8
PEER TO PEER: THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF ILTA | FALL 2016
BEST PRACTICES
KM with Document Automation: A Game-Changer for Client Service
KM with Document Automation:
A Game-Changer for Client Service
A recent survey by Thomson Reuters and ALM
found that client service was the top knowledge
management (KM) priority for 2016, with over 40
percent of law firm professionals agreeing. As document
automation tools are being offered in KM solutions,
law firms find that they can enhance client service in
innovative ways. A firm's ability to take client service
to a new level can create an important competitive
differentiator, seing it apart from rival firms.
Continuity and Consistency
Knowledge management helps ensure a firm provides
consistent, quality service to its clients. Client
knowledge and work history are captured and retained
by the firm rather than individual aorneys, meaning
the quality of client service is not affected by factors
such as aorney turnover, changes of assignment, etc.
Firms can maintain continuity and the same high level
of service at all times.
Document automation tools bring even greater
capabilities to the KM solution. With particularly
complex documents, such as those requiring
multidiscipline and multijurisdictional knowledge,
the research and analysis is maintained in document
automation templates long aer a maer is closed. The
templates can be easily applied to similar maers.
In addition, use of document automation tools in
KM solutions enhances quality and consistency across
Knowledge management is often seen as an efficiency enhancer — a tool that leverages
information so you can avoid reinventing the wheel to create effective work product, saving
time for the firm and costs to clients. The one thing missing from that definition is that KM can
also play a critical role in enhancing client service.
by Kimberly Stein
KIMBERLY STEIN
Kimberly Stein is a manager at West
km. She can be contacted at kimberly.
stein@thomsonreuters.com.