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Reproduction
of Article Vol. 4 No. 10 Sept. 1997
![If Your Are Interested In Reading Other Articles of this Nature, Click here to go to Law Technology Product News Website.]() LAW TECHNOLOGY
FOCUS ON BUYING OFFICE TECHNOLOGY
Who You Gonna Call?
For
practitioners today, the question no longer is should you implement new
technology, but who will help you do it.
BY TOM BALDWIN
In
the world of legal tech today, one of the biggest obstacles most law firms
face is figuring out what to buy and who should implement the great new
technology. Even large firms with internal MIS staffs struggle because they
are overworked as it is, just maintaining their systems -- let alone keeping
abreast of the latest legal products on the market. Once the decision is made
to upgrade or implement technology for the first time, it's smart to retain
independent consultants to help with the transformation.
The advantages of hiring an outside
consultant include:
- Prior
Knowledge If the consultants are qualified (selection criteria
will be covered later in this article), they should already know the
latest and greatest legal-specific technology. And while you may have to
pay them an unsettling hourly wage, the time it would take you to
investigate and truly understand the subleties between each package on
the market would probably be more costly to your firm.
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![Go to a Click and Find Directory of our Services]() Every member of
our staff has years of experience working with legal-specific technology. We
can recommend products that will meet your individual needs particular to
your firm.
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- Learning
from others: With many clients under their belts, your
consultants will be able to provide you with advice based on their
experiences with others who've implemented the product in which you are
interested. All the demos and sales literature in the world won't truly
give you an understanding of how a package will work for your firm.
Long-term, firsthand knowledge is best.
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![Go to a Click and Find Directory of our Services]() We have worked with firms ranging in size from the largest in
our area to the single practitioner. Not only do we have first-hand
practical experience, we are also constantly reviewing new software trends
and hardware innovations.
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- More on learning
from others: Even if you have internal MIS staff, most
consulting firms have a large technical staff that can come together to
solve a problem. Nobody is going to have all the answers, but the more
brains on the job, the more likely it will get resolved.
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![Go to a Click and Find Directory of our Services]() Our 'dream team' is available to meet your requirements, whether
it is supporting your MIS staff or complete out-sourcing of MIS needs.
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- Accountability:
As protection for yourself, it is much easier to hold a third party
accountable for their actions than an employee. If the consulting firm
represents itself as having expertise in an area and then fails to
follow through as claimed, you'll have recourse.
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![Go to a Click and Find Directory of our Services]() The staff of hyde.com considers our partnerships with our client
partners a serious commitment. We dedicate ourselves to helping you make
efficient and effective choices.
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- One-stop
shopping: Most computer consultants offer more than just advice
on what to buy. Usually they also can provide a fully array of services
to your firm and help implement the technology they recommend. Software
and hardware selection, network upgrades and administration, Internet
solutions and ongoing support can all be had through a single source,
eliminating the need to find multiple vendors. The one-stop also reduces
the finger-pointing that can occur if something goes wrong with your
system. If you have one firm set up everything it can't blame the
cabling guy or the person who sold you the hardware if things go wrong.
The buck stops with that company; putting you in a better position that
if you have to figure out who in right and who it at fault.
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![Go to a Click and Find Directory of our Services]() hyde.com is a total solutions provider - Tier-One Hardware,
Certified Netware Engineer and A+ Certified Technicians expertise,
experienced Training and Support.
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Finding
a Consultant
So, now that you've decided to hire a
consulting company, what are some of the criteria you should look for when
interviewing them? Keep in mind, they potentially have the future of your
practice in their hands. Here is a checklist of questions that you should
ask.
- Experience
with law firms. Probably the single most important question to
ask and verify is, "Do they have experience with law firms?"
You do not have time to explain to somebody what a deposition is
(especially at the rates they can charge you). General consulting firms
are a dime a dozen, but one with extensive experience with law firms
will prove to be invaluable to your practice. Do be sure to check their
references -- and get at least five. You may want to use this checklist
when talking to their references as well.
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![Go to a Click and Find Directory of our Services]() Law firm experience? YES!! We will be more than happy to give
you a listing of
references and we invite your inquiries.
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- Technical
staff. If you are dealing with a solo consultant, chances are
that he or she may not always be available when a crisis happens. While
dealing with an individual may save you money in the short term, that
one person won't have the resources of a larger company. An established
consulting group should be able to allocate at least two or three people
on their staff to your firm, give you good assurance of prompt responses
and a team dedicated to your needs.
