Vol. 75, No. 4, April
2002
Practical Tips for Successful Implementation, Part II
Choosing a Case Management System
In this second of a two-part series on successfully implementing case
management systems, learn how to choose, train staff for, and use such a
system to increase firm efficiency and profitability.
Ross L. Kodner, rkodner@microlaw.com, is a lawyer
and founder of Milwaukee's MicroLaw Inc., a legal technology consultancy
and systems integrator. He chairs the ABA Law Practice Management
Section's Computer & Technology Division and was a member of the ABA
Techshow Executive Board from 1997-2001. He is chair of the 2002
Wisconsin Law & Technology Show.
by Ross L. Kodner
In March, the first article in this series discussed the capabilities
of case management systems and the importance of - and how to go about
building - consensus from each person and team in your firm. Now that
you have "buy-in," it's time to choose and install a system.
Deciding on a Case Management System
For most law practices, it is neither economical nor logical to try
to decide on a case manager without outside assistance. There are many
qualified case management experts and resources available to assist in
this process. A collection of very capable legal technology consultants
is found at LawCommerce's
Web site. A group called T3: Top Tier Technologists is the first
independent association of legal technology consultants. Membership is
restricted based on a selective and critical peer review process to
determine qualifications. Many of the group's members have significant
case management expertise. Information on the T3 Network can be seen at
the above link.
If you are interested in a specific case manager, the major companies
generally have a roster of qualified and, in many cases, certified
consultants who can assist with planning, customizing, and deploying
their software. See, for example, TimeMatters
consultant info and Amicus Attorney
consultant. While the consultants may not be independent advisors,
they can assist with the specific program for which they are certified.
If you seek independent guidance, be sure to specifically verify that
qualification.
Books and periodicals are great sources of information. One of the
leading publications on the topic of legal case management is Andrew
Adkins' recent book, Computerized Case
Management Systems: Choosing and Implementing the Right Software for
You. Law Office
Computing magazine also features a major case management review
article in each December/January issue.
Attending legal technology CLE conferences that feature case
management-focused education is another effective approach. National
conferences include LegalTech,
ABA TECHSHOW, and LegalWorks. Case management
is a hot topic, and you likely will find many available sessions.
Building Your Planning Team
Nothing is more important than planning. This truth cannot be
overstated when the subject is case management systems. Unlike many
other software applications you might deploy in your practice, with case
managers, you can't just click "install" and expect instant productivity
miracles.
The key to case management success is acknowledging that implementing
such a project is similar to managing a complex litigated case for one
of your clients. Think of it as a multi-step process, spread over time,
where the talents and efforts of several people in the practice must be
coordinated. In this situation, the case is the case management project
and the client you're going to win for is your own firm.
Start the process by building an implementation team - your "Case
Management SWAT Team." Pick a crosssection of people from the firm so
you have representation from a variety of perspectives. This means that
there should be a partner (at least one in a smaller firm, or a partner
from each practice department in a larger firm). There should be an
associate or more than one in a larger firm. Associates see the process
of case handling from a different viewpoint than partners and have much
to offer in this process. Include your firm's administrator and the head
of your technology committee. Include a paralegal and legal assistant
from each practice group. And include the consultant who is guiding you
through the implementation process.
Your SWAT team should then develop an action plan, plotting out the
timeline of the entire process. Your consultant, who may be a veteran of
many case management implementations in different kinds of practices,
has experiences that should be tapped at this stage. In a sense, it is
the same as sitting down with a legal pad, or a "thought processor" such
as CaseMap (www.casesoft.com), and outlining the skeletal structure of
the process from beginning to end. Allow at least 30 days to arrive at
an action plan of how to best configure and roll out your new case
manager. Don't worry about filling in every minute detail in your action
plan outline - much of what happens will be fleshed out along the
way.
Training: Think Backwards for Success
With most software in the average law practice, you install it and
then learn it. With case management systems, the process is precisely
the reverse. You first need to learn the program, and then you can
install it.
Your case management implementation team has to take time to learn
the software in order to determine the best configuration approaches;
develop a comprehensive training plan that fits your firm, your
schedule, and your practice approach; and decide when to activate
advanced capabilities like document assembly systems. This is impossible
to plan and coordinate unless there is a fairly deep understanding of
the software. Of course, getting to this level of comprehension without
physically installing the software may be impractical or even
impossible. Systems like TimeMatters and most other products can be
installed in a demo or tutorial mode, allowing the firm to work through
the program's key functions and its "flow" using canned demonstration
data files.
It can be very cost-effective to use your consultant to provide a
detailed overview of the program and explain the level of
customizability that exists within each major area of the software. A
morning of such review can help the Case Management SWAT team
supercharge its action plan creation process and better direct the
ensuing discussions about the program's initial configuration and
customization to best fit the firm's practice approach and workflow
patterns.
Wisconsin Lawyer