Technology holds the key to competitive advantage

Technology has always played a critical role in determining who thrives and who survives in business, and the legal sector is no exception to the rule.

Assessing how we develop and build our competitive advantage is key at a time when many businesses are fighting
for survival. Technology has a
crucial role to play in this race.

Despite the relatively positive economic climate, over 1,000 law firms closed their doors last year, an ominous reminder of the need for our sector to continually innovate and develop new ways of working. In a profession which can sometimes seem wedded to custom and convention, breaking free is a challenge
– but it’s worth it.

In this highly competitive landscape, a progressive approach which makes the
best use of resources is crucial. Technology levels the playing field and provides smaller firms with the opportunity to shift into the next gear – generating savings, increasing efficiency and adding value for your clients.

At my firm, technology has allowed us to take an unusual step for an SME and offer a round-the-clock service. As a result, secure remote access
is a key feature of our business model. It enables us to be available whenever our clients need us. It also helps to promote a positive work environment where staff have the capability to work efficiently while they’re on the move. Technology is helping us to ensure we stay one step ahead and allowing us to continue to build on a lean business model, promoting flexibility and innovation and enabling us to be as responsive as possible to our clients’ needs.

It’s important to strive for greater efficiency. Investment
in our IT infrastructure and
case management system
has effectively streamlined processes and has allowed for the completion of some tasks automatically. Time savings are significant; tasks which don’t require human intervention
can be automatically run by
the computer overnight, for example.

We currently have in excess
of 2,000 individual workflows throughout our departments. These automated systems mean our clients know that their fees are being used in the most effective and efficient way possible and not on paper-shuffling tasks. These workflows also allow our staff to focus
their attention fully on more
complex tasks – increasing their capability and freeing them up to focus on projects which really require human input.

Paperless working is another great example of how technology can improve process and generate savings. Two years ago, our crime department was chosen to take part in a pilot scheme with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to operate a paperless project. The new operation means the police can now
feed documents to the CPS electronically, and they in
turn are able to forward those documents to us via secure email. The ‘digital working’ scheme by the CPS is part of a wider efficiency initiative, and we are already seeing the benefits of it. SJ

David Kirwan is senior partner at Kirwans

@KirwansLaw