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14 August 2008 / Greg Wildisen
Issue: 7334 / Categories: Features , Profession , Technology
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Return on investment

Spending on IT is an investment rather than a cost, says Greg Wildisen

In uncertain times, one inevitable consequence is that law firms find themselves having to do more with less. With budgets under pressure, it is more important than ever that law firms get more “bang for their buck”. Yet many law firms appear to find it an on-going challenge to measure ROI (return on investment) from technology. Even so, there are a number of core areas of IT planning where some serious and demonstrable gains can be made.

Alignment

First, and perhaps most obviously, a law firm's IT strategy needs to respond to and be firmly aligned with the business of the firm. This may sound straightforward, but with most technology being bought off the shelf, it is not as easy as it seems.

One of the mistakes in the past was buying technology for its own sake rather than considering which parts of the business would benefit from the application of new technology. The process of identifying business needs must

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Gateley Legal—Caroline Pope & Bob Maynard

Gateley Legal—Caroline Pope & Bob Maynard

Construction team bolstered by hire of senior consultant duo

Switalskis—four appointments

Switalskis—four appointments

Firm expands residential conveyancing team with quadruple appointment

mfg Solicitors—Claire Pope

mfg Solicitors—Claire Pope

Private client team welcomes senior associatein Worcester

NEWS
The controversial Mazur ruling, which caused widespread uncertainty about the role of non-solicitors in litigation work, has been overturned on appeal
Two landmark social media cases in the US could influence social media regulation in the UK, lawyers predict
Barristers have urged the government to set up Nightingale-style specialist courts, with jury trials, to prioritise rape, sexual assault and domestic abuse trials
Victims of violent crimes who suffer life-changing injuries receive less than half the financial support today than those in the 1990s, according to a senior personal injury lawyer
Rising numbers of cases, an increase in litigants in person and an overall lack of investment is piling pressure on the family court, the Law Society has warned
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