This Legal Technology article speaks to the success of collaboration between attorneys, IT staff and clients.
“It’s not enough to hear client requests filtered through lawyers — IT professionals need to be present at the substantive discussions of client needs and how they might be addressed.”
Filtering user needs through third parties who may not quite understand the technicalities usually leaves something to be desired in the final product. As a librarian I would push the need for collaboration even further. Often times IT staff understand the how to make it work part but lack a full understanding of how clients will use the products.
There is a proliferation of literature about the need for libraries and IT departments to work together. This need to work together should overcome territorial concerns and take into consideration the client needs. Finding the right information when it is needed and in the format that the client will use it is critical for business success.
IT knows how to make the technical parts work, librarians understand how the searches will occur and how the data will be recycled for new uses. To really make your clients happy make sure you have IT, Library Staff and attorneys at the table.
Mass collaboration has been successful for multi-billion dollar corporations in today’s global economy. If law firms want to grow and retain clients they must understand the changing world and embrace this shift in doing business. Small steps such as cross-departmental collaboration is a good safe step for firms who want to test the water first.
