Automation has Proven Useful in Many Legal Circumstances
"If we use automation in the legal field, there will be no more jobs for lawyers." That statement is entirely false. Throughout my time at MSU Law and through my employment experiences, I have been lucky to be introduced to automation tools that enhance the practice of law.
One of the capstone projects in my Litigation, Data, Theory and Analysis class was to create a workflow using ThinkSmart, an automation tool. Following that project, I was given an opportunity to continue to enhance my knowledge and skills of automation through my job as an Innovation Intern for Elevate Services. I wanted to use this blog post to explore some of the lessons learned throughout both experiences.
The use of automation does not displace lawyers, it actually enhances the job that lawyers do. I am by no means an expert on automation, but with my previous experience, I have learned a few lessons about automation in legal settings. If you have a law firm or business where do you start automating?
Start Simple.
Start with a process that is simple. Think about tasks that are tedious in nature and require minimal thought on behalf of the employees executing that process. There are two options when choosing a topic to automate. First, automate the entire process. Second, find pain points in a larger process to automate pieces of that process. However, make sure not to be too quick to jump to the end goal.
Map Out the Process.
Before jumping into the excitement of finalizing an automation project, sit down with a pencil and sticky notes and map out the current state of the process. If you were to automate pieces of a process, then with that current state map you would be to indicate pain points in the process that are ripe for innovation and automation. Part of mapping out the process is breaking the process down into each individual piece of the puzzle that creates the overall task. This allows for each step to be examined as a benefit or detriment to the process.
Next, plan for the future. Map out the future state process to demonstrate the process after automation. This allows for the team to determine what the process will eventually become. This keeps the team focused and on track to the goal that they will achieve through the automation.
Prepare.
Prepare yourself by watching videos and clips of how the tool works
before starting the automation process. This will get you off on the right foot to start automating. Play with the tool and test out the features so that you know how it works before creating your workflow.
Automate.
Now it is time to rev up your engines and start the automation process. Allow yourself to take breaks during the creation of the forms and workflow. The task can seem extremely daunting at first until you get used to the tool that you are using. Stepping away from the automation allows you to come back without the frustration of learning a new tool and could enhance the workflow by filling in the missing pieces.
Ask Questions.
Use the resources made available to you from the tool. If you get stuck at a certain point, make sure to simply ask the question of the contact services offered by company that owns the tool. They want you to succeed so that you will continue to use the tool. Most times, the answer is a simple one that will get you back on track and help you learn more about the tool.
Test, Test, Test.
After the automation is complete, it is necessary to test the workflow multiple times to account for any hiccups in the process. Have someone else that has not worked on the automation test the workflow or get in teams of people to be assigned to the various roles to test the workflow.
Again, I am not an expert on automation, however, these are the lessons I have taken away from automating processes for a short time. After the benefits of automation are clear to the team, the buy-in from other members who may have once been skeptical will start to unfold.
Next to come... What are the benefits of automation?
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