Streamlining complex legal processes with a low-code solution

The challenge

Business Need

The Client supports their customers in complex legal documentation processes related to share transfers, capital distribution, share allotment and other company restructuring actions. They used to handle these procedures with a partially automated mail merge solution, which required multiple experts to work on separate parts of the legal plan before merging and approval. This process wasn’t efficient enough as it required enormous synchronisation effort, thus limiting the company’s ability to take on new clients.

Automation of these processes was a major challenge, due to the complexity of business logic. There were multiple data inputs, hundreds of document variants, different numbers of legal entities involved in each transaction, and massive amounts of data. The original system lacked a central repository for document templates, and the Client’s employees worked in the offline mode, which created a risk of using outdated document templates. Moreover, the business logic was codified in Excel files, which wasn’t optimal for the processing of frequent changes necessary during work.

The solution

Project Details

Objectivity, together with the Client, carried out a thorough process analysis to find the right technology and solution architecture to match the Client’s needs. Building a bridge between the subject matter experts (SMEs) and Objectivity’s IT specialists was a major challenge. The solution architects had to understand the complexity and intricacies of the legal documentation logic, while SMEs didn’t initially understand the extent to which the technology can aid their operations. However, thanks to the use of the Mendix low-code platform, the first Proof of Concept for the web application was ready just a week after starting the cooperation.

The solution was developed incrementally, using prototyping and the trial-and-error method, with continuous consultations with the business stakeholders. This innovative approach proved to be the right choice, as the created prototypes enabled the Client to get a stronger grasp on the low-code’s capabilities, discover new requirements and re-evaluate the initial ones. The team was then able to consolidate and make small improvements in the existing business logic during the development process. Robust end-to-end automation was implemented to facilitate the designed system.

The team working on the solution consisted of both Objectivity’s and the Client’s employees. This mutual development effort was to make sure that low-code competencies were passed on to the Client’s organisation, and to prepare a smooth handover after the end of development.

The results

Business Benefits

The delivered application automatically generates documents, based on the data entered by the user, which eliminated the problem of outdated templates. It reduced the effort necessary for creating documentation by 50-60%. This optimisation enabled the Client to serve more customers without the need to hire additional people. The new solution also made it easier for employees to track multiple transactions and transfer ongoing projects to other experts whenever necessary.

The process is now more structured and better documented, the automation also reduced the room for human error. At the same time, it made the onboarding process in this department easier for the Client, as it significantly lowered the barrier of entry for new employees. This also led to more effective cost management. Moreover, Objectivity introduced the Client to low-code, and helped them build technology competencies within the organisation. This enabled the company to gain a strong understanding of low-code and identify future use cases.