Canadian Lawyer

w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m M A Y 2 0 1 8 19 munication, training, adoption and ongo- ing maintenance and improvement. Product management requires the following core functions: • Be user-focused They must act as a bridge between the users of the law firm's tools, the vendor and their development teams. The prod- uct manager needs to listen and engage with users and translate both their wishes and annoyances into insights for future improvements. These interactions involve sitting down with users of the tools to watch how they use them, listening to what they say and what they don't say. They need to be highly attuned to any friction encountered. They need to have empathy to experience what the user is experienc- ing. These kinds of insights can lead to discoveries of the new and innovative by truly understanding where the pain points in processes exist. A good product manager is happy scribbling potential prototypes on paper as a way of visualizing alternative user paths or interfaces in the tool. Paper prototyping allows lawyers and product managers to quickly mock up simple representations of wish lists and recommendations in visual form and then pass those on to the ven- dors for future development. As law firms' internal teams get more adept at understanding what lawyers need and don't need from the tech, they can avoid wasting their time on the cute-but- useless or the cute-but-not-ready-for- prime-time apps that pass their way. • Be evidence-based As any student of the lean startup method will tell you, building ongoing improve- ments require us to measure how users are currently using the product and not just relying on anecdote. Pulling usage analyt- ics and studying these numbers can create insights into future product development. It also allows product managers to identify training needs and gaps in awareness and communication. These numbers can also help expose where users might be encoun- tering frustrations in the journey and at what point they abandon the product. Data-driven decision-making is a pow- erful tool for product managers to use in their feedback to vendors in working out future needs and development of products. Understanding how a tool or system is used and at what points during a file helps develop a more intuitive internal journey for lawyers. And as more and more apps come online that attempt to simplify and organize practices, the more internal teams need to create intuitive journeys and inter- faces in which to house them all. • Be communication-obsessed Creating awareness across a firm about the benefits of any new tool or system is a marathon, not a sprint. And it is just the first step on any adoption life cycle journey. For those in marketing, the need for communication and repeated communication is a fundamental prin- ciple. Marketing's "Rule of 7" states that it takes seven "touches" before someone will internalize and/or act upon your call to action. I find this a useful princi- ple to remember. A single email setting out the benefits of a new technology sent to the entire firm is just not going to capture the interest or imagination of enough users to justify the invest- ment. Communications need to target the lawyers who will benefit the most at a time when they are the most recep- tive. This requires us to have a tool kit of methods and media at our disposal. A product manager will use a combina- tion of these tools to learn how best to build the awareness and interest needed to persuade lawyers to try out the new technology being piloted and explore the efficiencies created. There has never been a more excit- ing time to be a part of this profession. Along with the product manager, Rich- ard Susskind has introduced eight new legal positions in his book Tomorrow's Lawyers (including the legal risk man- ager and the legal knowledge engineer). Whether on the practising or operations side of the law, these roles and others will shape the next generation of legal services. Kate Simpson is national director of knowledge management at Bennett Jones LLP and is responsible for developing the firm's KM strategy and initiatives. Opin- ions expressed are her own. IT NEEDS TO BE SOMEONE'S RESPONSIBILITY TO SHAPE AND MANAGE A PRODUCT'S ROLLOUT INTERNALLY AND FOCUS ON THE INEVITABLE ONGOING DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT REQUIRED TO REMAIN RELEVANT TO ITS USERS. It's time to rank… THE TOP 10 CORPORATE AND IMMIGRATION BOUTIQUES Complete the survey online at canadianlawyermag.com/surveys and make your picks. SURVEY IS OPEN UNTIL JUNE 9 th Untitled-3 1 2018-04-23 9:10 AM

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