Digital White Papers

I L T A W H I T E P A P E R | T E C H S O L U T I O N S 28 Even with all this progress, there is still some road to travel before we can declare victory. This time, we are definitely on the right track. Travel Tips The lessons we learned (and the fun we had) along this journey can be applied to nearly any legal technolo challenge. This is especially true if you are seeking a technolo solution to address specific business problems. As you begin to plan your own journey, consider these travel tips: Know where you want to go. Before you begin evaluating software or interviewing consultants, take the time to think through where you want to go. Think beyond the software or the consulting engagement. You might even frame the opportunity as "implementing X technolo in order to solve Y business problems which impact Z." Chose the right co-pilot. Whether you are staffing a project internally or enlisting the help of outside resources, choose wisely. Make sure your entire team clearly understands where you want to go, and each team member has the skills and experience needed to help you get there. Don't be afraid to turn around. Sometimes, you are going to take a wrong turn or come to a dead end. It happens. The key is to know when to stop, look around and choose a different path. Having that "pull the plug" conversation after investing resources and money three months into a project is no fun. Suddenly realizing you are more than a year into a project with significantly more money and resources invested but nowhere near your goal is much more painful. Take it one step at a time. Whether your destination is an aspirational stretch or something more modest, you have to start somewhere. Don't wait until everything is perfect before engaging with your audience. Look for ways to break the journey into segments that can build on each other. For us, that meant introducing the experience solution to the marketing team to build up a critical mass of content before turning to the practices. This route might take a little longer, but everyone is a lot happier when they arrive. Ask for directions. You and your team don't have to make the journey on your own. Look to others within your organization for insight. Someone in a different department may be able to offer a perspective that points toward a better path forward. Look to the ILTA community for advice and ideas. The collective intelligence across this global network of legal technolo professionals is the ultimate GPS database, at your fingertips. Good luck and safe travels. ILTA Kate Cain is the Director, Practice Information and Marketing Technology at Sidley Austin. Kate is a leader with more than 20 years' experience with information management, business analytics and technology, focusing on the alignment of firm strategy and business goals with information, process and technology solutions. As Sidley's Director, Practice Information and Marketing Technology, Kate drives initiatives focused on leveraging information to support the operations, development and growth of the firm's practices and client relationships. Kate has extensive experience developing and executing the relationship, experience management and business intelligence strategies. In addition, Kate is a long-time ILTA volunteer, including serving six years on the Board of Directors, and a frequent speaker and writer on information and knowledge management topics.

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