Matthew Stringer, founder and CEO of Stridon
By Matthew Stringer, Founder & CEO at Legal Futures Associate Stridon
At Stridon, we partner with law firms and professional services organisations navigating the complexities of a rapidly evolving technology landscape. More often than not, the real challenge isn’t selecting the right tools – it’s having a clear, business-driven strategy to guide those choices.
Whether it’s streamlining daily operations, enabling hybrid teams, protecting your firm from growing cyber security threats or meeting rising client expectations, the need to adapt is undeniable. The harder part? Knowing where to begin.
In this blog, I’ll outline the first practical steps firms can take, highlight common pitfalls to avoid and explain why a joined-up technology strategy, closely aligned to your business vision, is one of the smartest investments you can make right now.
Start with the business and not the tech
It’s easy to get swept up in technology trends – AI, automation, client portals, cloud migration, all of which play an important role. But a successful technology strategy doesn’t begin with what’s available. It starts with what your firm is aiming to achieve.
Ask yourself:
- What are our current pain points?
- Where are we losing time or money?
- What do our clients expect from us?
- Where do we want to be in 2–5 years?
- How can technology align with our culture and values as a business?
The answers to those questions should drive your technology priorities and not the other way around. A strong technology strategy is, at its core, a business strategy. At Stridon, we start by listening. Only after we understand your culture, your operational goals, your challenges, your ambitions can we set about crafting a strategy that charts your pathway to success. With the right blend of tools, platforms and services to propel you forward.
Avoid jumping straight to solutions
Many firms fall into the trap of buying software to fix isolated issues such as a document management challenge here, a compliance risk there, without stepping back to consider the bigger picture. The result is often a patchwork of systems that don’t integrate well, aren’t fully adopted and can end up creating increasing operational overhead, not reduce it.
Technology should simplify, not complicate. It should reduce friction and support the way your teams actually work. That’s why we focus on helping firms build a connected ecosystem – one that aligns with your business model and drives meaningful outcomes.
Create a roadmap, not just a list
A technology strategy isn’t a wishlist of tools, it’s a clear plan of what you’re doing, when, and why. It needs to be phased, realistic and supported by people at all levels of the firm.
We often recommend starting with what we call a technology assessment – a holistic look across all aspects of technology, from people, employee experience, to infrastructure and cyber security. Not only does this enable us to identify points of friction and gaps in capability, but to join the dots together to form a more connected vision of the future.
From there, we help you create a roadmap that:
- Aligns with your business goals
- Accounts for your current operational and cyber maturity levels
- Plans for integration, adoption and security
- Identifies quick wins and long-term investments
- Supports a positive impact on employee and client experience
Don’t ignore security
Security should be baked into your technology strategy from day one and not bolted on later. The risks are too great and the expectations from regulators and clients too high.
According to the 2024 PwC Law Firms’ Survey, 91% of top 100 firms now list cyber security as a board-level priority. Yet, many still lack a clear, tested plan to respond to breaches or ransomware threats.
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month and at Stridon we’ll be releasing a series of handy resources to help firms boost their defences, including advice on:
- Secure collaboration in hybrid teams
- Protecting sensitive client data
- Building a culture of cyber awareness
- Safeguarding against new cyber threats linked to generative AI, from data leakage to sophisticated phishing attacks
Get your people involved
One of the biggest barriers to technology success is adoption. You can invest in the best tools on the market, but if your teams can’t use them properly, or they do not align to how your people work, you won’t see the return.
That’s why people and process should always be part of the strategy. Involve your fee earners, support staff and leadership team from the start. Understand how they work, where the friction is and what would create a positive impact.
To ensure success, change management, training and ongoing support shouldn’t be afterthoughts, they need to be woven into your technology strategy from the start.
Where Stridon can help
At Stridon, we don’t just advise on technology, we act as your trusted business enabler. We take the time to understand how your firm operates, how your teams collaborate, and what your people need to succeed. From there, we build a strategy that supports your business, with the right blend of technology, security and ongoing support. It’s not just about systems; it’s about empowering individuals to do their best work and creating an environment where technology enhances, not hinders, their day-to-day experience.
If you’re thinking about how technology can supercharge your business strategy, whether that be through generative AI or much broader digital transformation, our team is here to provide practical guidance every step of the way.
Contact us today insights@stridon.co.uk to discuss how we can support your firm’s strategic objectives.
