October 17, 2023

manage requests software elm

For both law departments and law firms, an efficient matter intake and request management system has become a must-have. These systems are critical for optimal communication and collaboration between lawyers, clients, and other stakeholders.

Often, lawyers and legal ops professionals refer to these systems as ‘legal front doors.’ But that term fails to capture the power and value of the best modern legal intake and request management systems. These systems are not portals that merely block or allow information flow. Rather, a well-designed solution functions like a bustling airport terminal, facilitating the smooth flow of information and communications to and from a legal team. To extend the analogy, a good legal intake system includes checks and escalation points that act as risk-reducing checkpoints, self-service options that expedite processes (akin to self-check-in kiosks and express boarding lanes), and information boards that ensure transparency. To deliver maximum benefit rather than serve as merely a ‘front door,’ a legal intake and request management system must include eight crucial components:

1. Ease of Access and a User-Friendly Interface

Accessibility is crucial. If every category of user – employees, clients, law department and law firm lawyers, or any other type of stakeholder – cannot effortlessly submit and track requests, they will not use the system to maximum benefit. An intuitive and user-friendly interface is paramount to ensuring users can easily navigate the system without facing hurdles that stymie its use.

2. A Centralised Information Hub

Matter intake and management systems should reside at the centre of legal operations, a centralised hub where all requests and relevant information converge, and every type of user can submit requests, upload documents, and access updates. Having a single, well-organised repository of information is critical to minimising the possibility of miscommunication and lost data.

3. Automation and Workflow Management

Achieving efficiency is the name of the game in modern legal intake and request management. Reaching that goal requires automation that streamlines processes by (but not limited to) routing requests to the appropriate legal professionals, setting up reminders for deadlines, and generating notifications for important updates. Workflow management tools ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.

4. Transparent Communication

A legal process cannot succeed without mechanisms for clear and transparent communication that minimises the risk of misunderstandings by ensuring everyone is on the same page. A request intake and management system must facilitate real-time interaction between lawyers and stakeholders, including instant messaging, functionality for commenting, and notifications.

5. Interoperability and Integration

Interoperability and integration are pivotal components of a modern legal intake and request management system. The value of such systems is directly proportional to how much they seamlessly integrate with other software tools and platforms used in other areas of legal operations. This includes document management, contracts lifecycle management, billing, and more. It is crucial that a system facilitates the flow of data and information between systems, thereby reducing redundancy and boosting overall efficiency.

6. Customisation and Scalability

Every law department and law firm is unique, as are each one’s intake and request management needs. A modern system should be highly customisable, allowing departments and firms to tailor it to their specific requirements. Furthermore, it should be scalable to accommodate growing workloads and changing needs.

7. Analytics and Reporting

Data is power in today’s legal landscape – the power to best allocate resources, optimise processes, track and fine-tune spending, and more. A legal intake and request management system must include robust analytics and reporting capabilities that enable teams and organisations to track performance, identify and eliminate bottlenecks, improve efficiency, and make data-driven decisions.

8. Security and Compliance

The work of law organisations often involves sensitive information, which makes data security paramount. Protecting sensitive data and maintaining clients’ trust require that a system adheres to industry-standard security protocols and compliance regulations.

 

The collective importance of these eight considerations underscores the importance of thinking beyond the traditional ‘legal front door’ concept. Legal matter intake and management systems have evolved into dynamic hubs with a broad range of versatile functionalities that can seamlessly adapt to the ever-expanding needs of contemporary legal operations. Any matter intake and management system without all eight components will fail to maximise efficiency and collaboration to achieve exceptional results.