Any survey of information systems at law firms would reveal they have invested heavily in a range of such systems that cover most areas of the business and practice. It is also equally likely to reveal diverse ways in which such information is held and managed in at least some, but probably most, of the key systems. It is only to be expected that new or replacement systems initiatives would be undertaken at different times because firms cannot renew all their systems at the same time.
However, with few exceptions, each system initiative (be it document management, practice management, client relationship management, knowledge management, records management, intranet, extranet, portal, case management – the list goes on) is undertaken with a different focus and motivations and is often led by different parts of the organisation. This leads to disparate data collections, not always managed strategically – leading to duplication, inaccuracies and inefficiencies.
