7 Keys of a Digital Transformation Plan of a Legal Department. Phase by Phase

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Digital transformation is a comprehensive process that involves integrating digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how it operates and delivers value to its customers. This process is not just about implementing new technologies, but also a cultural transformation that requires organizations to continually challenge

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1.     Define/ know the strategy aliened with the Corporate strategy plan:

·       Control the information and data

·       Compliance

·       Efficiency; Delivery (time and quality) & Internal customer satisfaction. Costs 

·       All 

 

2.     Diagnostic phase: 

Identify the headcount: all the headcount is correctly part of Legal? Are the people included in Legal Budget but they shouldn’t? review this country by country with HR and finance corporate and local teams 

Identify which team/country has the highest impact to the business and budget?

Set priorities and identify which country will be focus and model of your transformation digital plan

Meet with the team and show you are someone that will help them to improve and make better their way of living. This is a very critical approach. I do not recommend a management from the imposition, at least at the beginning. A management from the help and support will make the things easier to move on

Identify who will be your local partner from the team, country by country, during all this process

Know the team responsibilities, tasks and process end to end 

 

3.     Identification of initiatives: traditional and digitals

Traditional: 

o  Simplify the organization

o  Centralize or consolidate the team at a local central office. Common services located where lower costs

o  Process Optimization 

o  Sourcing and outsourcing model: negotiate external fees with a competitive process

o  Improvement of capabilities

 

Digitals: 

o  AI - Automatization:

Extreme automatization: chatbots, robotic automatic process

Process automatization end to end. Self-service toll

AI - Advanced Analytic or Machine Learning to improve the decision making

o  Digitalization:   

Collaborative tools and knowledge repositories

Interactive channels with customers/suppliers: smart workflows

Innovation development of new services and new ways of working 

 

o  Identify initiatives to improve our efficiency, scalability, speed of response and satisfaction of our internal client

o  taxonomies of functions and processes that cover the entirety of your current action

o  draw up a reliable baseline that includes FTEs and costs by function and process

o  Think out of the box in solutions for process improvements and/or control, digitalization, and automatization

 

4.     Look at your IT Department or vendors solutions. Other areas are already working on solutions that may be helpful with your plan. IT department may develop tools that attend Legal Department requirements 

 

5.     Have the support of your Purchase Department to find the best market prices and technical solution

 

6.     Make a business case for each initiative. Including the ambition, current costs, investments, efficiency and savings 

 

7.     Execute and follow your business plan reporting the results and success 

 

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