Legal Software Suppliers Association: To change or not to change?

The Legal Software Suppliers Association (LSSA) talks about evaluating systems, asking “To change or not to change?”

Legal Software Suppliers Association: To change or not to change?

Most law firms will face this question at some stage: should I change the supplier of my legal software or not? Kevin Horlock, CEO of the Legal Software Suppliers Association offers some thoughts.

Lawyers invest in software to improve the efficiency and profitability of their firm. The time comes when, for example, the volume of business transacted outgrows the firm’s existing software; or the nature of the matters being processed expands beyond the capabilities of the existing software; or the firm wishes to add extra dimensions to its record-keeping and the existing software cannot be adapted to cater for them. 

At this stage, the firm may decide to review the software available, arrange for demonstrations, ask questions and then select a new provider.

And now the fun starts …

Before we look at the fun, it is important to reflect on why a move might be necessary.

All software advances rapidly in capacity, functionality and complexity, so it is vital to determine at the outset how capable the new software is of both incorporating new developments, such as AI, and catering for the firm’s future expansion. 

How are the licence fees structured? 

Per user, per matter, per transaction? 

How are fee increases calculated and when?

Does the new software actually do what the firm wants and needs? 

Has the software supplier confirmed that with a full demonstration?

Who will access the software and from where? 

Does the new software operate fully in the cloud, or does it require a server located at the firm’s premises to house the data? 

Does the new software supplier offer full training on how to use all the functions in the software, including how to extract reports quickly and regularly, and how to back up all the data regularly? 

Does the new supplier provide fast responses to queries, problems, glitches and software updates? 

What independent testimonials can the firm obtain about the new supplier?

Is the new supplier national or international and where are its offices located? 

How close are the offices to the law firm? 

Has the supplier been taken over and does the software have a long shelf life or will it be incorporated in another product, which may prove more expensive?

Migration is a hot topic

Once the law firm has investigated, planned, tested and selected, it needs to consider how to migrate the data in its current system into the new system – and that is where so much frustration is generated and why law firms need to allocate a long time for this process. Transferring data from one system to another is a complex process, because each system holds data in a different way

For example, one system could store an address in a single field while another system could store the address in multiple fields. To match the fields, the address field would need to be broken down into <town> <street> etc during the transfer process. Different systems will have different levels of sophistication in the data. 

For example, one system could have a link between the record of billing and the amount of time spent, whereas another system might not record this level of detail.  All of this affects how data is transferred

It is essential that law firms prepare thoroughly for the transfer of their data from the old system to the new. It makes sense to tidy up the data in the old system as much as possible before beginning the process: transferring data at the transaction level will probably transfer all data, including records that do not balance etc: the adage of garbage in: garbage out applies. A data transfer is probably unlikely to be a magic solution to long -standing irregularities with data.

Some existing data may need to be transformed or translated to match differing formats or structures in the new system. 

This could be simple, such as transforming references to fee earners from numbers to initials; it could be more complex, where a more primitive chart of accounts and nominal references are transformed into a different structure to accommodate the new system. 

For example, fee earner John Robert Smith might be referenced as Fee Earner 1 in one system but referred to as JRS in the new one. Where these transformations take place, it is important to check that they are implemented consistently across the whole of the data conversion. The fee-earner record will hold the new reference – all the associated matters, bills and time-recording entries will also need to show this new reference.

Documented evidence

Many firms will have systems that store documents and other files with cases, clients and even transactions. These could include Microsoft Word Documents, PDFs, pictures, videos, audio recordings, invoice documents and any other type of file that might be associated with a client, matter, transaction or other entity. 

The process of converting data will often require transferring these items to the new system, because they will be vital for current cases and will be needed as reference for completed cases. 

In the current system, these items will usually be organised in folders that follow a logical scheme – one which is related to the client or matter. They may be in one or more directories and the firm’s database will hold a record of which file relates to which client, matter or other entity.

Where these documents are stored on a local file server, it will usually be relatively simple for the process of converting data to be able to migrate them from the old system to the new one. 

Where they are stored in the cloud, the current supplier should provide a mechanism for them to be downloaded via an encrypted disk or a mapping, ftp site or similar. 

Where possible, the creation and modification dates and times should be retained on the files if this information is not stored in the database. 

There may be a significant volume of data files stored by the firm, so a law firm will need to consider how long these may take to download, copy or move to the new locations.

You are never alone …

This is just a taste of what is needed to move from one software system to another. It is vital law firms do not underestimate the potential complexity and time involved. 

The Association can offer advice on all aspects of moving from one supplier to another and is happy to provide its white papers on migrating data, for example, to all.

 

If you have any questions, please email Kevin Horlock at the following address: [email protected].

 

Kindly shared by Legal Software Suppliers Association (LSSA)