As law firm technology consultants, we spend a lot of time with technology committees. We see them in all shapes, sizes and levels of effectiveness. In this article, we offer our observations on what makes technology committees successful. We can think of no "cookie cutter" formula for a successful technology committee. Rather it depends on personalities, level of expectations, on-going projects, and a host of other factors specific to time and circumstances.

That said, we can offer a few observations which may be of value.

~          At four to seven percent of total expenditures, most law firms find that technology is the second or third largest expense item in the firm. In addition, technology costs seem to be among the least understandable and controllable costs in the firm.

~          Technology is a critical component at every level in every firm. Everyone is almost totally dependent on computers in the firm. So technology is a management issue. Technical considerations should be subordinate to management goals and expectations.

~          There is infinitely more technology available than the IT department has time or resources to make available to the firm. As such, there always seems to be an extensive backlog of projects in the firm.

There are a lot of benefits to a smoothly running committee. For the harried law firm IT director, and the firm administrator, a useful way to help channel the many demands for IT products and resources is to set up and run a technology committee. A well run technology committee is an effective liaison between the user community and the IT department. The technology committee can explain and define the user community's requirements to the IT staff. On the other hand, a good technology committee understands the role of the IT staff and can effectively explain IT potentials and issues to the firm. Finally the technology committee can see to it that the IT department receives the credit it deserves for a job well done.

There are a number of possible functions of a technology committee. Among them are to:

1.         Review and approve technology strategic plans. If there is no strategic plan for technology, the committee is an essential component of putting one into place.

2.         Work with the IT management to update the strategic plan regularly.

3.         Review and approve technology annual budgets.

4.         Review and approve changes to the budget (over a certain amount - for example $25,000).

5.         Develop, review and approve technology policies (not procedures).

6.         Review and approve major technology initiatives (e.g., the decision to acquire and implement a new litigation support system to meet a client related need).

7.         Set business requirements for technology initiatives (let the IT staff find products to meet those requirements).

8.         Review and approve major technology decisions (e.g., the selection of a new financial management system).

9.         Review and approve plans for major technology projects.

10.       Have oversight responsibility for the user-related aspects of major technology projects - including user involvement in requirements, roll-out planning, acceptance testing and service level agreements.

11.       Set priorities and adjust as necessary (always considering opportunity costs on time, staff and money).

12.       Be informed of the status on major projects and major project changes.

13.       Communicate technology issues to the management of the firm (problems that they are aware of, issues that they believe should be addressed).

14.       Co-sign (with the technology manager in the firm) on major technology related communications to the firm such as new technology policies.

15.       Support technology management with firm management (e.g., the managing partner).

Note that all of these responsibilities assume that the committee will work at a reasonably high level. The committee exists to represent the management and the end-user community in the firm. So a good technology committee limits itself to defining and prioritizing IT requirements (for products and services), setting IT related policies, and providing general oversight for the technology functions in the firm.

The technology committee does not directly manage the IT department. The effective technology committee does not engage in a lot of "day-to-day" activities. Among the activities which the technology committee should avoid are:

1.         Setting technology procedures. The committee sets policies. They do not define the procedures to implement policies.

2.         Making specific hardware decisions. Extended discussions on specific PC brands and features are a sure sign that the committee needs to rethink its role.

3.         Reviewing technology staffing decisions (except the lead position). Leave it up to the IT director to run the department.

4.         Managing the specifics of technology projects.

5.         Approving purchases for previously budgeted items.

6.         Acting as the Help Desk. They should not involve themselves in "day-to-day" IT questions and problems.

7.         The technology committee is not the first level escalation path for IT problems. This should be left to the IT department.

Let’s consider the composition of the technology committee. Many firms that recognize the need for such a committee make the mistake of filling the committee with attorneys who are the "techno-geeks.” Some firms staff the committee with "the younger lawyers" on the assumption that, since they use computers regularly, they must know how to deal with technology issues. Other firms make sure that the biggest complainers are on the committee. That way, they will be sure to be heard (and if not, well, it's their own fault!).

All of these staffing strategies are almost sure to lead to failure. They indicate a failure to properly understand the role of the committee. Consider some of the attributes of the successful committee members:

~          They understand the role of technology in the strategic direction of the firm. This implies that they have some understanding of the firm's business strategy. This, in turn implies that there is a strong link between the technology committee and the firm's management committee. Good practice suggests that at least one member of the technology committee also serve on the firm's management committee.

~          They appreciate the use of technology in the firm; they likely use the technology themselves; but they are not interested in having "the most” or "the latest and greatest" or "the first.”

~          They represent and can speak for the interests of the end-user community - both management and the rest of the staff. This implies that they have some tenure with the firm and are well respected by others in the end-user community.

~          They have enough vision to appreciate how technology may help the firm achieve its strategic goals. On the other hand, they are not "technological visionaries" - they understand that technology only works within the cultural confines set by the firm. They know that simply adding new technology does not result in worthwhile change.

Most technology committees consist only of lawyers. There are a lot of advantages to having the membership consist of those with similar backgrounds and management interests. However, the defining mark for technology and its use in any law firm is set by the secretarial staff. Their needs must be met first.

Few lawyers understand or appreciate technology from the perspective of the secretaries. Just as the effective technology committee has strong links "up" to the firm's management, so must the committee have links "out" to the rest of the firm. If there is a well organized secretarial structure, regular contact between them and the technology committee is beneficial.

Technology committees come in various sizes. But every group, no matter how large, should have a very small "executive" core - two or three lawyers, the firm's executive director and the IT director.

The group should meet regularly—at least quarterly, probably more often during large projects and during the firm's financial planning cycle. A formal (regular) agenda should be set for each meeting. Notes should be kept, action items formulated and reported on at subsequent meetings. The IT director and the firm's administrator should have responsibility for organizing the meetings and for follow-up as required.

Finally, it takes time for a good technology committee to learn to work together. It takes a long time to learn enough about technology and its application in the law firm. Since technology cuts across every area of the firm, technology committee members must be allowed the time to learn about the issues and concerns in every area of the firm (including the administrative areas). Don't expect results overnight. Practice and patience will bring rewards.

About our author . . .

Chris Maas, of the law firm technology consulting firm of Potomac Consulting Group (www.potomac.com), has provided technology consulting services to large and small law firms for over twenty years.  He can be reached at chris@potomac.com.