Human value as a key factor in law firm software choice

12
May
2022

Miriam Peñafiel

Businesses are increasingly looking for technology and software providers. Most companies use many SaaS (Software as a Service) tools to streamline and improve their processes but sometimes suffer to find the right solution. In an environment where technological tools are increasingly abundant in all sectors, it is essential to go one step further and seek human quality behind the technology to find the right partner.

SaaS providers help with contract management, process automation, reporting and, well, almost everything else. If you are looking for a SaaS to help you with some of your business activities you are probably attending demos, examining websites to compare functionalities, and reviewing the small print of different service proposals. However, experience has taught me that features and prices are important, but are not the only factors to consider. 

Factors to consider when choosing software

1. My first suggestion is to validate that onboarding services are included in the price. Unless you are subscribing to a very simple product, I recommend you make sure that you can count on high-quality onboarding, which should include, at least, guided setup and configuration, training tailored to the different functions and a dedicated project manager.

Ideally, it should cover technical support too if you plan to develop integrations with your third-party applications. This will save you time, facilitate the learning curve and prevent user frustration.

2. Secondly, check out the quality of their support services. You can't ask a salesperson about that, can you? None of them will tell you that they offer poor customer service. Instead, you can ask if they have a support chat. If they do, the chances of getting your questions answered in a timely manner are much higher.

I also suggest you check user reviews on Google or Capterra, for example. Do they mention customer service? Are they happy with it? Review the Terms and conditions on their website and look for details on customer service conditions. It won’t take you long and the effort will pay off.

3. Be curious to know how the company collects customer feedback: Is there a place to suggest improvements and new features, do they send out product satisfaction surveys, and do they measure customer satisfaction with their support service? This should help you gauge their interest in listening to your opinion and improving their product and services.

4. Finally, ask the supplier for a list of updates made to their platform in the last 12 months. This information will tell you how far their platform is evolving to stay current and competitive and will help you to identify if innovation is a core value of the company's team. This will allow you to choose a service that grows with your business. Don’t forget that once all your data is there, it may be difficult to migrate to another provider in the future.

If companies continually strive to have the best teams, they must also ensure that their suppliers do so and that they provide the best customer service. In addition to offering the functionalities you are looking for, the software you choose must bring to the table attentive people, a team that cares about you and your goals.

In my experience as COO, I can conclude that achieving great results is much easier when you work hand in hand with great, hard-working and close people who understand your needs 100% and are determined to help you succeed.