Driven by market demand for efficiency and cost savings, the largely traditional legal industry is increasingly adopting legal technology to improve processes. Implementing law practice management (LPM) software can help law firms minimize administrative tasks and spend more time practicing the law and meeting client demand.
There are many moving parts when adopting new software and processes in a law firm. Once you’ve done your research and landed on viable options, it’s essential that staff enroll in the new law practice management platform. Without adequate onboarding and training, law firms will not get the full return on investment or leverage the features to run their practice as efficiently as possible.
While the introduction of new software comes with an adjustment period, with the right provider of law firm management, resources and training, your business can be up and running with any system in no time. Here are a few tips to make the process smooth for your entire team.
Show the benefits for your staff
The first step in a successful implementation of law practice management software is to get all employees on board. Even casual users should be involved in the training so that they know how to use the software if the situation requires it. When lawyers and staff understand the value of legal technology and how it benefits them, they are more likely to be committed to learning and understanding it.
Clarifying the current inefficiencies that the software aims to solve shows law firm staff how their work becomes easier after the training process. You can provide real-world examples of pain points affecting specific members or departments to drive buy-in. For example, if your company struggles with document management, you can demonstrate how a cloud-based LPM stores all documents securely in one location and can be accessed from anywhere. Documents can be associated with a specific issue or contact, giving you quick access to a document when working under that screen.
Plan for the training process
As intuitive as it may be, there will be bumps along the way that can cause delays or frustration for staff. Your law firm needs to prepare for and communicate with clients about the changes and potential delays that could affect them. This is where an LPM provider can support your law firm during the onboarding process.
Law firms also need to have a clear idea of the problems they want to solve and the goals they want to achieve with the software. Legal practice management software is simply a tool to improve workflow and efficiency, but it cannot do it alone.
Practice consistently
Training should never be a one-time event. As employees gain skills and navigate features, they will need to practice them to become more familiar with the platform. This doesn’t have to be time consuming – just 10 or 15 minute training sessions with hypothetical scenarios can build the skills needed to use the software regularly.
Most importantly, hypothetical scenarios and practice sessions allow employees to make mistakes and learn from them without compromising important matters or hindering business processes. They won’t be nervous to experiment and learn with low stakes.
Include workouts at weekly or quarterly meetings. You can even organize a lunch and learning session or provide an incentive to participate. Generating morale (and rewards) around training makes it feel less like work.
Using Supplier Resources
Law firm management software providers must provide resources and training to law firm employees.
Giving and receiving feedback
An open communication channel is needed to empower the workforce and ensure the platform is right for the business. Leaders can provide feedback on progress, but it’s important that employees can share their concerns or limitations with the software as well. The platform will not be useful if the staff is not comfortable using it, so feedback is an opportunity for law firms to evaluate their various software options.
However, feedback sessions should be structured. Examples include meetings to discuss progress, a dedicated email to submit feedback and questions, or a platform-specific digital suggestion box.
Hiring Legal Practice Management Consultants
Legal technology consultants with certification in law practice management software are available to assist companies with the onboarding and training process. These consultants can support law firms with migration, implementation and customization to ensure that the software is used optimally.
Legal advisors typically begin by understanding the company’s needs and develop a strategy to implement new technology with minimal friction. If the training process is overwhelming or challenging, having a consultant can help companies save time, money, frustration and downtime.
Systematize the implementation process
Whether a law firm provides training itself or engages a consultant, the process must be systematized for future training. Software is constantly updated with new features and capabilities that require some training to learn, and new hires must be trained in the software as part of their onboarding.
With the systems in place, leaders and employees can prioritize processes, time and budget to improve or execute new ideas and improve both the workforce and the value of the technology in the business.
Celebrate successes
As the staff and lawyers learn the software, they will achieve small wins. All of these wins need to be celebrated throughout the company to instill the value of the technology and increase engagement.
For example, law firms can send company-wide emails to show positive results employees have experienced since the implementation of the new platform. Whether a process has been created or an employee notices that less time is being spent on tasks that used to take hours, that should be cause for celebration.
Bet on continuous learning
Law practice management is constantly evolving with product updates, webinars, and training materials that continue beyond initial deployment. These updates are important for lawyers and staff to take advantage of new features and learn how to positively impact their day-to-day work.
Implementing new legal technology can be overwhelming for law firm employees, but once the real benefits are realized, staff can appreciate the time spent on training.