The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/271291
PEER TO PEER: THE QUARTERLY MAGA ZINE OF ILTA 70 bells and whistles, but the most important thing is to understand the problem you're trying to solve. Stuart: Technology can help in a number of different ways, but the key thing we see is the use of collaboration sites such as Microsoft SharePoint. That provides clients with transparency into what's happening on a matter, and it makes the overall process much more efficient, particularly in larger matters and those which are across multiple jurisdictions or locations. We see a lot of interest from clients for that type of technology. Technology also comes into play when processing and issuing the bill, and of this exists, but we're in need of more advancements with AFA-type tracking mechanisms. I see a lot of opportunity in that realm in the future. Michelle: The technology on its own is of little value — it's how we apply and manage the technology that gives clients a great service experience. To make this happen, you need a good understanding of what problem exists and how you're going to solve the problem with technology. You also have to be sensitive to what the client wants — is it flexibility, multilanguage capabilities, specific billing requirements, a dashboard of data or something else? It's easy to give clients the e-billing and the ability to see their firm's records — that requires specific technology. Another piece where technology is improving client satisfaction is with reporting. Specifically, reporting that is more visually appealing, where you get a lot of data on one page and can bring the person's attention to areas that show performance levels. Technology is very helpful in these cases! One additional way technology plays a factor is in pricing future work. You want to be able to search previous data points and pull up relevant budget templates and experience so you're not starting from scratch every time. Technology to do some ASK THE EXPERT Stuart J T Dodds Stuart J T Dodds is Baker & McKenzie's Director of Global Pricing and Legal Project Management. He is responsible for the development of Baker & McKenzie's global pricing and legal project management strategy and provides targeted pricing, negotiation and project management support to partners and client-facing colleagues across their 75 offices worldwide. Stuart is the author of a book on law firm pricing, negotiation and legal project management called "Smarter Pricing: Smarter Profit," due for publication by the American Bar Association in early 2014. Contact him at stuart.dodds@bakermckenzie.com. Skill-Up ! Goal-Based Skill-Up ! Gain the competitive edge with LTC4 Core Competencies. TM* Prepare for the Suffolk/Flaherty Tech Audit Train/assess to technology industry standards Show skills improvements *Legal Technology Core Competencies Certification Coalition