Measure success by a firm's ability to embrace change

For any business operating today, change is inevitable. The legal sector is no exception. Firms must embrace change to maintain growth, success and competitive edge. 

While caution is natural, law firms are seen as significantly more risk-averse than most, with many practitioners perceiving change as risk rather than opportunity. The top 10 firms identified new technology as the biggest challenge the sector will face over the next two years.

Of course, embracing new ways of working isn’t simple. The time needed to research and implement, the money and resources used and the preconception that it might be too big a job can discourage managers.

While some firms are driving change,many others must alter their view in order to embrace new processes and achieve the most positive return.

Replace outdated processes

Many law firms still have legacy processes and products that they are comfortable using and have worked for them in the past, but are no longer fit for purpose. For example, firms which continue to manage case-specific files and data manually offline are likely to operate much less efficiently than those using modern tools. Unnecessary tasks are created, which ultimately cut into fee-earning time and reduce the opportunity for efficiency.

This is where change, particularly by introducing technology, plays a fundamental role. These solutions enable firms to evaluate their current operations and identify the processes which could be streamlined to free up time for high-value work. They can then determine the right time to adopt changes in order to ensure business continuity and greater productivity.

With a wide range of legal software systems now available, every firm will be able to find a system to meet its specific needs. Moreover, the supplier support that should accompany this software can be crucial both during transition and beyond – taking pressure off decision makers and enabling a smoother transition for staff.

The true value of change

By applying change across their practice with modern IT systems, firms can move into a new era of software-based workflows and embrace new processes which improve overall success. These systems can also be invaluable in maintaining compliance, by generating prompts and task reminders to avoid missed deadlines and ensure necessary processes are followed. With the many regulations and protocols affecting the sector, this can prove vital for helping firms avoid the damaging consequences of falling behind.

To succeed in the modern legal sector, firms must first evaluate their processes and discuss their goals with potential suppliers to find systems that will support their practice with the greatest return on investment. Those who realise the true value of change – and measure their success accordingly – will open up new avenues for higher productivity and better processes for their staff, whilst future-proofing their practice as the sector continues to evolve.