“As a large company, we use three systems for tracking and managing matters. There is a [commercial] legal software system, a Lotus-based system, and a homegrown system. We also overlay the use of Excel for tracking spending by division, by matter and by other indicators.” This eyebrow-raising admisssion comes from the LexisNexis CounselLink study, entitled “Effects of the Current Economic Downturn on U.S. Law Departments” 2009 at 12.
Surveyors usually presume a single matter management system per department, but as the example shows, it is quite possible to have more. Legacy systems still online, overlapping systems in acquired business units, and specialized applications can swell the number (See my post of Aug. 5, 2008: matter management systems with 35 references.).