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![Go to a Click and Find Directory of our Services]() hyde.com is large enough to assure you timely service, yet small
enough to give your firm the individual attention it deserves. We are
available 7x24, that is seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day.
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- Response
time. In addition to the number of staff people, you should ask
then if they have a minimum response time to your emergency request. It should
be within a range of four to six hours. Make sure you get this promise
in writing.
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![Go to a Click and Find Directory of our Services]() We realized that your File Server is the heartbeat of your
network and document production and retrieval is seriously compromised if
your File Server goes down. For this reason, downed servers always receive
FIRST PRORITY.
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- Veterans
vs. newcomers. Ask how long the company has been in business.
Don't take chances with the unproven.
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![Go to a Click and Find Directory of our Services]() Not only is hyde.com a stable company, we are also LOCALLY
OWNED. All key personnel have proven track records. We also
recommend only tier-one products, which gives you a strong position should
you ever wish to discontinue our partnership.
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- Hourly
rate. Depending on what part of the country you live in, you can
see hourly rates range from $25 to $250. Reasonable rates are anywhere
from $85 to $150 an hour. Any less means you may be dealing with an
individual who hasn't been in business long enough or can't command a
higher rate.
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![Go to a Click and Find Directory of our Services]() Our rates fall in the 'reasonable' category and vary according to
the degree of expertise required. Firms who choose to use our firm
exclusively receive an adjustment to our standardized fees.
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- Discounts.
When discussing rates, many consultants give a discount for a prepaid block
of hours. If you plan on using them for quite a few things, especially
for ongoing network support, it may be wise to buy the block. If they do
offer a block, pay close attention to the life of the hours. Some
companies will only let you use the block for a given period and then
the block and any remaining hours expire. Also establish what their
rates are for after-hours work and work done on weekends. Ideally, you
may want then to do a majority of their work after-hours to avoid
downtime during your normal business hours.
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![Go to a Click and Find Directory of our Services]() Our firm gives a discount for pre-arranged commitments for
blocks of time. We do not require pre-payment. There is no differentiation
between work done during "normal" business hours and
weekend/evening work. We realize the impact of 'downtime' and are committed
to working around your schedule whenever possible.
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- Certifications.
Verify that they are certified to implement the technologies they are
recommending to you. For example, if they are going to be upgrading your
Novell network to NT, be sure they have been NT-certified and ask to
have a copy of their certification faxed over to you.
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![Go to a Click and Find Directory of our Services]() The hyde.com staff has numerous certifications and continually participates
in Continuing Education certification programs to stay abreast of rapidly
changing technology.
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- Facility
tour. Depending on the size of the project you are
contemplating, you may what to go to their facility and get a tour. This
will give you another means to determine if they are reputable and to
see if they are using any of the technology being proposed to your firm.
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![Go to a Click and Find Directory of our Services]() You are invited to visit our offices during normal business
hours without appointment. The coffee's hot and any of our staff will be
more than happy to give you a tour and discuss our internal operations with
you.
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- Insurance.
Any reputable consulting company should have an errors and omissions
policy in the event that something goes horribly wrong. If they don't
you could have limited recourse.
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![Go to a Click and Find Directory of our Services]() We will furnish you with the name of our insurance broker as
part of our reference list if you would like. A copy of our Errors & Omissions Policy is available upon
request.
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- Proposal
fees. If you are planning a large-scale project, you may
want to get a proposal from the consulting firm detailing their
methodology for the project, recommendations, budget, timeline, etc. Some
consultants may charge you a proposal fee and some won't. If they do
charge a fee, you can often get them to waive the fee if you move
forward with the project.
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 Proposals for large-scale projects are generally very time
consuming for our staff. We outline our methodology, recommendations and
timelines in our proposals and research several sources for product
availability and prices to assure that our partners receive the very best
product for their investment. We rarely require a proposal fee.
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Times are changing and technology is at the
forefront of that change. At some point, most every firm has to deal with the
issue of technology and the way in which you handle it can have a pronounced
affect on the future of your practice. Using the expertise of an outside
consultant can certainly save you money and headaches in the long term. The
question is no longer should you implement new technology, but when -- and
who is going to help you do it.
About the
Author: Tom Baldwin is director
of New Business for the Marina Del Rey, California-based Computer Consulting
Group, a national firm that assist law firms in implementing and managing
technology. He can be reached at www.ccglaw.com.
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