When a firm has a problem, there are three answers: build something, set up a tool that already exists, or leave things as they are. All three can be right.
Kalla Connect builds custom software and configures existing tools, and we say so here so that you can weigh our view. Often the right answer is the smaller one.
The problem
Firms often jump to a solution before comparing options. A custom build can be too much for a small problem, and a platform can be too rigid for an unusual process.
Doing nothing is also a choice, and its cost is easy to overlook.
What is known
We found no independent study that compares these three choices for U.S. law firms, so we give no figure. Surveys report which kinds of software firms use, and our article on technology adoption explains what those surveys do and do not show.
What to do
Start from the task, not from the tool.
- Write the task in plain steps, as in our article on documenting processes
- Check whether a tool the firm already pays for can do it with settings alone
- If it can, configure it and train the team: this is usually the smallest step
- If it almost can, decide which workaround is acceptable and for how long
- Consider custom software when the process is specific to the firm, when no tool fits and when the firm can name an owner for it
- Choose to do nothing, for now, when the task is rare, when the problem costs little or when the process is still changing
How the three compare
- Doing nothing costs nothing to start and the problem stays: it is reasonable while the process is unclear
- Configuring a platform is faster to start, limited by what the tool allows, and ties the firm to the vendor's features and prices
- Custom software fits the process, costs more to build and needs someone to maintain it after launch
What to look for when you implement it
- Who owns the system after launch and who pays for fixes
- Whether the firm can export its data if it leaves the tool or the builder
- What the vendor or builder stores, and where
- How long the first useful version will take, and what the scope leaves out
- What happens if the person who built it is not available
- Start with the smallest version that solves the problem, and review it before adding more