Second Opinions

How to Avoid Upgrade Exhaustion

By Tom Baldwin

MANAGING technology has become something ill-suited for the faint of heart. Years ago, technology changed about as often as the country had a new president. But now there is an endless cycle of new product offerings geared to the legal industry. With the proper plan in place, you can take advantage of all these new technological innovations, without burn-out.

Sound impossible?

To understand why I.T. staff and firms struggle to manage technological change, just recall how so many firms historically planned for technology. Too often, there was no formal I.T. plan -- the root of most "upgrade fever" outbreaks. Without a plan -- even if it's just an outline -- there's no way to know where you're going, when you're off track and when the end is near. Without a basic roadmap, you are constantly reactive, not proactive.

By developing a plan, first and foremost, you create a mindset within the firm. This mindset lets everyone know when things are coming, when to expect change and when not to expect change. It helps set expectations. The plan must be supported and understood by the firm and its management.

An articulated plan helps the firm resist any temptation to buy the newest piece of hardware or PDA as soon as it comes out. (However, you may want to include a "must have" line in your budget and anticipate these purchases.)

Maximizing Investments

Maximizing I.T. investments isn't achieved simply by buying new products. Rather, it will be reached by better use of what you've already purchased. Training is the best way to see an ROI (return on investment). But it can't be hit-and-miss. It must be done on a regular basis to be effective. Include monthly training sessions in your plan. If your firm isn't big enough to have an inside trainer, work with an outside trainer to develop a monthly curriculum.

With a plan in place, you'll reduce burn-out, because you'll know the times when things are going to be hectic. You can space out hardware upgrades, new applications rollouts, etc., and give everybody (the lawyers, support staff and I.T. staff) some breathing room. You'll be less apt to have an unexpected crisis.

Burn-out is a two way street. While I.T. staff face burn-out from the never-ending rollout of new systems, the firm's lawyers and support staff will be considerably less tolerant of the unrelenting pace of technology change. Rolling out the technology is easier than getting users to adopt it. Communicate your plan with everyone in the firm, so that they know when change is on the horizon and can provide feedback if your plan is too aggressive.

Developing a plan is relatively straight forward and when it's done, you'll have something to point to when someone wants you to stray off course. The size of your I.T. staff and your budget will dictate much of your plan. Talk with various members of your firm, clients and your peers in the industry to get a sense as to what should be included. But keep in mind that technically rolling out new applications is the easy part. Getting users to actually absorb all these new toys is the trick. If your environment isn't totally behind the times, you can probably assume that one new major application roll-out a year is about as much as you should look to do.

Keeping pace on hardware is a major endeavor and is necessary to ensure that your firm can take advantage of new applications as they come out. For example, you probably want to cycle out one-third of your desktops every year. This assures that the power users always have something new and the basic users aren't working with anything too outdated. This makes it more manageable from an I.T. and a fiscal perspective. Keep in mind that new equipment and gadgets are always going to come up, so be patient. There will be something just as new and exciting when it comes time in your plan to upgrade hardware.

Consider leasing. It not only helps preserve cash flow, but it gets management more in tune with technology as a recurring monthly expense, like payroll and rent. At the end of the lease, the firm is forced to replace the hardware, keeping that three-year rotation in place.

Firms must arm themselves with the necessary internal plan, budget and mindset to quickly seize the opportunities that surely await those up to the task. What many firm administrators and partners often don't understand is that technology is not a one-time expense.

Only over time can you realize a return on your initial investment, but few firms stick with a program long enough to see this. If you follow through on your plan, hopefully, you'll have less bouts with upgrade fever!

Tom Baldwin is the principal at Cyber-CIO, and is based in Hermosa Beach, Calif.