Lesson #106
Entities – Firms function
Firms are businesses that schedule or pay for services, such as law firms or insurance agencies. If a client has multiple locations/branches, you can designate the company’s headquarters as a parent firm for the other branches, so they are connected in your RB database.
Maintain a deep database of these client companies in RB in the Firms function. If there is something you want to remember about a firm, whether it’s contact info, their employees, financial history (including collections), or anything else; store it in their RB profile.
Add firms to your database
You can enter firms from scratch in this function, import them from other applications, or add them on the fly within a case, job, or new contact (someone who works at the firm). If you have an existing database of firms in another application, you can import the data into RB from an Excel spreadsheet in the Bulk Import function.
Before entering a firm into RB, check to see if they are already there to avoid duplicate entries. RB does not prevent you from adding multiple instances of the same firm. If there are duplicate entries, you can merge them, however, not all data will carry over from the firm that is being merged. The only information that will be saved from the merged entry is from their jobs and contacts, and the Tags, Collection Notes, Repository, and Notes Log panes.
Search for firms
To find firms in your RB database, you can use the search criteria, singly or in combination:
- Firm Name or a/k/a (Also Known As)
- City
- State (one, several, or all)
- Firm Type (one, several, or all)
- Parent Firm (which you can search for by name, number, or the name or number of a contact at the firm)
- Client Of (which you can search for by first name, last name, full name, or number)
- Sales Rep (which you can search for by first name, last name, full name, or number)
- Tag
- Active firms only or all firms in your database
- Firm number
Each listing displayed in the results shows all of this info except any tags; and includes the firm’s main street address, zip code, and any warnings about the firm.
Customize how you view firm listings
The grid in which you view firm listings is customizable to your individual preference:
- Re-arrange the columns so the most important information is most prominent
- Stick up to 10 columns to the left side of the grid so they do not scroll when you have a results grid wider than your screen.
- Stretch/shrink columns to fit the results.
- Hide columns you don’t need to see.
- Choose which column(s) to sort results by.
- If you select more than one column, choose in what column order to sort the list.
- Choose whether to sort info by ascending or descending order in each selected column.
- Save your custom grid as your default.
You can save your custom grid as your default. Your customizations do not affect other users, and you can restore the original RB grid layout anytime.
From the Firms results grid, you can view and update any listed firm’s details, add new firms, and export the grid as an Excel spreadsheet or a CSV(comma-separated values) file to save, print, or use in other applications.
Basic firm information
Whether you are viewing an existing firm listing or adding a new firm, the detail window is broken up into a series of panes that contain related fields. The first pane, General contains the firm’s contact information, other basic information, and any warnings.
With 20 fields and options in the General information pane alone, it might seem overwhelming to enter firms into RB. However, when entering a new firm, the only required information is the firm name. (If creating a new firm within a case, you will also be required to enter at least one contact for the firm.)
Other General information tips
If you commonly refer to the firm by another name or an abbreviation, include that alias in the a/k/a (Also Known As) field. When looking up the firm, you can search by the alias instead of the firm name. In search results, the alias will appear in parentheses after the firm name.
If you are entering the firm’s street address or P.O. box number, skip the other fields and enter the zip code. RB will fill in the city, state, and country for you.
You can enter a second address for billing purposes if the firm wants invoices and statements sent to a different address.
If you have entered firm addresses, you can view maps and directions to those addresses in RB. You can also add your own directions to the firm’s listing. Any instructions entered here will appear in the Directions field of a job if the job will be at the firm’s office.
If you have information about a firm that users should know when scheduling or invoicing jobs, enter those notes in the Warning field. This information appears in red under Firm Warning in ordering clients and parties in jobs, cases, and in the Invoice panel in Turn In.
If a firm is no longer scheduling jobs with you and you do not need to contact them anymore, you can deactivate their listing instead of deleting it so you retain all of your historical data about the firm but they will no longer appear in searches for active firms anymore. You can also deactivate all their contacts at the same time, if desired.
