The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/1097368
20 • Have you sufficiently documented the product for users? For Marketing purposes? For Internal communications? For product owners? • Will the product require training resources? Can you partner with in- house trainers to help with this? • Will support require adding resources? • Will the same resources supporting the product be needed for future projects? • How will support impact the ability to execute on other projects/future products? Internal processes will likely need to be tweaked, or new processes created, to support the product. Perkins Coie implemented new internal processes to complement the technolo solutions built to facilitate portfolio alternative fee arrangements (AFAs). A technolo product rarely solves 100% of the problem alone, rather you will need to combine people, process and technolo (often with technolo merely serving as an enabler or point of efficiency, as opposed to the focal point of the solution). Additionally, as is the nature of products, clients will expect some degree of continuous improvement. Consider how you will identify, resource and prioritize future developments, including: • How will you identify potential improvements? Will your support mechanisms feed into this process? Will you solicit feedback directly from clients? • How frequently will the content/ technolo in the product be updated? How will resources be allocated to accommodate the updating process? The bottom line is that support is an (implicit) ongoing obligation and should be given as much consideration as product development. Conclusion Whether you're considering building legal products, or have started experimenting with them, there is plenty of opportunity across practice areas (and at various levels of client businesses) for packaged products and hybrid service products. With a concerted focus on your users' needs, a conservative, iterative approach and a holistic plan for sustainment, you may discover that looking at services through this lens will uncover untapped potential to "earn money while you sleep." ILTA Amy Monaghan is Practice Innovations Manager at Perkins Coie. As a member of the Knowledge Management team, Amy works side-by- side with practice groups and clients to design, develop and implement innovative solutions, particularly those involving artificial intelligence, document automation tools, and logical reasoning systems. Amy is responsible for educating the firm and its clients on the availability and capabilities of legal technology and is a frequent speaker on these topics. Jason Dirkx, Knowledge Management Counsel at Littler Mendelson, works with attorneys, practice groups, other support professionals and clients in an effort to provide innovative legal products and client services in all areas of labor and employment law. Specifically, Jason co- leads development of HR applications for Littler's award-winning joint venture, ComplianceHR. Prior to law school, Jason worked as a software engineer developing military planning and readiness software.