The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/57001
changes such as software deployment or server patching would then always occur at that time, unless extenuating circumstances dictated otherwise. This standard also simplifies the process for everyone in IT, since they always know what time they can make changes and when to expect that changes might be made by others. A scheduled meeting to review upcoming environment changes also makes sense to account for shifting priorities or emergency maintenance, in addition to coordinating planned project-based changes. It also helps to make a shared "change" calendar available for all offices to visit and contribute their events during their traditional business hours. Crafty Communication Despite the added complexity and challenges of managing a global project portfolio, there is a significant opportunity to learn about other cultures and business decorum in other countries. Guidelines for communication between both the project team and the audience should be given significant time and attention. It can be helpful to provide some education on cultural awareness and communication etiquette in advance for teams scheduled to meet with stakeholders in other countries. When writing an email message to someone in Japan, for example, it is best to begin the message with a polite greeting to the recipient apart from the business reason for the exchange. Adjusting vernacular is also appropriate (e.g., referring to "fee earners" in the United Kingdom as "attorneys" or "lawyers," as there is a meaningful distinction between the two, unlike in the United States). Written messages to those in the U.K. should also use British spelling conventions. Having representatives from all offices on project teams, either as part of a focus group or on the core team, will be invaluable in crafting a communication plan. To Standardize or Not Offices in different countries sometimes adopt and utilize technology differently. Gains can be made firmwide from the following type of study: While working on a process improvement initiative and relaunch of our CRM system, our project team discovered that our London office had a significantly higher adoption rate than most of our stateside offices. The technology was implemented exactly the same way overseas as it was in our Boston office, so the discrepancy in adoption rates came down to a difference in process. The London office is smaller than several of our offices in the U.S., so the feedback on the system and processes between the local marketers and secretaries was more fluid, and process improvements were implemented more quickly as a result. To address gaps in knowledge of the system and differences in how secretaries were using it, the London office completed refresher Kelly Harbour is the IT Project Manager at Bingham McCutchen LLP. Leading the business analyst team, Kelly works with the firm's management and legal professionals to direct the global technology project portfolio. With nearly a decade of experience in driving forward 200+ IT projects, her success lies in applying business analysis, project management and process improvement principles to strategically align technology with business objectives. Recent collaborative projects include CRM process improvement and business intelligence dashboards. She can be reached at kelly.harbour@bingham.com. training for all secretaries and distributed quick reference cards to sit on each secretary's desk, relating the steps to achieve the most commonly executed tasks. These two steps improved adoption and streamlined operations and did not result in an increased cost to the firm — just the use of resources. Interviews with stakeholders in the U.S. offices revealed that taking these same simple steps would help increase adoption of our CRM system, so we modeled much of our relaunch program after the success that had been achieved in London. On the other hand, in preparing for an implementation, it might not make sense to standardize some processes across all offices around the world due to different legal requirements. For example, if implementing email activity tracking, it might not be possible to apply the same tracking methods to email messages sent on behalf of those in an office in Germany, where data protection laws are quite strict. Firms may have to investigate what additional action is required to ensure compliance with applicable laws. Reflect on Your Success After projects have been successfully implemented, hold a retrospective meeting where team members weigh in on what worked well and what didn't. This gives project teams an opportunity to determine what could be improved for future projects. Lessons learned that are broadly applicable can also be shared as a reference through a SharePoint site, shared document or intranet page. Of course, for every project closed, another project is right behind it waiting for resources. A global project portfolio that is flexible and driven by business value will ensure that project teams continually deliver the right technology to the right people at the right time — in whatever time zone they work. 50 Peer to Peer