Further leading the way in conveyancing in the UK, PLS has created a bespoke and innovative Introducer Portal designed to enhance collaboration, efficiency, and transparency for all of its referrers of work.
Conveyancing in the UK has long been associated with a laborious process that often necessitates constant communication between solicitors and their introducers. The need for more streamlined, interactive, and efficient systems has been a persistent demand in the industry. In response to this, PLS has taken a giant leap forward by launching its brand-new Introducer Portal, designed to transform how introducers interact with their conveyancing cases.
The Old Way: Basic Portals and Endless Calls
Dean Carruthers, Operations Director at PLS, acknowledges that their previous Introducer Portal, while functional, had its limitations. Dean explains, “We already have an introducer portal. It’s basic and just allows introducers to see the cases and send instructions. It’s not wholly interactive or collaborative.” This legacy portal often left introducers in a position where they still had to pick up the phone or send emails to conveyancing solicitors for any significant actions they wanted to take, a standard approach across the industry, not a unique challenge to PLS”.
The New Normal – A Portal that Empowers
Recognising the need for a more collaborative and proactive approach, PLS set out to build a better Introducer Portal.
Dean reflects on the inspiration behind the project, “When I first began scoping this out the big question I had was, ‘how can I make this portal different? How good would it be if we could build a portal that allowed the introducer to not only observe, but to take action on their cases, therefore saving all parties time?’”
This forward-thinking approach led to the creation of a portal that not only allows introducers to monitor case progress but also allows them to initiate various actions and tasks.
The Introducer Portal leverages automated workflows that enables introducers to make requests, such as chasing for updates by phone or email, or expediting processes. These requests seamlessly connect to PLS’s workflow, ensuring that tasks are allocated to the relevant team, and introducers receive real-time updates on their requests. This eliminates the need for countless emails and phone calls and makes the process more efficient and collaborative for all involved.
A Fresh Perspective on Progress Tracking
PLS is also redefining how progress is tracked in their new Introducer Portal. The firm identified that portals often display dates in boxes, which can lead to misconceptions when they’re left blank, a lack of date doesn’t always suggest a lack of activity. To address this, PLS’s portal offers a new and improved progress tracker that provides introducers with a percentage-based overview of their cases’ progression. This approach recognises the non-linear nature of conveyancing and provides a more constructive and informative perspective on case tracking.
PLS also acknowledges the diverse needs of its introducers, including new build developers who operate with specific targets and timelines. To accommodate these demands, the Introducer Portal allows introducers to ‘wish list’ their cases and provide direct instructions on when they should be completed. This level of prioritisation and customisation aligns PLS’s pipeline with introducers’ requirements and enhances the focus on priority cases.
This new portal enables clients to not only track percentage progress and add tasks, but also engage in real-time interaction through the portal, ask questions, and prioritise their cases. Integrating the ‘AskPLS’ Alexa functionality, users can literally ask “what’s holding us up? What’s preventing us from completing?”.
The addition of interactive notes further enhances communication and collaboration between all parties involved in the conveyancing process.
Data Transparency: A Game-Changer
In addition to its collaborative features, the Introducer Portal grants introducers access to valuable data. PLS has integrated direct access to its SQL database, allowing introducers to view their own data, generate bespoke reports, and access reporting on new cases, exchanges, and completions. This level of transparency empowers introducers to make informed decisions based on their data and helps them track volumes, turnaround times, and other vital metrics.
A Vision of the Future
Determined to improve efficiency in the conveyancing world, Dean Carruthers has been passionate about creating something that is ‘better than the current solution’. He adds, “it’s been a good year in the making, and we’ve taken our time to make sure we’re getting it right. People like working with people that are easy to work with. We’re trying to make it as easy as possible for introducers to get their completions over the line and use of the Portal is absolutely free.
In an industry notorious for its complexity and need for strong communication, PLS’s Introducer Portal is set to transform the conveyancing experience, making it more efficient, interactive, and transparent. With this visionary approach, PLS aims to lead the way toward a brighter future for the world of conveyancing in the UK.
We are in the process of rolling out our new portal to existing clients, for more information, please reach out to Catherine Edge, Head of Business Development, cedge@pls-solicitors.co.uk, 07718 648237.
