Companies across all sectors have recognized new technology’s benefits, from improved productivity and efficiency to lower overheads. The winds of change are even being felt in the legal sector, quite a cultural shift, given the notorious determination of many in-house legal departments to stick to traditional processes that have delivered results rather than deviate by embracing change.

The State of Corporate Litigation Today, a joint study from the Association of Corporate Counsel and Everlaw, came out earlier this month, revealing that many in-house lawyers have begun to recognize the importance of legal tech. When confronted with the statement, “Increasingly, in-house legal professionals need to understand new technology and its impact on legal work and operations”, 85% said they agreed with the statement compared to just 2% who disagreed, while 13% remained neutral. So why the sudden change of heart?

Increased workloads and the added complexity of legal work, combined with reduced legal department bandwidth, have contributed to stress and burnout among in-house lawyers, according to a study conducted by Axiom. The volume of legal matters with which in-house attorneys are dealing and the complexity of those matters have increased considerably over the past few years.

Pressures on in-house legal teams to boost efficiencies while cutting costs mean legal technology has never been more critical. But while some general counsel and department heads are starting to recognize the merits of adopting tech solutions, many remain reluctant to change due to fear of failure. These concerns are not unfounded. 70% of digital transformation projects fail. So, the key question is – what can legal departments learn from other departments to maximize the chance of success?

Build a Digital Transformation Strategy Focused on “The Three Cs”

Achieving and sustaining digital transformation within your department is much easier with a focus on “The Three Cs”: communication, change management, and continuity.

1. Communication.

From its inception, any digital transformation project, no matter how big or small, should be founded on clear and constant communication. This ensures everyone is informed on the transformation process, their specific roles, and the availability of resources to help them perform those roles efficiently.

Perhaps more importantly, continuous communication helps build a spirit of a shared endeavour. Everyone has the information they need to address any potential frustrations, roadblocks, or other challenges that may emerge as the process continues. The reaction to forcing change can be performance issues, frustration, dissatisfaction, and ultimately people leave their job for another. Instead of dragging your team along with you, bring them along with you on your digital transformation journey. The antidote is to make users feel empowered and involved with skin in the game. If the system you deliver meets their specific needs and suggestions, and you can show those requests back to them before they forget. With this, you’re already off to a good start.

2. Change management.

Change is constant, but the rate of change is not. The role of change management within digital transformation is twofold. It allows you to track, measure, and analyze the changes made and produces valuable data for further process and production optimization. It can also be used to update existing workflows, improve digitization efforts (for instance, converting all documentation to digital formats to eliminate paper-based delays, expense, and errors) and implement digital tools in stages. As a project team, set your initial expectations lower than you might like. Users will change their behaviour once they see the new system makes their lives easier. If the system you implement requires them to change how they do things and what day-to-day tools they use. You lose.

3. Continuity.

Digital transformation initiatives require time and patience from all involved. Taking the long view, with a clear and consistent approach to achieving long-term goals through incremental change, can often be more successful than emphasizing speed or short-term gains. As the old adage goes, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. This allows for a longer adjustment period for staff who may need training and additional information to engage fully in the new technologies being used.

Rather than upheaving all your business processes, use these technical solutions to bolster departmental procedures. The focus of digital transformations should be to use law tech to improve efficiencies and productivity.

What can legal vendors do to support successful change programmes?

The transformation of working practices, exacerbated by the pandemic and the rise of remote work, means digital tools are critical for efficient communication, administration, data management and knowledge sharing.

Legal departments can sometimes benefit from specific legal tech software to manage and automate everything from document management to matter management, collaboration, reporting and administration.

To meet this demand, there has been massive growth in the legal technology market as specialist vendors emerge to offer much-needed solutions to law firms. In 2019, the legal tech market generated US$17.32bn in revenue worldwide, a figure which is expected to grow to US$25.17bn by 2025.

With an array of vendors to choose from, in-house legal teams have difficulty choosing the right legal tech for their needs. So, what can legal vendors, including Altien, do to support successful change programmes?

1. Does the technology meet data security and corporate compliance requirements? The data handled by legal teams are too sensitive to take any risks, so they need to be confident that the technology they choose meets every security, compliance and risk requirement that is set for your organization.

2. What level of customer support is on offer? Will the vendor offer extensive customer support, showing legal departments the benefits of the tool and training them on how to use it? Do they have the resources to support you and support you some more?

3. Does the technology integrate with everyday IT systems? Legal departments use an array of software and IT systems in their work to support efficient collaboration and communication. Ideally, you want legal technology that integrates with common software such as Office, Teams and others, which are a staple of the modern office.

The Solution: Altien Legal Matter Manager

Our solution is specifically designed for corporate legal departments. Altien Legal Matter Manager (LLM) is an advanced, matter-centric document & email management solution that fully integrates with your current systems and is customized to manage information easily and seamlessly, irrespective of its complexity or volume. The heart of the legal department is centred around the documents that underpin business services, and Altien LMM puts the document at the heart of the matter.

To deliver exemplary customer service, Altien has spent over a decade recruiting and training the best people in the business process and information management market to supply solutions directly to legal professionals.

Our mission is simple: to enable customers to take advantage of new legal services opportunities and manage their information where and when it matters most. As you embark on your digital transformation journey, we will be there by your side with the tools and support you need to reach your desired destination.