Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/25416
A challenge for many large law firms relates to the technology and systems the firm uses to run each of the above-mentioned core constituencies — specifically, the delineation of duties between technical groups within the firm. Those challenges are magnified as more complex technology is installed in various operational groups and the users of those systems have greater knowledge about how to run the systems. The good news is that those challenges are easily overcome or prevented by adhering to several simple best practices that are used and well- accepted within the typical corporation. IT NEEDS A SEAT AT THE EXECUTIVE TABLE IT needs to have a presence at the firm’s executive management table — period. Most major corporations have established a C-level executive, the CTO, to oversee IT functions. At a law firm, where e-mail messages and electronic documents are the primary deliverable, IT plays an especially critical role in making sure that the firm is running at peak performance. The core purpose of the IT organization is to align the firm’s technology assets with its business goals. As such, business goals need to be at the core of technology initiatives from their inception. In the early stages of any technology project, it is crucial to have the right vision for how the organization should use that technology, who will be responsible for administering it and what assets are needed to operate it. IT might not have a final say in which technology or product is selected, but they need to understand how it will be installed, maintained and used, so it can be properly supported on a daily basis. IT may be able to help identify whether one product could be overly burdensome to the current technological landscape, while another might fit in better and generate a more immediate ROI for the organization. Informed decisions are always the best ones, so involve IT management on a strategic operations level. RISK MANAGEMENT AND THE IT CONTROL FACTOR Law firms are full of very smart people, or at least people who are convinced that they are smart, which can lead to risk. Some users are overly empowered and think they know enough to do just about anything. Therefore, they might request or demand technological access or control that opens the firm up to risk. The firm might not acknowledge internal people as a risk, but they are. IT will typically want to mitigate that risk because they are ultimately responsible for fixing security breaches and user mistakes. Understandably, IT does not want to relinquish control — especially to people who may or may not know how to use the system well enough to avoid abuse or mistakes. That’s why IT gravitates toward a philosophy of implementing the least amount of privileges possible; the theory being, if you don’t absolutely need access to the technology to perform your daily functions, you shouldn’t have it. One challenge with limiting access this severely is that users rebel because they feel the constraints of such a conservative approach. IT needs to work with the legal www.iltanet.org Litigation and Practice Support 7