23 questions to ask when evaluating a current or potential e-Billing solution
e-Billing is quickly becoming the technology of choice for legal departments – and for good reason. The solution acts as a system of record, enabling a legal team to efficiently manage the contacts and law firms a department works with, the projects each law firm is working on, and how much they are charging.
The data collected by legal e-Billing software further helps a legal department control spend and budget, and can be leveraged to inform decision making. The efficiencies and benefits gained from e-Billing are clear, but not all solutions are created equal. Like any enterprise technology, each provider offers a unique set of features and it’s up to your legal department to scope out your individual needs and find the solution that best fits your requirements.
Evaluating e-Billing Solutions
There have been many articles outlining what to look for in a potential e-Billing solution. We’ve even written a post to help you decide if you’re ready for an e-Billing solution if you’re not at the evaluation stage yet. But the one thing that’s rarely, if ever, mentioned as part of the evaluation criteria for a potential e-Billing solution is the ability for your vendors and law firms to easily adopt and use the system. They are, after all, a large and influential piece of the e-Billing equation.
It’s important to note that evaluation extends to current e-Billing technologies as well. When it comes to technology, regular evaluations are always encouraged to ensure you’re getting maximum return on investment.
The Overlooked Evaluation Questions
Asking your potential or current e-Billing provider the following 23 questions about how law firms interact with their e-Billing solution gives you the additional insight required for a truly comprehensive evaluation. For a copy of this list, download our guide on the 8 ways to evaluate e-Billing for law firm adoption.
Usability
- Do law firms need a lot of training to use the system?
- Is it easy for a law firm to sign up for an account?
- Do you help onboard and offer training to law firms?
- Are activities like adding a client or submitting an invoice intuitive?
Invoice Submission Process
- Can the vendor portal handle mass uploads?
- Do invoice uploads have an automatic pdf attachment?
- Does the vendor portal support LEDES and pdf format?
Insight into Payment Status
- How does e-Billing track invoices from submission to payment?
- What happens when legal needs additional information to process an invoice?
- Will law firms be notified if an invoice is rejected and / or paid?
Cost of Service
- Is there a cost for law firms to submit invoices?
- What are the monthly subscription fees?
- When might monthly subscription fees increase?
Dedicated Law Firm Support
- Do you provide support to law firms that submit invoices to us?
- Is there an additional cost for dedicated support for our law firms?
- Is there support coverage for law firms in other time zones?
- Is there documentation law firms can reference when they have questions?
Feedback
- What feedback have you gotten from your users?
- Are there examples of functionality that’s been added as the result of a law firm request?
- What kind of relationship do you have with law firms that use your system?
References (from other Law Firms)
- How many law firms use your system?
- How do law firm users rate your vendor portal over others?
- What features make your law firms’ lives easier?
Don’t Settle When it Comes to e-Billing
Legal technology like e-Billing has the potential to optimize and modernize legal operations, bring efficiencies to both your legal department and the vendors you work with, and provide you and your department with the valuable data you need to control, analyze, and predict spend. The one caveat? You must include and consider your vendors in your evaluations.
To help your legal department along in your e-Billing evaluations, we also have a guide outlining the 8 ways to evaluate e-Billing for law firm adoption. Download your free copy today!
