Finally, attendees were asked, “Who is pushing your organization to explore solutions related to “Big Data?”
Responses were mainly even across the answers.
The IT department is a driver 14% of the time, a lower number than in the past, from my experience. For years IT has been the driver of the majority of law firm technology initiatives. While many projects use technology, all are not IT Department projects. Most are business projects and best lead by that part of the business – with IT in a co-leadership role, from initial conception and not just, “We’ve decided to do this, and here’s the system we want you, IT, to implement.” (But that’s a topic for another day, namely: “Why IT projects fail.”)
It’s great to see the people that are closest to a process or problem driving change. Is this in part because more firms are now using professionally trained and experienced business executives in all areas of law firm management? I think its part that and part the New Reality with more focus on good business practices. But don’t forget the IT team! Your firm’s CIO and technology organization should also bring ideas and vision and be one of the leaders in moving the firm forward.
Thinking about or confused by “Big Data” hype and how it may impact your firm?
Don’t worry about “Big Data.” Be concerned about your business and focus on metric driven decision making to solve business and process problems that need tackling, regardless of whether they involve large or moderate amounts of data. Then choose the appropriate analysis and tools to achieve results.
A quick note before I leave for today… I attended the last session of the conference, which is usually the “kiss of death” as far as attendance. While it was not on Big Data, it did have big interest, with 126 people sticking around for a highly engaged discussion. The topic? Security Policies and Procedures: Why You Need Them and How to Decide Which Ones Matter Most.
What’s your cyber and information security posture, and mindset? More on this increasingly critical topic in the near future.
—Doug Caddell
