Whether you are a partner at a top tier law firm or a sole practitioner, here are three technology trends affecting legal software and the interaction between employees and clients.
Simplicity
The most popular technology products are intuitive, encased in a user friendly design and require minimal training to get started.
Business communications firm, Mitel’s former CEO Don Smith, believes the most exciting trend in technology is towards simplicity, stating that “simplicity is essential if our society is to reap the full potential of technology.”
The uncluttered approach championed by Apple has swept across all aspects of tech design and even complex professional software can be canvassed in a deceivingly straightforward interface.
By stripping away complex and distracting product features, greater value is offered through a comprehensive and integrated experience in workflow solutions for end users.
Legal practitioners can deliver better value when core features in practice management software such as trust accounting and document management systems like those provided by GlobalX are intelligently packaged together in a simple matter based workflow.
Mobility
Mobility has been a hot topic, spurred by the goal of effectively maximising an employee’s time spent out of the office.
Practitioners now have the ability to access information from the office remotely through smart devices to increase productivity levels without raising costs. 
Managing Director of R & G Technologies, Gordon Tan suggests organisations embracing mobility solutions are able to keep productivity levels high even when workers are offsite.
“A mobility solution allows you to work from any location as if you were in the office. Not only does this reduce losses due to travel and sickness, it also increases job satisfaction and staff retention.”
Internal communication and collaboration is also made easier across different office locations.
For lawyers, this carries additional benefits such as access to volumes of legal guides, precedents and documents electronically, eliminating the need to carry paper files.
Mobile technology has also changed the way clients interact with law firms. It is now essential to have access to client case information with their contact details at hand.
The topic of mobility intersects with bring your own device (BYOD) policies which has been growing in popularity over the last year.
Organisations are increasingly inviting employees to use their own smart technology at work for streamlined access to corporate information, provided they comply with the company’s procedural standards for its professional use.
As a precaution, additional security applications are enabled to serve as an extra layer over the device and thus maintaining a balance of flexibility and control of an employee’s use of devices.
The outcome for organisations is measureable improvements of productivity as mobile technology is embraced and real business value is created to their client base.
Customisation / Personalisation
Customer driven choice has long been at the heart of sales transactions. However, through technology’s ability to create scale, products can quickly become more individually customised.
The personalisation of technological platforms has grown beyond social media to enterprise technology, giving users more unique and familiar experience.
Gandhi, Magar and Roberts of McKinsey & Company present a case for the effectiveness of customisation based on the value it offers users verse the process and cost to build it.
“To create a sustainable, scaled offering, the value of customisation must go beyond the novelty effect and have a functional or aesthetic purpose”.
“Mass customisation has configured and individualised applications across industries.”
For the technology industry, this extends beyond a device programmed with a user’s name to tracking data on user behaviour to build a well-rounded picture of their needs and thus provide a tailored, more relevant experience.
Legal practitioners are looking for a personalised experience whilst also streamlining their current processes.
The effect of this for companies can be higher sales conversion rates, well worth the value invested.
It’s time to consider new ways to customise your practice management software in 2015 to retain clients and improve employee satisfaction.
The Final Word
In addition to the top three trends, one cannot discount the rising importance of digital mediums and platforms for a law firm. Creating websites, opting for SEO strategies and investing in a great informative legal blog can help in getting newer customers for your law firm. If you are interested in opting for SEO as a law firm, it is best that you first analyse some great and successful law firm SEO case study. This will give you a better idea about how you will be able to rank on search engines.
