Advanced Business Solutions

ALB Case and Matter Management System

ALB practice and case management software incorporates the comprehensive functionality needed for efficient, and compliant, legal practice management. Features include legal accounts, document management, time recording, customisable workflows, reporting, a single SQL database, conflict checks, and remote working capability. It also integrates with Digital Dictation and Cloud legal forms software.

Features

• Quick and easy client and matter creation.
• Full system conflict checks.
• Library of document templates related to case management modules
• Simple and effective archiving process.
• Integrated accounts package.
• 300+ standard reports and integration with report builder.
• Outlook exchange integration for email and diary.
• Contact driven database.
• Automatic FIling of email Replies
• ALB provides for the creation of the Annual MOJ Report

Benefits

• Time recording with the ability to track time against limits
• ALB for Coroners provides intuitive workflow.
• Integrated legal accounts package – designed by legal cashiers.
• Outlook email, and 2 way calendar integration.
• Fast and effective bundling tool.
• Optional work type specific modules and Legal Aid billing modules.
• Optional customisable Workflows to streamline practice processes.
• SQL reporting database – report on all information in ALB.
• Integration with Laserforms and Laserform hub - quick form completion/submission.
• Fee earner targets easily monitored to maximise billing.

£82 a user a month

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at bidmanagementteam@oneadvanced.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 13

Service ID

595917963113843

Contact

Bid Support
0330 343 8000
bidmanagementteam@oneadvanced.com

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: No
• Cloud deployment model: Private cloud
• Service constraints: 64 Bit office not supported.
• System requirements:
  • Server (Up to 50 users.) - 1x4 core processor
  • RAM - 16GB
  • Disk subsystem 1x Raid1 + 1 x Raid10
  • Windows Server - 2012 (x64) STD
  • Microsoft .NET - 3.5 & 4.7.2 with latest updates
  • Windows 8 or later
  • Office 2013 or later (only 32-bit versions supported)
  • Office 365
  • SQL Server 2012 SP3 or later.
  • If 50+ users, contact Advanced for technical specification document

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: Priority 1 - Target within 1 hour; Priority 2 - Target within 4 hour; Priority 3 - Target within 8 hour
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: No
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: Web chat
• Web chat support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support accessibility standard: None or don’t know
• How the web chat support is accessible: Web chat is available for existing cases whilst support staff are connected to client devices through a third party support tool - Screen Connect
• Web chat accessibility testing: None has been undertaken to date, but live chat is expected to be rolled out within 12 months.
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: Support is provided around a priority and escalation system. When an incident is reported, a priority level is established based upon the information provided, understanding business impact is essential. Target service levels and response times are assigned based on an initial appraisal of the problem but can be revisited at any time by the client. The escalation procedure is designed to progress each call as efficiently as possible. OLA's are in place for escalations beyond support into the development and professional service teams.
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: Advanced has a developed collaborative ""Assisted Build"" approach for the implementation of our solution, this approach provides a broad and knowledge understanding of the applications and their configuration which in turn will lead to increased self-sufficiency, improved user support and an early adoption in the use of the system by clients.; An objective of our "Assisted Build" approach is to make the customer self-sufficient in the use, configuration, reconfiguration and administration of the applications. The knowledge to set-up and maintain the system is formally provided in standard, structured training workshops and continually reinforced throughout the project in design, configuration, testing and training workshops where we are able to bring our good practice experience, knowledge, expertise and methods to the fore. ; We lead activities and deliverables, effecting a skills and knowledge transfer of our expert approach and applications knowledge to the Council with pre-configured/worked examples. The knowledge gained by the customer’s project team during the initial training, design and prototyping stages will equip them with the skills and knowledge to actively participate in the design and configuration and to self-determine many aspects of the implementation supported by our implementation team.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • PDF
  • Other
• Other documentation formats:
  • Word
  • ELearning
• End-of-contract data extraction: Data can be exported from our solutions using Excel outputs produced by using the browsing and reporting capabilities of the solution. Alternatively, data can be extracted using the inbuilt product API's or by running data extraction scripts against the database.; ; Automatically importing or exporting data is simple and straight forward because our solutions comes shipped with spreadsheets and data import and export routines for all business hierarchy, master file, standing, balance and transaction data. The data import / export facilities are not dependent on the spreadsheets so data can be imported directly if correctly formatted. Advanced will provide automated routines to load data items into the proposed system including predefined open APIs and standard data loading and export tables, programs, processes and reports for all master file and transaction data types that are provided with the system.
• End-of-contract process: Prior to the contract ending Advanced will engage with the customer to understand their future requirement, their preferred procurement route etc. and explore whether there is a mutual desire to enter into a new contract. Advanced would expect the customer to undertake an options appraisal and to then decide on whether they want to enter into a new contract with Advanced, which we would expect them to do, following the success of the previous contract and establish relationship. In the event that the customer decides to not enter into a new contract, then the current contract terminates and all access to the software and support services ends.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: No
• Application to install: No
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: ALB mobile currently contains the ability to search for client and matter details and record time against those matters while out of the office. Diary items can be searched for, added and amended. ALB Mobile users can also use the application to access client contact and financial data where necessary.
• Service interface: Yes
• User support accessibility: None or don’t know
• Description of service interface: The interface described is for the workflow toolkit only. The service interface allows adminstrative users to build user defined screens and fields, along with formulas and workflows. This workflow toolkit can be descrived as "low code" making it easier for adminstrators the collaborate with the ends users on the preferred matter processes
• Accessibility standards: None or don’t know
• Description of accessibility: The ALB application is enabled to support large fonts.
• Accessibility testing: With regret, the ALB interface has not been tested with any assistive technology.
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: ALB has a built in API framework (ALB Connect), which allows data to flow between ALB and other systems using REST API’s. These integrations can be launched in an ad-hoc way via the actions ribbon, or alternatively can be built into workflow processes. The framework has been designed to allow users to build their own integrations (depending on their level of expertise). Where users don’t have in house expertise, the Professional Services team can provide assistance with integrations. As part of ALB Connect, we have already developed some integrations with third party suppliers such as Property Search providers, and these can be redeployed to firms once created, so that firms can consume these integrations without the need to build this particular integration themselves.
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats: PDF
• API sandbox or test environment: No
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: The ALB application is not generally customisable, with the exception of internal processing options applicable to different parties using the system. In terms of the API, the design would allow for the full customisation of where in ALB the incoming data could be placed. In terms of workflow tools, buyers can customise the matter processes dependant on work type and/or department.

