Our client is one of the US’s largest public defender offices, providing legal representation and advocacy free of cost to people facing charges in criminal, family, and immigration courts. When the Executive Director engaged us, each of their practice areas was using different case and document management systems to manage the workflow and client records for their cases. The capabilities of each system varied, and some of the platforms were outdated and not able to meet the client’s current security and resiliency standards. The siloed systems made it difficult to handle cases that involved multiple practice areas, and there was significant manual effort involved in analyzing case data and preparing reports that our client’s funders required, as well as additional IT burden to manage multiple systems and vendors. The client had already begun researching options for a new, unified, case management system and the Executive Director engaged Anoteros to bring expertise in technology sourcing and to accelerate the process.

We mobilized an Anoteros team to drive the selection process forward. Our business analysis experts held workshops with each practice area to understand their day-to-day working processes and then document detailed functional requirements for the new systems. In parallel, we began reviewing the functional capabilities of the potential vendor systems, as well as using Anoteros’ IT expertise to define service level, system, and security requirements. Once the requirements were defined, we issued a detailed Request for Proposal and then held a series of scripted demos where representatives from each of the practice areas were able to review each product’s suitability for their own unique workflows. The client selected a case management system that was designed specifically for legal case management but built on a Salesforce platform, providing significant capability to customize workflows across the legal practices. We also assisted the client with selecting a document management system that could easily integrate with the chosen case management system. We developed a high-level implementation plan and led contract negotiations with the vendors.

Anoteros enabled the client to conduct a rapid business analysis and selection process, reaching a selection decision within just 12 weeks. Our team complimented the client’s legal practice expertise with application, security, and sourcing expertise, together allowing for a comprehensive and diligent selection process. Anoteros is thrilled to now be assisting the client with the implementation of the chosen systems.