White paper
Transform your law firm with legal technology — a guided path to success
What can technology do for your law firm?
Like any business, a law firm must control expenses and strengthen the bottom line. Doing this involves analytics about time, fees, and processes, all of which demand timely and accurate data.
The legal industry is increasingly changing and diversifying, becoming intertwined with other types of expertise besides legal — both inside and outside the firm — which requires virtual collaboration. Also, clients increasingly expect lawyers to have expertise in other disciplines, such as project management and digital technology.
Think about your firm, clients, and employees: What do they really need?
With the proliferation of technology, it’s easy to be dazzled by what might be possible. Still, it’s important to keep perspective and start by investigating what your firm actually needs.
Ask yourself the right questions
When assessing new technology, it’s important to be informed and analytical — just as a good lawyer should be.
- What problem or gap needs to be addressed?
- What is the current process to solve that problem?
- Is there technology in mind that can streamline that process?
- What is the cost?
- Will the benefits outweigh the cost, and how quickly?
- Who, specifically, will use the tool?
- Is there support through the organization for the new technology?
Technology works best when you adopt it in the right way
New technology is a good investment; investing in it the right way will make it great. One of the biggest steps is successfully implementing the technology with your people.
People, processes, and technology are all interdependent. Take one away and the implementation falls over. Rather than expecting wholesale change overnight, leaders must form a detailed engagement plan, leaving room for ironing out any glitches, reassuring their employees that any disruption or change is worth it, and supporting them in using the new technology.
Partners should actively listen to how people want to work — noting what kind of culture encourages trust and collaboration — and be open to opportunities to make their people, processes, and technology work smarter and better.
Be aware that people may question the interest and value of sharing their work, processes, or mistakes — even when they've learned from them. It’s natural to fear that they’re opening themselves up to criticism, even in the context of improving a process to benefit the whole firm. Also, some people may view the transition process as too overwhelming and time consuming. The engagement plan should address all of these things.
Tips for a successful engagement plan
- Communicate. Make it clear to people what you expect the new technology to improve, make easier, or take less time to do. Talk them through the process you went through in making the decision, so they understand what’s happening and why.
- Anticipate criticism or resistance. For organizations and individuals that charge services by the hour, any time not spent on client work can seem like time wasted. So, it’s important to remember the growth mindset. Your firm is doing this for a reason: it will benefit everyone.
- Use all the resources available. Take full advantage of all the training and implementation tools from the vendor, whether it’s a one-page FAQ document or a free series of training classes.
- Test the technology with a hypothetical case. These are useful because there isn’t a deadline or chance of breaking any technology or processes. People are reassured when an expert is on hand — like your vendor’s training or customer success personnel — to resolve minor issues or provide one-on-one coaching.
- Create a small team of super users. You can train a dedicated group to a higher level of expertise and their feedback will help you fine tune the technology throughout implementation. Hence, it becomes more user friendly and aligns with the actual workflows people will be using.
- Open a channel of communication. Giving your colleagues a chance to provide input can help them feel like they are playing an active part in the process. Set up a structured way of providing feedback, such as a one-hour listening session, a dedicated email address for questions, or a suggestion box, whether physical or digital.
- Celebrate successes. When the value of your new technology starts to show, communicate it throughout your firm. Knowing that technology is helping you win and grow can boost engagement even further.
- Have patience. Change takes time and success won’t happen overnight. Always remember that implementation is a process with bumps along the road, but ultimately everyone knows the destination.
Technology transformation is an ongoing journey
HighQ: A legal business management software solution to help law firms reimagine their legal service delivery
From client engagement to internal collaboration and project management to secure file sharing, HighQ enables firms to transform how they provide legal services to their clients and saves time for lawyers to do more of the work that truly brings value.
Some benefits of HighQ
- Client transparency
- Secure document management
- Simple workflow and automation tools
- Real-time project tracking dashboards
- Integrated communication
HighQ integrates with the tools and technology you use the most to help you do more, collaboratively.
To fully unleash technology’s potential, integration between software is crucial. HighQ provides a range of connectors to key systems, including Microsoft® SharePoint, iManage Work, Active Directory®, SQL Server®, and many more, to integrate our cloud-based solutions with your most important on-premises systems.
A collection of customer stories
Explore real-world case studies of how law firms chose HighQ and how they found success.
New tech. The right way.
Technology should set your firm free; the best new technology, when adopted correctly, can deliver amazing results.
That relies on a solid process that covers three key steps: being aware of challenges in your firm’s processes, assessing the best new technology, and implementing that technology successfully.
Explore more resources on implementing new technology at your firm:
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Less is more: Consolidate your legal tech stack with HighQ
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Do legal clients care about what technology you use?
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Making it work: Your firm’s path to a successful tech adoption
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Technology in law is the new norm
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How technology drives law firm modernization
HighQ capabilities allow you to work more efficiently by streamlining workflows and reducing time spent on mundane tasks