By Jared Hostmeyer, Senior Director, Product Management
In times of economic uncertainty, the question should not be “how can my legal operations team justify its technology expenditures?” It should be "What do we risk if we don’t invest in our technological present and future?”
I understand if that seems like an oxymoron, but please hear me out. While it's true that corporations and the legal ops teams that serve them are doing everything possible to rein in expenses, it's equally valid that smart technology investments are essential for better operational and strategic outcomes.
Note the use of the words "smart investments." No legal operations team has the time, energy, and resources to pursue every new tool on the market, especially not when legal tech is evolving at such a rapid pace. They also lack the leeway to boil the legal technology ocean, since they must justify every expense and prove ROI for each dollar spent.
This year, many legal operations teams are experiencing flat or decreased budgets. So, while many priorities compete for those precious dollars, legal ops teams should allocate at least part of their annual budget to building a technology roadmap that guides strategic investments and delivers an edge now and in the future.
Today, tomorrow, and beyond
You can probably guess what some of those technologies might be. AI is undoubtedly one, as are predictive analytics and automation. Tools that help streamline workflows, intelligently estimate matter timelines and budgets, rectify inefficiencies, identify the appropriate law firms for certain matters, and others are all worthwhile investments today.
Each of these solutions is readily available right now, but which is right for your organization? The answer depends on your organization’s technological maturity, including the state of legacy applications, the scalability of current technology, and whether it is helping the legal team achieve its objectives, among others.
What about tomorrow? We’ll witness the evolution of agentic AI—fully automated tasks that will remove the need to manage critical yet mundane legal work. We’ll see generative AI platforms deliver more precise legal research, use advanced data visualization dashboards for in-depth yet easy-to-understand reporting, and collaboration hubs designed specifically for cross-functional legal work.
No time like the present
As these innovations mature, they’ll enable legal operations to move beyond efficiency alone and play a more strategic role in shaping business outcomes. The technology roadmap you build today will put you in a good position to adapt quickly to change, maximize the impact of every investment, and ensure your team is seen not just as a support function, but as a driver of business success.
Learn how to get there. Check out my white paper on steps to take to create a technology roadmap that paves the way for smart investments, increased efficiency, optimal outcomes, and an innovative legal ops department that aligns with business goals and delivers lasting value: Using a technology roadmap to build a case for legal innovation in uncertain times.
