Keys to improving your tech planning

Elizabeth Millard, The Daily Record Newswire

For many law firms, technology purchasing is based on reaction rather than planning. If a laptop breaks or a security breach begins melting the network, then it’s time to get shopping. But taking the time to do planning ahead of time can reduce the risk of problems, and even boost overall growth.

Although it’s nearly impossible to predict all of a firm’s technology needs for the year ahead, setting aside some time to develop a plan will likely result in fewer problems and better control. With that in mind, here are some tips on what areas of tech to examine, and how to determine what your firm needs:

Get handle on foundation

When beginning to plan for technology needs, the most important first step is to breathe, advises Martin Thomas, co-owner of St. Paul-based Lotus + Lama, a computer consultancy and web design firm.
“Don’t buy anything new until you know what is not working and fix or investigate that first,” he says. “Focus on foundational pieces like security, password management, email infrastructure, backup, syncing between devices, good file management, clear mission statement and website.”

Try to avoid purchasing
Thomas believes that once those foundational elements are examined more closely, many purchases can be avoided. In fact, buying new hardware can often worsen existing problems if those foundational components aren’t in place because data will become more fragmented.

“Leaving a trail of data littered amongst new and old machines in incompatible sync and data structures can happen if you bring in new hardware unnecessarily,” Thomas says, adding that new hardware should be purchased if technology is older than five years, broken, or not compatible for newer applications.

Focus on password management

When examining different parts of a technology setup, make sure to make password management one of the most important elements for analysis, Thomas says. Without proper password strategy, all other decisions in the online world pale in comparison, because one hack can bring a company down.

Understand business applications

After looking at foundational pieces, view your technology mix in terms of business continuity, advises Phil Fortmeyer, partner at Clear North Technologies, an IT consultant firm in Plymouth. Maybe your firm can live without PowerPoint for a few days, but loss of digital file sharing would be a disaster for pending cases and client interactions. “Make a list of critical business applications,” he says. “What can’t you live without for four hours, or eight hours? Many business leaders now consider email critical, for example.”

One way to determine critical need is to think about what would stall business operations if the entire system is down for a few hours. If attorneys have access to web-based email through their mobile devices, for example, it’s likely that email accessibility within the office isn’t a top priority. But if those attorneys can’t do business because they lack access to certain applications, then protecting those apps becomes more important.

Create a budget estimate

With so many technology options, it’s possible for a tech budget to spiral out of control. Fortmeyer believes a firm should have money set aside for technology, but not a bottomless amount.
Determine next year’s technology budget by compiling the last three years of technology spending as a start and looking at the average amount. Although there will be new factors such as changes in employee numbers or demand for more mobile devices, those past numbers can be a good place to begin planning.

Plan on more planning

Many times, companies and law firms have stellar enterprise planning that can project growth and hiring into the next decade, but their technology decisions are on a day-to-day basis. Changing your mindset about technology planning can be incredibly useful for synching up with that enterprise planning.

“People need to take the time and bring consciousness to their technology needs and their motivation,” says Thomas. “Many people are frustrated with unresolved issues and being overwhelmed. They want a quick fix where there is none.”

But getting into the habit of regular technology planning and knowing tech fundamentals will help any company get a better grasp of digital assets and how they’re being used. That leads to better management and fewer emergencies.

Call in the experts
Calling on consultants like Lotus + Lama or Clear North Technologies can be useful for getting some expert perspective on an overall technology plan, especially if a firm has spent the last few years in reactive mode. Because IT consultants have an array of clients, they’re often familiar with different types of technology configurations and plans, and can share insight about best practices.

Even if a firm has an IT professional on staff, it can be useful to bring in outside expertise in order to brainstorm, share resources, and even hear horror stories from other companies. “Together, you can all determine how to make your business more competitive, lower your costs, and increase revenue,” says Fortmeyer.

Whether an expert is brought in or not, though, simply taking a couple days to look at future technology needs can propel an enterprise forward, Thomas believes. “We have so much technology horsepower but don’t use it to truly organize and protect our data,” he says. “Triage is often the only motivating factor in tech decision and often leads to hasty investments without a plan.”

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Elizabeth Millard writes about technology. Formerly senior editor at ComputerUser, her work has appeared in Business 2.0, eWeek, Linux Magazine and TechNewsWorld.