Assignment: CMS Readiness Report for Law Firm

CMS Readiness Report for

Smith & Jones LLPby Connie Crosby

APRIL 11, 2009Course assignment: PLC 8010-09W1

Information Management AnalysesInstructor: Janet de Guzman

The fine print: The following presentation was created for the course “Information Management Analyses” in the Information Management program at the Professional Learning Centre, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto. We were limited to using 12 or fewer slides (or I would have used many more!) The law firm Smith & Jones LLP and the scenario presented are fictitious. Any similarities to an existing law firm are purely coincidental and unintended.

[the background]• one office Toronto-based law firm

• 110 lawyers

• want to attract best articling students

• need to retain existing associates

• busy busy support staff

• first generation intranet These last two could mean trouble!

• intranet difficult to update

• one staff member responsible for updating

• not being updated enough

• lawyers not using the intranet

• associates & articling students demanding

more!

[the challenge]

[the solution]Intranet Content Management System:

• updating intranet easier, faster

• more staff can update

• workload can be spread across more people

• goal: more content

• goal: better content

• goal: current content

Are you ready?!?

[the approach]• selected lawyers & staff interviewed

• managing partners, directors & managers consulted

• business processes reviewed

• policies examined

• technologies assessed

• staff skill sets evaluated

yes, but are you ready?

[the findings]• new IT & HR managers are making changes

• support from lawyer Management Board & partnership

• IT team dedicated to new tech implementations exists

• new document management system - implemented 2 months ago

• staff experiencing problems & frustration with DMS

• CMS not yet selected; short list from DMS vendor

• no intranet co-ordinator designated

[analyses & conclusions]• good buy-in & support from upper management

• dedicated IT staff is ready for this next step

• other staff is not ready

• technology needs to be selected

• intranet coordinator needs to be brought in

• plan for governance involving staff needed

• communication plan needed

• document new business processes

getting close, but work to be done!

[conclusion - key concerns]

employee morale low- change overload!

governance needs addressing

...and who is selecting the content management system?

[the recommendations]• address staff issues with

DMS & morale before moving on

• plan communication to staff carefully

• wait before rolling out CMS (at least 3-5 months)

• plan for chaos & frustration when CMS is rolled out

• hire or designate dedicated intranet coordinator

• ensure intranet coordinator has appropriate skills

• select new CMS with input from intranet coordinator

• document new business processes

& get the staff involved!!

Questions?

Thank you!Connie Crosby

Crosby Group Consultinghttp://crosbygroup.ca

[email protected]

Photo Credits

• “Mom and Dad, looking at laptop” by David Lat, http://www.sxc.hu/photo/672597 used under stock.xchng standard licensing.

• “telesales 1” by scholastic http://www.sxc.hu/photo/237476, used under stock.xchng standard licensing.

• photo of Connie Crosby by Rannie Turingan photographyhttp://www.rannieturingan.com/. All rights reserved.