Interview with Andy Thompson on Blackadders LLP’s Transition to Diktamen Cloud Digital Dictation

Andy Thompson, Head of Data and Technology at Blackadders LLP, shares his experience of moving the firm from a legacy dictation system to Diktamen Cloud Digital Dictation — highlighting how simplicity, speed, and reliability have made a major impact on the firm’s IT operations and staff experience.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Blackadders LLP?

Andy Thompson: “I’m Andy Thompson, Head of Data and Technology at Blackadders. I’m responsible for the provision and delivery of all IT services across the firm.”

What prompted Blackadders to look for a new digital dictation solution?

Andy Thompson: “We’d been using a legacy system for quite a few years, but when we transitioned to the cloud last year, it became clear that the system just wasn’t keeping up. It still required on-prem servers, which didn’t fit with our cloud-first strategy. On top of that, support was getting slower and the product wasn’t evolving, yet it remained expensive for what it actually did.

We heard about Diktamen through an informal chat with other IT leaders in Scotland. Another firm was trialling it and it sounded exactly like what we were looking for — cloud-based, simple, and cost-effective. After speaking with the Diktamen team, we quickly realised it was the right fit.”

How would you describe your experience working with Diktamen and their team?

Andy Thompson: “Honestly, it’s been excellent from start to finish. Anything we asked for was dealt with immediately — often within hours. The rollout itself took less than an afternoon. Compared to other systems we’ve used, it’s night and day. There’s been no stress, no issues, and no hassle.

The feedback from our staff has been great too. The system is easy to use, reliable, and they’ve even commented that the sound quality is better than what we had before.”

What stands out most about Diktamen compared to your previous system?

Andy Thompson: “The simplicity. Dictation shouldn’t be complicated — it’s about recording and playback, and Diktamen delivers exactly that without overengineering it. It just works.

We had more problems in one week with our previous system than we’ve had in all the months since switching to Diktamen. For me, the best sign is that I don’t hear about it — no problems mean it’s doing its job perfectly.”

Based on your experience so far, would you recommend Diktamen to other firms?

Andy Thompson: “Absolutely, 100%. For law firms, dictation is a basic requirement, and Diktamen does it brilliantly. From an IT perspective, it’s easy to manage and the support team is fantastic. From the users’ perspective, it’s simple, reliable, and even the sound quality has improved. I can’t fault it.”

Blackadders has made significant moves toward digital transformation — what’s next on your technology roadmap?

Andy Thompson: “A lot, actually. When I joined a couple of years ago, I was brought in to overhaul everything. We’ve replaced all of our infrastructure — servers, storage, networks, firewalls, endpoints — everything.

Now, we’re focusing on internal systems and improving efficiency further. We’re currently implementing a new cloud-based practice management system as part of our goal to have everything in the cloud. It means our teams across multiple offices all get the same great experience, whether they’re in the office, at home, or in court.”

AI and new technologies are big talking points in legal IT right now. How do you see that evolving at Blackadders?

Andy Thompson: “We’re very open to AI and automation. We already use Microsoft Copilot extensively for efficiency — things like note-taking and call recording — and we’re keeping a close eye on legal-specific AI tools too.

Right now, a lot of what’s on the market feels early-stage or geared towards high-volume firms, which isn’t our model. But as the technology matures, we’ll definitely explore how it can enhance our work. We’re always interested in anything that makes us more efficient.”

What advice would you give to other firms considering switching to Diktamen?

Andy Thompson: “Don’t overcomplicate it. Just do it. The implementation is simple, the system works perfectly, and the support is outstanding. It’s one of the smoothest technology projects we’ve ever had.”