The impact of new technology on in-house legal teams

Latest ContractWorks analysis reveals that authorized tech adoption skyrocketed amongst company authorized groups during the last two years, pushed by the shift to distant work. And although almost half (48%) of in-house authorized professionals reported that they’re again within the workplace full-time, the overwhelmingly optimistic outcomes groups skilled after strategically adopting key options has generated vital momentum for the authorized tech motion. 

This text explores the affect of recent know-how on in-house authorized groups, together with some sudden advantages

Improved productiveness, collaboration, and responsiveness

When authorized groups efficiently undertake tech options designed to handle their particular challenges, they usually contain the appropriate individuals alongside the best way, the result’s usually a happier, extra productive division

For a lot of in-house authorized professionals, know-how has the potential not solely to enhance productiveness, however to construct the authorized crew’s fame as revolutionary collaborators — all whereas empowering distant and hybrid groups to work collectively extra successfully. 

Adopting know-how helps in-house legal professionals and authorized professionals automate and streamline guide duties so that they have extra time to deal with high-value work. New know-how additionally makes it simpler for Authorized to collaborate with different departments all through the group, and improves entry and visibility into essential paperwork, issues, and extra. In flip, Authorized turns into a greater enterprise companion by decreasing turnaround instances and rising responsiveness.

However this new analysis proves that the advantages of adopting authorized tech lengthen far past the aforementioned efficiencies.

Surprising advantages of recent authorized know-how

Most authorized groups searching for new authorized tech are probably trying to scale back working prices, mitigate threat, and save time on tedious duties. However now we’re studying that the appropriate software program options can truly result in happier staff.

The in-house authorized professionals surveyed stated that profitable adoption of authorized know-how creates happier, extra productive staff who can transfer the enterprise ahead at a fee that isn’t attainable with out know-how. With the present push for organizations to retain prime expertise, investing in options that create extra happy staff – and likewise assist the enterprise function extra effectively – ought to be a prime precedence. 

The chart above reveals how the most well-liked authorized tech options during the last two years impacted in-house legal professionals. Automating mundane duties and rising productiveness are necessary causes to undertake software program, however what’s extra noteworthy is the share of people that reported that options like contract administration software program, matter administration software program, digital signature software program, and e-billing software program truly improved their work-life steadiness and made their day-to-day jobs extra fulfilling.

For these in-house legal professionals who adopted contract administration software program throughout the Pandemic (probably the most closely adopted authorized tech during the last two-plus years), almost half (46%) reported that it made their day-to-day job extra fulfilling, 38% stated it improved their work-life steadiness, and 38% famous that it resulted in fewer errors. These advantages have a significant affect on job satisfaction and engagement, which might increase productiveness, enhance confidence and happiness, and generate increased worker retention charges.

Making certain a profitable authorized tech adoption

When a tech adoption undertaking would not go as deliberate, it’s typically due to a couple frequent issues: prolonged implementation processes, overly sophisticated software program, know-how unfit for objective, and resistance to alter.

Coping with prolonged implementation processes and overly complicated software program is such a essential concern as a result of it prevents groups from truly utilizing the answer they simply invested time and monetary assets to amass — which might result in frustration amongst these concerned. This highlights the significance of placing within the time throughout the analysis and analysis phases to decide on the appropriate answer and keep away from the problems that may derail tech adoption initiatives.

The excellent news is that distributors are listening, and a brand new pattern within the authorized tech area is rising. Extra distributors are growing user-friendly, quick-to-implement, and purpose-built options that improve operational effectivity, making authorized tech adoption blunders much less frequent. Whereas there are a whole lot of options in the marketplace, analysis proves that after you discover the know-how you want, the outcomes are overwhelmingly optimistic for each the people in your crew and the better group. 

Right here are some things you are able to do to realize your tech adoption objectives and enhance worker satisfaction: 

• Contain your customers and stakeholders within the dialog. Understanding the wants of the individuals utilizing the programs ought to all the time be a precedence and is essential to sustaining a happy authorized employees.
• Be certain the options you’re contemplating are the appropriate ones to unravel your key issues. Product match ought to by no means be neglected, so when you suppose there’s an answer that extra intently aligns along with your key challenges, you’re most likely proper.
• Work collectively along with your crew to outline what profitable implementation and adoption appear like. Talk overtly and set expectations round change administration, so crew members are aligned all through the implementation course of.
• Quite than specializing in lists of options, have in-depth conversations with distributors, schedule demos, and strive the product earlier than making a closing determination each time attainable. Each vendor says their product is straightforward to make use of, however the very best take a look at is to strive the software program your self. 

When all of these items are thought-about, and appropriately executed, authorized groups will understand the complete advantages of adopting authorized know-how. A few of these advantages are game-changers for in-house legal professionals, together with the flexibility to spend extra time on high-value work and keep a greater work-life steadiness. And for authorized professionals searching for better flexibility and management over the best way they work, time-saving authorized know-how is probably the most simple strategy to accomplish that imaginative and prescient. 

To learn extra in regards to the affect of recent know-how on company authorized groups, obtain the 2022 In-house Authorized Tech Report. 

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A few of this content material was beforehand printed on the ContractWorks weblog.