Deploying ERP in the cloud – it’s not as scary as you think
Given the massive global push to take computing off premises, a move to the cloud in the legal sector is inevitable – in fact, it is already happening. Analysts today are more or less unanimous in predicting that cloud computing will provide the technology foundation for businesses in the near future. According to Forester, we are on the verge of the second wave (application-focused) of cloud computing and we will increasingly find cloud providers focusing on the provision of next-generation applications in the cloud. The legal sector must partake of this opportunity.
Are your customers satisfied?
Although many legal businesses claim to have introduced enlightened client-based practices, the existence of widespread poor satisfaction levels is arguably the sector’s Achilles heel, acting as a drag on performance in an era of fierce competition. It is also the reason that everyone from consumer representatives to regulators of the profession can continue to chide the sector for harbouring outdated attitudes and being demonstrably out of tune with modern shoppers for goods and services.
Let’s stop talking about succession planning
Mention the term succession planning in a law firm’s offices and most people over the age of 55 wince like a snail on a salt lick. So I suggest we abolish the phrase ‘succession planning’ and replace it with the term ‘success planning’. After all, what most law firm planning seeks to achieve is a successful outcome for the lawyers who want out or to slow down a bit, for the lawyers who are building for their future, for the financial stability of the law firm itself and, lest we forget them, for the firm’s clients who may be about to lose access to a trusted adviser.
Ethical, well-managed CMCs are here to stay
Claims management companies continue to generate negative headlines but all too often it’s a handful of rogue companies that give genuine legal services businesses like mine a bad name. This needs to stop. And here’s why.
What’s next for small claims?
The personal injury industry is waiting with bated breath for the government to publish its consultation paper following the proposals in the Chancellor’s last Autumn Statement that the small claims limit could rise from £1,000 to £5,000, and that injured victims of road traffic accidents would no longer be able to claim for whiplash. These reforms could dramatically change the way that people claim in the future, and how solicitors’ firms operate.
