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GAZETTE
JULY/AUGUS
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1982
6. Don't sign a vendor's standard contract.
Contrary to popular belief, vendors will negotiate
contracts. The contract should be compre-
hensive, covering such items as payment
s chedu l e s, acceptance tests, expans i on
capabilities and the like. See Chapter 19 of LAW
OFFICE AUTOMATION AND TECH-
NOLOGY for a thorough discussion of
negotiating computer contracts.
7. Don't buy a computer that performs data
processing and word processing on the same
system if you require the best of both worlds.
Typically, major vendors who have developed
both functions, have developed one as an "add-
on" to help sell the system. Even though some of
the systems have become quite sophisticated, the
secondary function, in most cases, continues to
be a step-child. In the case of microcomputers,
many of the software packages available are
extremely rudimentary and less acceptable to the
requirements of law firms.
8. Don't expect a computer to solve administrative
problems. If lawyer compliance and the state of
administrative systems is poor, then installation
of a system will not necesarily improve either,
and quite likely will only cause additional
problems.
9. Don't acquire a system that does not have the
capability of supporting multiple terminals. If
you wish to do more than one function, you will
need the capacity for multiple terminals.
10. Don't expect the vendor to be of much assistance
once the system is installed, no matter what
promises are made prior to the sale. The
economics of commission structures and profit
margins in the smaller marketplace require
purchasers to rely upon themselves and not
vendors.
It is estimated by some that computer technology
will change at a 25% compounded rate annually,
during the next decade. Given this assumption,
computer technology will change 100% in less than
three years. This rapidity of change makes selection
of a computer system a difficult task for most firms.
The dos and don'ts, if heeded, will improve your
chances of selecting and implementing a system that
will meet your requirements. Additional information
is available through periodicals such as
Legal
Economics, Law Office Economics and Management
and the Altman &Weil
Report to Legal Management,
or through attendance at seminars presented by bar
organi zat i ons, the Association of Legal
Administrators, and some management consulting
firms.•
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