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Productizing legal work to scale operations
Six steps to implementing legal workflow automation
Productization is the packaging of people, processes, and technology to solve a problem and deliver value at scale. Even though legal departments don’t “sell” anything to their clients, those striving to become best-in-class may want to consider productizing legal work. Explore the six-step process to implementing this legal workflow automation.
Productizing legal work: Where it can help
Legal work can be categorized into three general buckets: cream, core, and commodity. A bet-the-company piece of litigation might be classified as cream. Third-party subpoenas or e-discovery document reviews may now be seen as commodity work. Likely the largest bucket is everyday—or core—legal work, the bread-and-butter matters that in-house counsel and their law firms do that keeps the company running on an ongoing basis.
Running a modern, effective legal function requires maximizing efficiency and scalability in the delivery of that everyday work. One strategy for doing this is through a philosophy of productization and self-service, often underpinned by low-code/now-code (LCNC) technology platforms.
Scaling legal operations by productizing legal work
Lead with people and process
Productization is typically impossible without technology. But it is important to lead with process and people. Automating bad processes will not accomplish the efficiency and scale an organization hopes to achieve.
To begin, identify the work product or tasks currently done as a series of one-offs and evaluate which are done repetitively in high enough volume to warrant an (ideally automated) process. Once you’ve identified the areas most ripe for change, map your current processes in detail, identify gaps and inefficiencies, and determine whether automation will add value.
Then apply productization technology
Scaling almost always demands the use of technology. There are many off-the-shelf systems available for contracts, matters, invoices, etc. But one type of solution that is rising in popularity and usefulness is the LCNC platform, which empowers legal departments and law firms to apply legal workflow automation to build solutions at scale—In other words, productizing legal work of any type. LCNC platforms allow legal teams to build solutions that scale expertise, streamline processes, and automate documents without requiring developers to write custom code.
LCNC platforms can be useful for implementing a productization philosophy because they make it possible to build automation that fit your processes and are designed for your legal department. They can also bring users from outside of the legal department into the loop, usually with very little training, and can be the key to increasing the speed of delivery.
Six steps to productizing legal work
Identify
Understand available solutions
Socialize the concept
Create a prototype and solicit feedback
Address ownership and oversight
Drive and monitor adoption
1. Identify
The end users are typically the primary consideration when identifying specific opportunities for productization. Seek input from end users to define their challenges and needs and explore how the end users and producers of the work may benefit from productization.
2. Understand available solutions
Once you’ve identified what processes are good candidates for productization, answering the question of build vs. buy vs. optimize existing assets is important. Building legal workflow automation using LCNC platforms can theoretically support any process your legal department has, but it is sometimes easier to leverage a full-featured product already available in the market or already part of your existing tech stack.
3. Socialize the concept
No matter what tech route you choose, convincing stakeholders of its value is usually critical to success. To ensure adoption in the end, you typically need to secure buy-in at the beginning. Part of this is creating a pitch for why and how you’d be productizing legal work. Focus on comparing the current process and proposed solution, as well as proving that the idea is desirable, viable, and feasible.
4. Create a prototype and solicit feedback
One benefit of LCNC platforms is that it can be relatively easy to create a prototype of your proposed productized legal solution, which is not normally the case with built-for-purpose software products. There is great power in the ability to show your concept (or a “minimum viable product”), especially when trying to sell something completely novel to your team and the business leaders you serve.
5. Address ownership and oversight
Part of the productization process is defining and socializing the idea that there is a distinction between delivering legal product and practicing law. Many attorneys practicing at the top of their license typically focus on strategic risk mitigation, not delivering routine work product. This will be a new concept for some, but in many instances, it is how businesspeople see the legal function.
6. Drive and monitor adoption
Once you’ve built the productized legal solution, it may seem like the journey is over. But factoring in how to drive and measure adoption should be part of your strategy from the beginning. An internal marketing plan, easy-to-use support resources, and feedback opportunities will be important. Creating and tracking clear key performance indicators (KPIs) for users and the solution itself will enable you to evaluate success and adjust as needed.
Taking the leap
As you evaluate strategies to diversify how legal services are delivered and how to drive greater value at scale, a technology-enabled productization philosophy can be a key element, especially considering the tight market for legal talent and the constant demand to do more with less. Given the ever-growing amount of work that legal departments and their outside law firms continue to face, many organizations can no longer ignore technology and automation—including LCNC solutions.
As used in this document, “Deloitte” means Deloitte Tax LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of our legal structure. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. The Deloitte US firms do not provide legal advice. This article contains general information only and Deloitte is not, by means of this article, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or other professional advice or services. This article is not a substitute for such professional advice or services, nor should it be used as a basis for any decision or action that may affect your business. Before making any decision or taking any action that may affect your business, you should consult a qualified professional advisor. Deloitte shall not be responsible for any loss sustained by any person who relies on this article.
Learn more about Deloitte’s Legal Business Services
The rapidly changing business landscape has intensified pressure on legal departments to increase efficiencies and deliver greater value to the business. Deloitte’s Legal Business Services helps clients modernize their legal departments, freeing the core legal team to focus on strategic priorities, enhance the speed and quality of issue identification, and use data to drive faster, more informed decision-making.
*The Deloitte US firms do not practice law or provide legal advice
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 | Robert Taylor |  | Jason Wilcynski | ||||||||
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