Visual communication has alway been an effective approach to presenting complex information and engaging with clients. However, many traditional tools that law firms have relied on in the past were difficult to create clear and professional visuals with. Communicating visually was not always easy.
More and more attorneys are using visuals in their client communications because emerging technologies have made:
Studies show that when presenting business strategies, visual communication is easiest to understand and far more compelling to clients. In complex areas of law, clear and professional-looking diagrams can help clients understand their options or a strategy, and develop trust. While we understand the impact visuals can have, traditional diagramming tools demand hours of time and effort from attorneys, making visual communication challenging.
Tools like PowerPoint and Visio are common diagramming solutions for attorneys, and have been used regularly for decades. However, they are general-purpose and tedious to deal with for the specialized work that attorneys do. Yet, attorneys relied on generic diagramming solutions because specialized tools were not available to them.
For law firms, traditional diagramming solutions are difficult to work with because they:
With these challenges, traditional diagramming tools lead to hours of non-billable work each week. Attorneys would spend a great deal of time on “art projects” that have nothing to do with the high-value work attorneys should be doing.
With the emergence of modern diagramming solutions, these challenges have been overcome. And so, more and more attorneys leverage visuals regularly, like diagrams, to elevate client communication.
Blue J Diagramming is a platform designed specifically for attorneys. It is built by experienced attorneys who understand the strong need for a tailored diagramming solution for law firms. Today it empowers thousands of attorneys to quickly visualize complex transactions, mergers, and other structures for clients in a way that looks clear and professional, without wasting hours doing it.
So what does Blue J diagramming do that general-purpose tools like PowerPoint, Visio, and Excel fail to do?
Quick Start templates
The Blue J platform provides standard diagram templates, known as Quick Start templates, as starting points for practitioners. They can access diagram templates for forward and reverse triangular mergers, a range of reorganizations, partnerships, liquidations and many other structure types.
Standard shapes and conventions
The solution provides standardized shapes and conventions for attorneys available in a drop-down menu. Whether it’s a foreign bank, a disregarded entity, hybrid partnership or something else, the corresponding shapes are readily available, with data fields to automate labeling.
Simplified, streamlined collaboration
The process of collaborating on diagrams is completely streamlined with Blue J. Diagrams can be shared, reviewed, and edited by team members in a single platform. This cuts out the lengthy and confusing emails threads, the problem with multiple file versions floating around, and the overall time it can take to get valuable, insightful input across the team on a strategy for a client.
Tax metadata tracking and storage
For the tax specialists, the platform allows for the simple input and tracking of tax metadata. Each entity and relationship can have tax metadata embedded. Then, when saved, a tax metadata record can accompany your work, providing a complete overview of what is taking place in the diagram.
High-quality design output
Finally, Blue J Diagramming is built to produce professional-looking diagrams. With its Quick Start templates and standardized shapes, a majority of design work and organization is done for you. Connected entities can be moved around in an infinite canvas and without breaking. Regardless of any changes or additions attorneys make, the platform is able to accommodate them.
There is a clear business advantage for firms who have simplified visual client communication with a modern diagramming solution. They have eliminated the challenges that traditional diagrams have posed all these years for their attorneys. With non-billable diagramming work cut down, attorneys can get back to focusing on high-value work, picking up more client files, and engaging clients effectively.
Thinking about upgrading your firm’s suite of diagramming tools? Get in touch with Blue J today to start a conversation.
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