Las Vegas, NV - Four-and-a-half centuries ago, Japanese warrior and poet Takeda Shingen said, “A man with deep far-sightedness will survey both the beginning and the end of a situation and continually consider its every facet as important.” This quote could not be truer today for legal firms considering software solutions for practice management.
As even the smallest of firms struggle with an ever-growing dependence on technology, the savvy, “far-sighted” IT executives are increasingly looking for an “all-in-one-box” solution which will embrace finance, customer resource management (CRM), business development, human resources, resource management and project planning as a viable solution for their firm.
Imagine for a moment the process of recruitment through the typical firm: a new recruit would require a new starter process that should link his or her existing client base (CRM) to their specific billable hourly rate (finance) and easily link to a performance management system and a conflict resolution solution. Key in the information once and watch the solution steer the process around your firm.
Combine the above requirements with strong reporting capabilities, document tracking and a host of customizable features and you have the foundation of a well-oiled machine designed for stream-lined practice management.
It is not uncommon for a law firm to have a variety of software solutions running independent of one another, each running specific functions autonomously. Many firms, for example, will spend hundreds of thousands on a financial system which, after all, manages compliance areas and drives the billing of the whole firm.
But consider again new recruits as they work on a brief within another software solution. Are all their hours being correctly billed to the right client? Is their time doing research logging to the correct account? Without extensive training, are they familiar with the billing system enough to maximize your practices profits?
Enterprise solutions – such as SAP or Oracle – can offer a unified approach to a firm, but the cost (sometimes upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars for implementation and thousands per month for maintenance) is certainly prohibitive for small-to-midsized firms.
Enter a new generation of solutions designed specifically for the modern-day legal firm looking to take advantage of technology with an eye toward cost. With the likes of Lexus-Nexus, Tabs3 and Pro-Law making headway to providing legal-firm IT solutions, the decisions facing Directors can be bewildering and daunting.
But how do you know which solution is right for you?
You will know by making sure you identify your needs and what opportunities you are looking to exploit. There’s no substitute for the hard work in thrashing out needs and opportunities within your business and then looking at solutions in detail. Yes, that’s potentially more work for you. It could involve more change for your business and will demand some serious collaboration between Directors, but it should cost less overall, prove more straightforward to implement and manage, have greater opportunities and benefits and give you strength and depth across your firm.
Arguably, those are the right platforms for a fast growing business.
Dolomite Enterprises of Las Vegas, Nevada, understands the needs facing IT Directors and is ready to share their expertise of available legal solutions. They can guide you through the myriad of options to find a solution that will give your legal firm the power and options you need…at a cost that is affordable and, moreover, justifiable.
Dolomite Enterprises was the first company to offer dedicated Managed Services in Las Vegas, and continues to lead the region in service offerings to small and mid-size legal and accounting firms, and many nationwide businesses. They offer a proven service portfolio for customers looking for simple technology solutions, including complete outsourced IT solutions as well as core technology solutions including data backup and disaster recovery.
Contact Dolomite through their toll-free number at 866.575.3690 or via web, click here.
Author: Daniel Stock – Dolomite Enterprises
Keywords: IT solutions, legal industry, finance, billing, practice management, law firm, software solutions, legal software, computer support, computer consulting, legal solutions
