INFO15: Using BPM to Increase Matter Efficiency

Transcription

1 INFO15: Using BPM to Increase Matter Efficiency Monroe M. Horn Sunstein Kann Murphy & Timbers LLP Bill Decker Hubbard One / Thomson Reuters Toby Brown Fulbright & Jaworski LLP Angel Garcia-Manso Goodwin Procter LLP

2 BPM in the Law Firm Monroe Horn Sunstein Kann Murphy & Timbers LLP

3 Why BPM? No pressing needs for new core applications Greatest benefits of technology today come from integration and automation Technology applications must exactly meet our specifications Users suffering from information overload and underload

4 The Docketing Workflow System Cost justification can only come from successfully automating legal processes Started with a core process Rolled-out in November 2008 as live beta Has managed everything since June 2009 over 26,000 items Currently being patented and commercialized

5 Process Overview

6 Application Integration BPM fills the white space between applications Automate the process without changing the tools people use Our system integrates with WorkSite, CPI, Outlook, Word, and other custom developed applications

7 Application Integration

8 The Consoles Provide rich user interfaces Speed Prioritization of tasks Flagging

9 The Attorney Console

10 The Attorney Console

11 Other Key Requirements Supervisory capabilities Coverage Notification Information Over/Underload Flexibility to deal with client requirements

12 Information Over/Underload

13 Reporting Letters

14 Reporting Letters

15 Legal Project Management Bill Decker Hubbard One / Thomson Reuters

16 Definition of Project Management A temporary or short-term endeavor to achieve a particular result or objective; The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities in order to achieve project objectives;

17 Project Life Cycle Project Initiation Processes performed to define a new project or phase of an existing project by obtaining authorization to start the project or phase.

18 Project Life Cycle Project Planning Processes performed to establish the total scope of the effort, define and redefine the objectives, and develop the course of action required to obtain those objectives.

19 Project Life Cycle Project Execution Processes performed to complete the work defined in the plan to satisfy project specifications.

20 Project Life Cycle Project Closure Processes performed to finalize all activities to complete the project.

21 Project Life Cycle Communication Key Success factor Q: #1 Reason why a project fails A: Poor communication

22 PM and the Practice of Law Similarities: Every legal engagement has a fixed goal and limited duration; Attorney is responsible to obtain a good legal result for their client; Every project faces challenges to its success, legal projects more than most.

23 PM and the Practice of Law Challenges: Attorneys rarely embrace their role as project managers; Few attorneys will accept readily the notion that a legal engagement is not successful if it is not completed within reasonable time and cost expectations;

24 Legal Project Management Success Factors: Time invested in a project will be managed as the project proceeds, rather than discussed after the fact; Increased communication on a continuing basis is key to a successful outcome; Connective technology increases communication and drives productivity

25 Case Study Alternative Fee Arrangements Hourly vs. Fixed Increased focus to build models based on past time and expense records to improve estimates; Basic Project Management standards and methodologies provide powerful and well tested tools for planning, tracking and documenting work all very important if you want to profitably offer clients fixed-fee options

26 Utilizing Technology Uniform Task-Based Management System A budgeting and billing system designed to provide clients and law firms with meaningful cost information on legal services. Developed by the following: American Bar Association American Corporate Counsel Association Various corporate clients and law firms coordinated by Price Waterhouse

27 Utilizing Technology Uniform Task-Based Management System Goal of the Litigation Code Set: Enable Client / counsel to plan; Facilitate effective communication; Provide a means to individually understand and compare costs for greater efficiency and as a foundation for alternative billing arrangements Bring together various task-based efforts to ease widespread adoption of a simple, concise and flexible task-based project management approach.

28 Utilizing Technology Uniform Task-Based Management System Like Traditional Project Management, the code set is broken up into phases: Case Assessment, Development and Administration Pre-Trial Pleadings and Motions Discovery Trial Preparation and Trial Appeal

29 SharePoint Solution

30 Using BPM with AFAs Toby Brown Fulbright & Jaworski LLP

31 ICHS* Challenge: AFA Early-Stage Chaos! Begs for process and methodology Step One: Map the P What s the Process? Identify the connections KM, LPM, IT, Layer in the BPM world *International Cat Herding Society

32 The P rocess I Request For Assistance (Pre-AFA) Resources: Counsel/Advice, Content Content for Internal Examples of AFAs - past requests,... (KM) Content for External - AFA Marketing content (KM) II Request for AFA approval Form: 3 parts: 1- Client info, 2- AFA info, 3- Value (and politics) 1- Client: Financial history - current arrangements (KM) 2- AFA: Type, amount, metrics, probabilities (KM) 3- Value: Beyond profitability,... Have practice leadership and billing partner sign off?

