Sebaly Shillito & Dryer

"I'm working with nearly the same IT budget we had in 1999, but our production from that budget is probably four to five times what it was. Standardizing on HP to refresh our IT has decreased help desk calls to our department by 75 percent."
— Brian Clayton, Manager,
Information Systems group

Sebaly Shillito + Dyer (SS+D) is a Legal Professional Association in Dayton, Ohio, with 25 attorneys specializing in corporate law, business litigation, probate law and estate planning. A key component of the firm's philosophy: Teamwork is the best way to serve clients and expand the firm.

When it came time for a technology refresh, SS+D decided that adding HP to its team — while phasing out older computer hardware from other vendors — would give it the best long-term technology solution.

SS+D's technology needs were far from philosophical, says Brian Clayton, manager, Information Systems group. Service from its dominant PC vendor was spotty. Product warranties were weak. Support costs were increasing. The firm was losing revenues due to inefficient systems. Clayton, meanwhile, knew that if he could focus less on hardware and more on real technology solutions, the
entire SS+D team would be better off.

Single-source technology
Today, HP servers, notebooks, desktops and Tablet PCs — all using Microsoft operating systems — along with HP printers and scanners, monitors, projectors, networking equipment and extended warranties, are standard. Leasing helps keep SS+D's technology fresh and its payments predictable. "The improvements in hardware reliability alone," says partner Beverly Shillito, "have the potential of making the firm more profitable and more productive for its clients."

While reliability has increased substantially, the IT budget
hasn't, says Clayton. "I'm working with nearly the same IT
budget we had in 1999, but our production from that budget is probably four to five times what it was. Standardizing on HP to refresh our IT has decreased help desk calls to our department by 75 percent."

Challenge

• Enable lawyers, paralegals and support staff to work more efficiently and productively, in the office, at client locations and in the courtroom 
• Make IT costs predictable 
• Enable IT staff to focus less on hardware support and more on providing technology that can give SS+D lawyers an advantage in preparing documents and presenting cases 

Solution 

• HP Compaq Business Desktop d530
• HP Compaq Business Notebook nc8000
• HP Compaq Tablet PC tc1100
• HP ProLiant servers, models DL360, ML370 and ML350
• HP LaserJet printer 4300
• HP Scanjet 8250scanner
• HP ProCurve Switch 2848
• HP 1702 TFT Flat Panel Monitor
• HP Digital Projector xb31
• Leasing through HP Financial Services
• HP Care Packs

Results

• Improved hardware reliability provides more uptime for entire firm.
• Predictable IT budget and ability to upgrade hardware through HP leasing keeps technology current and lawyers and staff their most productive.
• HP support and 75 percent fewer help desk tickets enable IT staff to focus on value-add technology projects.
• HP Care Pack Services help keep legal staff productive regardless of their location.
• Scanning stations featuring HP Scanjet technology enable support staff to improve workflow and reduce paper costs.

As a result, Clayton's time can be more focused on developing a mobile network, helping litigators use technology effectively in the courtroom, maximizing use of the Microsoft SharePoint Portal for collaborating on large documents and studying the potential for using in-house technology to turn document reproduction into a profit center for the firm.

Notebooks improve staff mobility, productivity

As part of SS+D's refresh, lawyers and paralegals are using the HP Compaq Business Notebook nc8000, along with docking stations and the 17-inch HP 1702 TFT Flat Panel Monitor. "With two monitors, the lawyers can have their e-mail open on one screen and be doing research on the other," Clayton says. "All the notebooks include wireless cards so lawyers can stay on the network when they go to a conference room."

“The improvements in hardware reliability alone have the potential of making the firm more profitable and more productive for its
clients,” says partner Beverly Shillito.

That mobility also is an asset in court. While opposing counsel sometimes lugs boxes of case documents into court, the litigation team from SS+D can manage and display entire cases using HP notebooks, flat panel monitors and projectors. Lawyers also use their notebooks at home on wireless networks that the firm helps them set up.

Paralegals, meanwhile, have the flexibility of taking their notebooks to the lawyers' offices to take notes or to other areas in the firm where they can do research while also keeping up with their communications.

In addition, when legal staff travels out of town, Clayton knows that they can always get support from HP. "We opted for the extended warranty Care Pack with the follow-me plan so our people with laptops are covered wherever they go," he says.

Leasing extends budget

SS+D's leases are with HP Financial Services. "We decided on a
three-year lease and upgrade plan to manage the lifecycle of our
equipment. HP Financial Services was fabulous in getting us the
information we needed to keep our latest refresh project on schedule,"
Clayton says.

SS+D partners like the budget predictability that leasing affords them,
Clayton says. "The partners don't want to see $50,000 hits to their budget
every year or two."

Clayton likes leasing because it provides for continuous technology upgrades.
"In addition to creating budget 'blips,' conventional computer hardware
replacement tends to be more reactive, almost too late and past a
product's useful life." With leasing, Clayton can trade up to new equipment
when it's needed. That feature helped SS+D obtain HP scanners that were
better suited to its needs. Clayton also likes the flexibility to add non-HP
hardware to a lease.

"From the business side, the selection of HP simplifies the contracting process,
simplifies the accounting process, provides consistency among our computer
products and minimizes headaches all around," states Penny Wolff, firm
administrator.

Why HP

As part of SS+D's refresh, Clayton sent RFPs to six firms.
When the choice was narrowed to two, HP got the nod
for three reasons, says Clayton: printers, people and HP's
desire to be SS+D's business partner.

"We simply didn't want to risk moving off the HP printer
line, and we had no reason to want to switch," he says.
"Also, because of all the document formatting, changing
printers just didn't make sense.

"We've also gotten great support from HP people.
They've done everything possible to enable me to take my
focus off the hardware. They sell me the right hardware
and provide information on product development that fits
what we need. I couldn't ask for better support than what
Lisa Pfeifer, Steve Kandrach and Frank Welch have provided. Buying directly from HP has been extremely easy, and dealing with HP Financial Services has always been
great.

"Making a hardware purchase is not just about the
dollar," Clayton says. "We also look at customer service,
attention and responsiveness. We want our business
partners to be fully committed to us. With HP, I feel like
I'm the only client."

Clayton believes the firm's total cost of ownership will be
less with HP than it would have been with firms that had
slightly lower hardware prices. Case in point: using HP
Insight Manager software to proactively manage hardware
is saving the firm money by avoiding downtime.
"We monitor network card activity and alarms for hard
drives, memory and processors," Clayton says.

Clayton also is confident he'll get the right equipment
from HP. "Our previous PC supplier sold me consumer
laptops when we really should have had commercial
hardware. When we started having problems, they were
unable to help us. I don't think that will happen with HP.

"With HP's help, we're matching the equipment to how
people want to work, not necessarily how they've worked
in the past. The result is a morale pick-up. People
recognize that they're not just getting new equipment —
they're getting equipment that helps them do their jobs
better."

At a glance

Company: Sebaly Shillito + Dyer, A Legal Professional Association
Location: Dayton, Ohio
Founded: 1986
Employees: 60
URL: ssdlaw.com
Phone: 937.222.2500
Primary business: Sebaly Shillito + Dyer (SS+D) is a 25-attorney law firm
specializing in corporate law, business litigation, probate law and estate
planning.

For more information on how working with HP can benefit you,
contact your local HP service representative, or visit us through
the Internet at our world web address: http://www.hp.com