The initial expense can easily pay for itself. It's also smart to test drive the software first. Calif. Regarding what firms are going to be looking at throughout 2000, Shultz says time keeping and billing are barely on the radar screen. Because everything in time and billing is date-related, firms had to make sure their systems were adequate for Y2K purposes. So a lot of whatever firms would have invested in time and billing has already been done.
People are desperate for a new solution.
A new firm would be able to get up and running quickly. Instead of setting up software and customizing the program, it could simply use a Web site. Lawyers, however, might be reluctant to use an ASP because of concerns about the potential loss of confidentiality, Shultz adds. They are right to be concerned and should ask questions about confidentiality and how and where the data is stored. By now it should be clear that selecting and implementing a time and billing system requires substantial effort.