Additional information
Store detailed billing information (including payment terms, fees/charges/rates, and tax info), the client’s preferences for invoices (list services or not) and statements (consolidated or not and sending method) in the Additional pane. You can set defaults for some of this information to save time when entering new firms. Then change the settings for individual firms as needed. (When you change a firm’s Late Charge Rate or Finance Charge Rate, RB automatically records the change in the firm’s Notes Log so you have a paper trail.)
You can also enter unlimited notes about the firm here for your calendaring and production/billing departments. Style the text with different options, such as bold face, italic, text sizes, and colors, to enhance the readability of your notes. If this firm is a branch or subsidiary of another firm in your database, you can select that firm here as the parent firm/headquarters.
Marketing
Use the Marketing pane to specify what type of firm the entity is for marketing and billing purposes. You can also designate which resource is the sales representative/receives commissions (Client Of) on this client’s jobs.
Use the Client Of feature to attract and retain highly talented reporters who can bring clients to your business. By designating resources responsible for clients, you can track the amount of business being generated from those attorneys, and pay incentive bonuses based on the new business generated, in addition to commissions on existing accounts.
Collections
When setting up a new firm, you can assign one of your resources to be responsible for your collections efforts with the client, and designate the firm’s credit status with your company, e.g., In Collection or COD (Cash on Delivery).
After initial setup, add more information
Once you save a firm in RB, additional panes, fields, and functions become available. You can:
- Enter more information, including employees at the firm you have contact with.
- Update existing information.
- View the firm’s financial & job trends.
- Merge firms if you find duplicates.
You don’t have to go into the Firms function to update a firm. Most RB functions that include a Firm field allow you to directly access that firm’s listing, which you can view and edit.
Also, if you have multiple firms that you need to update the same information for, such as assigning a new sales rep or changing the billing rate, you can use Bulk Update to change them all at once.
Additional panes in saved firm listings include:
Notification Email
If a firm has more than one email address, you can designate which one(s) to use for:
- Email notices from RB related to jobs they schedule.
- Invoices and other accounting information.
Tags
If you use tags (keywords or phrases) to monitor and market to firms, you add tags to firm listings, either by keying in tags or selecting them from the tag list you made in Lists. Each firm can have an unlimited number of tags, and you can delete tags from a firm when they no longer apply. (You can also use the Tag Manager to add or remove tags quickly from multiple firms at once.)
Preferred Services
Add your clients’ standing orders to their firm profiles. Then you can use Prefill Services on a case, job, or invoice to easily select all of the service items a client expects.
When listing which service items are included in a firm’s standing orders, you can also include relevant details like how many units of an item they usually order, how many business days the order is due in (RB will calculate the due date for a specific job excluding weekends and holidays), the delivery method, their preference on rush deliveries, and any additional instructions for the service item.
Task Due Days
For clients who have their own turnaround deadlines for specific services provided by your resources, such as reporting or back orders, you can enter the number of days for each of those tasks in their firm profile. Then when scheduling jobs for contacts at the firm, if they order a task that has a firm-defined turnaround, RB will automatically calculate the deadline for that task using the firm’s requirement. Otherwise, if there is no firm-defined turnaround requirement, RB will use your assigned business unit’s turnaround specs.
Preferred Resources
If a firm has resources they prefer assigned to their jobs, you can keep a list of those resources in the firm’s listing. When assigning resources to tasks on jobs they scheduled or ordered, preferred resources will appear at the top of the list.
Blocked Resources
If there are resources a firm does not want assigned to their jobs, you can keep a list of those resources in the firm’s listing. When assigning resources to tasks on jobs the firm scheduled or ordered, RB will alert you and not allow the assignment.
Collections
(After saving a new firm, its Collections pane expands to allow you to enter more information.)
