Thinking of getting new law firm software for your legal practice? Not sure what to look for in a software solution or how to analyze it to see if it suits your firm? We’re here to help.
In this guide for assessing new law firm software, we will give you step-by-step instructions on how to evaluate the software for your firm. With these tips, you can select and implement the best software to guarantee efficient service and client management. Let’s get into it!
5 Steps To Effectively Assess New Law Firm Software
Here are five easy steps to follow when analyzing whether a law firm solution is right for you:
Identify Your Challenges And Goals
The best place to start before going out and speaking to software vendors is by evaluating your current operations. You need to define the challenges of your operational structure and set clear goals for what you want your software to achieve.
For example, you may have difficulty tracking updates to client information which results in communication issues. Your goal for your software should be that it makes contact storage and updating easy and efficient.
Other challenges or pain points that could guide your software goals include:
- Privacy and security control
- Document accessibility and safety
- Remote working capabilities
- Customer experience or journey from intake or onboarding
- Compliance
Once you’ve identified these challenges, you can use them to find new law firm software with features and capabilities that solve them.
Analyze The Features
Before contacting vendors, you must analyze available software online. Which options have the features you need?
Continuing from the example above, you would need a solution with a contacts system as a feature. Analyzing options according to a features list helps you narrow down your options from the vast market. That way, you can select a comprehensive legal software that does everything you need.
At this stage, it’s helpful to conduct a SWOT analysis of each of your different options before choosing your final product. This will help you clarify the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats/Risks (SWOT) of each solution. Having this information will guide you in making the best and safest choice for your firm.
Engage The Vendor
With one or two solutions in mind (selected using your goals above), you can engage the software providers. This is an opportunity for you to ask questions about their product.
Some questions you may ask include:
- What difficulties can I face in using your software?
- How does your software solve the challenges I’ve described?
- How can the software save time and money?
- What does your implementation process look like?
- Do you provide continued support to clients and, if yes, what kind?
- Do you have a trial period?
- Are there any risks in adopting your software?
Set Up An Implementation Plan
Once you’ve selected software, you need to create an adoption plan. This plan should consider questions and issues that may arise from your software introduction. For example, how easy will it be for your team to adopt?
The implementation plan must define what this transitionary period will look like and what it will require from your team. You must define this period for your staff and office operations to make the implementation as seamless as possible.
Also, you’ll need to set up training for your staff. Your staff may feel frustrated by the change, which can impede their willingness to learn and adopt the new law firm software. So, during the training session(s), clearly illustrate the value of having the software.
It’s also important to communicate responsibilities. Explain who is responsible for what in this new operations structure and outline how the software will change current processes for different roles. This can help ease confusion during the implementation phase.
Implement And Review
Implementation is not the final step of assessing your new law firm software. You want to constantly evaluate how the solution functions and review its impact on performance and profit.
Run feedback sessions with staff and monitor analytics and other data to see if your investment is worth it.
Conclusion
Introducing new law firm software is no easy feat! It can be challenging without the proper support. The most important thing about this assessment process is to find a vendor that can help you along. Who you choose makes all the difference.
At Amberlo, we offer all-in-one legal software with a team that supports your every implementation and software need. To test out our user-friendly solution, try our free trial or schedule a free demo today.
