This blog is being written in Ireland after a review of two case management systems for companies. After many years of being in the legal (and none legal) case management market it's always good to keep up with the latest advances and approaches to this field. Back in a previous life I was in at the ground floor when case management systems were the big thing in the legal world and went on to implement this for many types of work including RTA/PI, Debt Recovery, Conveyancing, Admin, Litigation and more. I was involved in the pioneering of online systems linking clients with the data stored within this system and appreciate the efforts it takes to make this work properly. Never more has the phrase "garbage in - garbage out" been applicable.
The two systems recently viewed are in sharp contrast to each other. One is an old school system was installed within our client law firm around 7 years ago and incrementally updated as time went by. This leads to the underlying fundamentals having a direct influence on the design issues going forward and boy can you tell. The very principles of workflow with conditional logic is clunky with an accounting like double-entry procedure of having an internal progression system but mathced up with an external tasking system via Outlook. A crazy prospect.
The second such system I reviewed was brand spanking new and developed by a young and enthusiastic company called Documatics (www.documatics.com) who have taken a long look at the flaws of these old systems and made products using the latest technology and unhindered by legacy considerations. Such systems are not a panacea to a companies case management needs as many features taken for granted in other geographical locations such as the UK and US are not in place. The Irish legal system is booming and eevryone charges by the hour at an hourly rate. However, change is in the air and the beginnings of fixed price commodity based work is lying just around the corner and Ireland is set to go through the same changes as those previously mentioned above. Young companies like Documatics have the chance to get ahead of the curve and offer technology that competition just can't live with.
These are exciting times in the Irish legal technology market and it is good to be in at the front line watching the pitched battle between vendors with an impartial brief. Establish vendors have the resources to make changes whilst battling against support issues and on-going client demands. New companies can take a fresh look and offer updated technology platforms and approaches but need the client base and exposure that the older companies take for granted. In a dog eat dog world the companies will sink or swim on the back of what they do in the next 2 years. Good times or troubles lie ahead.
For more information regarding BACK Consulting's legal technology services please click here.
The two systems recently viewed are in sharp contrast to each other. One is an old school system was installed within our client law firm around 7 years ago and incrementally updated as time went by. This leads to the underlying fundamentals having a direct influence on the design issues going forward and boy can you tell. The very principles of workflow with conditional logic is clunky with an accounting like double-entry procedure of having an internal progression system but mathced up with an external tasking system via Outlook. A crazy prospect.
The second such system I reviewed was brand spanking new and developed by a young and enthusiastic company called Documatics (www.documatics.com) who have taken a long look at the flaws of these old systems and made products using the latest technology and unhindered by legacy considerations. Such systems are not a panacea to a companies case management needs as many features taken for granted in other geographical locations such as the UK and US are not in place. The Irish legal system is booming and eevryone charges by the hour at an hourly rate. However, change is in the air and the beginnings of fixed price commodity based work is lying just around the corner and Ireland is set to go through the same changes as those previously mentioned above. Young companies like Documatics have the chance to get ahead of the curve and offer technology that competition just can't live with.
These are exciting times in the Irish legal technology market and it is good to be in at the front line watching the pitched battle between vendors with an impartial brief. Establish vendors have the resources to make changes whilst battling against support issues and on-going client demands. New companies can take a fresh look and offer updated technology platforms and approaches but need the client base and exposure that the older companies take for granted. In a dog eat dog world the companies will sink or swim on the back of what they do in the next 2 years. Good times or troubles lie ahead.
For more information regarding BACK Consulting's legal technology services please click here.
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