denotes premium content | Oct 16 2008 Managing Partner archive
Volume 5 Issue 9
Managing Partner’s survey of 2002 provided an insight into knowledge management (KM) initiatives in law firms. Athough many respondents said that their KM initiatives had been successful, a significant 24 per cent felt that it had not. There were some patterns to this. The most successful KM was experienced by firms who had firm-wide and particularly management support for knowledge sharing. Many also had the benefit of a system that had been implemented several years earlier, enabling full firm-wide integration and a certain degree of learning through experience. The failures were significantly from firms who were either new to KM or who had failed to win this vital and active support from the firm as a whole.
These conclusions provide a good basis for the ideas raised in this month’s KM issue. The KM hype is clearly over and the ideas behind KM have equally evolved. Kim Sbarcea, of the Australian Securities and Investment Commission, describes the new world of KM. The initial buzz surrounded KM technology and how it could be applied as a solution to the know-how needs of a firm. Technology continues to play a significant part in the KM arena and several articles in this issue outline the growing sophistication of available systems. Barlow Lyde & Gilbert, in particular, describe their bespoke know-how system and its implementation and effectiveness across the firm. As Sbarcea argues, however, the KM field has also taken on further layers. From technology, many started to describe it as intellectual capital, something that would have a direct impact on the profitability of a firm. Today, KM is not only about managing knowledge, it is about creating an environment in which knowledge can be nurtured. The catchphrase for this development is communities of practice in which businesses strive to understand the ways people interconnect to ensure the most natural and effective exchange of knowledge.
This evolution is well demonstrated in the other articles of this issue. Heather Robinson of Bevan Ashford and Paul Bartelings of Holland Van Gijzen examine the culture of KM within their firms – the role of knowledge managers and the management board in supporting knowledge- sharing activities across the firm. Most importantly, the authors provide a very solid case for KM as a firm-wide phenomenon in which the firm acts as a community, using its collective knowledge to improve business and the working lives of its individuals.
This issue also includes a profile on Pannone & Partners, a firm that has made significant developments in its use of technology. Six years ago, its fee earners didn’t even have computers on their desks. Six years later, they are using case and matter management, an effective firm-wide intranet, and voice recognition. It is not an unusual tale of law-firm development but it does highlight a fact missed by many commentators. Law firms are making huge advances in their use of technology and in their business-development strategies as a whole. They are still, however, derided for missing opportunities and being behind the times. When you look at how far so many firms have come, it seems to be a harsh judgement on firms that actually seem to be prepared to take some real risks to reap the rewards of future profitability.
Caroline Poynton
Editor
Features
Viral knowledge: A new era for KM
Knowledge-management professionals have seen KM pass from a technology solution for managing information to a form of intellectual capital for business profitability. Today, KM is about creating an environment in which knowledge is nurtured. Kim Sbarcea, director of knowledge networks at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, examines the progress of KM, looking particularly at communities of practice to increase learning, collective action and the sharing of experiences.
B-LeGal: A BLG case study on its Martini know-how system
Barlow Lyde & Gilbert (BLG) celebrated the start of 2003 with an upgraded know-how system: B-LeGal. BLG’s head of knowledge management Claire Harradine, and IT Director Brian Powell, describe the challenges the IT team and the professional support lawyers faced in the B-LeGal development process. In particular, they look at the business rationale for upgrading the know-how system, the firm’s requirements, the IT architecture options and the benefits of the new system.
Overcoming resistance to a KM culture
Successful knowledge management is a firm-wide phenomenon. It is characterised by a sharing and learning environment reinforced by the active involvement of management, fee-earners and support departments. Heather Robinson, head of information services at Bevan Ashford, assesses how far the firm has achieved its KM goal and how professional support lawyers in particular have helped in developing a knowledge culture that wins and retains clients.
Making the most of your firm’s know-how
Effective knowledge management is an internal and external challenge. Lawyers must be trained to integrate knowledge sharing into their day-to-day practices. Similarly, law firms must tailor their KM programmes to the needs of their clients and the nature of their practice. Paul Bartelings, know-how manager at Holland Van Gijzen, assesses the effective implementation and use of KM in the national and international arena.
Looking through the corporate portal: A case study of e-strategy at Eversheds
In January 2001, Eversheds decided to develop a range of online services for clients that would move the firm away from the piecemeal services it had previously offered. Kevin Doolan, partner and head of e-strategy, and Nick Williams, associate and e-business manager, describe the client-led project, which also catered for the knowledge-management needs of the firm.
Law firm profile: Pannone & Partners. Making the most of technology?
Many law firms have invested considerable sums in their IT systems, but how many are truely satisfied with the results? Caroline Poynton talks to Joy Kingsley, managing partner, and David Griffiths, IT director at Pannone & Partners, about their technology and how it has supported the ongoing strategy of the firm.
KM: Now the hype is over, is it worth the investment?
For over six years, knowledge management has been an important issue for business leaders –but business success is still very mixed. John Kay, member of the management team at PA Consulting, examines why so many firms are still struggling to get it right and how they might overcome the obstacles to enjoy a more rewarding KM future.
Regulars
Interview: Tim Stubbs, partner, Salans
In 2000, Tim Stubbs had completed six years managing the Russian, St Petersburg office of Salans. He spent the next two years working in house with one of the firm’s clients, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Redevelopment (EBRD). Caroline Poynton talks to him about the experience, what he learned and why other senior lawyers might consider a similar move.
