Digitisation is the key to growth – as long as it’s backed up by great service from your tech provider
If there were lingering doubts about the need to digitise the legal sector, then Covid must surely have blown them out of the water. The question is increasingly not ‘if’, but ‘how?’
For law firms looking at implementing or overhauling their practice management systems, the task can seem daunting. With myriad technological solutions out there, how do you know which is right for you?
For Adam Bullion, General Manager of Marketing at practice management software provider PracticeEvolve, the number one consideration should be: ‘What do I need now to secure the future?’
“Throughout the evaluation process, firm leaders should be asking themselves a few critical questions that will help them determine the most suitable system for the long-term. ‘Where is our business heading? Which vendor can provide us with a clear strategy for their technology that I can present to the board and get implemented efficiently? And we want to transition to native cloud, who can take us on that journey?’”
Second, says Bullion, law firms should be looking for feature-rich software that is always accessible – without the need to constantly go back and ask for new modules. “Many firms fail to exploit the potential of any technology because they are restricted. They may only be able to access modules as and when they pay for them. Then as they scale and need additional modules, they have to buy the training that goes with it.”
Thirdly, legal firms should look at a business that has a sound structure in place to take them from initial understanding of the software to its implementation, all the way through to training and beyond.
“It’s no longer just a question of whether the software can deliver results because most technology is built with similar functionality that will boost productivity. Firms should instead focus on understanding the service offered by the vendor to ensure competency in the technology is constantly supported to maximise the use of the software and guarantee the best ROI. Similarly, firms need to be sure the vendor’s strategic direction aligns with that of your firm.”
The point regarding service is key, says Bullion, because that added value is what will make the fundamental difference to your law firm.
“Clients’ demands are raised, and they need cost-effective service, whether that’s support, training or access to knowledge-based information.”
PracticeEvolve offers regular online training webinars to all clients and are in the process of building a complimentary e-learning program that will enable firms to get certified in the use of its software.
“We are launching a comprehensive online learning platform offering user-friendly, video-based training modules across all areas of the system, empowering our clients to self-educate and improve user competency,” Bullion continues, “We are also introducing dedicated customer success consultants who are responsible for providing our clients with training plans that ensure the firm has a more rounded understanding of all the functionality that is available to them within the software. As law firms grow, they will require more support and service, and our aim is to provide them will all the tools to succeed as part of their PracticeEvolve package, with no hidden costs.”
This enhanced service is possible thanks to PracticeEvolve’s per user per month model. “That enables us to constantly reinvest money back into the software and focus on existing clients’ needs. We have a duty of care to help clients use all the features so they can utilize the software to its maximum potential.”
Bullion says that open communication between law firms and their vendors is critical but may have been lost as providers shift towards a belief that the software acts as a service. “Services that add real value are crucial for firms to achieve better bang for buck. Ask a consultant and they’ll tell you firms are only using 20%, 30% or 40% of the software. Our role is to ultimately help increase usage by having open and regular dialogue with clients through a number of channels including customer success consultants, user groups, user forums and more.”
Seeing is believing! If you want to better understand PracticeEvolve’s ‘Pathway to the Cloud’ strategy, receive more detail on the current services available, or simply find out if our software is the right choice for your business, we encourage you to schedule a live demo with one of our specialists.
