One of the most important jobs for any software or search provider is to eliminate any chance of disrupting your workflow by introducing automations.
It is a conveyancer’s job to ensure the due diligence and settlement process is completed in a timely, professional and above all else, accurate manor.
According to the Australian Government, ‘human error’ is commonly cited as the factor for anywhere between 70 to 100 per cent of incidents in the workplace.
And while there are many factors that can influence ‘human error’, in the conveyancing world, a solution to preventing most incidents is by utilising automation.
Automation in the workplace is understood as the process of instructing software and/or hardware with network connections to create automated workflows.
In today’s modern conveyancing industry, using a practice management software (PMS) is one of the most efficient strategies to automate the workplace.
Below are two simple automations you should look for in a PMS to maximise business efficiency.
Due diligence automations
1. Manually ordering
Ensuring you are carrying out due diligence searches for each matter is likely an automatic checklist item in your conveyancing process.
However, having to manually type information and separately select each different search you want to order may add to the time it takes to check this off the list.
Using an integrated PMS will automatically order titles for you. It will also auto-populate the information in the title, so you don’t have to re-key it each time.
Furthermore, it is also at this stage of manually entering, where ‘human error’ incidents can occur. In this instance, using the PMS not only saves time, but considerable reduces the risk of clerical errors.
2. Contract compiling
In the realm of due diligence, having access to automated contract compiling is yet another significant time saver.
The days of opening individual .pdf and document files, printing them manually, re-ordering them to suit your needs, scanning and emailing bulky contracts files, should be long gone.
However, for conveyancers still using this method, introducing an automated PMS can help order electronic contracts and edit and organise them live in one platform.
Using auto compiling will also pre-populate details from your searches and allow you to add or change any information within the contract.
Certain PMS allow the conveyancer to import any document into your contract matter, with the ability to re-arrange it to suit the order you want to have it compiled in.
Once ready, a PMS offers the chance to save and email the finished document internally or to a third party.
The file is also compressed by PMS technology to a smaller size, making it easier to be emailed or uploaded direct into e-signature platforms.
Utilising the best integrated PMS will also save the file back into your matter, reducing any ‘human error’ to contracts throughout the process.
Matter management
1. Document storage & automatic filing
Printing and filing matter documents and storing them in large boxes or clogging up filing cabinets is another example of an area conveyancers can remove from the workplace, especially during a time your work location could change at the drop of a sneeze.
Integrating matter management between search and software is another strategy to automate your workflow, reduce printing costs and remove further ‘human error’.
Using a central storing system within a PMS is a prominent organisational method that can be easily updated and added to with client contact details, or related material to the settlement or matter.
Any additional searches and documents related to the matter, including emails, are also integrated, and automatically filed within the matter for future reference.
2. Prebuilt matter types
Using automated file management can save time when opening a matter and can often be prebuilt to suit your firm.
It means one click can generate all information from your client details, so a conveyancer no longer needs to manually create or type details into each sale or purchase matter.
Top quality PMS have features built in which allow you to customise your matter types ahead of time. Having an integrated platform often results in convenient partnerships with electronic document software Microsoft Word.
Once custom matter types are built, conveyancers can save time from having to perform tedious tasks for every new matter which could lead to accidental errors.
These two automations will not only save you time and money but will improve your client relations, modernise your business and certainly spare you from ‘human error’ that may haunt your books and business.
Importantly, they will help you achieve results and close matters faster than your competitors.
If you want to learn about other must-have automations you need as a conveyancer, you can download our ebook on 5 Simple Automations Every Conveyancer Should be Using.
Alternatively, book a demonstration with our experts to see how our $0 Conveyancing Practice Management System, triConvey, can help introduce important automations to your workflow.