- Partnership
- 36 months3 months of full-time redevelopment, then ongoing development
- Cost
- $6,230 + GSTa month, with no large upfront payment
- Release 1
- February 2027Contract ingestion and Copilot, shown at LawFest
- Platform
- ASP.NET CoreMicrosoft stack, with customers moving across over time
01
The partnership
ConveyIT was developed around 10 years ago and has served the business well. Technology, user expectations and the way businesses operate have changed considerably since then.
- The proposal
- A three-year modernisation and continuous improvement partnership to develop ConveyIT 2.0, rather than simply rebuilding the application as it works today.
- The objective
- Preserve the business knowledge and processes built into the current system, while creating a modern platform that can keep evolving with the business.
- Shared interest
- It is in both parties' interests for the application to be successful.
The goal is not to recreate a 10-year-old application screen for screen. It is to design the system as it should work for the business today.
Programme
- Project management and regular progress reviews
- Review of the existing application and workflows
- Modernised architecture and user interface
- Redevelopment of existing functionality
- Identification of processes to simplify or automate
- New functionality where it provides clear business value
- Any time left over pooled for new functionality
- New features
- Workflow improvements
- Automation
- Reporting
- Integration with other systems
- AI-assisted functionality
- User experience improvements
- Changes required as the business evolves
The application keeps improving throughout the agreement, avoiding the traditional model where a large project is completed and the software gradually becomes outdated again.
AI-assisted development
NZCS makes extensive use of AI-assisted development tools to prototype, test and build more efficiently. They do not replace the developer or project management. They allow more time for business processes, usability and solving the right problems.
02
How the LawFest release will work
The LawFest MVP is led by contract ingestion and Copilot integration. The illustrations below follow one purchase through both features.
The screens, names and figures are examples, not final designs. The detail will be shaped with ConveyIT through the sprint reviews.
Contract ingestion
Release 1- Date
- 3 February 2027
- Vendor
- Margaret Anne Holloway
- Purchaser
- Kauri Point Holdings Limited
- Property
- 14 Rimu Grove, Whanganui
- Legal description
- Lot 12 DP 45821, Record of Title WN18A/442
- Purchase price
- $865,000 inclusive of GST (if any)
- Deposit
- $43,250
- Finance
- 10 working days from the date of this agreement
- LIM
- 15 working days from the date of this agreement
- Settlement date
12 March 202719 March 2027MH JW
- Property14 Rimu Grove, Whanganuip.1
- Legal descriptionLot 12 DP 45821, WN18A/442p.1
- VendorMargaret Anne Hollowayp.1
- PurchaserKauri Point Holdings Limitedp.1
- Agreement date3 February 2027p.1
- Purchase price$865,000p.1
- Deposit$43,250p.1
- Finance condition10 working daysDue Thursday 18 February 2027p.1
- LIM condition15 working daysDue Thursday 25 February 2027p.1
-
Settlement dateFriday 19 March 2027
Handwritten change: 12 March struck out and 19 March written in, initialled by both parties.
AcceptView page 1
Working days follow the agreement's definition. Waitangi Day, observed on Monday 8 February, is skipped.
The accepted details create the matter and start its workflow. Nothing is used until a person has reviewed it.
Copilot integration through the MCP service
Release 1What are the key dates on 14 Rimu Grove?
Here are the key dates for 14 Rimu Grove, matter 27-0142:
- Finance conditionThursday 18 February
- LIM conditionThursday 25 February
- SettlementFriday 19 March 2027
The answer comes from the matter itself, with a link back to it in ConveyIT.
03
Product roadmap
ConveyIT's priorities and the anticipated timing of each release. NZCS and ConveyIT will confirm the detail and order together as the programme progresses.
February 2027
- Contract ingestionA signed sale and purchase agreement is uploaded and key details are extracted with their source. A person reviews them before they are used in the matter and workflow.
- MCP service integration, including CopilotGives Microsoft Copilot controlled access to ConveyIT, so users can ask about a matter from within Copilot.
- Forms and online signaturesOnline forms that feed information into the matter, and documents signed online.
- Improved document generationMore consistent Word output, including complex settlement statements, proven on real documents that currently fail.
- Communications sent directly to email, without generating a Microsoft Word documentUsers choose a template, it fills in the client and matter details, and they edit and send it. Word remains for formal documents.
- Generate a Word document
- Open it
- Review it
- Turn it into an Outlook email
- Send
- Choose a template, already filled in
- Edit
- Send
Administration
- Administration programme renewal
- Template administration and management
- Modern user interface
Work allocation
- Task delegation
- Work allocation in groups
- Intelligent allocation
Automation and security
- Workflow automation
- Agents
- Security, including secrets management and security frameworks
Microsoft and Google
- Integration with Microsoft 365 applications
- Outlook tasks and dates
- Potential integration with Google Docs
Third-party integrations
- Identity and anti-money laundering services
- LINZ title integration
- Council LIM integration
- Companies Office integration
Practice management
- Greater integration with practice management systems
- Increased information flow
Where later releases could take workflows
Later releasesToday, ConveyIT workflows are largely fixed lists of tasks that staff complete by hand. Once contract ingestion is in place, later releases can use what is known about a matter to decide which tasks are needed and complete some of them automatically. This example was discussed at the 27 October meeting.
