TL; DR: User research methods were used to determine the best document management system for the law firm.
Research Method - Interview & Usability Study
Seven lawyers in total were interviewed for the purposes of this project. Four key preliminary questions were established in order to guarantee that the interview progressed as needed:
How do you access your files and client folders?
How do you access and save correspondence?
How do you send documents to other lawyers and/or clients?
What is the most frustrating part of the technology as you see it today?
The questions were framed to address the main tasks that lawyers do in a typical day. They were also drafted using general language to avoid any bias on the part of the interviewer.
The interviews were conducted over Microsoft Teams, and the users were encouraged to share their screens in order to show the interviewer their click paths and general user experience. It was essential that the nature of the work (i.e. tax law vs another type of law) informed the final product that was chosen.
Synthesizing the Data
Once the interviews were completed, the findings were organized into 4 key areas.
Secondary Research - Understanding the Market
After market research was conducted, two software companies in particular were isolated as potential fits for BTL: netdocuments and iManage. Walkthroughs were done with each of the companies’ representatives, and a final decision was taken.