A white paper from Kiersted/Systems discusses whether a law department should replace or restore its matter management system. After a page or two on the total costs incurred by a law department when it replaces its current MMS, the white paper makes a controversial claim: “You will save up to 90 percent of the cost of a new solution by tuning up your existing application.” The paper does not back up this claim, but it adds some other arguments for rejuvenation over retirement. The former is quicker and less expensive than selection and implementation of new software and you can spend your time improving processes, instead of getting stuck on learning the new system itself. Finally, an overhaul might include adding or customizing new features and capabilities.
All in all, this white paper makes an important point: before you chuck your matter management system, give some thought to improving it and the processes around it. Perhaps the face-lift will look good, save time and money, and meet most of your needs.