The following article was contributed by Michael Lohrer, Chief Technology Officer of Segue Cloud Services.
When it comes to technology for the legal finance community, more often than not market solutions have been designed as pre-set software, produced to function in one particular fashion to address organizational processes or workflows. End-users are often encouraged to give feedback on desired changes and customization, but revisions to the finished product are difficult for developers to fulfill after-the-fact. A pre-determined GUI and set functionality doesn’t always accommodate the ongoing needs of the customer—particularly for those who hope to grow their practices.
The marketplace has come to accept the “one-size-fits-all” culture when it comes to business software where scale hinders the economics of customization. This is especially true in sophisticated market niches such as pre-settlement funding, which involves a complicated roster of labor intensive tasks, from contract generation to automated notification of multiple parties, to long-term tracking of the status of each case. Variables in these disciplines are constantly in flux, and each case has its own distinct conditions.
Customers, however, are beginning to recognize that the one-size-fits-all mentality is not aligned with their needs, and are interested in finding technology vendors that have the latitude to customize their existing solution so it can be applied to specific business environments or workflows. This approach gives the customer confidence they are choosing a solution that addresses existing business needs. And if these requirements ever change—as they often do—the customer will have an even greater comfort level that the developer can make whatever changes are necessary to keep the technology relevant.
Business owners should speak candidly with their technology vendors to determine if their software is designed to accommodate feature and workflow changes. Recognize that business dynamics continuously shift, and there will always be nuances and variables to every case, every new client, and every new stage of your business model as it evolves. The software you employ to help manage your processes and execute your tasks should be able to accommodate those changes, even if they occur mid-stream. For example, if your company takes on a new funding source, or if circumstances arise requiring a change in notifications or workflows, the user should be able to adapt their tools to address these new requirements, and not be expected to change their business practices to serve the limitations of software.
When contemplating what type of automation software to implement for your firm, keep in mind that not all solutions take the one-size-fits-all approach. Automation software has been introduced in the market which allows users to dictate everything from the look and feel of the interface, to the ability to modify and add fields or generate notifications as needed, according to user-based rules. Companies are short-changing themselves if they invest in a system that forces employees to bend to the confines of its design—whether that’s regarding look and feel, the protocols by which users access data, or the ability to arrange application fields as they see fit.
Look at it this way: Microsoft Windows is the most ubiquitous operating system in the world, yet no two users have the same desktop configuration. Each user benefits from personalizing the interface to best fit his or her workstyle. This ties into the new market emphasis on “WX,” or the “worker experience,” in which the technology and applications in the workplace address the learning styles and preferences of the individual to promote increased productivity and better job performance.
Technologies for legal financing companies should emphasize flexibility, not rigidity. Uniformity has held sway for far too long, giving companies limited choices in finding an adaptable solution—but that’s quickly changing. Rather than subjecting the user to restrictions, it’s time to opt for systems that cater instead to business requirements, empowering companies in the legal finance community to thrive and grow.
About the Contributor
Michael Lohrer is Chief Technology Officer at Segue Cloud Services, a developer of automation software for the legal funding industry. Segue provides cloud-based solutions that help legal financing companies automate and manage all pre-settlement functions, from intake to settlement.