If a client is in arrears, you can record your collection efforts here, including when you made an effort, what type of effort (such as Call Made — you can create your own set of collection actions in Lists), and results or other notes about the effort. If you want to be reminded on a certain date to follow up on the progress of your efforts, you can set a date and time, plus the staff member to be reminded. (This information is used in Collection Follow-up.)
If a client pays you an upfront deposit, i.e., a retainer, you can enter and track it in the Collections pane. You can view when retainers were entered in the system, along with other details about the retainers such as any notes made about a retainer, and when retainers were applied to which invoices.
Repository
Keep files related to a firm in their RB listing. When viewing the firm’s listing, you can see information about uploaded files including their description in the Repository pane without having to click into each file’s details. You can upload, download, or delete files here, and update file information, such as which groups can access the file (office staff only, office and contacts, or office and resources).
If you have RB Connect, you can give contacts who work at the firm access to specific files in their repository. You can also view the download history of each file in the repository, including when it was downloaded and by which contact at the firm.
Notes Log
The system enters some notes about firms automatically in their individual Notes Logs, and you can also enter notes yourself about a firm in their Notes Log for internal purposes. Some examples of automatic Notes Log entries are notes recording when a sales rep has been assigned, when statements are sent to the client, and if the client information was updated using the Bulk Update tool.
When you add a note to the Notes Log, you can include what type of note it is, how you communicated with the firm, details about what occurred, and if needed, designate who should follow up and set a date and time for a reminder to be sent to them via RB’s message system.
Export firm data for other uses
In these additional panes and the Collections pane, you can export the information as an Excel spreadsheet or a CSV(comma-separated values) file to save, print, or use in other applications.
View financial/job trends
In a firm’s Account Overview, highlights of their financial and job activity history, future projections, and trends are displayed visually. A table displays the firm’s total receivables since they became your client and upcoming scheduled jobs. One line graph displays revenue generated, a second line graph displays jobs scheduled/canceled, and a third line graph displays jobs that have occurred.
The line graphs are interactive. Hovering over a point in a line on a graph displays that month’s total $ amount or number. The line graphs default to the firm’s trends over the last six months. You can also view the firm’s trends over a year or 2 years.
Manage firm’s contacts
From the firm’s profile, you can view the contacts who work for the firm (including inactive contacts if desired), update any contact’s details, add new contacts, and add or delete notification email addresses for individual contacts at the firm.
TL;DR: Maintain a deep database of client companies in RB, including contact, billing, and marketing information, collections history, files related to the firm, notes about the firm, and more. View interactive graphs of their financial and job activity trends.
RB concepts in this lesson
Business Unit (BU): One of your company’s revenue centers or any entity in your business that you want to track separately, such as branch offices, other companies you own, affiliates, and profit-sharing operations.
Client Of: Resource that receives a commission for jobs their clients scheduled or that are part of a case the resource was designated as the Client Of resource. You can also give reporters right of first refusal on their clients/cases’ jobs by displaying unassigned jobs from their clients/cases in Resource-side online calendars in RB Connect.
Contact: Person who works for a firm you do business with, such as attorneys, paralegals, secretaries, legal assistants, claim adjusters, and court clerks.
Job: Usually the reporting of a deposition. More >
Notes Logs: Un-editable internal-use only notes entered either by a user or automatically by RB appear in chronological logs in the database record where they occurred, such as a case, job, invoice, or entity. More >
Parent Firm: Headquarters of a multi-branch corporation.
RB Connect: Online repository, calendar, and access to your office for clients and resources, including interactive transcripts, downloadable invoices and e-commerce for clients, and online turn-in, one-touch job acknowledgements, and downloadable pay statements for resources. More >
Resource: Person or thing that provides your business with a service.
Service items: Regular charges that you bill to your clients.
Task: Service requested with a job, such as reporting, interpreting, or video, that require a separate resource (person, company, thing) to accomplish. More >
