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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

Bell Yard Kysen—Liz Giles

Bell Yard Kysen—Liz Giles

Bell Yard Kysen appoints senior legal PR and ex-government communications adviser, Liz Giles

Clarke Willmott—Lee Edwards

Clarke Willmott—Lee Edwards

Clarke Willmott boosts Southampton commercial property team with addition of partner Lee Edwards

Lime Solicitors—four promotions

Lime Solicitors—four promotions

Lime Solicitors announces four promotions

NEWS
The Attorney General, Ellie Reeves KC MP, and Solicitor General, Andy Slaughter KC MP, marked the 25th anniversary of Pro Bono Week by joining lawyers, charities, students and parliamentarians at events celebrating voluntary legal work
A polished legal defence may owe more to artificial intelligence than legal merit—and creditors risk paying the price in delay and expense
Witness evidence can be compromised by AI before a solicitor sees the draft, leaving safeguards focused on authorship incomplete
Should a conviction stand when a later ruling reveals that the law underpinning it was wrong? The answer exposes a clash between finality and justice
The Environment Agency can prosecute offences beyond environmental legislation where proceedings support its statutory functions, the Divisional Court has confirmed
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