IT discontent 'fuelled by mistrust' - survey

A culture of mistrust between IT professionals and law firms' business chiefs has contributed to the finding that half of firms feel let down by the benefits delivered by technology, research has suggested.

The survey of 20 top firms by management consultancy Boxwood Technology showed that half were also concerned about a gap between IT and corporate elements within their firms, which led to the exclusion of IT when formulating overall business strategies.

Poor communication and lack of understanding between IT professionals and corporate heads was a major problem; IT decision-makers complained that their input was misunderstood, with one claiming that it was a bad idea to involve partners in IT decisions because they would 'mess it up'.

Non-IT staff, meanwhile, suggested that the 'techies' were on a frolic of their own - as opposed to focusing on business or user needs - when it came to developing systems.

Respondents said they were putting an average of 6% of their budgets into IT, but less than a quarter had a way of measuring the return on their investment.

However, half said they were dissatisfied with the benefits they received.

But Derek Southall, head of strategic development at Birmingham firm Wragge & Co, said he was surprised by the results as he had witnessed vast improvements over the past five years.

'Most firms have moved on and there is a lot more alignment between the legal technology and business sides,' he argued.

'The relationship between the two is working better than ever before.'

Mr Southall said the key to smooth working was focusing on client expectations when developing IT and appointing a staff member to bridge the gap between the IT and legal objectives of the firm.

Paula Rohan