Weightmans LLP invests in AV strategy to elevate engagement and efficiency.

Newcastle, UK

Location

Weightmans, Newcastle Office

Completion Date

June 2024

Project Duration

1 week

Project Information.

Weightmans LLP

Weightmans LLP is a leading UK law firm offering legal services to both organisations and individuals. They recently undertook a major office upgrade, and we worked in partnership with them to design and install AV solutions that would help them to work more efficiently and support their team, while offering an outstanding experience for their clients.

The brief

Like so many companies throughout the UK and globally, when Covid hit, Weightmans found themselves having to switch overnight to a WFH model. Without enough time to plan and research properly, the AV solutions implemented were not necessarily the best ones for the business. The team found themselves having to switch in and out of platforms, while the various systems ‘bolted on’ were disjointed and not conducive to effective or efficient workflows.

Time lost to inefficiency will cost any business money, however it’s particularly costly within the law industry. As Chris Graham, Newcastle Office Head, put it “everything that we do should be geared towards freeing up the time of lawyers.”

A challenge for Weightmans was to modernise their AV estate, allowing technology to support rather than hinder their workflows. So, when it was time to upgrade the office and its facilities, the Weightmans management team were keen to ensure they had a much more efficient, streamlined, and multifunctional system in place, one that would:

Free up time and headspace so the team could spend more time focused on billable client work

Support their continued growth and expansion

Ensure that their hybrid working model was as efficient and effective as possible

Be easy to use with minimal training

Encourage more senior members of staff to adopt the new technology

Make it quick and easy to book and facilitate meetings

Provide an excellent experience when communicating with their clients

Support them in their mission to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 3 emissions by reducing unnecessary travel

Make the office environment a pleasure to be in, enhancing their reputation as employers and helping them to recruit and retain top employees

What we did

One of Weightmans’ key objectives when bringing us on board was to standardise meeting room types (huddle, small, medium, large, divisible) across all sites. After initial consultations with the management team concerning the overall video conferencing strategy for the organisation, we came up with solutions for 7 meeting rooms and a Social Space at their Newcastle site. Our Head of AV Collaboration, Mike Goddard, consulted with Greg Garnett, the Head of IT Infrastructure and Cyber Security, along with other key stakeholders to produce designs for each room type.

The AV installation coincided with a refurbishment of the Newcastle office. We collaborated with Weightmans’ Office Fit-Out Partner to ensure our program worked with theirs, then before deployment we conducted a site survey to assess site readiness for the new systems.

Weightmans were comfortable with their existing Poly estate but needed solutions that were appropriate for different room types. We were able to re-purpose some of their existing equipment and supplied new Poly video conferencing kit where required.

Once all designs and plans had been given the green light by stakeholders, our engineers then delivered a successful installation with minimal disruption for this busy office.

The results

One of the most important considerations for the team at Weightmans was ease of use. They wanted solutions that required minimal training that their team could easily get to grips with. Less time trying to figure out how to book meetings or get the tech to work means more time focused on supporting their own clients.

The solutions we provided have streamlined their working processes, encouraged more people to adopt the technology available to them, and have supported Weightmans’ ongoing mission to build a supportive, inclusive and positive culture that allows their people to thrive.

Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) is also a key concern for Weightmans. As Greg explained, “ESG is at the forefront of everything we’re doing at the minute.” Over time, the new set up could help them to improve their sustainability credentials through more efficient use of software and equipment (less energy consumption) and less unnecessary travel.

The Feedback

“We have 9 different offices, and we needed a consistent approach for each one of them. You guys had a very strong understanding of what we needed right from the beginning, and you delivered a streamlined, consistent approach across the board. And you’d sometimes suggest things that were less expensive for us because you wanted to give us what we really needed not just what we asked for.”