LSC Online “Closed Until Further Notice”

This was just so utterly, utterly predictable.
Why then, when it was so obvious even to a casual observer outside the LSC, did somebody not apply the brakes? Better still why was this not planned with a more rational timetable and staggered implementation between regions? Even the most brisk “risk assessment” should have suggested that taking this leap with only the most rudimentary of alternatives to fall back on (e-mailling a spreadsheet or posting forms) was a disaster waiting to happen.
Most tellingly, this state of affairs became apparent because as “software vendors” (if we can be called for giving away bulkload Wizards for free) we receive the same communications which go to the major software houses. It was all too obvious that we had been given insufficient time to prepare and test products in advance of the deadline. Whilst this has been a costly, frustrating and time consuming headache for us I struggle to imagine what it is like for them.
Worst however, and I alluded to this in last weeks post linked to above, is that this is not an isolated problem but just one from a growing list of mismanagement and incompetence. I have not time to compose the full most inventory now, including Preferred Supplier, Contract Compliance Auditing etc., suffice it to say the Law Society’s motion of No Confidence, earlier in the year, was absolutely justified.
On a practical note – we are trying to have a look at their “bulkload” alternative and have contacted them to see if a single saved “data worksheet” from our Wizards will be acceptable. We will try and update this thread for those still to report this month and the phone lines will be open when possible – I am training today and tomorrow, Andy is on-site, dealing with this fiasco, and Steve is at home playing at pirates (poorly really).
To conclude – What a F*$%@&g Shambles

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5 comments on “LSC Online “Closed Until Further Notice”

  • Thank goodnesds for your team Simon, we await your findings with baited breath .. although we won’t be holding it!!
    Colleen.

  • My firm was using the online submission system before. We now find ourselves unable to make a submission at all, because we don’t run Excel. I am waiting for the LSC’s response, and if I do not get one, I will submit the return on paper.

  • have they considered the delays that will be caused when they try to upload all the paper and spreadsheet data on to the system? I predict now that paper submissions will be allowed up to and including March 2008.
    would it be easier if firms submitted individual claims for each piece of work done, that is then assessed at a Regional Office by a caseworker? Radical, I know…but probably less time consuming than all this other nonsense.

  • PS, the last e-mail I saw about the bulkload spreadsheet said that it had a glitch in it… good luck!
    and finally, will future SMP adjustments be based on what firms have tried to submit (and not yet had uploaded), or on what they have actually submitted (i.e nowt in most cases)? Can the LSC readers confirm?

  • I suspect that many, like me, intended to make submissions this week and were caught out by the e-mail over the weekend. I ended up submitting ‘nil’ returns on Sunday afternoon for both civil and criminal contracts. I was not going to risk the ‘new’ bulkload sheet without testing it; in any event, I did not have any of the information at home and why should I keep working at weekends for such little return?

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