Pannones saves time with on-line account requisition

Manchester firm Pannone & Partners has developed an on-line accounts transaction requisition system to reduce bottlenecks in its internal processes.

The firm said the system, designed and developed in-house and based on Microsoft SQL Server 2000, allows it to handle a greater volume of work more accurately and using less resources.

Previously, accounting slips - called chits - caused problems because they had to be completed by hand, slowing down the completion of files, and opened up the possibility of mistakes as fee-earners had to calculate totals manually.

The new system was driven by the remortgage department, and now gives fee-earners a simple on-line menu at completion stage.

The main screen displays the transactions associated with the file, while the summary screen lists the required receipts, payments and transfers, information lifted directly from Pannone's Axxia case management system.

The fee-earner can make last-minute changes and decide whether to make payments by cheque or telegraphic transfer.

Once the details are confirmed, the information is written back to the case management system and the chits generated automatically.

Where appropriate, they are sent electronically for review by a solicitor before transmission to the accounts department, where processes have also been automated.

Managing partner Joy Kingsley, said: 'The system has already provided significant savings in the time taken to create the transaction chits, the accuracy of the chits and the elimination of physically carrying the chits from fee-earner to partners and then to accounts.'