Is your PMS holding your SME law firm back?

Tessaract outlines the key things a law firm must first consider when looking at its PMS, to check whether it meets its requirements or if further assessment is needed

A comprehensive assessment of your practice management system’s (PMS) performance can take some planning and effort.

So before diving headlong into it, it’s probably a good idea to first gauge if your PMS is in line with modern standards and expectations to highlight any glaring challenges worth worrying about.

With this in mind, we’ve put together the following list of questions about your PMS as a first step to help you decide if it’s worth considering further assessment:

1. Cloud-ready: can your PMS be accessed remotely via the cloud?
2. Integrations: does it integrate seamlessly with the tools and software (e.g. email, Sharepoint) you use?
3. Mobile functionality: is there a mobile app or mobile-responsive interface?
4. Client portal: can clients access their case information, documents, billing, and securely upload new documents through a dedicated portal?
5. AI capabilities: does it offer AI-powered insights or automation features? Real-time collaboration: can multiple team members collaborate on a case in real time?
6. Customisable workflows: can you tailor the workflow processes to match your firm’s specific needs?
7. Data security: does it have advanced encryption and security protocols, especially for sensitive client information? Is it ISO27001 certified?
8. Scalability: can your PMS grow and adapt as your firm expands or evolves?
9. Automated billing: does it support automated billing and invoicing processes?
10. Comprehensive reporting: does it offer detailed, customisable analytics and reporting for firm performance, financials and other metrics?
11. Automated document assembly: can it auto-generate legal documents or forms based on provided data?
12. Client communication: is there built-in communication or chat functionality for interacting with clients?
13. Regular updates: is the PMS regularly updated with new features, improvements and security patches? Is your PMS provider responsive to your needs and the needs of the market?
14. User-friendly interface: is the user interface intuitive and easy to navigate, even for those less tech-savvy?
15. Quick data access: does it have global search functions, user-specific dashboards, shortcuts, and direct links so that users don’t need multiple mouse-clicks to navigate to what they are looking for?

A system that meets most or all of these criteria would be considered well equipped to provide a strong platform for growth for your SME law firm. After all, your new PMS has the potential to impact almost every aspect of your firm’s operations — as such, it’s worth taking the time to choose a system and vendor that aligns well with your needs and goals.