[Digital Transformation]: The “Robots” Are Coming … Is your practice ready for it?

Digital transformation is the integration of digital technology into all areas of a 
business resulting in a foundational change in how an organization delivers value 
to its customers.  

It is far more than just buying new technology tools or replacing old ones or changing business processes to save cost. All these may be good or work for a while but staying ahead of the pack and dictating the pace requires a strategic approach and needs a different level of thinking. 

Digital transformation is not complete without a new way of thinking. A higher level of thinking. In the world of digital transformation the customer is the focus. Everything is 
built around delivering exceptional value to the customer. It is about creating a transformative experience for the customer.
 
Is your legal practice ready for it?

So back to the question. Is your legal practice ready for digital transformation or willing 
to take a leap to transform the way it delivers value to clients?

A McKinsey report reveals the upside of digital transformation that…

Data-driven organizations are 23 times more likely to acquire customers; six times as 
likely to retain customers; and 19 times as likely to be profitable as a result.

The challenges of the 21st century require a higher level of service delivery to stay 
ahead of the disruptive global change. No longer can firms feign ignorance of the 
need to reinvent themselves and stay relevant in the legal space. 

The legal industry’s overall lack of digital awareness and preparedness is a serious 
problem that needs to be addressed. Competition within and from without should 
compel any lawyer/law firm be serious about staying relevant in the upcoming years 
to take the necessary steps to transform their practice to meet the exigencies of 
modern legal practice.
 
So how do you get ready?

Digital transformation is much more than platforms, AI, and data. It is a holistic 
business paradigm shift that impacts a firm’s people, activities, processes, and 
culture. It is technology-enabled and data-driven, but those are the means-not 
the objective-of the process. 

The human element is paramount at all levels. To achieve digital transformation, 
a firm must engage in cultural change that involves collaboration, new skills, a 
more holistic approach to problem solving, diversity, cultural awareness, constant improvement, lifelong learning, and an agile workforce. 

End-to-end customer experience optimization, operational flexibility, and innovation 
are key drivers and goals of digital transformation. 

They produce new revenue sources and an expanded customer base. It opens up 
hidden assets and channels within a firm. It fuels accelerated growth and expansion to meet clients’ needs in a more holistic and personal way.

All these require a cultural change within the firm and its business partners. Change management, convincing people to accept, adapt, and engage in constant improvement and training in anticipation of and response to change, is perhaps the biggest hurdle in 
the process. 

With that in mind, here are 4 key steps you need to take to prepare for a successful digital transformation journey:

1.       Choose the right digital transformation strategies to meet your goals.
2.       Invest wisely in technology.
3.       Convince your stakeholders.
4.       Use data to enhance business decision-making.


How do you prepare employees for digital transformation?

There are four steps you can take to close the digital skills gap and prepare your workforce for digital transformation: