Creating Clarity Before Choosing Technology
Client Profile: Mid-sized Canadian law firm with multiple practice areas, complex billing structures, and a legacy practice management environment.
The Challenge
The firm knew its systems were holding it back, but like many firms, it was unclear exactly what needed to change. Over time, disconnected tools, manual workarounds, and inconsistent system adoption had become normal. Teams were working hard, but effort was being absorbed by inefficiency rather than progress. Leadership recognized that selecting a new practice management system was inevitable, yet there was concern about repeating past experiences, choosing software based on features rather than fit, and absorbing cost and disruption without meaningful improvement.
What the firm needed first was not a product demo, but clarity.
The Approach
A comprehensive Business Process Review was conducted across all major departments, including Intake, Legal Operations, Billing, Accounting, Marketing, IT, and Practice Leadership. Rather than starting with technology, the review focused on how work actually moved through the firm, where it slowed, where it broke down, and where people were compensating manually for system limitations.
Through structured interviews, workflow mapping, and analysis of pain points, the review translated day-to-day frustrations into concrete findings: duplicated data entry, document fragmentation, billing delays, trust accounting risk, reporting blind spots, and uneven adoption driven by usability gaps. Just as importantly, it surfaced the firm’s culture, readiness for change, and what professionals needed in order to succeed with a new system.
The Outcome
By the end of the engagement, the firm had a shared, objective understanding of its current state, free from assumptions and vendor influence. The Business Process Review delivered:
A clear definition of what the firm is truly trying to fix
A prioritized list of must-have and nice-to-have system requirements grounded in real workflows
Success measures and KPIs tied directly to productivity, revenue, client service, and risk reduction
Insight into change readiness and the level of structure required for successful adoption
Most importantly, the firm moved from “we know our system isn’t working” to “we know exactly what a new system must do, and what it does not need to do.”
The Next Step
Armed with this clarity, the firm is now positioned to evaluate practice management systems from a place of confidence rather than pressure. Instead of being led by feature lists or sales demonstrations, leadership can assess platforms against defined requirements that reflect how the firm actually operates. This ensures that the next system selected is not just modern, but purposeful, supporting efficiency, reducing risk, and improving the day-to-day experience of the firm’s professionals.
Why This Matters
Technology decisions made without this foundation often lead to unnecessary complexity, wasted investment, and change fatigue. This engagement allowed the firm to slow down at the right moment—so it can move forward with speed, focus, and intention.
ABOUT SYNC CONSULTING
We are a legal technology company specializing in the implementation and optimization of financial and practice management systems. We work with law firms across the world to ensure that they are getting the most out of their systems while simplifying the process.
