Allen Cummings, Attorney at Law:
Board Certified: Oil, Gas and Mineral Law (Texas Board of Legal Specialization)
When Allen Cummings set out to find law office management software for his office, he used the same type of due diligence he has used for his clients over the last thirty years: he asked questions, he investigated options, he considered costs and benefits, and he made a careful decision. That decision has proven to be a good one.
In 2007, Allen Cummings realized that he needed to re-evaluate the hardware and software he was using in his office. Although Allen was fairly settled in the software and hardware he was using, he needed to move his office forward, to respond to the demands of a growing client base and the increasing opportunities of technology. Windows-PC-based TABS3 software had been in use in Allen's office for several years, but it was time to move to something new. It was also time to consider a move from Windows PCs to the Mac OS X platform.
Allen had questions. What data could be converted? What were the costs? What kinds of general ledger accounts were expected? Was there flexibility in LawStream's accounting structure that would meet the office's accountant's needs? Could LawStream handle clients with multiple active files? Could a new LawStream user start on Windows PCs and later move to Mac OS X?
LawStream sales personnel had the answers. Less than two weeks after Allen started his detailed examination of LawStream, he had made his decision to get LawStream for his office. Here's what Allen said when he chose LawStream:
"I like the ease with which I can accomplish almost all that I used to do in TABS3 and other programs, from LawStream's one home page, and have the results tied to the client file. The deal closer was that I can go from a PC-based LawStream system to a Mac-based LawStream system without cost or confusion."
Satisfaction
When Allen chose LawStream, he wanted to see an increase in his productivity, and more tools for organizing his firm. With busy offices in Houston and San Antonio, he needed ways to manage his time and his money. He also needed ways to keep clients happy in the competitive industry where he works: one dissatisfied client could mean the loss of many files. LawStream has continued to give Allen the features he needs, to maintain control of his office and keep his clients happy. Just as the resource industry can be a high-stress business, there can also be stress in serving clients in that industry: by keeping his own office under control, Allen Cummings is able to help his clients maintain control over the work they do.
"I could not be more pleased with LawStream Pro. Every day I find out something new that makes my life easier. The key is that I can do everything in LawStream Pro. The learning curve was not as steep as I expected and I have found the help files very informative... I tell everyone I know about LawStream Pro, especially when they complain about how difficult their time and practice management software is to use... That is why I love your system so much - it makes sense to someone who is not an accountant. Since I started using your system I have steadily reduced the time it takes to complete my billing cycle so that it is now down to a couple of hours."
Moving from Windows to OS X
Allen Cummings originally planned to use LawStream on his Windows PC for several months, and only later move to Mac OS X. The appeal of Mac OS X (and the frustration of some hardware and software problems that were pushing him away from Windows) resulted in a change in plans, and it was not long before Allen decided to move his LawStream package to his new Mac. The move was unbelievably simple. An email message saying "I need the Mac version of LawStream" was almost all that was necessary: without any extra software cost in getting a Mac version of LawStream, and with a simple copy of a data file from a PC to a Mac, the move was as simple as it was inexpensive. Within a day of his request, Allen Cummings had a Mac version of LawStream accessing the data that he had previously entered on his Windows version of LawStream.
"Boy, am I glad I had already started working with the Windows version, so that I don't have to start from scratch there too - although I am finding Mac very user friendly."
