BUSINESSMANAGEMENTREVIEW.COMDECEMBER 20239An ambitious junior lawyer naturally prefers to focus on higher value and interesting tasks, rather than tasks of lesser value that may not have a significant impact on the project and are burdensome to undertake. With advances in technology, they question the need to undertake low-value tasks in the same way as their more senior colleagues did many years ago. · A process-driven team's approach:o The team invests in process definition and documentation as a foundation for everything they do, defining their process 'inventory' and then mapping those processes one by one. At the same time, they gather customer information, feedback, and data ­ to understand needs, objectives, and expectations.o Documented processes bring easy subsequent opportunities for review - surfacing pain points and gaps between what we do and what customers require.o Processes are then improved to run in an effective, well-documented flow with each task being done by the most appropriate person (typically the lowest cost staffing that can deliver the required quality), with resources, know-how, and technology at their fingertips, customer needs are designed into the process. o This sets the stage for automation (where it's possible and sensible - determined by time, cost, scale, and risk factors). Some lesser 'value-adding' and more commoditized tasks will be automated.· The impact on the lawyer: Less (or no) hands-on time is required for lower value tasks­ whilst maintaining or even improving quality and delivery. Better for the lawyer, and beneficial for project budgets, profitability, and customers. Thinking about Process Improvement in this way, it's easier to understand how process driven operations go hand-in-hand with the shifting needs that legal teams are being challenged to meet. A process-led approach is equally relevant to legal departments and law firms, and those that define, manage, and optimize their processes can achieve real advantages; they're naturally set up to deliver in efficient and scalable ways, whilst being customer-led and 'connected'. When process improvement methodologies are used to instil process-driven ways of working, it doesn't just deliver improved customer outcomes; it can provide a more rewarding experience for lawyers, enabling a greater sense of purpose, whilst also aligning with strategic department and business objectives
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