Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/12204
information that must be mined from existing systems will already be properly profiled, enabling these technologies to retrieve information accurately for use by attorneys, KM and the firm. BEST PRACTICES CASE STUDY When Paul, Weiss was upgrading its DMS to introduce matter-centric workspaces, the KM Department (the “KM team”) took the opportunity to create a set of best practices on how documents should be profiled in the DMS to ensure they could be easily retrieved. The KM team partnered with the firm’s development team to ensure the upgrade was both a technical and operational success. The KM team formulated a plan based on their knowledge of how attorneys practice and managed the process of developing and implementing best practices. The KM team conducted focus groups to gather attorney feedback on what best practices were needed. These included guidelines for naming documents and defining where documents should be filed. To ensure that the entire firm adopted best practices, the KM team developed a communication and training strategy that included creating practice- specific quick guides for firmwide distribution and easy reference. The implementation of best practices improved accurate profiling and efficient retrieval of documents in the firm’s DMS. This has encouraged the KM Department to make best practices a part of its overall KM strategy for new and existing firm systems. Here is a road map for developing and implementing best practices at your firm: DETERMINE IF FIRM SYSTEMS NEED RULES OF THE ROAD Review firm systems and determine if any could benefit from best practices to improve how people use the systems. You may have told users how to operate a system, but are there rules of the road that they should be following to make the system work more effectively? Think creatively about best practices. They should be any rules or guidelines needed to help the firm systems operate at their maximum potential. Do not limit yourself to developing best practices only for new firm systems. It is never too late to develop best practices for existing firm systems. OBTAIN ATTORNEY PARTICIPATION Work closely with attorneys in developing best practices because they are the “drivers” of firm systems. When best practices reflect how attorneys work and address their concerns, they are more likely to be adopted. Best practices should be integrated as much as possible into the attorneys’ workflow to minimize their burden and to encourage adoption and compliance. Keep the best practices to a manageable number and make the processes easy to follow. • Create an Initial Draft of Best Practices To get started, understand first how attorneys are currently using the system. Identify positive attorney habits that should be turned into best practices and then develop an initial draft to be presented to an attorney focus group. • Meet with Attorney Focus Groups for Discussion Having an initial set of best practices gives the attorneys a framework and context for discussion regarding what best practices are needed. Select 40 Knowledge Management ILTA White Paper