The only thing worse than not employing a case management system at your personal injury firm is mishandling the implementation of the program. Implementing your law firm’s new legal case intake software typically entails altering a few of your team’s routines, so it is important for everyone on the team to be trained in the new program and understand the scope of such an endeavor before the company takes the first step towards putting the new program into action. If you execute the rollout correctly, litigation case management software will make your law firm more effective, profitable, and client-focused.
This is your article on getting the most out of case management tools and learn to:
- Set goals based on your current IT assets.
- Build a project team.
- Vet the available software options.
- Implement litigation case management software and train your employees regularly.
You must prepare for a new legal software
Before implementing a new software program, it is important to analyze the current IT situation at your firm. Meet with your team to discuss: What are the benefits for both lawyers and staff members of our current program? What is lacking in our current IT practices? What tasks are taking too long? Knowing what the company already has in place and what improvements the office wants to make is essential before moving forward with implementing the best cloud based legal practice management software.
For example, accurately assessing the firm’s current legal document management software is crucial. Is the firm equipped — in terms of hardware, licensing, storage, personnel, and technical know-how — to handle new software?
Companies that provide cloud-based software put whole teams of professionals to work maintaining and constantly improving their services and security. The majority of small and midsized law firms, who cannot afford the necessary IT staff to carry out these important security procedures, will greatly benefit from this.
Create a project team
The new legal task management software implementation process will be accelerated by assembling the ideal project team. The team should ideally consist of reputable partners with decision-making power, business-savvy lawyers, and staff members who will use the new software most frequently.
Identify a project manager who will be in charge of ensuring that the necessary tasks are accomplished. To guide the efforts, you could consider employing an independent advisor.
Vet your software choices
In addition to conducting online research on the available legal communication management software, talk to colleagues at other law firms to learn what’s working for them.
Read reviews on websites to get first-hand accounts of other law firms’ experiences with a legal communication management software system. Also, ask software vendors for references.
To reduce the number of potential solutions, the project team should create selection criteria based on the demands and needs of the company. The following criteria should be considered:
- Costs.
- Security protocols.
- Migration and training support.
- Vendor support.
- And a commitment to ongoing development.
Interview vendors thoroughly before making your final decision.
Launch the new software
You’ll need to transfer a variety of data sources from your company to the new system, including contact details, case files, and time and billing information. You also don’t want to bring anything that would merely clog up the new space, much like when you move into a new home.
Consider taking the time to remove duplicate files and inactive accounts before switching to the new software. Data integrity is crucial.
All aboard the train
Everyone at the company, including administrators, partners, associates, and staff members, must be aware of the new software and how it will function in the business. The software will be used for various purposes; therefore, training should be slightly individualized.
Employees knowledgeable about the new legal client intake management software can be of assistance with the transition. As a law firm, you can designate these employees as “champions” so they can assist others to learn the new program as subject matter experts.
Gaining knowledge of the new program requires an ongoing effort from the whole team. It takes a little time as the company deals with new problems that arise and software upgrades. The most significant advantages for the company will come from letting the software be developed to match the business’ needs.
Evaluate the success
To evaluate the accuracy of the software’s success reports, collect data relevant to the goals your company set at the start. Report all achievements to increase support for the software, especially in the first several months following implementation.
Choose new repetition and quality control procedures as you iron out any issues and learn how to use the software most effectively. To maximize the software’s advantages, keep up to date with improvements and make sure everyone in the office continues to get proper training.
We advise law firm managers to request a demo of CloudLex if they are struggling with the limitations of antiquated technology. Reach out if you’re having problems managing numerous unintegrated systems.
Businesses that adopt this technology and use it frequently experience benefits such as streamlined operations, higher productivity, and decreased long-term IT expenses.
Your company must be committed to change for the software implementation to be successful. Since change impacts all aspects of a company, its people, processes, and tools will be particularly impacted. Law firm management must consider how introducing new technology will affect these three components (people, processes, and tools) to avoid negative outcomes and potential initial failures.
The steps outlined above must be carefully followed to administer the processes to ensure a smooth transition to a new practice management software program. The firm shouldn’t rush this process or set unrealistic expectations for the product or the users. As the team becomes more experienced with the new system, expect them to start experiencing all of the positive benefits of using litigation case management software tailored to the needs of your company.
