Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

When Technology Meets Process

By Debbie Foster and Liz Lamar
August 30, 2012

Applying technology to an inefficient process will give you a net gain of zero. Throwing technology at a problem without first looking at the process will rarely fix it. In fact, it may exacerbate the problem by adding another layer of complexity to existing process challenges.

A great misconception about technology is that it is a quick fix for everything ' a Band-Aid of sorts. Often, lawyers uncover a problem in their firms and immediately seek to solve it with technology rather than examining their process first. For example, lawyers frequently realize their firms are missing billing opportunities. As a solution, many opt for more sophisticated software only to discover that the cause of the problem is process-related, that there is a break in the process by which staff captures billable time and events. In this case, the most effective solution would have been to refine the process.

Read These Next
Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It Image

Why is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?

Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.

A Lawyer's System for Active Reading Image

Active reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.

Blockchain Domains: New Developments for Brand Owners Image

Blockchain domain names offer decentralized alternatives to traditional DNS-based domain names, promising enhanced security, privacy and censorship resistance. However, these benefits come with significant challenges, particularly for brand owners seeking to protect their trademarks in these new digital spaces.