24 Jul Maurice Blackburn
How Maurice Blackburn achieved savings, flexibility, and automation in record time with Synergy and Freshworks
The team at Maurice Blackburn was at a crossroads. The service management platform they had been relying on for years was no longer fit for the purpose, and as Australia’s leading plaintiff law firm with over 1,000 staff across over 30 offices nationwide, the business needed a better option.
With the contract for the platform fast approaching renewal, the business knew this was the time to make a change.
Making the leap from the existing system
Maurice Blackburn had relied on their previous platform to manage IT service requests and workflows for many years. “It was becoming increasingly difficult to work with,” said Ton Ngyuen, Service Manager at Maurice Blackburn. “Troubleshooting took a long time, and we had little flexibility to respond to requests ourselves. We would have to contact the support team, which came at a cost, and then wait for it to be resolved”.
“It got me thinking – can we find a better-fit solution that allows us to do most of the work in-house?” said Ton. “So when it came time to renew, we decided to make the leap”.
Finding a way to turn vision into reality in just three months
The search began for a solution that would not only address the current issues, but also allow the business to take control of the IT processes without constant dependence on external support. While Ton had a clear picture of what he wanted, the demo presented by Synergy Enterprise Solutions (Synergy) helped him see what that could look like in reality.
“Our previous platform was quite complex and difficult for our business teams to use,” said Ton. “In contrast, the demo from Synergy showed us a much cleaner, easy-to-use solution that did everything we wanted it to do”.
Another key consideration for Ton was the capability to meet the tight and hard deadline for making the switch. “We had just three months to work with, and the expertise and experience shown by Synergy showed us they were up for the challenge,” said Ton. “Once we gave them the green light, Synergy didn’t waste any time getting started”.
A two-phased approach to flexibility
Ton explains that the project involved two phases. The first phase focused on migrating and implementing the new platform, while the second phase concentrated on securing all historical data and insights.
As part of the process, Synergy worked closely with Maurice Blackburn’s IT team to customise Freshservice (Freshworks’ enterprise service management solution) to meet the firm’s specific needs. The project involved multiple departments across the business, including:
Business Development
Data Science
Digital Service Teams
Facilities
Finance
Marketing
People and Culture
Although the initial goal was to find an ITSM solution, it quickly became clear that Freshworks could offer broader benefits as an enterprise service management solution.
“Synergy was able to extract, export, and transfer the data in a way that made it work within Freshservice in record time,” said Ton. “Once we went live, it took a few more months to capture all the historical data and make any additional tweaks, which is what we had planned and expected”.
Flexibility, savings, and automation delivered smoothly and in record time
Ton acknowledges the challenges in tackling the complexities of the old model and says, “Synergy pulled through in a beautiful fashion and within such a tight deadline”.
Since making the switch to Freshservice, the business has seen:
Complex processes automated:
The team can now handle most automation internally, including orchestrating complex onboarding and offboarding workflows for their People and Culture teams. This involved automating access to at least five different solutions for each employee, and integrating workflows across multiple departments, including HR, IT, finance, and other specific areas. As a result, the business no longer relies on external vendors, saving both time and money.
Faster service times:
Departments across the business have experienced faster service response times, as the IT team was better able to meet their needs quickly.
Expanding skill sets:
With the ability to create workflows from scratch, the IT team has sharpened their skills, enabling them to identify and implement continuous improvements.
Better reporting:
The new platform allows for tailored reports that meet specific business needs, providing clearer insights and better decision-making.
Improved employee engagement:
With the capability to add reward and recognition elements within the platform, employee motivation has improved.
Together, these developments have created a comprehensive, automated, and seamless experience for employees across multiple departments and 30 offices across Australia.
Eyes on continuous improvement and ongoing partnership
While the switch to Freshservice with Synergy has resolved Maurice Blackburn’s initial problems, Ton makes it clear that their automation journey is far from over.
“The truth is that automation is a never-ending cycle, and each cycle is getting shorter,” said Ton. “The great thing about working with Synergy is that they find a way to get things done, they embrace a challenge, and they can get new solutions implemented fast. This latest project would have taken three times longer with the other options we were considering – and that’s the difference when working with Synergy”.
For other organisations facing similar challenges, Ton’s advice is simple. “I’d recommend contacting providers and asking for a demo,” he said. “It was during the demo by Synergy that I could get a real feel for what they could offer, their experience, and their expertise. And ask questions about what is and isn’t possible to see if the vendor can meet the specific needs of your business”.
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