In 2014, enterprise cloud adoption in Europe grew by 33%. More organisations than ever are embracing enterprise collaboration platforms, and with this, transforming many of the ways business is conducted. Smart law firms, big or small, are becoming common adopters of these private cloud tools, and rightly so. For many, enterprise collaboration software has become an invaluable tool, helping firms make significant strides in optimising their business operations.
More so than most, the legal sector is a considerably competitive market. Distancing yourself from your competitors and standing out from the crowd is no easy feat, yet embracing new tools, and offering your clients a new and improved service, can help you reach this goal. Below, we will outline four of the ways law firms can benefit from an enterprise collaboration platform:
1. Enhance efficiency
Speed is often of the essence when it comes to legal cases. Clients want matters solved quickly and efficiently. The days of having all of your client’s paperwork in a folder, or even spread over your email and hard drive, should be a thing of the past. The more you have filling up your folders and email, the more opportunity there is for misplaced files, potential security risks, and a halt in speedy service.
Having all files and documents stored in one secure online platform allows law firms to remain organised and industrious, continually aware of the whereabouts of their files. Advanced document management software and file sharing allows employees to discuss and edit each other’s documents, without ever running the risk of misplacing the post, or making untraceable edits.
2. Gain trust and loyalty
Gaining a client’s services the first time is only half the battle. Having them return multiple times is the other, and just as important part of the challenge. The service you provide your clients with the first time around will be a deciding factor in whether they use you again - if legal help is once again required. 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated, and the same can be said for how a law firm treats its clients. Provide an efficient, knowledgeable, and helpful service, and odds are, the client will return to you over a competitor.
An enterprise collaboration platform allows you to gain a client’s trust and loyalty. Law firms are able to customise their services for each individual client, providing them with a very personal service. Security is an ever-growing concern for clients. They need to know that their private information and data is completely secure. Enterprise-grade security can reassure your clients, keeping their data stored and unreachable by anyone without permission.
3. Speedier responses
According to a survey, 42% of consumers expect a response within one hour of making contact. You wouldn’t expect a client to wait an hour on the phone to speak with you, so you shouldn’t wait an hour to reply to them online. Through enterprise collaboration software, it’s possible for everyone within a matter or project team to view a message from a client, and also enables anyone, who has authorisation, to respond. Responding swiftly, regardless of who the contact may be, can only enhance your competitive edge.
Speedier responses can also prove internally beneficial through a collaboration platform. Let's say, for example, that a co-worker is working on a case similar to one you managed a year ago and they want to read the case material. As opposed to rummaging through old emails or hard drive folders, you can access it swiftly in a secure online environment. You can link your co-worker to it, and also be aware of any possible changes made to the file.
4. Increase scalability and reduce costs
Using an enterprise collaboration platform enables firms to keep all of their clients’ details stored in one secure and easily accessible location. Along with saving your firm time when searching for one individual client, it also gives the client peace of mind knowing their information is stored securely and away from anyone else’s reach.
A recent publication by the American Bar Association revealed that when looking at private cloud computing, affordability was a factor for 68% of solos and 65% of small firm lawyers. Not only are enterprise collaboration platforms affordable, but in the long run, firms have the potential to reduce IT infrastructure and development overhead, no longer having to heavily invest in online hardware and people to fix possible errors.
With HighQ Collaborate, sensitive documents can be protected with digital rights management for watermarking and to disable saving, printing and copying with no need for client side plugins. Eliminating the need for client side plugins is one of the many cost reductions that come with implementing an enterprise collaboration platform. By having numerous features all accessible through one hub, you are able to eliminate many external costs.
Optimising your firm
An enterprise collaboration platform that’s designed specifically for law firms allows you to capture and map your legal processes, and manage each phase of every transaction to make it efficient and transparent. Regardless of the size of your firm, or how long it’s been operating for, you should always be looking to make adjustments and improve operations. If you haven't already discovered the benefits of enterprise collaboration software, now is the time to strike, (or perhaps you can use this post to convince decision makers of the benefits to your business).