Scaling

• Independence of resources: The server infrastructure is based on a virtualised infrastructure which is monitored 24x7. Services are automatically migrated across the virtual infrastructure to automatically load balance the entire infrastructure. This ensures that no one service is unduly impacted by load placed on the infrastructure by other users. If another service is using a large amount of resources, other services are automatically migrated to other servers in the virtual infrastructure that are being utilised to a lesser extent.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: System access reports are available from within the system. Infrastructure is monitored in real time with proactive monitoring ahead of agreed thresholds being breached, whereby incident management action is triggered.
• Reporting types: Real-time dashboards

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: Up to Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations: United Kingdom
• User control over data storage and processing locations: No
• Datacentre security standards: Complies with a recognised standard (for example CSA CCM version 3.0)
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: In-house
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with another standard
  • Encryption of all physical media
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type: Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
• Equipment disposal approach: In-house destruction process

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: ALB provides a suite of standard reports that provide relevant data on client, matter, account and finance. The user interface allows these to be delivered as formatted reports or data
• Data export formats: CSV
• Data import formats: CSV

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks: TLS (version 1.2 or above)
• Data protection within supplier network: Other
• Other protection within supplier network: All Advanced datacentres are Tier 3 datacentres are are protected by both physical and electronic protection. Access to services in controlled through our network operations centre, providing highly controlled access to services. All datacentres are fully firewalled and monitored 24x7 by our dedicated security operations centre.

