How important is it for technology to be malleable? Find out more with Linetime
As a provider of CMS, DMS, and Legal Accounting software, we have to always ensure our software is malleable, or customisable so our clients can shape the software to suit their processes. It often raises a good amount of debate as to how malleable the software should be. So how adaptable does software need to be in order to adapt to new trends and sudden changes that companies may find themselves facing?
The short answer is software should of course be flexible enough for firms to operate but we need to look deeper into the needs of firms because to meet challenges, it’s not just the software that needs to be flexible.
When building software, we consider all manner of factors, including processes and compliance with the resources available to the firm. For every large organisation, there will be smaller organisations with fewer resources available. This means we must reach a balance between customisation and what needs to be locked down to follow a certain process. This is especially true when it comes to meeting compliance and regulation and the same rules apply to every law firm, no matter their size.
However, we know the market is regularly changing and it’s our belief that providers must take more responsibility to meet those changes by adapting the software where and when required. It’s why we work closely with the market to really understand the changing landscape and implement changes where they are required. It’s probably not unfair to suggest that leaving software too malleable could negatively impact a firm, especially when the software becomes so customised that it can become unusable.
In parallel, firms need to consider the malleability of providers in addition to the software itself. For example, we have recently launched Community Learning in order to deliver a way for firms to achieve more from their software and be aware of new, upcoming features and functions. We are evolving our approach to service and support because we know firms can achieve better efficiencies from their software.
With this in mind, providers must ensure there is a high level of malleability built into any software so firms can adapt to fit processes but firms must select providers they can trust to quickly adapt the locked-down areas of the software.
If you are looking to get more from your software, talk to one of the team today and request a free demo.
