Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/12204
Does your firm/law department have a formally articulated KM Strategic Plan or vision? Yes No Currently working on it 47 48 45 34% 34% 32% Comments: Please provide any useful commentary about your plan (or lack of plan): (summary of responses) • We have a KM Strategy directly tied to the firm’s business strategy. • Our firm hasn’t yet grasped the concept of KM as an actual entity. I think they wonder why there isn’t more transparency, or why pieces of information from, for example, Marketing & Accounting don’t work together to provide a clearer picture of things, but they still don’t seem to have made the connection that these things don’t happen without systems and processes (and staff) in place to make them happen. Does your firm/law department have a separate KM budget? Yes No 54 39% 86 61% • To provide relevant information in a timely manner and enhance the productivity levels of service to our clients. If the answer to the above is no, which department, if any, is KM funding included in? Finance Human Resources Information Technology Library Marketing New Business Intake Professional Development Records Management None, KM has no funding Other, please specify 1% 2% 6 6% 12 19 12% 20% • A 3-year plan was developed following a review of firm-wide review. Although this has been used as a guide to improve systems and processes, it has not been globally communicated. • The KM “group” at our firm is decentralized. KM lawyers are embedded in various practice groups and initiate KM projects as required to fulfill the needs of their respective practice groups. • No formal plan. There is however a vision and mission on what KM want to achieve and why. We have clear products & services defined and a series of plans for future development to work on. • Build the best learning and development of any law firm with world class knowledge management. 4% 1% 1% 56 26 27% 58% • We have a long-term strategic plan that is consistent with the Corporate and Legal Function vision. We also have short-term goals. • Strategies aligned with overall business goals that translate into specific processes and products. • Annual plan, aligned to the business plan for the firm, layered regionally (firmwide components and regional components). Each practice group also has a KM plan. • The plan was developed at an early stage (stage 1 - action plan, stage 2 - KM Strategy). Stage 1 was the development stage, we put in place 2 related KM systems, one for internal know, the other for externally sourced information. In stage 2 we are now automating more practices and putting together bespoke tools for individual lawyers/groups of lawyers, we are also trying to streamline existing processes. • We have a set of KM objectives that we map a number of IT projects to. • The plan was developed after focus group consultations with lawyers, paralegals, clerks, and assistants. • Help lawyers and admin more effectively and efficiently perform their jobs. Provide practice support. Help all employees take advantage of collective work product, information, and personal contacts. 10 Knowledge Management ILTA White Paper