Over the last year, the ELM industry has made some headlines around workflow automation. Between acquisitions, upgrades, and in some cases a renewed focus in light of the changing work landscape. But with so many options come many questions, such as:

1. Will users actually embrace the tools in our system?
2. If we implement them now, who can support them in the future?
3. Do we need to invest in something that isn't from our current vendor?
4. What resources are available to learn these tools?
5. What kind of upgrades can we expect?

This line of reasoning can arise when you have a legacy system as a frame of reference. 

How it is: 

Older legacy systems were built before automation rose to the forefront. Some may have workflow built in, but the underlying architect is dated, which reduces the resource pool that can implement them while greatly increasing risks and costs.

How it should be:

1. All workflow tools should be an integral part of the ELM system. If a system admin can add a field, they should be able to add a workflow, using the same training resources, nomenclature, and support community.
2. There should be no additional costs. If the workflow tools are truly part of the ELM system, it should be impossible to separate them out from a licensing/cost perspective.
3. Users shouldn’t know it’s there! The workflow automation should be so intertwined with a system that users shouldn’t be able to tell where a standard screen ends and the workflow begins. This ensures users adoption and reduces training.
4. There should be sufficient resources available so that any administrator, or even a power user, can learn how to use the tools. With the fluidity of the job market today, no organization should ever put itself in a position where it’s beholden to one “master” programmer or a subset of individuals who are well-versed in the workflow tools.
5. There should be a substantial history of updates to the workflow automation tools as well as a clear path to how updates are applied to existing systems. “Once a year” just isn’t good enough in today’s world. The solutions pedigree should indicate a reliable stream of updates so that it’s clear any investment now won’t be in vain five years.
6. It should be mobile friendly. Users now depend on mobile devices more than desktops, so the user experience should not vary between a desktop and mobile device. If the solution is truly a ‘modern’ application, the implementation should only be required once, and be available on a browser, mobile device and from within Outlook.

The Litify Enterprise Legal Management System 

The Litify Enterprise Legal Management system was created by ELM industry veterans. It incorporates the best practices the team learned during its decades-long tenure working with legacy matter management and e-billing systems. Litify includes all the functionality expected in a global ELM solution plus features such as:

• Three automatic upgrades per year, each of which includes substantive updates to the user interface and workflow tools included with Litify.
• Workflow tools built from the ground-up to work within Litify.
• In-app training to guide users through different system areas and show users new functionality to facilitate reminders of certain business processes.
• No-cost hands-on guided training for every user, from the novice to system architect.

Discover more about Litify today.