Today’s law firms have many software tools to choose from to help them collaborate better, maximise efficiency and use their time for strategic, value-adding tasks. In the medium- and long-term, technology can also help them improve their profitability and serve their clients better.
That’s good news, isn’t it?
Yes and no.
Technology and software can be a great boon but only if lawyers understand their advantages and are willing to adopt them (and continue to use them!) If the learning curve is too high, if the benefits of adoption outweigh the pain or if the process just lengthens an already lengthy To-Do list, chances are that the tool will be abandoned post-haste.
Result: waste of time, money and energy.
How can a law firm harness the power of technology to maximise its billable hours without a steep learning curve or loss-inducing downtime?
Do applications exist that can be a boon to productivity, time-saving and profitability for law firms? Yes! Here are a few:
- Meeting room management
A comprehensive meeting room management solution will provide a centralised interface for instant searching of meeting rooms, booking and scheduling meetings and resource planning. This will help streamline the meeting management process, eliminate confusing overlaps and improve communication.
Catering management can be included in the same system so users and catering staff don’t have to rely on manual processes or deal with the costs (monetary, time and paperwork) of meeting cancellations or reschedules.
- Billing management
Software can also be used to efficiently track and manage billing and cost associations and send them straight to the finance department, so others are not saddled with the hassle of manual cost recovery, tax information or reams of paperwork.
- Equipment, furniture and layout management
An accurate and efficient equipment management system can validate the availability of pooled A/V equipment so that users who need access can do so easily and without the problem of overlapping bookings. The software may also include a feature to effortlessly manage (and if necessary, change) meeting room furniture arrangements and layouts.
- Client and visitor management
In today’s digital landscape, clients expect efficiency, convenience and security from their law firms rather than old-fashioned paper sign-in sheets and time-consuming security check-ins. With visitor management software, law firms can eliminate manual intervention and streamline visitors’ check-ins and meetings for maximum client satisfaction and retention.
- Travel management and office wayfinding
Technology can help lawyers plan every detail of their travel to a new office – whether it’s searching and booking resources like hot desks, finding a printing station or renting a car – so they don’t have to waste time searching for or tracking down what they need. No more detracting from billable minutes!
Law firms need to embrace technology if they wish to stay ahead of the competition. And when such technology is fully integrated with the email or software interface they are already using (e.g. Outlook or Office 365), it can eliminate tedious manual tasks, improve communication and collaboration and maximize client billable hours.
