Local authority in-house legal departments often find themselves thrown in at the deep end when it comes to selecting IT systems. However, Charles Kerry, the solicitor to Chester City Council, has devised a five-point plan which he used to good effect in a recent procurement exercise. While some of these elements may seem to be stating the obvious, they are nevertheless overlooked far too often during the purchase process.

  • Know what you want before you even speak to a supplier - if you have a clear idea of what you need your IT systems to do, then you are on your way to being a good customer. The switched-on supplier will immediately be able to focus on the most relevant solution, and thus avoid time-wasting distractions. Confusion about what you want can expose you to purchasing software that you will never need, never use and never see a return on.


  • Do not decide merely on the back of a demonstration. Demonstrations are useful to a degree, in that they give you a convenient means of comparing functionality, interfaces, usability and the people selling you the system. But a demonstration is effectively a controlled presentation of what the supplier wants to show you. You really need to see a system used in anger to help you decide whether it is the one for you. So visit the reference sites and look and learn. Ask about users' real-life experiences, the issues around implementation and day-to-day usage, the plus points, the negatives, and the lessons they have taken on board.


  • Get everyone on board at the earliest opportunity - making a decision as to which system you require is only the beginning. A successful deployment is part technical, part process, part people. You rely on your supplier for a smooth roll-out, but getting people to accept innovation and a new way of doing things is down to you. Make a new system a joint, collective enterprise and you seriously improve your chances of universal positive adoption.


  • Invest time and resources to get maximum returns on your investment. It is easy to underestimate the time, effort and commitment it takes to get things just as you want them. The customer needs to take an active role as the systems are phased in.


    • Mr Kerry says: 'At Chester, we have a project team that meets every week to discuss progress and issues, thereby maintaining a good momentum and pre-empting any problems.


    'Extensive training has also been arranged to ensure users know how to get the best out of the system. [They] know that, if they work the system to its full potential, the results will have a hugely positive impact on departmental performance.'


  • Lead by example. 'We deliberately have a number of senior figures on the project team', Mr Kerry says. 'As time is precious and we have our own jobs to do, the fact we devote so many hours each week to making the IT deployment work says a lot to our colleagues about how we view things.' Gaining buy-in from others is much easier when they can see senior personnel taking a lead and taking the time and trouble to make it work.



    • Charles Christian is an independent adviser to the Law Society's Software Solutions guide