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: 99.9% (Based on Monday to Friday - 8 - 5.30pm, excluding public holidays)
• Approach to resilience: Advanced's PaaSis delivered from our Tier 3 Data Centres and has been architected to provide a highly available N+1 architecture with sufficient resilience and capacity to sustain component failures. The resilient features built into the platform consist of clustered server nodes in a highly-available virtual cluster, redundant PSUs, network interfaces and storage adaptors, connection to a dual controller active/active SAN via redundant path switching, connection to a network layer through stacked chassis switching architecture and a redundant dark fibre path to the second data centre, where there is a replica of the architecture in the primary location In addition, the data centre environments include uninterruptible power supplies and generators that are capable of maintaining at least 72 hours continual operation without mains power as well as redundant cooling devices to maintain optimal environmental conditions within the server rooms.ion
• Outage reporting: The Advanced Event Management service will monitor the environment and provide: Proactive monitoring and alerting of thresholds and events, Root Cause Analysis of identified problems, Reporting and trend analysis System and application-specific knowledge and tasks. When thresholds are breached within the PaaS environment, staff nominated to receive alerts will be informed via email or SMS. Advanced will respond to alerts and remediate any issues within the supported environment. Monthly reports will show historical alerts and their respective response. These will be discussed at periodic service delivery reviews. The Advanced event management solution retains all the gathered monitoring data within a Microsoft SQL Server Data Warehouse. The Advanced core environment also includes a dedicated Microsoft SQL Reporting Server that allows this data to be accessed and a wide variety of reports produced. Reports can be produced on any of the information within the database, either as a standard report or as a custom report. Ad-hoc user created reports can also be produced.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication: Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Advanced uses the principles of least privileges and role based access control. This is line with best practice as outlined in ISO 27001 and implemented within Advanced ISMS.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least once a year
• Management access authentication: 2-factor authentication

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: User-defined
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: At least 12 months
• How long system logs are stored for: User-defined

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: BSI
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 16/02/2018
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: All activity on GCloud is covered by ISO 27001
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: Yes
• Other security certifications: No

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards: ISO/IEC 27001
• Information security policies and processes: Advanced is certified to ISO 27001:2103 and our Information Security Management System implements all mandatory controls and address all 114 Annex A controls of this international standard for information security.

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Configuration and change management approach: The configuration and change management process ensures operational systems, services and application software are subject to change control. All staff are responsible for submitting completed change requests to the change authorisation board (CAB) using the change request form. Change requests forms, before submission to the CAB must be peer reviewed and pre-authorised by the appropriate system service owners and or business stake holder. All changes are recorded, tested and verified prior to implementation, (where possible), and are communicated to relevant members of staff and users as appropriate.
• Vulnerability management type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Vulnerability management approach: Vulnerability management is an essential component of Advanced Information Security Program and the process of vulnerability assessment is vital to effective vulnerability management. The vulnerability assessment process provides visibility into the vulnerability of critical assets deployed in the IT Infrastructure. The process comprises of identifying critical systems, their corresponding owners, vulnerability scanning on regular basis, determining and assessing potential vulnerabilities, documenting and establishing a time line to remediate critical vulnerabilities.
• Protective monitoring type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Protective monitoring approach: Advanced complies with protective monitoring in line with GPG 13.
• Incident management type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example, CSA CCM v3.0 or ISO/IEC 27035:2011 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Incident management approach: Incident management control objectives are defined within our ISO 27001:2013 certified Information Security Management System and the procedures for Incident management are aligned to ITIL v3 industry best practice.

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Conforms to a recognised standard, but self-assessed

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: No

Social Value

• Fighting climate change:

  Fighting climate change

  We are committed to building a better tomorrow for our staff, customers and wider community through outstanding environmental sustainability performance. Our vision is underpinned by five core principles:; ; To protect the environment by reducing our carbon footprint; To reduce the environmental impact of our operational activities through effective management of our estate; To create and maintain a positive environmental sustainability culture; To maximise the positive impact of our sustainability actions through effective communication, collaboration and partnership; To fulfil all environmental compliance obligations and seek to exceed regulatory requirements; ; To achieve this vision, we have a multi-step sustainability strategy, containing details of the overarching objectives, performance targets, key performance indicators and implementation mechanisms. It is continuously reviewed to ensure it is as strong as it can be. Our success also relies on effective engagement with staff, utilising and developing their skills, knowledge and understanding.; ; We are proactive in the property management of our offices, maintaining pressure on landlords and staff to ensure energy efficiency. Home working is facilitated and encouraged, and unnecessary travel is minimised by the delivery of consultancy, training and implementation services remotely, where appropriate. Reducing the amount of paper we generate is a key focus, and we use recycled paper - which we then recycle ourselves. We have also taken steps to recycle other materials such as plastics and cardboard. We comply with WEEE regulations and recycle our electrical items.; We are focused on our transition to a Cloud service company ensuring our customers have solutions which are future proofed and don’t require costly or energy inefficient hardware.
• Covid-19 recovery:

  Covid-19 recovery

  Advanced has a documented Health and Safety policy regarding Covid-19 Arrangements, which focuses on handwashing, hygiene, self-isolation and social distancing. ; ; We encouraged working from home, opening our offices only when government guidance was updated and promptly carried out a Covid-19 risk assessment. Our HR system was updated for employees to confirm their vulnerability status, allowing us to tailor support.; ; Social distancing measures were introduced in our offices, e.g., staggered arrival and departure times, a one-way walking route around the office and workstations at a 2-metre distance. We continue to operate a desk booking policy to ensure an audit trail and line manager clearance.; ; Working from home is undoubtedly challenging and may have a negative impact on the wellbeing of our employees. We hosted a wide range of virtual communal events throughout, to allow our staff to stay connected to each other e.g., quizzes, coffee mornings and time allocated for informal catch ups.; ; We have also made changes to our approach to visiting customers on-site. Where appropriate, training and consultancy can be provided virtually.
• Tackling economic inequality:

  Tackling economic inequality

  Advanced is committed to tackling economic inequality. We are renowned for our recruitment processes which seek to eradicate biases that can perpetuate economic inequality. We hire for potential rather than based on experience.; ; Our commitment to tackling economic inequality is also exemplified in our pay reporting transparency. In addition to the legal requirements to produce a Gender Pay Gap Report, we have also released our Diversity Pay Gap Report to ensure accountability and so that we can take steps to address economic inequality.
• Equal opportunity:

  Equal opportunity

  Cultivating a diverse workforce and inclusive culture is a priority for Advanced. Diversity of experience, age, race, ethnicity, culture, gender and sexual orientation provides a wide range of talent from entry level through to our leadership teams creating richer perspectives and a powerful frame of reference.; ; Not only is it right to recognise and celebrate differences, and ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive, but creating a culture that is genuinely committed to a meritocratic workplace is important to our success. Ensuring all our employees understand and engage with our values, and have the opportunity to realise their full potential, is fundamental to our business.; ; Last year, we released our first Diversity Pay Gap that extends beyond the legal requirement for gender to ethnicity, sexuality, education, disability and socio-economic status. This data provides transparency and will aid us significantly on our journey to creating a fair and equitable workplace for all.; ; Advanced is delighted to have been announced as one of the top 100 Diversity Leaders of 2020 across UK businesses following an independent survey carried out on behalf of the Financial Times. The award assesses diversity across gender, age, ethnicity, disability and sexual orientation, and ranks organisations in Europe on the extent to which they offer diverse and inclusive workplaces. The survey focused on two broad areas, looking at the scale in which employers promoted diversity within the workforce, and identifying companies that stood out when it came to encouraging diversity and equal opportunities. ; ; Advanced is renowned for its innovative recruitment process, which seeks to eradicate bias – unconscious or otherwise – when hiring. In our recruitment, we use tools that give us additional insight into intellect and attitude, and remove CVs from the interview process, so managers go in without preconceptions.
• Wellbeing:

  Wellbeing

  We take wellbeing very seriously at Advanced, all employees have access to the following initiatives to promote wellbeing:; ; Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a 24/7 phone line where our employees can speak to a trained professional regarding any matters. Whether that is related to their current workload, or whether it is related to their finances for example. This service is 100% confidential.; ; Advanced continually run mental health webinars/sessions to show our employees what stress looks like and how to manage it, and we have recently announced the Friendly Faces scheme which is a network of colleagues who are open to listening and signposting. We will be running training for employees who wish to take part and make space for wellbeing conversations. ; ; The Wellbeing hub on our internal website is central point for resources, such as the Thrive app to which our employees have an access code. In addition, the Hub is a link to our partnership with Perks at Work who offer discounts and classes for wellbeing, fitness, and meditation.; ; Our offices have been made more friendly and accessible than ever before as part of our office changes brought on by the new, flexible ways of working. All our offices now contain a ‘wellbeing room’, sharp boxes for needles and free sanitary products in all bathrooms (available to guests as well as our staff). ; ; We understand that working from home and being separated from one another is undoubtedly challenging and in some cases may have a negative impact on the wellbeing of our employees.; Throughout the pandemic, we hosted a wide range of communal events virtually, to allow our staff to stay connected to each other, even though they weren’t in the office together. Some of the events were quizzes, coffee mornings and time allocated for informal catch ups.

Pricing

• Price: £82 a user a month
• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: No

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at bidmanagementteam@oneadvanced.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.