Client
Aroha RangiFor review
Aroha Rangi, 50%For review
Workflow: fixed checklist
- Identity and AML checks
- Review conditions
- Trust or estate documents
- Prepare settlement statement
Workflow: adapted to this matter
- Identity and AML checksJane Whitaker and Aroha Rangi
- Confirm who will sign for the company
- Finance conditionDue Thursday 18 February
- LIM conditionDue Thursday 25 February
- Prepare settlement statement
- Trust or estate documents
The workflow adapts. Tasks that apply are added and assigned by role, and tasks that don't apply are set aside.
Review of current technology
- End-client communication solutions, including email and text messaging
- Evaluate retirement of Softtrix
- Evaluate retirement of TX Control
Longer-term direction
Consider whether ConveyIT should evolve into an orchestration hub, supporting information sharing between law firms and end-to-end tracking through the conveyancing process.
04
Architecture and integration
ConveyIT 2.0 will use a modern, service-oriented architecture based on ASP.NET Core and the Microsoft technology stack.
Connected services, each through its own adapter
- AdapterPractice management systems
- AdapterMicrosoft 365 and Copilot
- AdapterLINZ, councils, Companies Office
- AdapterE-signing, identity and AML
- AdapterAI provider
Each connected service has its own adapter, so new integrations can be added or changed without significant redevelopment.
Expected tools
| Backend | ASP.NET Core |
| Frontend | Angular and TypeScript |
| Database | SQL Server initially, the closest fit with existing code and data |
| Documents | Templates written in Microsoft Word, with documents generated on the server |
| Security | Microsoft sign-in, with credentials held in a secrets manager such as Azure Key Vault |
| AI and hosting | Chosen after current testing, and a review of data-handling terms and running costs |
Reusing existing code
The Microsoft stack allows existing business logic to be reused where practical, after porting and retesting. The current web pages and desktop administration components will be rewritten.
Practice management integration
- The market
- Vendors are adding their own automation and AI. ConveyIT's strength remains dependable New Zealand property workflows, maintained legal content and less retyping.
- Source of truth
- ConveyIT works alongside these systems, with the practice management system as the primary source of truth.
- Less re-entry
- ConveyIT 2.0 retrieves more information to avoid duplicate entry, with two-way integration considered system by system.
- Smaller firms
- Firms without a comprehensive practice management system are still supported.
05
Project plan to LawFest
The target is a minimum viable product available for demonstration at LawFest in February 2027, led by contract ingestion and Copilot integration.
- On acceptanceWork begins, with sample documents and a Microsoft 365 test environment arranged
- Early December 2026Milestone 1: a sample agreement is uploaded, with extracted details reviewed beside their source
- Late January 2027Milestone 2: accepted details create a matter and workflow in ConveyIT 2.0, and Copilot answers questions about that matter
- February 2027LawFest: MVP demonstration, with recordings available
- The two milestones let ConveyIT assess progress and delivery confidence before LawFest. Their dates are provisional.
- ConveyIT can attend fortnightly sprint reviews throughout this period.
06
Transition
Customers will move from the current product to ConveyIT 2.0 over time, with both products running during transition.
- Familiar behaviour
- ConveyIT 2.0 will support existing workflows and precedents, with configuration options that preserve familiar user behaviour.
- Managed templates
- ConveyIT's managed-template service stays in place, with customers requesting changes and ConveyIT staff managing the templates.
- Pilot first
- A pilot firm proves a complete journey before wider rollout.
- One firm at a time
- Each firm's migration is rehearsed and checked before the real move.
- One system in charge
- One system owns each firm's records and background jobs at any time, preventing duplicate messages and overwritten matters.
Data conversion
Conversion covers more than the database:
- Records
- Matter files and documents
- Workflows
- Precedents and legal definitions
- Firm settings
- Users and permissions
- Links to practice management systems
- Background jobs
The scope will be sized after reviewing the current schema, data volumes and files. The migration approach, including how active matters are handled, will be defined with ConveyIT.
07
Cost and support
A predictable monthly service, with no significant upfront development cost. NZCS invests in the initial engineering work.
| Development programme, 36 × $6,230 | $224,280 + GST |
| Level 2 support, over the same 36 months, 36 × $800 | $28,800 + GST |
| Total over 36 months | $253,080 + GST |
Not included in these figures
- Hosting and infrastructure, including running both products during transition
- AI usage
- Microsoft Copilot licences for firms
- Third-party services, such as e-signing, identity and AML, title, LIM, text and email services
Application support
- Cost
- Level 2 support, a fixed $800 + GST per month
- Hours
- Service desk, 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
- Visibility
- Tickets visible through the service desk portal
- Scope
- Issues that need deeper investigation than first-line support can provide
- Same team
- The team that develops the application maintains it, without relying on a separate software vendor
SQL Server management and optimisation
NZCS will manage the SQL Server environment supporting the application, with regular oversight of:
- Database health
- Performance
- Backup status
- Database growth
- SQL Server configuration
- General database optimisation
The outcome
- A modern and maintainable software platform
- Improved workflows and reduced manual processes
- New opportunities for automation
- Ongoing application support
- A managed and optimised database platform
- A system that keeps evolving as the business changes
Rather than another large redevelopment every 10 years, this creates an ongoing development partnership around one of the business's core systems.