach, by providing a fully functional ‘example’ allows the fast development of a tailored solution. This is achieved using a simple drag-and-drop technology, short cutting the discovery phase, reducing risk, adopting industry best practices and providing a demonstrable
working model within a day.
FAQ's For New Client Flexi-Pod
How long does it take from inception to go live?
- The working model (as per above) is developed – 1 day
- The revisions to the input forms, status controls and interfaces are agreed – 1 day
- The input forms are revised – 2 days
- The logic rules are revised – 2 days
- The technical environment and architecture is agreed – 1 day
- The tailored Flexi-Pod is demonstrated, and final adjustments and revisions are agreed – 1 day
- The final adjustments and revisions are implemented – 1 day
- The final revision and amendments are demonstrated (by Webex) – 1 hour
- After a lapsed time of 5 days the software is delivered, installed and re-tested – 1 day
- The Flex-iPod is then interfaced into the existing applications (e.g. CRM, DMS, PMS, HR) – 5 days
- Final rigorous testing and sign off – 2 days
- User ‘train-the-trainer’ training – 1 day
- Other training – 2 days
Totals
Lapsed time - 25 to 40 working days
Bluerave chargeable resources - 19 days
What resources does the law firm need to supply?
- 2, or more, empowered people to define the business needs (working model) - 1 day
- 1, or more, people to agree revisions to forms, business rules and interfaces – 1 day (unless included in previous)
- At least 2 people to review the individualised Flexi-Pod and agree amendments and/or revisions – 1 day
- An Individual with Active Directory skills, to detail current set-up, agree single sign on rules and possibly explain and/or revise Active Directory Organisational Unit Groups to be used for routing, permissions etc.. 1 day
- An individual with Microsoft SQL and Microsoft IIS skills and knowledge of the existing setup and permissions to assist with the installation – 1 day
- An individual to set up and prepare the planned installation environment – 1 day
- A resource to supervise the installation – 1 day
- A resource familiar with the existing applications, their permissions and their interfaces – 3 days
- 2 individuals for testing – 2 days
- 2 individuals for training – 3 days
- A resource to project manage all of the above resources and act as prime contact – 5 days
Totals
Lapsed time - 25 to 40 working days
Internal resource – circa 25 days
How can I look at the Flexi-Pod?
The New Client Flexi-Pod is available for demonstration via Webex or a personalised
demonstration at your offices.
Why is the Flexi-Pod free?
The Flexi-Pod is just the starting point, it takes you to about 80% where you need to be, saving
enormous amounts of discovery time and reusing significant development time. But it still requires
a degree of effort and resource from both Bluerave and the law firm to complete.
Even though a law firms might think it may have the same requirements as another firm, there are always unique differences. For example, how are job functions, relative job functions and responsibilities to be derived? From a HR database or from Active Directory? And how has Active Directory been implemented so far? Consequently, the raw Flexi-Pod will always require a degree of tailoring.
Although the Flexi-Pod is free, there is a requirement to purchase the underlying BPM platform (Ultimus) and the Bluerave resources used to tailor the Flexi-Pod.
Even though a law firms might think it may have the same requirements as another firm, there are always unique differences. For example, how are job functions, relative job functions and responsibilities to be derived? From a HR database or from Active Directory? And how has Active Directory been implemented so far? Consequently, the raw Flexi-Pod will always require a degree of tailoring.
Although the Flexi-Pod is free, there is a requirement to purchase the underlying BPM platform (Ultimus) and the Bluerave resources used to tailor the Flexi-Pod.
How accurate is the estimate of cost and resources?
Prior to commitment by the law firm to go ahead, Bluerave will demonstrate the functionality of
the Flexi-Pod and describe the tailoring process. The law firm will be provided with a questionnaire
in which they are asked to summarise the revisions they would like and detail their existing
operating environment and applications.
Bluerave will review the questionnaire and then offer a fixed price quotation. If there are any reasons why the Bluerave resources should exceed the 19 days detailed above, explicit reasons will be given.
The cost of the Ultimus BPM platform will be included in this quotation. The quotation provided by Bluerave will be valid for 60 days and will detail the approach being followed, detail the timings for resources from the law firm to be made available and will detail the change control process for amendments or deviations from the plan.
Bluerave will review the questionnaire and then offer a fixed price quotation. If there are any reasons why the Bluerave resources should exceed the 19 days detailed above, explicit reasons will be given.
