We recently discussed the importance of embracing change as you adapt to the evolving legal industry. The good news is that this process no longer has to be painful or cumbersome for your organization. There are numerous tools and support available today to help you make the switch from outdated legal systems to industry-leading legal case management software.
Why Choose Legal Case Management Software For Your Organization
Legal case management software is a digital tool for all your legal files and activities. Within a centralized platform, you can organize and manage your legal cases, related documents and users to help you become more efficient and effective through streamlined workflows, increased collaboration and overall better case management. Here are a few ways legal case management software can help boost productivity:
- Document management: Securely store and organize your critical legal documents related to each case.
- Time tracking: Efficiently track all your legal tasks to stay organized and on top of deadlines.
- Communication tools: Consolidate all your critical communications (email, phone calls, documents, instant messages and more) in one single location with all team members (including outside counsel) working on the case.
- Contact information management: Manage all the details, contact information and case history.
- Calendar and scheduling: Track court dates, deadlines and meeting information.
- Document management: Safely store and organize all your legal-related documents for every case/matter.
- Task management: Assign tasks to team members, track case/matter progress and set deadlines for your team members.
How Change Management Can Help You Transition to Legal Software
One of the best ways to help you transition from your current system to legal case management software is to use proven change management techniques. We recently reviewed three of the six change management principles for legal software implementation which included:
- Develop a clear vision.
- Get key stakeholders involved early.
- Deliver comprehensive training tools and resources.
Three more important change management principles that will help you in your onboarding process are:
- Communicate often and transparently.
- Monitor your strategy and adjust as needed.
- Cultivate an adaptable culture.
By focusing on these change management principles for adopting legal case management software, your organization will be well positioned to successfully implement new technology, increase efficiency, build better team unity and accomplish your mission more effectively.
Three More Ways to Manage Change While Adopting Legal Software
Here’s a look at the three final ways you can manage change while adopting a legal case management system with as little disruption as possible.
- Communicate often and transparently.
Most anyone would agree that the keys to good communication are transparency and openness. To have good communication you need to:
- Set clear expectations from the start: Make sure to let your team know what changes are likely to occur, when and how you plan to support them through it.
- Address problems as they arise: Through formal communication channels, like Q&A sessions, and access to leaders, your team will feel that they can voice their concerns and help resolve issues when they come up.
- Celebrate small victories along the way: As with any big change, there will always be challenges. If you can celebrate the wins as they occur, this will help the team persevere through challenging times and focus on long-run gains. By finding ways to communicate the good things happening, you will give your team the momentum needed to achieve a successful adoption.
- Monitor your strategy and adjust as needed.
Implementing new legal technology is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. After establishing a strategy, continuous monitoring and adjustments are essential. This can be achieved through:
- Develop a plan: By giving your team members realistic timelines and expectations you can gain their support for your vision of how tasks should be completed and when.. You will want to ensure that your team has the capacity to manage the extra tasks required.
- Solicit regular feedback: This will help you proactively address issues as they come up. You can also identify any unforeseen challenges or issues and collaborate with the leadership team to address them before they escalate.
- Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): By setting measurable goals from the start you can track the progress of your technology implementation as it unfolds. By closely monitoring these KPIs, you can assess the impact the new technology is having on the organization and identify areas for improvement.
- Cultivate an adaptable culture.
The success of any software implementation is wholly dependent on the people using it. By focusing on these key points, you can get more buy-in from your team:
- Encourage a growth mindset: By fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptability, your team will want to adopt the new legal technology and tools as it aligns with the organization’s key values.
- Reward adoption: For those individuals who are advocates for the new technology and quickly adopt it, make sure to reward and recognize their efforts. This will also demonstrate to others the importance of maintaining unity and a team mindset. This positive energy will hopefully inspire others on the team as well.
- Pivot as needed: When challenges do arise, respond to them quickly and efficiently. This maintains momentum and demonstrates resilience to the team.
Change Doesn’t Have to Be Hard When You Have the Right Partner
The legal industry continues to evolve, and your organization doesn’t have to fall behind. For more than 30 years, Legal Files has partnered with its customers to help them move from outdated legacy systems to the latest legal case management software.
The goal is to use technology to its fullest to help your team members work smarter, not harder. Through proper change management, transparent communication and empathetic technology adoption, Legal Files can help you harness the full power of legal case management software to help your team become the best it can be.
Legal Files excels at setting your team up for success, regardless of your type of practice or industry you are in. Whether your team members work remotely or on-site, Legal Files can provide one-on-one training to ensure that all your requirements are covered and more. If you are seeking a customizable legal case management system, with all the necessary services, including implementation assistance, professional technical training and ongoing support, you can trust Legal Files to help you successfully navigate this transition and future changes.
“We took a phased approach to implementation. It was important to keep it simple at first. We knew if it became overwhelming, we wouldn’t get it done. What was important was that the people at Legal Files helped us stay on the right path and build a strong foundation. We knew with Legal Files that we could add more functionality ourselves later if we wanted.”
Heritage Crystal Clean Inc., a Legal Files Customer
Request a demo to learn more about how we help organizations like yours manage what matters to you.