Legal Tech Decisions Should Start with How the Firm Actually Works

Following the first article in Today’s Media’s recent three-part series on selecting the right legal technology, which focused on reviewing and making better use of existing systems, the second article turns to the people behind those decisions. 

This time, the discussion explores who is making technology decisions within law firms, whether the right voices are involved, and how fragmented decision-making can create long-term challenges.

Mark Garnish, COO and co-founder of Xperate, features again alongside David Baskerville, consultant at Baskerville Drummond; Tom Lyes, Founder and CEO of Tom Lyes Consultancy; and Laura Wood, legal technology specialist at Birketts LLP.

For Mark, one of the key risks is that technology decisions are often made in silos. A system may solve a specific issue for one department, team or process, but fail to support the wider business.

As Mark explains in the article, this can lead to firms “implementing solutions that meet individual requirements but fail to align with the broader business.” The result is often duplication, integration challenges and inconsistent user adoption across different parts of the firm.

This is a challenge Xperate sees regularly when supporting law firms with implementation, integration, optimisation and development projects. A firm may have strong technology in place, but if decisions have been made without a clear view of the wider operating model, the systems can quickly become difficult to manage.

Mark highlights the importance of understanding how technology supports the firm as a whole. That means looking beyond the immediate purchase and asking how a system fits with core business processes, including matter management, finance, document workflows, reporting, compliance and client service.

The other contributors also point to the importance of a more collaborative approach.

David Baskerville explains that firms need senior leadership involvement, operational input and technical expertise so investment decisions align with strategy, day-to-day workflows, integration, security and scalability.

Tom Lyes highlights the problem of no one looking at the technology stack as a whole, which can leave firms with duplicate tools, unused licences and systems that do not communicate effectively.

Laura Wood discusses the value of collaboration between legal, IT and other key stakeholders, and notes that some firms are moving towards clearer product ownership models where responsibility for specific systems is properly defined.

The shared message is that technology selection should be driven by more than product demonstrations, peer recommendations, supplier relationships, or cost alone.

Mark’s view is that firms should prioritise alignment with core business processes, making sure systems genuinely support how the firm operates. He also highlights the importance of scalability and future flexibility, so that technology can adapt as the firm’s needs change.

For Xperate, this is where the right implementation approach becomes critical. Successful legal technology projects depend on understanding the firm’s current processes, identifying the outcomes the technology needs to support, and making sure systems integrate properly into the wider environment.

The final question Mark raises is an important one. Firms should not start by asking what system they should buy. They should ask how their business should operate and how technology can enable that.

That shift in thinking can make the difference between another disconnected system and a technology decision that genuinely supports the firm’s future.

Read the full article on Today’s Conveyancer’s website here.