Peer to Peer Magazine

22 PEER TO PEER: THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF ILTA | SPRING 2016 Address Unique but Tightly Focused Problems In-house development has its own, oen unique, set of aractions and risks. On the upside, you can be quick to develop, you're only focusing on what's important to the firm, and you'll have responsive enhancements and bug fixes. On the downside, there are competing priorities that could distract the firms' resources from the big picture, and retaining knowledge (IP) is difficult when there are inevitable staff changes. However, that doesn't mean there isn't a sweet spot for in-house development. Look to business problems that have unique but tightly focused requirements. Try to avoid an in-house development becoming all-consuming. There might be a client with a very tight timeframe for a micro-app that will only run for the duration of the maer but could showcase to the client how innovative the firm is in applying technology to the delivery of legal services. Don't be afraid to "build and kill." An app developed in-house should be able to deliver on its target in a very short timeframe, be that a measurable target in terms of physical savings or improvement in efficiency and client satisfaction. Even if it's short-lived, if the app delivered value, it is a success. Brian Smith Caseflow Pty Ltd www.caseflowacumen.com What should law firms and legal departments keep in mind when developing apps? ASK THE VENDOR What should law firms and legal departments keep in mind when developing apps? Increase Competiveness Via Differentiation When making decisions about developing applications –– what? for whom? build vs. buy? –– legal organizations need to clearly evaluate how unique their use case is compared to the strategic value they look to achieve. Law firm development initiatives still are largely focused on leveraging proven technology platforms as the foundation for unique applications and related integrations to useful Web applications. These apps oen address internal audiences and related efficiencies. Compare this to firms that are pushing the envelope further in terms of differentiation and maximizing strategic value. This is oen achieved through substantial investment in hardcore development that includes complex transaction and workflow processing and integrations with other systems, including native mobile. The resulting strategic value can be tied to increased client service levels as a means of gaining a completive advantage. Develop in-house if the application clearly delivers strategic value tied directly to the firm's competitiveness via differentiation. If not, it is best to engage with proven industry technology and focus on mastering its deployment, utilization and adoption to achieve maximum value. Peter Zver Tikit North America www.tikit.com WANT TO APPEAR IN THE NEX T PEER TO PEER? Answer the following question: What future technologies should law firms and corporate legal departments expect to incorporate into business operations? Send your answer (under 150 words) to kristy@iltanet.org

• Cover