Put Technology In Its Place ... and Deliver Results To The Bottom Line

The underlying details vary and may involve equipment upgrades, case management system, document management system, or database software. Results are often the same: wasted resources, lost productivity, frustrated attorneys and staff, cost overruns, and few results to show for the effort. Many firms that invested heavily 3 to 4 years ago (remember Y2K?) continue to use outdated, poor performing technology, and as they realized marginal benefits, are now hesitant to invest again, fearing similar outcomes. Consequently, many law practices are experiencing depressed attorney and staff productivity, steadily rising operational costs, and a legacy of lease payments for technology that has fallen into disuse.

This real life scenario may sound all too familiar:

• Obsolete equipment and systems (Windows 98!);
• PCs freezing 4 to 5 times per day resulting in lost data and productivity;
• File server(s) on overload and delivering substandard performance;
• Sporadic backup ' causing the loss of months of historical data;
• 3 scanners on site and none in working order;
• Attorneys and staff struggling with inadequate technology tools at the expense of important client work;
• Case management system fallen into disuse … and there is still a full year remaining on the 4-year lease.

In this scenario, the impact of the frozen PCs is a minimum of one half hour daily in lost productivity per person. A conservative estimate of the annual financial impact on the firm in lost productivity is in the neighborhood of $5,000 per staff member and $10,000 per attorney.