Peer to Peer Magazine

31 WWW.ILTANET.ORG firm serve clients more efficiently by pulling together, organizing and presenting data in an easily digestible format. Intranet 2.0, the firm decided, would be a digital workspace, a place where information would come together from various sources and systems in a valuable way. It would include a dashboard with detailed analytics and a starting point from which to open a document or application or to search for a piece of data. Nossaman identified mobility as a top priority at the outset of project planning. The entire site had to be responsive, optimized to be just as useful on tablets and phones as on a desktop. The next priority was collaboration. Going beyond the socializing that enterprise social network-style intranets had aempted to offer, the new network had to pull together the tools and applications that aorneys actually use for their work. Busy aorneys do not have time for a Facebook- style site, but they want a tool that facilitates productive collaboration. The project planned for a result that would not only unite a modern, mobile firm but also relieve some of the administrative burden that arises from maintaining vast amounts of data. Financial data sets were a primary focus. Project leaders wanted to deliver financial analytics on ongoing client maers customized to the viewer. In-progress and other relevant documents also had to be visible, as well as historical maer data. Nossaman planned for the new platform to be a place from which all applications could be launched, where aorneys and staff could see who was in or out of the office, view relevant event updates and even check the weather. It would be a launching pad for the day. Nossaman considered possible solutions to make their vision a reality. In the end, they knew they had to go with Microso SharePoint and have it push to and pull from other systems. Nearly half of all law firms use SharePoint for intranets already, according to the International Legal Technology Association's annual "Technology Survey." Integration and Customization Nonlinear Creations was selected to design and code the look and feel of the website and to create an intuitive, smooth user experience for its menu and navigational structure. Handshake Soware, which specializes in customizing SharePoint for law firms, was tapped to integrate the new platform with the firm's existing applications. Nossman's knowledge management and IT teams worked closely with the two companies on the project. Regular communications were sent out to the firm throughout the redesign, but it was when the new intranet debuted and aorneys experienced its capabilities that enthusiasm grew around the project. The new system went far beyond what the aorneys were used to thinking of as an intranet. The level of customization on the new site beats that of a typical, old-school intranet. Aorneys appreciate the financial analytics: rather than receiving monthly reports or having to request a report from the finance department, the intranet integrates with Aderant, aggregating and customizing its data in a way that allows aorneys to review specifics such as client hours, cash receipts and write-offs. The financial dashboard is tailored according to individual, project team and practice group, and reports are automatically updated twice a day. All of this has freed up time for administrative staff to focus on more strategic tasks. The intranet's dashboard can aggregate historical data in a way that many firms dream about. An aorney can view a particular client's history, for example, or view aggregated data that reveal the firm's rate of success with a particular type of maer. The new solution also features a powerful search engine that parses data across the firm's databases and applications. Future Enhancements Nossaman has elevated its intranet from being a peripheral tool to being a valuable center for the firm's work. As for what is next, the digital workspace must keep evolving. "We've built a great platform and are working on future-state enhancements," says Henry Ho, CIO for Nossaman. "We're excited about the next step forward." P2P NINA LUKINA Nina Lukina is a Business Analyst at Kraft Kennedy. She works with law firms to help them align their IT strategies with their business goals. Contact Nina at lukina@kraftkennedy.com. The Next Step Forward in Intranets CASE STUDIES Nossaman planned for the new platform to be a place from which all applications could be launched, where attorneys and staff could see who was in or out of the office, view relevant event updates and even check the weather.

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