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14 August 2008 / Greg Wildisen
Issue: 7334 / Categories: Features , Profession , Technology
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Return on investment

Spending on IT is an investment rather than a cost, says Greg Wildisen

In uncertain times, one inevitable consequence is that law firms find themselves having to do more with less. With budgets under pressure, it is more important than ever that law firms get more “bang for their buck”. Yet many law firms appear to find it an on-going challenge to measure ROI (return on investment) from technology. Even so, there are a number of core areas of IT planning where some serious and demonstrable gains can be made.

Alignment

First, and perhaps most obviously, a law firm's IT strategy needs to respond to and be firmly aligned with the business of the firm. This may sound straightforward, but with most technology being bought off the shelf, it is not as easy as it seems.

One of the mistakes in the past was buying technology for its own sake rather than considering which parts of the business would benefit from the application of new technology. The process of identifying business needs must be approached methodically. The most successful approach in larger law

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Anthony Collins—20 promotions

Anthony Collins—20 promotions

20 promotions mark major people investment at national law firm, Anthony Collins

Sidley—Elaine Whiteford

Sidley—Elaine Whiteford

Sidley adds competition litigator Elaine Whiteford in London

Charles Russell Speechlys—Claudina D’Costa

Charles Russell Speechlys—Claudina D’Costa

Charles Russell Speechlys welcomes Claudina D’Costa as Director of Client Development Marketing

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