publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/192213
CREATING A CULTURE OF EFFICIENCY XXXX WITH ENTERPRISE SEARCH tools to perform their jobs and service clients more effectively. Future enhancements planned for the search solution include: Client Matter Comparison. Comparing clients and matters provides insights into similar matters and improves matter estimation. For example, someone can compare previous, similar matters to understand how much each type of legal professional billed at each stage of the matter. Bring in the Cloud. As more and more information becomes available in the cloud, searching through local content and cloud content repositories will provide the most current, comprehensive information about matters and clients. This can be accomplished though search federation components. Next-Generation Client and Matter Dashboards. We plan to extend the dashboards to pull in additional data silos and offer a richer view of information, enabling people to make decisions more efficiently. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOU The key to getting enterprise search right for your firm is understanding your organization's information when creating a business case. Clearly articulating the business value of a search solution and obtaining executive sponsorship is critical to successfully implementing an enterprise search strategy. The following concerns should be central to any implementation strategy: •Enterprise Architecture. Before developing a search solution, clearly understand the existing corporate infrastructure and develop an information architecture that contemplates the various content sources and their interaction. •Continuous Improvement. To ensure success and ongoing relevance, keep the users and management engaged by jointly creating a roadmap for implementing new capabilities and features, and continue to quantify the savings in hours and dollars accrued to the enterprise. • echnology Partner Selection. It is important T to identify a technology partner with deep expertise in search technology, content management and the legal domain. DLA Piper went through an extensive evaluation process and selected the vendor they thought would be the best lead partner based on their search and SharePoint expertise, as well as their long and successful track record with advanced enterprise search technologies. • ser Focus. To develop the detailed U requirements, interview key users to understand what content they search for and how they go about managing their workflows. Before widescale deployment, pilot the solution with a small group of users and iteratively refine the system until they experience seamless search. Don't assume that everyone is tech-savvy — translate people's needs into technology solutions through ongoing engagement. Michael Tominna, DLA Piper's Senior Manager of Web and Search Systems, is focused on establishing strategic direction for the firm's Web, search and knowledge management functions. Michael has led a number of initiatives which range from creating online collaboration solutions to leveraging enterprise search to improve efficiencies in work product retrieval. Michael can be contacted at michael.tominna@dlapiper.com.