Every year, your companies ask you to do more with less, and somehow you continue to succeed. I’m not sure how you do it.
First of all, let's just agree that buying technology is always a gamble. You could end up with the next big thing that streamlines your work and wows your leadership, or you could end up with the next big flop that crashes and burns faster than an Olympian on their first bobsled run. So when you're in charge of purchasing legal technology for a corporate legal department, the stakes are even higher than usual.
But what are the biggest challenges facing legal technology buyers? Well, let's start with the fact that there are just so many options out there. It's like trying to choose a flavor of ice cream at Baskin-Robbins - how are you supposed to pick just one when there are 31 flavors staring you in the face? And just like ice cream flavors, legal technologies all have their own quirks and personalities. Sure, one tool might be great for document management, but what if it crashes every time you look at it the wrong way? You can't just pick based on the flavor - you've got to do your research and make sure the tool you choose can handle the unique needs of your legal department.
And speaking of research, that's another challenge in and of itself. Sure, you could spend hours and hours scouring the internet for reviews and testimonials about different legal technologies, but who really has time for that? You've already got a hundred other things on your plate, and researching legal tech is about as exciting as watching paint dry. Plus, by the time you've finished your research, the technology landscape has already shifted beneath your feet, and you're back to square one. It's like trying to catch a greased pig - you might get ahold of it, but it's gonna slip out of your grasp sooner or later.
But let's say you've done your research, and finally settled on a legal technology that seems like it would be perfect for your needs. Congratulations! But now you've got to convince your boss to shell out the cash for it. Good luck with that. It's like trying to convince a cat to take a bath - it's probably not gonna happen, and you're gonna end up with scratches all over you. You've got to make a rock-solid business case for why this technology is going to save time, save money, and ultimately make your legal department more efficient. And even then, your boss might decide to go with something cheaper, because, let's be real, who doesn't love saving a few bucks here and there?
Assuming you do manage to convince your boss to give you the green light, there's still the matter of implementation to deal with. Installing new legal technology is like trying to wrangle a toddler into a car seat - it's a whole lot of kicking and screaming, and you're never quite sure if you're doing it right. You've got to navigate compatibility issues, train employees on how to use the new tool, and make sure everyone is on the same page. And even then, someone is always going to be grumbling about how much easier things were before the new technology came along, because humans are creatures of habit, and we don't like change.
So there you have it, folks - the challenges facing legal technology buyers in corporate legal departments. It's a bit like trying to navigate a minefield while juggling flaming torches and reciting Shakespeare - difficult, to say the least. But hey, at least it keeps things interesting, right? And who knows, maybe one day we'll look back on these challenges and laugh, because we'll all be using Elon Musk's brain-chips to do our legal research or something.