This assumption can be elaborated in five challenging obstacles:

• In South Africa, as in many other countries, courts are still, to a large extent, paper-based

• A law firm tends to be a combination of individual practitioners working together, each with their own method and approach

• Law Firms normally distribute all profits at the end of the year to the firm’s lawyers. Requirements for investments in technology need to be agreed to by all partners in the budget process at the beginning of the year. Since the capital expenditure would affect all of their pockets, getting agreement is often a tedious process
• The transactional nature of interactions between a specific law firm partner and their clients tends to foster a relationship only with the partner rather than a long-term relationship with the firm as a whole

• Since lawyers usually charge clients for their time, digitally-driven procedures are time-saving, allowing better productivity and the ability to bill more time spent

A top-down organisational initiative

In this case the change entailed the introduction of an electronic Document Management System in a law firm in Johannesburg. It was mandated by top management who, in a combined effort with the Change Manager, decided to avoid a tout-court formal Change Management process and to gradually introduce elements of change methodology in the different aspects of the system.

Out of 140 people impacted by change:

• some displayed some slight resistance to digitalization  
• some did not use the system as they should
• those who used it properly saw a big change in productivity

Barrier Points VS Driving Forces

Despite a few constraints, a number of people in the firm ended up with the desire to move toward a more efficient way of, for example, searching for documents more quickly and spending their time more productively.

This was one of the most effective driving forces that led the firm to embrace the change, because showing is always better.

It is in Change and Top Managers’ best interest create ‘internal social proof’ for change. This ensures people feel supported, involved and part of the team. In this way they will naturally spread the word and provide real and tangible evidence that helps change the traditional culture. Show and tell is a key factor and it is based on collaboration.

What comes after the first change? After one change, the second is just around the corner

After realising – even to a small extent – what digitalizing means in terms of being productive, competitive and more strategic, the firm in Johannesburg is ready to go next level: improving Client Relationship and Experience Management but also applying a more formal change management approach, possibly by training an internal person.