We all know that technology is supposed to make life easier, but it is not the case for everyone. In adopting technology there are many hurdles to cross, both as a company and as an individual. And at the end of the rainbow we are promised efficiency, improved customer service and productivity. No doubt that the larger impact of technology can be felt greatly within a small firm compared to a large business. What are some considerations that firm owners need analyze before adopting technology?
#1 Know your business needs
This goes without saying, identify the biggest bottleneck and conduct a technology inventory checklist of what you require or the process that the firm needs to improve on most. Categorize your current technology into various sections to evaluate what you truly require. This will help you remain grounded against errant salespersons and goes a long way in helping you find the most suited technology for your business.
#2 Scalability
Choose a technology that can grow with your business.You would want your business to grow over time and if you choose a technology that has no scalability it will mean that you will eventually find yourself trapped with a system that is not catered to your growing needs – and in the worst case scenario you might have to adopt something entirely new and retrain your staff.
All these could be avoided by considering scalability, on top of that, take a look at what others have in the market. Are they able to continue using the same software after expanding? What are some limitations or disadvantages they face?
#3 Cost
The bottomline of all technology is cost, how much cost is saved in the long run and whether that is proportionate to the initial cost of the technology. We should know by now that our main goal should not be simply getting the cheapest in the market. Think in terms of needs of your staff, are they constantly on the go? If they are, you might want to consider a software that is not restricted by geographical limits. The security of the system is also one of the main factors you might want to consider.
It is easy to be swayed by marketing gimmicks, sales pitches and promotions. Hence, the need to self assess cannot be more emphasized. Always, always, do your research.
And if you hope to know more about what various legal bodies are doing to help firms adopt tech, join Tessaract.io at the Tech-celerate for Law event this May.
The Tech-celerate for Law event, held on the 15 May 2019, will see the Minister for Communications and Information, S Iswaran as the Guest of Honour and will feature speakers including Gregory Vijayendran, Senior Counsel, President, The Law Society of Singapore, Nicole Scoble-Williams, Director (Future of Work Centre of Excellence, Deloitte, Eric Chin, Principal (Strategy, Innovation), Alpha Creates.
Learn more about the scheme and how you can tap into the grant to support your law firm by attending this event. The details for the event can be found here.