Tessaract.io business management software, founded by Cherilyn Tan, is changing the way legal industry works. Read on to see how she did it with the support of IMDA Accreditation programme.
By Cherilyn Tan
As a self-starter, I have always been driven to solve unique problems. By the age of 27, I was running a design-thinking consultancy, an F&B business, and a creative agency.
It was while I was running these businesses that I bumped into an unexpected problem: it was almost impossible to find a suitable and affordable lawyer for simple contract jobs.
So in 2015, I started the Asia Law Network (ALN), a platform that conveniently links lawyers and potential clients together for a quick consultation at a flat rate.
As I developed a firmer understanding of how legal firms operate, I started to see the complex administrative backend processes that go on daily.
Digitisation is the key to solving a lot of these administrative pain points. I started to think about how I could leverage technology to ease the legal industry’s workflow and help them to become paperless.
That's how Tessaract.io was born. We’re an ambitious company, and we hope to grow both at home and abroad. For this reason, we’ve recently gained accreditation through IMDA's Accreditation programme. We believe this stamp of approval will play a key role in our growth journey.
How Tessaract.io works
Tessaract.io’s business management software digitises operations using artificial intelligence and data analytics.
Using my background in coding, I designed the system to manage workflows and project tasks, sales leads, payments and invoices. Everything that used to pose an administrative hassle can now be managed within seconds.
On our platform, users can retrieve their information in seconds through a quick search with the case and document management function. We also have e-mail integration and document management.
More critically, their data is stored on the sovereign cloud, which stays in Singapore and is governed by local laws.
Client onboarding, which used to take a week to complete, now takes five minutes. Lawyers who use our system are now able to pull out their case notes on their tablets within seconds, just by searching with specific keywords.
Helping SMEs with digitisation safely and affordably
Today, many of our clients are Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the legal, accountancy, and consultancy fields. SMEs on tight operating budgets can enjoy the cost- and time-saving benefits of digitisation.
To earn more credibility in Singapore, especially with government agencies, we underwent the full IMDA Accreditation process in June 2022, which evaluated our business based on its financial, operational, and technical aspects.
The firm stamp of approval from IMDA Accreditation helps Tessaract.io expand overseas
As a Singaporean founder, getting this accreditation was the greatest sign that we had “made it” in our home market. To have IMDA accredit us and receive very detailed reports about our business provides us with an edge over other tech companies. It also opens more possibilities for partnerships, especially with local statutory boards or government organizations.
Even as we venture abroad, being able to introduce ourselves as a Singapore government-accredited company also helps us to establish more credibility from the outset.
At this crucial point in our growth, the support we received through IMDA Accreditation is incredibly valuable. As we strive to scale up our services and expand our company, this recognition is a significant boost.
Future plans
Within the next few years, we hope to see our case management systems being used by more local government organizations.
My current focus is also to grow the business in the United Kingdom in 2023. It’s a goal my team and I have been working towards for a while now. Going overseas with IMDA Accreditation gives us a very concise summary to show our foreign counterparts, which is very helpful because the Singapore government is a trusted entity around the world.
I also hope to introduce more value-added services by offering insights and sharing some best practices that we’ve gleaned from more mature markets like the UK.
About Cherilyn Tan
Cherilyn is a serial entrepreneur, having previously built 3 businesses spanning consultancy, F&B and marketing. Her love for technology and its ability to solve bigger world problems made her start AsiaLawNetwork.com, and it extended into the backroom technology Tessaract.io to automate professional services firms across Singapore and UK.
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