Many lawyers are tempted by new technology and its implied promise of speed, efficiency and convenience. Yet once a purchase is made, the transition from box to implementation is often delayed indefinitely. This doesn't need to be the case. Find out how increase the ROI of your next purchase.

We are constantly tempted by new technology and its implied promise of speed, efficiency and convenience. Of course, some of us are more susceptible than others. Regardless, the allure of new technology often results in the purchase of hardware and software which subsequently does nothing but collect dust. For example, you buy a scanner so you can finally start reducing the amount of paper in your office. You bring the scanner back to your office and immediately start feeling queasy. How are you going to find the time to unpack it, and the patience to figure out how it connects to your computer, install the three CDs of software that came with it and learn how to use it? The demonstration you saw at the CLE seminar made it all look so easy. You know it won't be that easy for you. So the box just sits there in your office and silently mocks you every day. The longer it sits there unopened, the easier it is to let it sit. Days become weeks and although you're feeling guilty for spending the money and not using it, who has the time to deal with this stuff?

Take billing/accounting software as an example. If you try to do it yourself (after all, the brochure and the Web site say it is just as easy as putting the CD in the optical drive, right?), one of two things will happen. You put the box on the shelf and tell yourself you will get to it next week. "Next week" quickly becomes a moving target that always remains seven days away and soon your accounting software becomes shelfware. In the alternative, you might drop the CD into your computer and during installation the software asks questions you do not know the answer to. You either find out the answer and continue until you are stumped again; or say you will finish it next week (which never arrives). Of the 100 lawyers who start on this type of self implementation, only 5-10 will actually complete it successfully. That is just the grim reality. Let’s say you have already installed it, or have been using it for a while. Are you getting the reports you want from it? Do you feel like billing is far too complicated and time consuming? It might be time to bring someone in who can help you and your accounting staff not only with using the software in the way that works best for your firm, but also with the processes and procedures you have implemented in your billing department.

As for the technology we actually take out of the box, it is a commonly accepted belief that most of us use no more than 20 percent of the features. We are creatures of habit. The ambient stress associated with life in a law firm pushes us toward the path of least resistance. One of the most common answers to the question “Why do you do it that way?” is “Because that is the way I have always done it.” It is a battle to get beyond that and really evaluate what you have, and how you use it, and most importantly, how you can get more out of what you have already purchased.

Take your word processor as an example. Stop for a moment and look through all of the available menus and toolbar buttons. How many of those do you regularly use? If you're like most people, the answer is "not many." For example, it is common for experienced Word and WordPerfect users to spend hours every day wrestling with paragraph numbering and document formatting. Another frequent time killer is manually (and therefore slowly) performing tasks which the word processor can perform instantly such as generating a table of contents, a table of authorities, cross references, footnotes and the like. Considering the often document-intensive nature of legal services, lack of knowledge about the word processor translates into an expensive waste of time.

Practice Management (PM) software is another great example of a very powerful program often used in a very simple way. Many firms implement PM software, and are thrilled to now have an active matter list, a shared group calendar, and a central rolodex. While that is often a huge step forward, it represents only a fraction of what PM software can do. Integrating your phone calls, time entries, e-mails, research and notes really takes things to the next level.

Although software is certainly more likely to be underused than hardware, there are still some things you can do to ensure you get the most from your hardware investments. Take the Treo SmartPhone. It is simply one of the best technology purchases one can make. Out of the box, it provides a lot more capability than your average cell phone. Just some of those abilities are reviewing documents, spreadsheets and presentations, and keeping track of contacts, calendars and task lists. You can surf the internet and check e-mail, take pictures and there are even a few games to play. But then, with a little looking, you can find some Web sites that have add-on software for the Treo. For example, for about $80.00, you can buy a program called Comet that downloads your call history to your computer so you can bill your clients for those cell phone calls. Digital music player software can be loaded so you can listen to music on the Treo; a PDF reader allows you to review Acrobat documents while on the road; and a nice Soduku game can provide a break from all of the work.

So what is the answer? How do successfully deploy what you've already purchased? How do you make sure you are getting the most from your software? If you know you are not getting the most from it, what do you do? The answer is to get professional help and not necessarily the psychiatric kind. What you need is installation help along with training, training and more training. It is a good idea to invest in your staff by providing continuing training on an ongoing basis. The amount of information your staff can get in a one hour training session can really improve the way they use the resources given to them. Best of all, the resulting incremental efficiency gains flow directly to your bottom line. There are many ways to accomplish this, and not all the options are expensive.

If it is uninstalled technology, find someone with experience to install it for you and get it set up correctly. This does not mean any human under age 21. Just because the younger generation has grown up surrounded by technology does not mean they're any more skilled with it. Mostly, their advantage is just a lack of fear and a willingness to dive into technology they're not really familiar with. Of course, some fear is healthy and giving something the old college try doesn't always end in success. Talk to your bar association for consultant referrals or find colleagues who are already doing what you aspire to do. Find out who they used and how they did it. Unless you're a frequent adversary or compete directly with them, my experience is that lawyers are generally willing to share that kind of information. Furthermore, the installation and proper configuration of certain complex software (accounting or case management software are good examples) simply requires an expert.

For installed and underutilized hardware/software, consider hiring a trainer to come in over lunch or rope off four hours to one whole day every other month for comprehensive training. Gather your staff in the conference room (no phones or interruptions) and let them enhance their skills in a software program they use every day. For general training on Office Suite products (word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation software) a quick Web search should turn up some options for you. Be sure you find someone who understands how these applications are used in a law firm. One place to start your search for assistance or training on a PM application or a billing program is the Web site of the software manufacturer. Many of them have consultants that can either come to your office to assist, or even provide Web based training to further your staff’s knowledge of the application. The investment you make in proper installation, training your staff, and in tweaking the implementation of the software you already have should come back to you ten-fold. You bought it, you've got it, now use it!