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 37 when relying on feedback from users that responses answer specific questions addressing the primary problems this software is intended to solve: Does this product increase my confidence in my work product? Does it create a better experience for my clients? Does it support the types of deals I work on? Next, you need to determine how long the POC should last, how many users should be involved and what users you should target for participation. This is an area where you should again consider leaning on vendors for best practices. Vendors should have a good idea of the user profiles that are likely to be early adopters and the length of time they will need to evaluate the product. One counterintuitive point is that a longer trial with more users is not always better. There are users in law firms that love trying out new technologies and would be willing to dedicate time to learning and testing tools in order to stay on the cutting edge of industry innovations. But others are less willing to dedicate their time until they know the firm is invested in a technology. Rather than throwing them all in the POC, start with a smaller group that you can rely on to provide valuable feedback and then use those case studies to evangelize to firm colleagues. Roll out your implementation Once a technology product has been effectively evaluated, the goal post-purchase should be to build on the success of the POC to gain wide adoption and engagement in the firm. Vendors should work with representatives from the firm to design a plan for the rollout. Again, it may not make sense to roll out to the entire firm at once. Find the best areas where the tool is likely to find success and grow from there. Then you need to think about how to internally market the product within the firm. This process is more difficult now that so many professionals are working from home. However, this is an area, once again, where vendors can offer a lot of tools to encourage adoption. Firms should consider internal email campaigns linking to multimedia support materials. Demos and POC case studies can be presented at practice group meetings. Finally, vendors can be proactive in providing support for users and giving them confidence that their questions will be answered if they need to use the technology on time-sensitive matters. Lastly, in today's world of software as a service, technology vendors have the opportunity to constantly iterate on their offering to deliver the latest tools to customers. So be sure to create a feedback loop so that vendors are prioritizing your users' feedback in their product roadmap. Sometimes, a small change to product functionality can make a big difference in gaining greater adoption across the firm. ILTA Will Norton is founder and CEO of SimplyAgree, a leading provider of closing management technology. Will previously practiced law as a corporate attorney for an Am Law 100 firm, where he published numerous articles on electronic signatures and contracting. He currently serves as editor of the American Bar Association's Technology in M&A Directory.

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