Question 1: What is process standardization?
Answer: Process standardization is a strategic initiative aimed at achieving consistency and uniformity across all organizational processes, but more specifically, the legal department being the focus here. By standardizing our internal processes and procedures, we can ensure a high level of service delivery, create efficiencies, optimize costs, and maximize benefits to our internal and external stakeholders. If done right, this can raise the profile of in-house lawyers and the legal department.
Once the process has been standardized, communicate the new process to your stakeholders via internal communication channels (i.e. newsletters, presentations to management/Executive committees) and legal roadshows. Roadshows are a great way to touch base with your stakeholders and let them know about new innovations in the legal space.
Question 2: What are some of the benefits an organization may derive from this initiative?
Answer: There are numerous benefits for organizations that are keen on ensuring their processes are standardized across the board. This initiative enables an organization to do the following, among others:
• Streamline processes, reducing inefficiencies and waste
• Improve quality and consistency in service delivery
• Enhance customer satisfaction and experience
• Increase productivity and efficiency
• Reduce costs and improve resource allocation
• Encourage continuous improvement and innovation
• Support scalability and growth
• Create a swift onboarding process for new joiners
• Quick go-to-market for the commercial teams
If standardization is done correctly, In-House Counsel/Legal Ops professionals will note that they will raise the profile of the legal department internally from “cost center” to “value creator.”
Question 3: How do you balance the need for process standardization with the need for flexibility and adaptability in a rapidly changing business environment?
Answer: One of the key qualities of a good in-house counsel and legal ops professional is that you must be agile and flexible. You must sit with the different internal teams (deal, marketing, sales, procurement, technical) to understand their pain points and come up with bespoke solutions for them. The reality is that even the best external counsel with industry expertise cannot know the internal workings and unspoken rules of your organization. Hence, as an in-house counsel, you must bring your full self and all your experiences to the table.
Given that efficiency and innovation often clash, striking the perfect harmony between standardization and flexibility (as I alluded to above) is the key to success. To achieve this, take a deep dive into your business. Try to understand your department’s processes, products, and services. Then, pinpoint areas where standardization shines, ensuring consistent quality and streamlined operations. However, do not neglect flexibility! It empowers you to adapt to ever-changing business environment needs and market trends, keeping you ahead of the curve. In essence, standardization is your engine of efficiency, while flexibility fuels your innovative spirit.
The interesting part is that it never ends. As such, you must continue to review and iterate based on feedback from your internal and external stakeholders.
Question 4: Now to one of your many passions, legal operations, how does legal operations intersect with process standardization?
Answer: Of course, legal operations and process standardization intersect in several keyways. First, the legal operations team must evaluate legal workflows and processes to find recurring tasks that can be standardized and even automated. This could involve contract review, NDA negotiation, or legal research for common issues. When these areas have been identified, the team can then proceed to develop standardized templates for these documents that can be deployed speedily. These documents will also prove handy for new joiners on the team.
Further, this process can also be extended to playbooks, FAQs, and processes for handling different legal matters. The goal is to outline best practices for handling these matters with the aim of reducing the time spent reinventing the wheel. It is, however, important for the legal operations team to stay abreast of evolving legal developments to ensure standardized processes comply with current laws and judicial precedents.
Finally, the legal operations team can track the effectiveness of standardized processes and identify areas for improvement. This may involve collecting data on turnaround times, error rates, and client satisfaction. By continuously refining processes, they ensure optimal efficiency. The above are some of the areas where legal operations and process standardization overlap.
Question 5: Implementing change can be a real challenge. When it comes to standardizing legal processes across different departments and teams, what specific obstacles do you encounter, considering the sector where you are currently operating?
Answer: Standardizing legal processes across different departments and teams in the telecommunications space can be particularly challenging due to the complex and rapidly evolving nature of the industry. Some of the biggest hurdles include:
• Coordinating with diverse teams, such as network operations, sales and marketing, information technology, enterprise business, and customer relations, each with its own unique processes and requirements.
• Keeping pace with the various regulatory changes in technology, regulations, and market conditions.
• Balancing the need for consistency and efficiency with the need for adaptability and innovation.
• Managing the sheer volume of agreements and other legal documents involved in telecommunications services.
• Ensuring compliance with a wide range of laws, regulations, and industry standards.
To overcome these challenges, it’s helpful to establish a Legal Operations and Business Partnering team, implement automated workflows and document management systems, and foster close collaboration and communication across departments and teams. The team also has the responsibility to act as a liaison between the legal team and non-legal teams/departments, which positions the legal department as a trusted business partner and strategic advisor.
Question 6: What metrics or KPIs do you use to measure the effectiveness of standardized legal processes?
Answer: There are many ways to measure the efficiency of process standardization.
One is through soliciting internal and external client feedback through surveys and direct engagements. This will reveal their satisfaction with the team's responsiveness, communication, and overall service delivery. It also provides an opportunity for alignment between the Legal Department and other departments on legal processes and procedures and the legal importance or impact on the business. Regular touchpoints or meetings help to create a smooth relationship between the parties. I always give the example of a technical colleague who, during a road show (i.e. feedback session with internal customers), highlighted that certain critical partners who had already undergone intensive due diligence before on-boarding should have a swifter contracting process. We engaged him further on this insightful feedback, and this led to a process improvement in the contracting space, which has created great efficiencies. I am a huge fan of roadshows because of cases such as this engagement with internal customers to feel their pulse and discuss ways to solve their challenges, all with the objective of making the business better.
Another method is cycle time. This is the measurement of turnaround time for requests. A quick resolution time indicates that the process for resolution is efficient. You can also measure efficiency through your team’s productivity. Are they able to handle increased tasks with the same or fewer resources?
Lastly, Legal Ops is a journey. By standardizing processes, you will streamline operations, foster innovation, and elevate the legal department from a cost center to a value creator. The long-term benefits are immense as you position the legal team as indispensable partners in driving the organization’s success. However, you must ensure you give yourself and your team grace as you navigate this new and improved path.