Upgrading or changing software can be a daunting task and we meet many law firms that are using outdated technology that is having a negative impact on their business.  If you are considering changing your software it is important to properly scope and plan your requirements.

Each firm will have individual requirements, which should be listed and given an ‘importance’ score.  It is important to make sure this list is extensive and includes all areas of the business and areas your current software covers as well as those it doesn’t.

Once you have this requirement list you can review it against your current software, an upgrade to your current software and new software.  Each software should be given a ‘fit score’ based upon the requirements list, where a software fully meeting all requirements scored 100% and so on.

Once you have these scores you will easily be able to decide between keeping your existing software, upgrading or replacing, e.g keeping existing scored 65%, upgrading 75% and new 90%.

Many firms charge for upgrades so you will need to factor this in to your decision making, for example, if your fit score shows that upgrading received 75% and keeping the existing software 65% but the cost of the upgrade is £100,000, you will need to decide if that extra 10% is worth it, or do you hang on for a few more years until the gap widens?

Redbrick Solutions have never charged for upgrades or training, they believe that all clients are entitled to the latest technology as soon as it becomes available.  They release 4 upgrades per year made up mostly from client requests.  This ensures the software never gets old, future proofs the law firm and means that the software is always a 100% ‘fit for purpose’.

Ensuring your firm is using the software to it’s full capacity is another issue, and usually comes down to training.  What the exercise above sometimes highlights is that the current software does actually have the required functionality, it just isn’t being utilised.  In this case you can contact your software provider for further training.

Some other providers charge extra for training which can mean that firms ‘skimp’ on training at the outset due to budget restraints, this is never a good idea, it’s like buying an expensive new car but never putting fuel in it!

For more information please email jhodges@redbricksolutions.co.uk