Outsourced legal services is not the only innovation in the legal profession helping legal firms and corporate councils manage the cost of legal services. A recent article featured in the Wall Street Journal notes that, technology and software platforms are being adopted at increasing rates to help lower costs, as well.
As noted in the foreword of the book Implementing a Successful Legal Outsourcing Engagement, Bruce MacEwen writes in regard to the adoption outsourced legal services, “I may disappoint you to report that what I believe is far more parochial: the adoption of outsourcing will be firm by firm, activity by activity, year by year. Like much of the march of progress, change will be less drastic in the short run than many imagine, and more revolutionary in the long run than most can foresee.”
The same is true of the adoption of innovative technology applications, as noted in the article. Innovative outsourcing solutions will happen in concert with technology developments. Often changes begin slowly at first, but expand into a number of exciting possibilities as they mature.
Links between these innovative technology platforms and outsourcing include improved monitoring and collaboration with remotely based outside vendors. With increasing transparency, general counsel will have greater capacity to monitor the productivity of their outside counsel and thus, their outside legal spend.
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Opinion: Outsourcing the core
In an opinion piece featured in Managing Partner magazine entitled, Outsourcing the Core, Andrew Hedley discusses some of the dynamics and challenges facing legal professionals in the UK – particularly as they relate to outsourced legal services.
The points that I enjoyed most were his thoughts on the factors which impact market penetration for outsourcing legal services.
1. Technology: Technically speaking, it might be argued that a couple of factors have constrained development in the past for all but the most straightforward of work. These are shortcomings in communications technology, and a paucity of the advanced project-management skills needed to disaggregate a legal service, have the constituent parts handled independently, and then reconstitute the service at the point of delivery to provide a seamless client experience. Such technical and management challenges can now be overcome.
2. Perceptual: What remains is the emotional barrier of managing so much of the legal process at arms length within a profession in which many partners have been reticent to let work leave their own desks, let alone firm, country or continent. At an organisational level there are also issues of trust, confidence and client confidentiality that will need to be overcome. At what point will economic imperatives overcome these social and management impediments?
Too many times firms concentrate on overcoming the former challenge while in many ways disregarding the latter. Equal, and in some situations greater, emphasis should be placed on ensuring the internal buy-in and managing expectations for changes within the organization.
As Hedley concluded, “I believe these changes are inevitable. How far-reaching they will be, and over what timescale, are the key issues law firm leaders will need to consider when deciding on the best approach for their individual organisations.”
The points that I enjoyed most were his thoughts on the factors which impact market penetration for outsourcing legal services.
1. Technology: Technically speaking, it might be argued that a couple of factors have constrained development in the past for all but the most straightforward of work. These are shortcomings in communications technology, and a paucity of the advanced project-management skills needed to disaggregate a legal service, have the constituent parts handled independently, and then reconstitute the service at the point of delivery to provide a seamless client experience. Such technical and management challenges can now be overcome.
2. Perceptual: What remains is the emotional barrier of managing so much of the legal process at arms length within a profession in which many partners have been reticent to let work leave their own desks, let alone firm, country or continent. At an organisational level there are also issues of trust, confidence and client confidentiality that will need to be overcome. At what point will economic imperatives overcome these social and management impediments?
Too many times firms concentrate on overcoming the former challenge while in many ways disregarding the latter. Equal, and in some situations greater, emphasis should be placed on ensuring the internal buy-in and managing expectations for changes within the organization.
As Hedley concluded, “I believe these changes are inevitable. How far-reaching they will be, and over what timescale, are the key issues law firm leaders will need to consider when deciding on the best approach for their individual organisations.”
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Fronterion Texas Bar Article: Technology & Outsourcing
Check out the July Texas Bar Journal featuring an article on legal outsourcing titled, Outsourcing & Technology.
The article hits on some of the core considerations with technology issues for successful legal outsourcing engagements. Of course we may be somewhat biased after authoring to article.
If you have any questions or comments on the article, please join in the dialog about outsourcing and technology by writing us at blogger@fronterion.com
The article hits on some of the core considerations with technology issues for successful legal outsourcing engagements. Of course we may be somewhat biased after authoring to article.
If you have any questions or comments on the article, please join in the dialog about outsourcing and technology by writing us at blogger@fronterion.com
Monday, June 22, 2009
Tech Considerations When Sourcing
To complement my previous 6/9 post regarding technology and outsourcing, I had a couple of follow-up points about issues to consider when framing up your new engagement. Outsourced legal services are in many ways different from mechanized business process outsourcing (BPO) services. Trust me, the difference in legal sourcing is a whole other blog post. Service delivery models, personnel requirements, service solutions, and quality metrics are much different in legal sourcing. But, for the time being, take my word for it.
One area of legal outsourcing that is very similar with other forms of outsourced services is technology integration. The steps to ensure successful technology integration are fairly well established across a broad base of service functions; be it outsourcing accounting functions, medical transcription or for our purposes - legal services. Based on what we have seen, challenges may still arise when working with legal outsourcing vendors. The reasons are typically two-fold:
1. Some of the smaller legal outsourcing vendors may not have top quality infrastructure or robust process policies as compared to larger more established vendors.
2. For larger engagements or first-time outsourcers, many technology integration issues simply get lost in the shuffle.
Legal outsourcing, if done correctly, can be technologically secure and safe. The keys are taking the time to fully assess your provider (including some sort of on-the-ground due diligence) and being very meticulous throughout the entire integration process.
One area of legal outsourcing that is very similar with other forms of outsourced services is technology integration. The steps to ensure successful technology integration are fairly well established across a broad base of service functions; be it outsourcing accounting functions, medical transcription or for our purposes - legal services. Based on what we have seen, challenges may still arise when working with legal outsourcing vendors. The reasons are typically two-fold:
1. Some of the smaller legal outsourcing vendors may not have top quality infrastructure or robust process policies as compared to larger more established vendors.
2. For larger engagements or first-time outsourcers, many technology integration issues simply get lost in the shuffle.
Legal outsourcing, if done correctly, can be technologically secure and safe. The keys are taking the time to fully assess your provider (including some sort of on-the-ground due diligence) and being very meticulous throughout the entire integration process.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Article Sneak Peak
I recently wrapped up an article for an unnamed bar publication to be published this July. The article covers the intersection of technology and legal outsourcing. As a sneak preview to the article, here are some of the highlights.
The benefits of outsourcing legal support services come in three main areas: direct/indirect cost savings, strategic opportunities and technology benefits. Tech benefits include better utilization of existing technology applications and new solutions offered by the provider.
The article is a nuts and bolts outline guide to legal outsourcing engagement technology component and what legal firms need to look for when sourcing to outside vendors.
Keep an eye out for the article in its entirety in July.
The benefits of outsourcing legal support services come in three main areas: direct/indirect cost savings, strategic opportunities and technology benefits. Tech benefits include better utilization of existing technology applications and new solutions offered by the provider.
The article is a nuts and bolts outline guide to legal outsourcing engagement technology component and what legal firms need to look for when sourcing to outside vendors.
Keep an eye out for the article in its entirety in July.
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