The primary reason that law firms continue to rely on legacy timekeeping software is the simple fear of trying something new. The secondary reason is that attorneys are simply misinformed about the risks and benefits of cloud-based providers. After all, outdated legacy timekeeping software often gives users more problems than perks.
The truth is that switching to a cloud-based timekeeping solution doesn’t have to be time-consuming, even if you’ve used a legacy timekeeping software for years. And the swap to a cloud-based solution doesn’t need to be difficult or disruptive to the daily business of your law firm.
Still, even young, tech-oriented attorneys and contemporary legal firms continue to get stuck in the past with timekeeping “solutions” that shrink their bottom line.
Why legal firms use desktop legacy software
Despite the extensive drawbacks, many law firms trudge slowly forward using cumbersome desktop legacy timekeeping software.
Primarily, many attorneys mistakenly believe that making the switch to a cloud-based solution is a drawn-out, disruptive, and time-consuming process that could lead to practice downtime and result in loss of revenue.
{{CALL OUT}} The idea of not being able to access current and past records does seem daunting—and there’s a lingering fear that modern cloud-based timekeeping platforms aren’t secure enough to meet the legal industry’s strict compliance standards.
Fortunately, these beliefs are verifiably false—especially when your legal firm chooses to optimize timekeeping with TimeSolv.
Perks of cloud-based timekeeping platforms
Exchanging your legacy software for a modern cloud-based solution comes with a number of important benefits for your firm.
Accessibility and security
While the outdated legacy timekeeping software of the past tend to be location-based due to server restrictions, cloud-based timekeeping platforms can be securely accessed at any time from any device, including tablets, smartphones, and laptops.
{{CALL OUT}} Modern cloud-based software also includes state-of-the-art security measures, including continuous threat monitoring, to ensure that data stays safe while in the cloud—so you don’t have to sacrifice security for convenience.
This broad, yet secure, accessibility is more convenient and cost-effective for your entire legal firm. In fact, it’s a necessity in a world where remote work is quickly becoming an industry standard.
Cost-effective IT services
Legacy timekeeping systems require an expensive, cumbersome server. Cloud-based timekeeping platforms don’t.
Though both options do require technical support, only legacy systems require onsite IT professionals to be on standby in case of system errors. The cost of this extra maintenance and staff is a consistent drain on practice revenue that only increases over time as the technology further becomes obsolete.
Even worse, the manufacturers of legacy software sometimes cut off technical support as newer versions of the software are released.
By contrast, cloud-based timekeeping platforms such as TimeSolv continuously monitor for and quickly manage technical issues offsite. This service costs your legal firm nothing and will not be revoked as the platform evolves.
A scalable solution
Ideally, your legal firm will continue to grow and expand over time. With that goal in mind, a timekeeping solution with upkeep costs that exponentially increase as you add additional team members to your firm would not be a wise investment. Yet many legacy timekeeping software options continue to charge additional costs for additional users. [Text Wrapping Break][Text Wrapping Break]Fortunately, a cloud-based solution is capable of evolving along with your firm’s needs without ever-evolving fees, whether there are three attorneys at your law firm or thirty.
Reliable back-ups
One of the most common concerns that attorneys express about modern timekeeping solutions is that billing and client data could accidentally become “lost in the cloud.” The irony of this concern is that storing timekeeping information on a local server leaves all of your data incredibly vulnerable to permanent loss via physical threats such as theft, fire, and flooding.
Cloud-based providers take extensive measures to back up all of your client and billing information. Cloud-based timekeeping software actually protects your firm from the catastrophic loss of physical or digital data.
How to migrate from a legacy timekeeping software to a cloud-based timekeeping and billing platform
With TimeSolv, there’s no need to dread or delay changing your timekeeping strategy. Even if you’ve accumulated decades worth of data, the data migration process with TimeSolv is smooth and can easily be completed in a timely manner. After all, as the only cloud-based timekeeping provider with over 20 years of experience managing data migration and conversion for law firms, we’ve perfected the process.
Typically, the transition to our modern, intuitive, cloud-based timekeeping platform can be completed in three simple stages:
- Preparation Stage
- Migration Stage
- Implementation Stage
Preparation stage
TimeSolv’s highly trained team of experts recognizes that maintaining continuous service for your clients is one of your top priorities. We begin the migration process by studying every technical feature of the timekeeping service your law firm currently uses. This knowledge is essential because it ensures we’re able to develop a migration and implementation plan specific to your unique firm’s needs and current timekeeping process.
We have the experience to know that interruptions don’t just decrease billable hours. They can also lead to lower client retention if left unchecked. With careful, detailed planning, we’re able to avoid interfering with your ability to serve your clients.
Transition stage
At the transition phase of the migration process, you’ll be faced with a choice: historical data migration or snapshot data migration. TimeSolv’s expert team can analyze your legal firm’s needs to help you decide.
Which method is more effective heavily depends on your current timekeeping software and the type of data that you’d like to migrate into TimeSolv’s platform. Either way, we’ll minimize any timekeeping downtime within your legal practice and identify any potential data inconsistencies and issues before they can negatively impact the daily function of your law firm.
Historical data migration
Our historical data migration process is an auto migration process, which can be completed in about 3 weeks. It features a controlled testing environment, which our experts will use to double-check that your data is accurate prior to going live with TimeSolv.
Snapshot data migration
Snapshot data migration happens via an import utility using Excel files, and as the name suggests, the process is quick as a snap. During this process, you’ll discuss your practice’s needs over the phone with an onboarding manager, including exactly which types of data you’d like to import into TimeSolv. To save time, the testing environment is skipped. We’ll implement the live version of TimeSolv straightaway instead.
Implementation stage
After all of your data has been securely and accurately transferred, a TimeSolv onboarding expert will assist you (and your entire legal team) in learning how to use our timekeeping platform most effectively. We believe that providing this hands-on training and accompanying resources is the very best way to make sure our customers are utilizing all of the features TimeSolv has to offer and get a satisfactory return on their investment.
However, additional and refresher training is always available. Our library video tutorials and U.S.-based email and phone support options will remain available to you as long as your practice is using TimeSolv. This can be especially handy when new attorneys join your legal team.
Start your free TimeSolv trial today
As you can see, implementing a cloud-based timekeeping platform is nowhere near as disruptive to a thriving, growing legal firm as continuing to stay stuck in the past with expensive and ineffective legacy timekeeping software.
Customer service is a key value in our business. We’ve leveraged our extensive legal software experience and continual technological innovation to make the transition from server-based to cloud-based timekeeping as smooth, secure, and seamless as possible.
Start your free TimeSolv trial today to learn more about how our timekeeping and billing software can help your firm increase efficiency and grow your bottom line.