System integration projects typically present law firms with the challenge of balancing time and financial constraints with delivering best-practice solutions that enable the business to maximise return on its technology investment. Critical to project success is engaging dedicated resources that bring the right mix of technical and business skills. Equally important is to identify the skill and experience gaps that exist within the internal team and utilise the experience of external resources where appropriate.

 

One of the main risks in system integration projects (whether small or large) is the time it takes for internal resources to get up to speed with the technology and its capabilities (including learning what actually works and what doesn’t). This is particularly relevant where client requirements need to be incorporated into the solution to obtain the best-fit for the business and improvements in service delivery to clients. Risks can be mitigated by engaging an external development partner. The engagement could take a variety of forms, depending on the ongoing resourcing strategy of the firm, including:

 

• Outsourcing development services - provides the flexibility and scalability required to meet the resourcing requirements of a project whilst leveraging the skill and experience of external resources to deliver faster outcomes.

• Engaging in a managed services arrangement for long-term ongoing support provides continuity and confidence that tailored solutions can be adapted to continue to deliver business benefits.

 

So when should a law firm invest in outsourcing or managed services?

 

In our experience, many law firms face challenges in developing the required business solutions when they do not have an internal development team, when their development team is not familiar with the technology, or when their development team does not have the capacity to deliver on the volume of solutions in the required timeframe. In these instances, external resources can be a valuable partner to assist with achieving objectives, sustainable benefits and fast tracking the delivery of the solution to the business.

 

 Samantha Layne, Manager - Business Consultant