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The legal profession could be lagging behind in digital transformation according to a survey which showed only 54 per cent of firms describe themselves as having ‘gone digital’ – and a third cannot access data quickly.

The survey, commissioned by Crown Records Management, sought to build a picture of digital transformation in the UK and to find out where companies sat on their digital journey.

The results indicate the legal sector is struggling to keep up with other sectors.

As many as 50 per cent in the sector say they plan to speed up their digital journey because of the pandemic – and the stats show why.

They key results revealed:

∙       Only 54 per cent in the legal sector view their department as having already ‘gone digital’. This was lower than in other sectors – the figure was 92 per cent in retail, 92 per cent in insurance, 88 pe cent in healthcare.

∙       68 per cent have not digitised visitor management, 48 per cent do not have digitised invoice management, 60 per cent don’t have a digital records management system, 54 per cent have not digitised the HR department, and 52 per cent have not digitised contract management.

  • Only 30 per cent are very confident that they know what data is being stored in IT systems across the business, with only 34 per cent very confident that any file they need can be accessed quickly.
  • Only 26 per cent are planning digital transformation in the next 12 months to cope with the new normal, compared to 43 per cent in the public sector, 46 per cent in the insurance industry and 42 per rent in retail.

Antony Biondi, Head of ECM at Crown Records Management, said: “The survey showed that businesses across the country are planning to speed up their digital transformation as a result of the pandemic, and that includes the legal sector.

“However, the appetite for change appears to be lower in the legal profession than in other business sectors – and that should be a concern.

“The fact that less than a third are confident they know what data is being stored and similar numbers fear that data cannot be accessed quickly sums up how valuable Enterprise Content Management (ECM) systems could be in making their lives simpler and more efficient.”

There are signs, however, that the legal sector is waking up to digital solutions.

As well as half planning to up the pace of digital change, 58 per cent say the pandemic has made the C-Suite in their business recognise the importance of digital transformation.

Antony added: “This is lower than some other sectors – the figure in retail was 90 per cent and in healthcare 78 per cent for instance – but it is still significant. It shows that the legal sector is ready for change.”