3E MatterSphere version 9 is here. As a certified 3E MatterSphere partner, Mosmar was fortunate enough to be included in the pilot program, so we had an early look at this new release.
Here are our key takeaways:
1. Navigation
In V9, this is more accentuated from a visual aspect, providing breadcrumb navigation from a consistent toolbar.
Improved navigation is a big theme in this release. Navigation hasn’t been terrible in MS in the past, actually I feel it’s one of the better features. Forward/back buttons like a browser, enabled users to remain the same window and drill through from a command centre view into clients, then down into matters.
2. Visuals
Upgrading from 6.3 to 7, we all experienced the ‘white wash’ and the loss of the beloved icons. V9 brings iconography back, but in a stylish way, not to the overused degree of 6.3.
The Visual indicators are also help with navigation so it’s more obvious which 3E MatterSphere object you’re looking at. This is really important given that the same feature (such as search lists) are used across multiple levels – be it client, matter, associate etc. Previously it was easy to get lost in the interface, and accidentally exit out of a screen you wanted to be in.
Here’s another visual biggie – screen scaling is fixed! For those that dock and undock laptops, you likely would have experienced the controls that suddenly disappear – not cool. Problem now solved!
And for those that find the wizards that pop up, on top of another wizard, on top of another wizard, on top of (ok you get the point) – these multi layered wizards have gone with the Dodo.
3. Dashboards
3E MatterSphere was always flexible via it’s Search List function, providing visibility of data (any data – whether in 3E MatterSphere or another database) at any level of the 3E MatterSphere object mode (client, matter, associate, contact etc).
Dashboards take this concept further by grouping related information together on the one screen.
Think – all custom data relating to a Client available on the one dashboard – matters, tasks, appointments, contacts, key dates, financial information, KPIs, SLAs, XYZs (ok I made the last one up, but you catch my drift).
4. Elastic Search
Elastic search arrived in an earlier version, but v9 brings access to it via the Microsoft Office ribbons.
Natural language searching makes it super easy to find what you’re after, and it searches across everything 3E MatterSphere knows about. Pretty cool I must say. Navigation is improved (see point 1 above), and ironically perhaps not so important now with elastic search so easily accessible.
Summary
These are just the primary changes in this release, there are other more subtle changes that might really tickle your fancy. Or solve a bugbear that has annoyed you for years.
As fans of 3E MatterSphere, we are pleased to see focus being given to an interface which is used heavily by so many legal professionals.
However, we must give our prize to ITEM 3 above – Dashboards. 3E MatterSphere stores a comprehensive amount of information, and being infinitely extensible (which we LOVE), means some sites have access to an invaluable bank of collected information.
Leveraging that information and presenting it (pivoting it even) via a dashboard for a partner/supervisor/manager to oversee – invaluable in our opinion.
Want to know more?
Give us a shout – info@mosmar.com.au