Looking ahead to a decade where technology will define success, Zahn Nel has highlighted the essential steps law firms must take to position themselves for growth and maintain a competitive edge.
Speaking on a recent episode of LawTech Talks, Zahn Nel, Actionstep regional vice president in Australia and New Zealand, outlined the key steps law firms must take to implement technology effectively to prepare for a decade in which success will hinge on how effectively they leverage it.
In the same episode, he explored the persistent challenge many firms face in turning ideas into reality and shared insights on how to flip the script – transforming concepts and plans into tangible outcomes that actually get executed.
Rather than being defined by age, size, or prestige as it has been historically, Nel recalled a statement he strongly agrees with, that the firms likely to thrive in the coming years are those that embrace digital maturity.
“The firms that will win in the next decade won’t be the biggest or the oldest, but they’ll be the most digitally mature. That’s quite an interesting statement, and I think that’s the reality of it,” he said.
Nel explained that for firm owners, digital maturity is less about the tools themselves and more about a firm’s readiness to use technology strategically, aligning its people, processes, and platforms to deliver better results under today’s competitive pressures.
“For me, digital maturity basically means how ready your firm is to use technology to drive performance and client outcomes. That’s where I think is the best way to position it,” he said.
“It’s all about how your people, your processes and that technology are aligned to deliver under those pressures that we spoke about or the priorities that firms have. For me, that’s what digital maturity is.
For firm owners aiming to prepare for a decade where success depends on digital maturity but are unsure where to start, Nel recommended beginning with a foundational assessment of processes and identifying repetitive tasks.
“The very first step is assessing their current processes, identifying some repetitive tasks that they have, the bottlenecks, areas where they feel less lost revenue. That’s most probably the very, very first step that they need to take,” he said.
Rather than attempting a sweeping, year-long technology overhaul, Nel recommends starting with implementing tools that can deliver quick wins and immediate benefits for the firm.
“I feel like a lot of the time, firms look at a complete 12-month transformation project where they want to reinvent the wheel when there’s actually really great tools that you can do quick wins that you can implement within the firm,” he said.
Nel then advised that the next critical step is selecting the right technology platform, encouraging firms to choose solutions that are scalable, flexible, and capable of integrating seamlessly with existing systems.
“Then the next step is obviously choosing the right technology. Look for platforms that are scalable, flexible platforms that can integrate well, that can integrate potentially with your billing, your compliance and your reporting requirements,” he said.
Implementation, however, is just one part of the journey. Nel emphasised that measuring the impact of technology initiatives is essential, allowing firms to track key metrics, determine whether their investments are truly delivering value, and identify where adjustments are needed.
“Choose that technology, implement it and then measure it. So measure and improve. Track the time that you’ve saved, track whether you’ve improved your billing, track whether your client satisfaction scores have improved and then improve on it, and that’s a continuous cycle,” he said.
Zel cautioned firms embarking on this journey that implementing technology is rarely a “set-and-forget” solution.
Instead, he explained how true digital maturity is an ongoing process, requiring continual reassessment, refinement, and iterative cycles to drive meaningful, measurable improvements.
“A lot of times, firms think that technology is a set-and-forget. When we talk about digital maturity and technology adoption in general, it is a continuous journey; it’s not just a destination,” he said.
“That improve[ment] element is completely reassessing it. What can you do better? Then you start again, assess, prioritise, choose the right tool that’s going to help you measure it and improve.”
