Digital White Papers

25 WWW.ILTANET.ORG | ILTA WHITE PAPER POTPOURRI Using Analytics To Boost Aorney Productivity Clients also expect prompt responses from their aorneys. While partners have a general idea of which associates are good communicators, collecting quantitative data facilitates associate training by allowing firms to set targets against which associates can measure their performance. This feedback lets firms intervene when associates need to work on their efficiency and also creates an office- wide culture where aorneys continually challenge themselves to improve their communication skills. Email response times also show the health of aorneys' working relationships. Studies have shown that email response times reflect the strength of relationships, and that algorithms can accurately predict the closeness of working relationships based strictly on response time metadata (see Jonah Lehrer's 2011 article in The Wall Street Journal titled "Why You Didn't Hit 'Reply'"). By analyzing this metadata, firms can gain insights into whether, for example, new hires are building effective networks or need help integrating. It can also help firms diagnose morale problems that otherwise could go unnoticed. If an aorney underperforms in email response times compared to his previous averages, analytics can flag the issue so partners can look into it, determine whether an intervention is necessary and fix problems before they fester. Each associate represents a substantial investment for the firm and using all the tools available to measure associate relationships and morale helps protect those investments. Rate and Quality of Work Beyond responsiveness, firms should also measure analytics to determine if associates are finishing assignments on deadline, correctly and within the expected number of billable hours. These criteria tell partners whether associates are functioning effectively within the firm's workflow or creating bolenecks. Firms have a few options for tracking whether associates are completing work on time. If firms enter assignments into a database as they are handed out, it is as simple as comparing due dates in the database to when partners mark the assignments as complete. Firms that use Outlook or other calendars can utilize extensions that ask partners whether assignments came in on time as they become due. Another option would be to have partners enter this data as they review associates' billing records, although this is less efficient because it adds extra work for partners and relies on them remembering accurately. For measuring whether associates are doing work correctly the first time, firms can look at the metadata generated by document management systems whenever a user reviews or edits a document. If an attorney underperforms in email response times compared to his previous averages, analytics can flag the issue so partners can look into it, determine whether an intervention is necessary and fix problems before they fester.

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