Peer to Peer Magazine

WWW.ILTANET.ORG 31 technology. Choose a mobile time entry solution that: • Can be fully installed and integrated with the firm's time and billing system in a few hours • Can be easily deployed to all attorneys without taxing resources at the firm Time Entry as a Service (TEaaS) Is a Must-Have: The time entry as a service model means that there is no additional hardware or software to be installed, which is essential to minimizing the firm's resource dependency. This model goes beyond how we paid for software and the subscription model. It's about the cost of ownership and converting that to a predictable outcome. BOOSTING THE BOTTOM LINE Timekeeping accuracy is one of the most important factors in the financial health of any law firm. When there are issues with inaccuracies, several consequences arise, such as time leakage, incorrect bill submissions and delayed billing cycles. The best way to increase accuracy at the firm is to put the power in the hands of attorneys via a mobile time entry system that is simple enough for attorneys to use anywhere. 6 While we could have provided access to all attorneys at the same time, we chose to complete the rollout in small groups in order to keep a tighter handle on the process and continue to instill a sense of demand and urgency for mobile timekeeping within the firm. We completed the firmwide rollout with 100 percent use being on a voluntary basis, which demonstrated success in adoption. We plan to transition to a policy that will make mobile time entry a requirement. KEY TAKEAWAYS The success of mobile time entry at HPTY presents several lessons for firms considering a mobile time entry solution: Involve a Diverse Group of Leaders and Attorneys: At the beginning, it is important to include a diverse group of attorney participants in terms of technological fluency, age, rank and personality. Having group leaders and other influential attorneys is key for successful adoption. These individuals are likely to positively impact other attorneys at the firm. Create Demand Among Attorneys: Our approach was to create a buzz within the firm about the benefits of mobile time entry. This led to demand from the attorneys to access the solution. Take Your Time: Even though there was a demand, we didn't rush the rollout. The firm benefited from this approach as we were able to monitor results closely and follow up with attorneys as needed, and adoption was a huge success. Promote Improved Entries: Time velocity and accuracy improved as a result of the attorneys' ability to enter time contemporaneously. This is a result that should be promoted early on. Implementation Can Be Simple: Firms don't need extensive IT resources to implement new 1 2 3 4 5 would have otherwise been lost (work performed outside of business hours and on holidays). • Time velocity increased, as 64 percent of the entries happened within one day of the work performed. Two- thirds of timekeepers were fully contemporaneous. Note: Time velocity is the time elapsed between the date of the work performed and the time it is entered. The closer the velocity is to zero days, the better. • Most attorneys improved their timekeeping accuracy. 82 percent of the timecards submitted had time recorded in small increments (from 0.1 to 0.9 of an hour), with 73 percent of time entries being less than 0.6 of an hour. • For some attorneys, mobile time entry represented an important milestone: the first time in their legal career they entered their own time, rather than relying on an assistant. • Time leakage reduced, as 60 percent of the attorneys reported to have recovered time that otherwise would have been missed. • Attorneys entered time on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, as well as desktop computers. • 100 percent of users planned to continue using the mobile time entry solution to enter their time after the conclusion of the first phase of the project. MAINTAIN MOMENTUM FOR A SUCCESSFUL FIRMWIDE ROLLOUT After the success achieved on this first phase of the project, HPTY confirmed that mobile time entry was a good fit for the firm. The demand for mobile time entry soared. We received so many requests that we implemented a waitlist to provide post- rollout access to attorneys on a first-come, first-served basis. Attorneys throughout the firm were requesting access to the mobile time entry solution at all levels of seniority, including equity partners!

• Cover