ILTA Awards

T R A I L B L A Z E R O F T H E Y E A R / Nominee W Ward & Smith + Oddr ard & Smith forged a strategic partnership with Oddr to optimize invoice management processes by minimizing outstanding days and mitigating associated write-offs, particularly for aged invoices. This collaboration focused on enhancing the overall experience for Ward & Smith's clients by streamlining the receipt, review, and payment of invoices. Leveraging Oddr's innovative platform, the firm successfully automated key aspects of invoice preparation, delivery, and payment integration, consolidating these functions into a unified and efficient system. This strategic vision underscored their commitment to modernizing operations and elevating client satisfaction. Oddr dedicated significant time and effort, frequently meeting and engaging extensively with not only Ward & Smith's team but over 130 experts across the legal industry, including CFOs, CIOs, and Directors of Finance and Revenue, to gain a profound understanding of the challenges faced by law firms in billing, collections, payments, and reconciliations. Ward & Smith collaborated closely with Oddr's core team throughout the development and implementation phases to ensure alignment with their operations. The firm was committed to upholding best practices and ensuring seamless platform adoption. This commitment required unwavering support from the firm's leadership. The project 's risk management strategy revolved around several fundamental principles. Establishing open channels of communication and using them often was essential. Transparency and honesty were paramount throughout the project. Moreover, Oddr adopted an iterative approach to designing and implementing the platform. Oddr prioritized providing users hands-on experience and swiftly implemented requested updates with high-quality standards. They partnered closely with Ward & Smith to manage expectations internally and externally. The Oddr team worked with the firm to seamlessly incorporate the Oddr platform into its core processes. This was achieved through robust out-of-the-box integrations, minimizing the need for manual intervention and ensuring a frictionless transition. Ward & Smith recognized the need to manage changes effectively across various stakeholders, including internal teams, billing attorneys, leadership, and clients. The firm collaborated closely with Oddr to address this challenge and adopted a phased rollout approach. PROJECT Invoice Management Leveraging Oddr's innovative platform, Ward & Smith has successfully automated key aspects of invoice preparation, delivery, and payment integration, consolidating these functions into a unified and efficient system. ILTA AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE 2024 5 6

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