Talking Points: Cloud Software Delivers Unprecedented Interoperability

Most law firm data and information is ‘siloed’.  What I mean by that is that most law firm software is not able to ‘talk’ to each other.  In other words, data cannot be effectively pushed into or out of systems.  This is most always true of premise-based systems.  But, it can also be the case with cloud-based softwares, which can be directly connected, but is often not linked by law firms. 

 


One of the best reasons to shift to cloud-based software (or, more cloud-based software) is that cloud systems, by means of a secure internet connection, can pass data back and forth.  That’s why, for example, law practice management software is so useful as a hub for law firm operations, because you can add and aggregate data from other systems into it, allowing you to select a client or matter and see, more or less, a complete rendering of the history of that case.  And, while that concept works particularly well in the construct of case management software, interoperability between cloud softwares works pretty well everywhere, every time. 

 

The question is which systems you want to connect (as many as possible), and what data flows from one to the other.  With existing software integrations built via an API, that is largely built for you.  Data points are set up, and push back and forth; shared features are carved out; operations are available in one system that affect the other.  Without an API-based integration built directly by two companies working together to achieve that, you can still connect cloud softwares, either by using a bridge tool, like Zapier, or by hiring a software development company to build you your own integration. 

 

Whether you use an existing integration, cobble one together via Zapier or build your own, the ability to connect cloud systems, and to effectively share data, adds significantly to your efficiency, which is increasingly important in a work from home world, and is probably the single most important factor related to law firm revenue. 

. . . 

 
Whether you’re just getting started with the cloud or maximizing its efficiency, we can help you to get the most out of your technology platform. 

Through a unique partnership between the bar association and Jared Correia's Red Cave Law Firm Consulting, National Creditors' Bar Association members now have access to experienced law practice management consultants at a special discount rate. To get started, visit Red Cave's NCBA landing page, and start running your law practice like a business.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Top Shelf: How to Maximize Lawyer Staff in a Modern Law Firm

Image
Broadly speaking, lawyers take on too much.  You know: at work, emotionally.  They’re probably also trying to carry too many grocery bags into the house at one time.  You know how it is.     This, of course, leads to a whole host of problems, including that attorneys have higher incidences of alcohol and drug dependence, as well as depression, than does the general population .  Maybe you already knew that.  But, the fact is that this also has a direct effect on how much a lawyer can make. Hear me out: Because lawyers try to do everything, and to do everything perfectly, they’re also more prone than the general population to take on more work than they need to.  For example, they’re unwilling to delegate, including to paralegal and administrative staff, but also to other attorneys.  That means that lawyers end up being chief cook and bottlewasher, rather than focusing on the high-end work (strategy , client engagement), that they get paid th...
Read more

Transfer Portal: Sharing Files Securely is a Piece of Cake Now

Image
If you’re still sharing files with clients, referral sources and other attorneys, via email attachment – or, heaven forfend: fax! – you need to step up your game .  Email is an inherently unsecure technology; so, if you’re sending confidential information via email, you need to secure that information, by encrypting it – at the document level, or at the system level .  But, that takes additional time and effort, and cost s more.   Instead, why not share confidential information through a secure , encrypted platform, th rough which the person who is to receive the information logs into, thereby bypassing the email problem, where that information passes through several servers (some of which may be unencrypted), before reach ing its final destination .  With a client portal, your document stays where it is (safely encrypted), and your recipient comes in to get it.     Now, you can share files and documents via document storage programs in this fashi...
Read more

Hiring Percentage: What is the Law Firm Hit Rate for Bringing on Staff?

Image
Some lawyer s get burned hiring staff, whether it’s legal assistant s , paralegals or other attorneys .  But, just because you miss out once, in trying to hire somebody, doesn’t mean you should give up forever .  There are distinct advantages to bring ing on employees, including increased control over work product + improved revenue generation models.   In my experience, I’ve found that law firms connect on a successful hire (across all employee categories) about 40% of the time .  That may seem like a low number , but it represents about a 50% hit rate, meaning that every other hire should yield a viable staffperson , who’ll stay on between 3-5 years – which is not too bad, in the modern economy.     Putting that into baseball terms, which folks often do when trying to rationalize failure : your hiring batting average as a law firm, is about equivalent to Ted Williams’ 1941 season , when he was the last baseball player to hit .400 over a full seas...
Read more