33 Analysis and Approval III AFA Analysis Financials on: Client, Partner, AFA model AFA: Revenue, Costs, margins (KM) Based on: estimate, past matter, template (KM) IV AFA Review and Approval Requests for additional info Modifications to AFA Financial Impact of modifications Approval feeds in to new matter process (KM - BPM)

34

35 Logged and Entered V New AFA Matter confirmation Automated notice of new AFA matters opened Systems linked for matter tracking VI Enter Budget into Tracking System Timekeepers Rates Leverage Fees, etc.

36

37 Rubber Hits Road VII Monitor Budget-to-Performance Pre-Legal Project Management directly impacted by it (KM and LPM) Send monthly/quarterly variance reports Or trigger to log in and view VIII Matter life-cycle Returning lessons-learned back in to AFA systems for future use. New Templates and Models

38 BPM Moving On AFA BPM Connections to: New matter work-flow (BPM) Conflicts, fees, rates,... Approval confirmation Project Management (BPM) Matter stages, etc. Matter Life-cycle Uber BPM

39 Improving Efficiency at Different Stages of the Matter Lifecycle Angel Garcia-Manso Goodwin Procter LLP

40 Goodwin Procter s Way Matter centric approach for integration and automation of legal processes Use of BPM, PM and product development to deliver solutions that improves efficiency, collaboration, knowledge sharing and communication Focus on key processes Those which greatest impact on legal practice efficiency Commitment to initiation and planning phases of a project Reuse of existing technology when possible : Interwoven, Sharepoint, CPi, Expert, HR system, etc.

41 PM and Matter Lifecycle Matter as a legal project Technology can impact matter efficiency at different stages of the matter lifecycle Examples: Legal Project Initiation - Budgeting System Legal Project Planning - Staffing System Legal Project Monitoring - Matter Portal Legal Project Execution - IP Practice Systems

42 Legal Project Initiation Budgeting System Why is budgeting important: To provide more accurate estimates to client To improve predictable of legal costs To assess profitability before engaging with client To capture and build on experience, etc. A tool used on the analysis, review and approval of AFA s

43 Budgeting System (Cont) Initial system focused on budgeting Decentralized excel based system Huge BPM effort at the Practice Area level produced over 70 matter type template that break down the legal work in phases and tasks Piloting a centralized system that allows for budgeting and monitoring of budgets New system integrates with Aderant s Expert, DTE, our matter portal, etc.

44 Legal Project Planning Staffing System istaff system: Moved from a paper based, manual and decentralized system to a scalable, automated, real time centralized system 6 out of 12 months dedicated to analysis & planning Associate compliance improved over 70% Staffing managers time allocated to decision making as opposed to finding information istaff improves matter efficiency by automating, standardizing and optimizing the staffing of a matter

45 Staffing System (Cont) Expert Worked hours, Financial metrics, etc. Associate Workload Availability, Career preferences, Workload Experience, etc. Staffing System Personnel information HR Staffing needs and preferences Partners

46 Staffing System (Cont)

47 Legal Project Monitoring Matter Portal Before the implementation of our matter portal: Information about cases and matters was scattered throughout the firm There was no easy way to produce a meaningful collection of data and reporting from multiple disparate systems Our matter portal provides: Immediate access to current state of matter 360 degree view of a matter status A communication vehicle A collaboration and knowledge sharing platform Ad-hoc client reporting It improves matter efficiency by aggregating all the information required to monitor and control a matter

48 Matter Portal (Cont)

49 Legal Project Execution IP Practice Systems The IP practice system, efiles, was an 18 months effort: 10 months mapping processes and gathering requirements Inconsistency of operation across offices Challenging collaboration on cases based delegation and assignment of tasks The efiles system introduces efficiencies in the way attorneys work: efiles integrates and optimizes all Intellectual Property (IP) information sources with firm s key systems efiles enhances the workload assignment and decision-making processes The system provides a platform for real-time knowledge management and collaboration among the attorneys on a case-by-case basis. The system introduced a notification workflow to improve communication

50 efiles Workload System (Cont)

51 efiles Workload System (Cont)

52 Questions

53 Contact Information Sunstein Kann Murphy & Timbers LLP Monroe M. Horn, CTO Hubbard One / Thomson Reuters Bill Decker, Delivery Manager SharePoint Practice william.decker@thomsonreuters.com Fulbright & Jaworski LLP Toby Brown, Client Teams / AFA / KM tjbrown@fulbright.com Goodwin Procter LLP Angel Garcia-Manso, IT Manager for Project Management agarciamanso@goodwinprocter.com