It's the latest and greatest shiny new object on the legal technology market. So, clearly, your corporate legal team simply must have it. But, after you spend money and time buying and implementing the software, you're surprised to find that nobody uses it.

All the bells and whistles in the world won't help you encourage technology adoption if your team doesn't want—or, worse, need—to join you on the digital transformation journey. While legal technology can empower corporate legal teams if it's implemented the right way, many legal teams don't know where to start the complicated process of procurement. That's why it's important to take a strategic approach when you're considering your next corporate legal technology solution.

Identify the right legal technology for your in-house team.

Don't waste your effort on solutions to problems you don't have. These five steps can help you avoid the trap of the “next big thing.”

1. Pinpoint the problems to be solved

First, figure out what problems you're trying to solve. Of those problems, which is the most urgent? What offers the biggest opportunity for improvement? In short, what will have the greatest impact on the legal team?

Tools that typically help legal teams address their biggest pain points include legal project management technology, document assembly technology, contract management applications, litigation management systems, and matter intake automation systems. All of these technologies can help lawyers provide better service and eliminate low-value drudgery so they can focus on doing the work that's of the highest value to the business. These tools can also facilitate legal reporting and deeper data analysis.

One surefire strategy is to start by focusing on simple problems rather than big, hairy, audacious ones. This way, you can show progress and earn some quick wins, which will help you build more momentum and encourage further adoption. If you instead chase after more advanced, aspirational technology that offers benefits only in the far future, you are less likely to achieve the immediate success that leads to lasting change. The key is not to get too ambitious too quickly: lawyers are often change averse, so the tried-and-true approach is to introduce technology gradually.

2. Check your current tech

Get in touch with IT to see if there are any existing technologies that could be applied to your needs. Explain the problem that you're solving and the type of technology you believe might work well. IT may be aware of solutions being used by other areas of the business that may be adapted to address your needs. Leveraging existing programs is a great, low-cost way to explore different technologies, learn from how other departments and further develop your knowledge. If you can leverage the existing system, you can save your budget for a true technology gap.

3. Look for broad appeal

If no existing technology fits the bill, it's time to look for something new. Be mindful of looking at niche technology. That is, will it serve the needs of just one department within legal, or can it help all the lawyers on the team work more efficiently? Getting the entire team on board is critical for avoiding knowledge silos, which can rear their heads when an employee leaves the organization, taking their know-how with them.

Even more broadly, can other departments in the organization, such as compliance, use the same technology? If your solution offers benefits to multiple departments, it can be easier to convince the powers-that-be to invest in the technology and convince employees to use it. By deploying more broadly, you'll have a stronger business case for purchasing the solution and you'll spread costs across a number of departments. It's a win-win.

Understand the Market

4. Find a solution that aligns with your requirements

Once you've chosen the type of solution you need, the next step is to compare your department's requirements with the capabilities of a particular product to ensure that it meets or exceeds your needs. Focus on what your department must have to solve problems versus what it wants. Categorize the requirements into groups, such as “must have” and “nice to have,” so you can more clearly evaluate your options. Don't forget critical requirements, including budget, scalability and mobility.

5. Focus on cloud-based solutions

Why the cloud? Because it's the simplest and least expensive, not to mention the most flexible, transparent, and secure, option for corporate legal technology.

Solutions that live in the cloud don't require lawyers or IT teams to download, support or maintain software. They are always available, easy to deploy quickly, and constantly updated with new features and functionality. They're also scalable, making it easy for corporate legal teams to pivot with agility as their needs evolve—without worrying about server space or infrastructure. That makes the cloud incredibly cost-effective for the capabilities it offers.

Cloud software also offers more flexible tools that allow for better collaboration and transparency. Groups that are using the cloud have greater visibility into their matters. Further, cloud apps are accessible from anywhere, even on your smartphone or tablet, putting access to important information at your fingertips no matter where your work takes you.

Finally, cloud-based platforms are incredibly secure. Most cloud providers deploy multiple layers of security, including physical security at data centers and coding throughout the platform.

6. Prioritize integration

One key to successful technology adoption is to make sure that the new system plays nicely with your existing applications and the tools that your team is already using. Integrating systems makes it easier to share data and collaborate across platforms, avoiding the need for time-consuming rework. It also eases the transition process by presenting the new tool in a familiar context, encouraging adoption. To avoid problems during implementation, check the interoperability of the systems before you lock yourself in to a solution. This way, you'll also avoid system redundancies and avoid budget surprises during implementation.

Get Buy-in From the Business

7. Calculate your return on investment (ROI)

Before you select and deploy your solution, it's critical to establish a process for measuring its ROI. Will your new solution improve efficiency and result in saved staff time? Will it help you control outside counsel spend? Will it help you improve matter outcomes? Whatever the type of benefit you're likely to experience, it's critical to establish a baseline and a method for calculating the potential savings so you can present your results to leadership and the rest of the legal team.

By quantifying your ROI, not only will you establish that you've made a smart investment, but you'll also create a track record that encourages future investment in technology for the legal department.

8. Work closely with your IT team

You need to get IT on board with your chosen application. Ask IT to work with your chosen vendor to explore integration with your existing systems in more detail, including integration costs. IT will almost certainly also want to discuss your security needs with the vendor and ensure that those needs are addressed—and that your data is protected—in your service-level agreement.

9. Educate stakeholders

Create a list of executive-level stakeholders in your department and organization who need to be engaged in the process. From IT to finance, you're more likely to secure the necessary budget and resources if you can speak to each decision-maker's primary concerns.

Then communicate your vision for implementation to everyone on that list. Key components to share include details on the problems the new technology will solve, your expected outcomes, and the projected ROI as well as your plan for measuring it. By getting key executives on board with your plan, they can become cheerleaders for your technology and encourage broader user adoption.

The end product: Successful procurement.

You've done all the hard work. You've identified your problem to be solved, studied the market and been given budget to buy your selected solution. Now you've arrived at the final step—procurement! It's easy to get excited, but don't get too ahead of yourself. It's important to follow your internal procurement procedures closely. Work with information security, finance and internal procurement teams as they guide you through the final steps of the purchase process. Sometimes it's a long journey from problem to legal technology solution, but if you follow these tips, the effort will pay dividends and be well worth it.

Xavier Langlois is general counsel at HighQ.