Law firms, it’s out with the old, in with the new!

Graham Fry, Managing Director, avsnet

Law firms should be bustling, dynamic spaces however many are still struggling to transform their workspaces and processes. This is surprising considering it’s an industry where time is of the essence, legitimate evidence is vital and even a minute delay can make or break a case that’s been worked on for months or years.

Despite this, a staggering 87% of law firms still use the humble pen and paper for legal work (Legal Week Intelligence) despite the plethora of digital solutions available from Polycom to collaborate better and communicate faster.

Technology is now so intuitive and effortless that it doesn’t make sense to stick with old methods – in fact, it’s likely reducing a firm’s competitiveness and affecting the practice’s ability to grow.

For example, simply moving to a Polycom collaboration and content sharing platform where observations are noted down on tablets or via digital boards can lead to a dramatic improvement in case processing and decision-making.

What’s more, these notes can immediately be sent to a group chat for review and corresponding documents can be shared quickly rather than having to print out multiple copies for a meeting.

Another interesting statistic from the survey was that 64% said they struggled to work remotely, with 52% citing speed of systems as an issue. We see this problem all the time – sluggish legacy solutions that were purchased without consideration of the business’s specific objectives or infrastructure.

Like with other industries, work isn’t solely based in the office anymore so it’s crucial to be able to access data and work wherever is most convenient.

Many legal firms are using Polycom’s visual communications solutions to speak to clients but may not be thinking of its uses internally and for working collaboratively with external parties. Trying to arrange a sit-down meeting is often trickier and far more expensive than getting everyone in the same virtual meeting room, especially if international specialists are assisting with a case.

There is a wealth of Polycom solutions out there that can improve efficiency for legal firms and enable them to work more intelligently and firms should always be looking for ways to get ahead of the competition.

Other established industries have embraced new technologies to modernise their businesses and law firms should be no different. This is the core message outlined by The Legal Society in a recent report that you can download here.