Five Areas of Tech to Focus on After “Going Cloud”

To get more return on your investment, here’s where our experts say IT teams should concentrate after moving to the cloud.

For law firms tired of the upgrades, security measures, and scalability concerns that come along with managing on-premise software, moving to the cloud has become the better option. Not only does the transition help firms streamline processes and boost productivity, but many are also doing so to remain competitive with other firms already operating their practice management systems (PMS) in the cloud.

David Carter, Aderant’s Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, goes into more detail about what firms can expect from the cloud implementation process in his article, Why ‘Going Cloud’ Is the Ultimate New Year’s Resolution. Now, we’re asking our experts for insight into what firms that no longer manage on-premise software are doing with their new-found freedom.

The following are five popular areas of focus for IT staff for firms operating their PMS in the cloud:

1. Data analytics— For many firms, a focus on analytics translates into a better understanding of which products to place where and boosts internal efficiency. By examining how lawyers and other staff consume data, the IT team can create customized dashboards that present relevant information in the most effective way.
2. Lean legal project management (Lean Six Sigma)— Firms implementing Lean techniques are focused on improving process flows and speed by eliminating wasteful activities. After moving to the cloud, they aren’t consumed by monotonous day-to-day efforts, including addressing a down server, checking the health of the system, installing updates, and preparing to scale for increased activity. With their PMS in the cloud, a firm’s IT staff can devote time to identifying other areas where they are not operating as efficiently and implement the necessary changes. Adopting lean legal project management techniques creates sustainable and scalable processes that ensure firms can adequately support future growth.
3. Workflow automation— While workflow automation can increase a firm’s operational efficiency, it also requires a significant initial investment of time to create and implement. The more workflow automations a firm has, the faster its staff can complete daily tasks.
4. AI and machine learning— By implementing AI (artificial intelligence) and other machine learning resources, IT staff can give lawyers and partners valuable, actionable information. AI can also provide the means to process human input, such as handwriting and voice recognition, which can save time and help identify gaps in knowledge.
5. Internal and external collaboration— With their PMS hosted in the cloud, firms have found that they have more time to focus on growing and evaluating other technologies that can nurture both client and intra-departmental collaboration. Using knowledge management and collaboration solutions such as Handshake and Drive, the IT department can create improvements to processes via customizations that fit firm needs.

Moving to the cloud doesn’t mean a permanent vacation for your IT team; instead, you can redirect that time towards other projects that may have previously been pushed back due to a lack of resources. No longer focusing on the day-to-day maintenance of an on-premise PMS, IT staff can now dig into projects that will help your firm achieve and sustain long-term success.