Digital White Papers

I L T A W H I T E P A P E R | K N O W L E D G E M A N A G E M E N T & M A R K E T I N G T E C H N O L O G Y 19 outset helps to build trust that the firm's money is well spent. That trust and goodwill will be needed later in the project when communicating to the firm's rank and file; leaning on leadership to promote the solution can be crucial to ensure high user adoption. Any goals you set and agree on must be achievable. At all costs, avoid setting unrealistic expectations as this may breed mistrust from the firm and may even jeopardise the project. The Team Law firms are home to diverse skill sets and professions and this should never be overlooked when putting together a project team for implementing legal technologies. 2 KM lawyers, also called Practice Support Lawyers (PSLs), often are first looked to when forming a team; this makes sense as they are gatekeepers of the firm's IP, generally tasked with developing and governing best practice materials for their area(s) of focus. KM lawyers who are also tech savvy and interested in the integration of technology to the practice of law are invaluable to projects, as they can serve as the bridge between the two. However, while KM lawyers can act as that bridge between practice and technology, the team needs more than KM lawyers. IT professionals are the obvious next source for project team members. Your IT professionals will not only smooth the integration with other technologies already in place, but also provide input on what the users may and, more importantly, may not like about the new technology. As the frontline for technology related feedback, your IT professionals will know how to optimise the user experience to meet your users' particular needs. IT professionals, especially software developers, are problem-solvers by nature; this skill will be critical when the project faces technical roadblocks. IT people also understand how to work within a project's structure and timeline and their discipline in this regard is incredibly helpful from the start. Finally, they are expert at helping weed out the technologies that, for various reasons, should not make the cut. Similarly, as the trend for purchasing legal services has moved to a tendering process – a trend that is only increasing – your Marketing and Business Development ("BD") Department will be an excellent resource for market information. Clients, current and future, are documenting their needs with a level of detail that was unheard of before the tendering process came into vogue. These tender documents provide an insight into a client's needs at a macro level, allowing you to develop solutions for areas of the business that may not otherwise see your law firm's product. Your BD team will be able to point to common trends in tender documents, ensuring that what you build is both needed and wanted. They will also be skilled at communicating with internal and external audiences, a skill you will need when marketing the new technology. Include BD from the start to avoid headaches later. Also try to bring interested practising lawyers onto the team. The challenge will be getting busy lawyers' time (more on that below) and identifying lawyers with a genuine interest in the project. Although many lawyers have 2. These comments, generally, can also apply to businesses however the focus here is law firms, as they are the main consumers of legal technology.

• Cover