Legal Technology Consultants, Law Office Automation Experts

Technology Consultants to Law Firms, Business, and Government

Strategic Automation Consulting is a firm of management consultants who specialize in technology solutions planning, selection, implementation, and management for law firms, corporate legal departments, business and government. We are leading authorities in this field, and our goal is providing personalized professional services to address the strategic business goals of our client firms. Our expertise in the field of automation is wide-ranging, and based on over twenty years of experience as technology consultants, in-house automation managers, technology business owners and managers, and system specialists with vendor organizations. Our consultants stay abreast of the many developments in the automation field, and apply that knowledge to address your firm's requirements.

Case/Matter Management, Time and Billing Consultants. Strategic Automation has extensive experience with many case/matter management and time and billing applications, including ProLaw, Elite, Client Profiles, CMS, Time Matters, Tabs, and Juris. (More vendor information here). We have helped many legal practices with system implementation, application integration, workflow design, report writing, and system customization. Contact us to learn more about our professional services for case/matter management and time and billing systems.

Litigation Support Solutions. Strategic Automation provides a full range of litigation support solutions and staffing, including for document imaging & coding, transcript management and summarization, electronic discovery, e-filing, case/matter management, and litigation planning. We have experience with many of the leading litigation technology systems, including Summation, Concordance, Introspect, and CaseMap. (More vendor information here). We have helped many legal practices with litigation workflow, system implementation, and on-site litigation technology support. Contact us to learn more about our professional services for litigation support and technology solutions.

Temporary Assistance with Transitions. Our consultants partner with you to help you through various transitions where we have a great deal of expertise, but your in-house staff may not. The transitions include the technology issues associated with the selection and implementation of new software and hardware systems as well as a merger of your firm with another, spinning off from a parent firm, starting up a new firm, better integrating your branch offices, adding a new practice area, hiring new information technology (IT) staff, establishing technical core competencies for managing existing legal and administrative staff, reducing your reliance on paper hard copies, improving disaster preparedness, moving your offices, reducing the space used for file storage, increasing lawyer and paralegal use of technology in the practice of law, and many other types of transitions.

We join your firm temporarily, but we take our commitment very seriously. Like an employee we make a commitment to the best interests of the firm and the goals of the projects we are involved in. But in our case, the firm does not add an employee or incur all the attendant costs. And our consultants work conscientiously and independently, minimizing the amount of management required.

Strategic Automation Solutions. As our company name conveys, our focus is on automation solutions that address strategic priorities for the firm. Most often that means these solutions are intended to improve profitability. For a system to achieve this result it must be implemented with appropriate backing by management and buy in from the systems users and the people supported by those users. Designing and implementing a system in this way requires leadership, and the experience to assume that role. We provide that leadership. We also provide the supporting technical and operational services needed to make the project a success.

Assistance for Various Managers in Your Firm. Our consultants provide assistance to different types of managers in your firm. Whatever your role in your firm, there is an aspect of our work that would benefit you and your department.

Law Firm Administrators, Executive Directors, and Managing Partners: We are managers familiar with the various financial and operational requirements of law firms - as well as being familiar with the leading systems used by law firms. We can assist you in the development of the following and more: Automation plans and budgets; cost/benefit analyses or justifications for specific technologies, staffing changes, workflow adjustments, or policy and procedure changes; Assistance reconciling or prioritizing the various system requests of different groups within your firm; Planning for the introduction of a particular type of money- or time-saving technology, such as imaging; Selecting key administrative and practice support systems from the market leaders; Managing the upgrades or replacement of key systems; Recruiting or evaluating IT managers and staff; Negotiating purchase and services contracts with various vendors; Evaluation of cost-savings opportunities at the time of a move, build out, or remodel; Evaluation of disaster recovery systems and procedures.

IT Managers, Directors, and Chief Technology Officers: We are technical and we write and communicate well. We can assist you with the following and more: Evaluation and selection of systems for document management, imaging, case/matter management, litigation support, extranets and intranets, time and billing and accounting, document assembly, document templates and macros, automated workflow, report development, records management, conflicts of interest, ethical walls, client relationship management (CRM), centralized contact management, calendar/docketing, wide area networking, remote access, network upgrades, system performance and reliability, system security; Design and implementation of each of the above systems; Negotiations of contracts with system providers and service providers; Selection of outside service providers for user training, floor support, training documentation, scanning and imaging, litigation support, portals and extranets, etc.; Development of strategic technology plans and budgets; Cost-benefit analyses of current and future systems; Evaluation of technical staffing levels; Development of lists of skill "core competencies" for evaluation and training of automation users; Orientation and training of IT staff; Outsource staffing for projects and system support; Project management training and support for IT staff and managers; Budgeting training and support for IT staff and managers.

Professional Service Firm Controllers and Finance Officers: We understand financial systems and operations and we can help you with the following and more: Evaluation, selection, and implementation of time, billing, and accounting systems, profitability-analysis systems, management reporting systems, new matter opening and conflicts of interest checking, on-line inquiry systems, etc.; Evaluation of system performance and its effect on accounting department and finance operations; Evaluation and streamlining of new matter opening workflow; Selection and introduction of imaging systems for new matter materials, client-cost receipts, prebills and bills; Negotiating purchase and services contracts with various vendors.

Professional Service Firm Risk Managers: We understand professional risk management issues and the systems and procedures necessary to reduce the risk. We can help you with the following and more: Evaluation and streamlining of workflow for new matter opening and conflict of interest checking; Selection and implementation of conflict of interest systems; Improving the format and effectiveness of the firm's conflicts of interest reports; Selecting and training Conflicts staff; Selecting and implementing computerized calendar/docket systems so important deadlines are tracked according to malpractice carrier requirements, and deadlines are not missed.

