The Apperio system - rebranded from its previous name of Legal Tender - is being contributed to by Olswang and other law firms at the moment. By using the dashboard, companies can monitor costs all the way from the pitching process for their work through to the actual work being done. Alerts can be set when certain thresholds are reached. And the businesses can compare the costs of using the firm they selected against others.

More likely to pay

Nicholas d’Adhemar, the founder of Apperio, believes that clients are also happier about paying when they know how their bills are made up and exactly how they have accumulated. He said: 'People are more likely to pay for something when they are kept informed along the way.' Source: Financial Times