The management of legal cases is a tricky area, even for trained professionals. As a dynamic, ever changing aspect of operations, cases rarely take straightforward factors into account. From claims to service delivery issues, there are a myriad of considerations that have to be made and managing all of them can overwhelm those in the legal industry who are well-prepared for them, let alone newcomers to the field.
Neil Ward-Dutton, Founder and Research Director at MWD Advisors, noted that case management still falls into the purview of customer service for a legal firm, and optimizing it is a matter of improving operations, not cutting costs. As such, it is essential to find solutions to these struggles that improve the support of case performance in accordance with a firm's goals. According to Ward-Dutton, this means finding a case management solution that "provides a support environment for the optimal performance of knowledge work cases in line with state goals, together with management tools that enable analysis-based improvement of work effectiveness."
Ward-Dutton further elaborates on the need for high-quality case management, but outlines a key solution to this problem that any law firm can embrace - business process management. High-quality BPM solutions provide the key factors that any enterprise needs in case management tools - data and content management, dynamic task management, collaborative work solutions, process and task organization and the ability to monitor and audit overall workflow. If the BPM suite a firm invests in has all of these features it will be able to optimize case management through it, in addition to many other areas of operation.
One of the most important considerations within case management framework is ensuring that the results align with the goals of the firm. Keeping end goals in mind will ensure that the approach taken is always optimized, and focused on what is best for the company. This eliminates issues related to cutting corners, viewing assets like commodities or creating other unnecessary risks .
Ultimately, process management software provides optimized support for case management needs through the improvement of efficiency and organization. However, there are a multitude of other advantages that firms can gain by investing in the right BPM software, and making an informed decision will help drive further advances and growth for years to come.
Ben Farrell
Director of Corporate Communications
