A long-term client of Commsworld, Burness Paull has made use of the Edinburgh-headquartered company’s highly-advanced Optical Core Network to give it the flexibility and scalability to adapt quickly to the ‘new normal’.
In the months since the first global lockdown changed some people’s working practices overnight, Burness Paull has reaped the benefits of its well-established ‘work from anywhere’ approach.
This includes the seamless transition to higher usage of existing initiatives such as flexible working, video conferencing, virtual recruiting, delivering for clients overseas, and the ability to remotely attend webinars taking place across the globe.
Tamar Tammes, Managing Partner at Burness Paull, says such technological solutions were already in place, and had previously been ‘road-tested’ during the ‘Beast from the East’ snowstorm which wreaked huge disruption to the UK’s travel network for several weeks during the spring of 2018.
It meant when COVID-19 brought a whole ‘new normal’, limiting travel to the firm’s offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow for staff and clients alike, Burness Paull had the agility and adaptability in place to react immediately.
She said: “We had the technology there to continue to deliver a seamless service to all our clients. But in the legal profession there were certain aspects of all firms’ work that were considered still toneed carried out in person.
“For instance, face-to-face dealings with clients, especially in other countries, or the recruitment of new staff, and attendance at industry events where a personal approach was considered best practice.”
But COVID-19 has speeded up the adoption of certain innovations and proven the value of long-term investment in them.
Tamar Tammes said: “Take recruitment as an example. We have taken on more than 40 new people since lockdown. They have been introduced, trained remotely and are now settled into our virtual offices. The feedback from them has been really good. Yes, it is tough we have not met personally, but it shows the systems we have to integrate people are working.
“Not only that, it has increased our ability to recruit the best talent from anywhere, as we can train and connect with them virtually. This is of huge benefit to Burness Paull as a business.
“Technology has also transformed the way we service clients in other countries, delivering the same high level of work but saving time and cost for clients on travel. This has also had a hugely beneficial knock-on effect for the environment as our carbon footprint is radically reduced.”
Going forward Burness Paull wants to continue to communicate better using digital tools not only with clients around the globe but also with its own workforce - regardless of where they are located.
Tamar Tammes added: “Technology makes it easier to be an international firm, while bringing about huge cost efficiencies and environmental benefits. Above all, our relationship with Commsworld will continue to give us the resilience, agility and scalability we need to build on this success.”
Charles Quinn, Chief Commercial Officer at Commsworld, said: “We are proud of our long association with a firm of the size and ambition of Burness Paull. Together we have worked hard over the past few years to deliver the technological agility and scalability that a business like Burness Paull needs.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown these benefits in full, especially the need for fast and secure communications and we’re delighted to be able to offer this.
“We realise what a valuable endorsement it is to hear that Burness Paull has reaped the rewards of our highly-resilient Optical Core Network, and look forward to working with them well into the future.”