Lawyers: We understand the operations of law firms and corporate and government legal departments, and can help you implement systems to make you more competitive or your practice more profitable. We can help you with the following and more: Evaluation and selection of systems to support the practice of law, including litigation support systems, case/matter management systems, custom databases, presentation graphics systems, imaging systems, workflow systems, remote access systems, client extranets, firm intranets, practice-specific substantive legal systems; Recommendations for enhancement of existing systems to better support client requirements and the practice of law; Design and implementation of case/matter management and litigation support systems, including imaging to reduce reliance on paper copies; Design and implementation of imaging and electronic-court-filing (e-filing) systems; Streamlining workflow for imaging and e-filing; System training and coaching for lawyers and their legal staff; Definition of core computer competencies for lawyers and legal staff and programs for improving utilization of practice support systems; Selection and implementation of systems for start-up firms; Outsource services for IT staffing, imaging, litigation support, etc.

Record Managers: We understand the work of records managers and the systems used to support this function. We can help you with the following and more: Evaluating and streamlining workflow and new systems for new file opening and tracking; Selecting and implementing imaging and bar coding systems; Selecting or designing and implementing records management databases; Evaluating existing records management operations and staffing levels; Evaluating alternatives for centralized, decentralized, or hybrid storage of records and related staffing; Cost-justification analysis for imaging and electronic archiving; Evaluation of policies for records retention and destruction; Evaluation of cost-savings opportunities at the time of a move, build out, or remodel.

Calendar/Docket Managers: We understand calendar/docketing and the systems to support it. We can help you with the following and more: Evaluation of leading systems for calendaring and docketing; Evaluation of calendar/docket system performance and its effect on the firm; Recommendations for enhancement of system performance; Assistance integrating the calendar/docketing system with Microsoft Outlook or PDAs; Evaluation and enhancement of calendar and docket reports and distribution of information; Assistance implementing a centralized docketing operation; Assistance decentralizing calendaring and docketing, but centrally controlling the quality of the work; Recruiting and training of docketing staff; Reviewing compliance with calendaring and docketing requirements of malpractice carriers; Negotiations with calendar/docketing system vendors.

Marketing Managers: We understand the work of marketing staff and know the systems that support this work. We can help you with the following and more: Selection or upgrade and design and implementation of a Client Relationship Management (CRM) system; Design and enhancement of contact management systems to support the needs of the marketing department; Design and enhancement of time and accounting systems to report on marketing activities; Initial and on-going training for users of a CRM or contact management system; Design and enhancement of a case management system to support marketing activities and the marketing department; Report writing training of marketing department staff.

Corporate and Government Managers: We are strategic thinkers and project and people managers. We can help you with the following and more: Strategic technology planning and budgeting within and across departments, offices, companies; Fiscal year budgeting; Evaluation of technical staffing and requirements for a department, division, office, etc.; Management of projects to incorporate and integrate disparate technologies of merged entities; Evaluation of technical issues prior to merger finalization; Cost-benefit analyses for new technologies, workflow, and staffing; Selection and implementation of leading systems; Negotiation of purchase contracts with system and technical-service providers.

Document Producers: We understand what is involved in producing documents and working with the various people in an organization who are involved in the production of documents. We also know the technologies to support document production and document producers. We can help you with the following and more: Evaluation of automated document assembly systems; Selection and implementation of document assembly systems, case management systems, template and macro systems for use with Microsoft word, and document management systems; Training and support for specialist document producers and for more casual users who may provide initial drafts to specialists; Floor support during and following user training; Evaluation of the organization's standard templates and macros used to generate documents; Evaluation of the stability of the firm's existing documents to determine how effective users are at producing properly formatted and stable documents; Assistance with conversion of documents from one word processing system to another; Training and support for electronic-court-filing (e-filing); Establishing core competencies for the various people who are involved in producing documents.

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants: We have worked with many secretaries and administrative assistants and have come to understand and honestly appreciate the work that they do. We can help you with the following and more: Selection of database systems for tracking and reporting on information managed by secretaries and administrative assistants (e.g., case management systems, matter management systems, contact management custom databases, calendaring and docketing systems); Initial and on-going training in the effective use of word processing, spreadsheet, and database systems; Assistance with the various technology projects that may be assigned to a secretary or administrative assistant, for example, implementing imaging, selecting a time and billing system, selecting an scanning vendor; training system users, establishing standard/form documents, formats, and procedures, selecting and implementing a litigation support system.

Paralegals: We have taught at paralegal programs and worked extensively with paralegals in many different types of practices. We can help you with the following and more: Definition of core computer competencies for paralegals and secretaries; Evaluation, design, and implementation of improved systems for litigation support, deposition summarization, trial exhibit preparation, witness binders, imaging, e-filing, trial transcript and exhibit annotation and management, communicating with clients, case/matter management, document assembly, document management, spreadsheet analyses, presentation graphics; Automation training and support for paralegals; Professional development guidance for paralegals; Project management training and support.

System and Service Providers, We Are Familiar With and Work With: See our Industry Information pages for information about these systems and service providers. We pride ourselves for being familiar with a very wide variety of systems and service providers. If you are a vendor and you are not listed on our Industry Information pages, please send us an e-mail with a link to your website and the name, phone number and e-mail address of the appropriate contact at your company. Thank you.