The cost of the Ultimus BPM platform will be included in this quotation. The quotation provided by Bluerave will be valid for 60 days and will detail the approach being followed, detail the timings for resources from the law firm to be made available and will detail the change control process for amendments or deviations from the plan.
What exactly does the Flexi-Pod do?
The conflict of interest check includes:-
- Initiation by an individual (legal exec, secretary or fee earner), then
- Passed to fee earner to agree names if not initiated by fee earner
- Checked against DMS
- Checked against PMS
- Checked against other open conflict checks
- All the above checks use multiple Microsoft Index searches and fuzzy logic.
- Identification of confidential check results (if any)
- Dialog between the partner dealing with the confidential check results and the fee earner
- Return of conflict check results for a decision to be made
- Escalation to senior partner/independent partner if required
- Creation of client/matter in PMS
- Creation of client/matter space in DMS
- Storage of conflict check results in DMS
Variation A - If the law firm is running a central conflicts team, rather than the fee earner dealing
with the whole of the check themselves, there is the option to add the involvement of the central
team where required.
Variation B – If the law firm requires more authorisation checks. E.g By the matter partner, then
there is the option to add this in where required.
The customer due diligence functionality includes:-
- Management of the information gathering
- The AML evaluation
- AML decision making
- Escalation to MLRO (E.g POCA or PEP’s)
- Risk scoring
- Review level and frequency
- Seeking of proofs
- Reminders of outstanding proofs
- Escalation to MLRO for outstanding proofs
- Storage of all results in DMS
- Update of risk review calendar/system
Variation A - If the law firm is running a central risk team, rather than the fee earner dealing with
the whole of the AML check themselves, there is the option to add the involvement of the central
team where required.
Variation B – If the law firm requires more authorisation checks. E.g By the matter partner or ethics partner, then there is the option to add this in where required.
Matter (file) opening, normally occurs at the end of the successful conflict checks and the culmination of the customer due diligence exercise, and includes:-
Variation B – If the law firm requires more authorisation checks. E.g By the matter partner or ethics partner, then there is the option to add this in where required.
Matter (file) opening, normally occurs at the end of the successful conflict checks and the culmination of the customer due diligence exercise, and includes:-
- Finance review
- The creation of labels and files
- Updating of file management system (if appropriate)
The management digital dashboard includes:-
- 5 preset Key performance Indicators (KPI’s)
- Ability to choose monitoring graphics to link to KPI’s
- Ability to set escalation rules for KPI infringements
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Merging the conflict check process, the customer due diligence process and file opening into a single process allows a variety of options. For example, should the file be opened prior to the receipt of all the proofs? consequently, there are some sequencing decisions to be made.
What else is included with the Flexi-Pod?
The Ultimus BPM platform has relatively few limits, it can be used to develop an unlimited number
of other human centric workflow processes. For example, HR processes like; holidays, sickness
and training requests, financial processes like purchase requests or cheque requests.
The Ultimus BPM platform includes a graphical process designer, a process scenario optimiser, a forms developer, a rules engine, an administration suite, a Business Activity Monitoring (BAM) repository and a closed loop that passes the real event information back to the optimiser.
Although the Flexi-Pod is only initially configured with 5 management digital dashboard elements, this can be expanded as required.
Ultimus uses standard Microsoft technologies. Microsoft IIS, Microsoft SQL, WebServices and .Net. Microsoft themselves have deployed Ultimus in 6 countries!
Ultimus has been installed in over 1,700 organisations and its larges installation has over 5,000 users.
A full development license for Ultimus is standard with the Flexi-Pod. Other licensing options are available on request for customers who; already have Ultimus, would prefer a run-time only license or require a hosted run-time solution.
The Ultimus BPM platform includes a graphical process designer, a process scenario optimiser, a forms developer, a rules engine, an administration suite, a Business Activity Monitoring (BAM) repository and a closed loop that passes the real event information back to the optimiser.
Although the Flexi-Pod is only initially configured with 5 management digital dashboard elements, this can be expanded as required.
Ultimus uses standard Microsoft technologies. Microsoft IIS, Microsoft SQL, WebServices and .Net. Microsoft themselves have deployed Ultimus in 6 countries!
Ultimus has been installed in over 1,700 organisations and its larges installation has over 5,000 users.
A full development license for Ultimus is standard with the Flexi-Pod. Other licensing options are available on request for customers who; already have Ultimus, would prefer a run-time only license or require a hosted run-time solution.
