CMS Readiness Report
for
Smith & Jones LLP
by Connie Crosby
APRIL 11, 2009
Course assignment: PLC 8010-09W1
Information Management Analyses
Instructor: Janet de Guzman

The fine print:
The following presentation was created for the course
“Information Management Analyses” in the Information
Management program at the Professional Learning Centre,
Faculty of Information, University of Toronto. We were limited
to using 12 or fewer slides (or I would have used many more!)
The law firm Smith & Jones LLP and the scenario presented
are fictitious. Any similarities to an existing law firm are purely
coincidental and unintended.

[the background]
• one office Toronto-based law firm
• 110 lawyers
• want to attract best articling students
• need to retain existing associates
• busy busy support staff
• first generation intranet These last two could
mean trouble!

[the challenge]
• intranet difficult to update
• one staff member responsible for updating
• not being updated enough
• lawyers not using the intranet
• associates & articling students demanding
more!

[the solution]
Intranet Content Management System:
• updating intranet • goal: more content
easier, faster
• goal: better content
• more staff can update
• goal: current content
• workload can be
spread across more
people
Are you
ready?!?

[the approach]
• selected lawyers & staff interviewed
• managing partners, directors & managers
consulted
• business processes reviewed
• policies examined
• technologies assessed yes, but
are you
• staff skill sets evaluated ready?

[the findings]
• new IT & HR managers are making changes
• support from lawyer Management Board & partnership
• IT team dedicated to new tech implementations exists
• new document management system - implemented 2
months ago
• staff experiencing problems & frustration with DMS
• CMS not yet selected; short list from DMS vendor
• no intranet co-ordinator designated

[analyses & conclusions]
• good buy-in & support from upper management
• dedicated IT staff is ready for this next step
• other staff is not ready getting close, but work
• to be done!
technology needs to be selected
• intranet coordinator needs to be brought in
• plan for governance involving staff needed
• communication plan needed
• document new business processes

[conclusion - key concerns]
governance
needs addressing
employee morale low
- change overload!
...and who is selecting the content
management system?

[the recommendations]
• •
address staff issues with hire or designate dedicated
DMS & morale before intranet coordinator
moving on
• ensure intranet
• plan communication to coordinator has
staff carefully appropriate skills
• •
wait before rolling out select new CMS with input
CMS (at least 3-5 months) from intranet coordinator
• •
plan for chaos & frustration document new business
when CMS is rolled out processes
& get the staff involved!!

Questions?

Thank you!
Connie Crosby
Crosby Group Consulting
http://crosbygroup.ca
conniecrosby@gmail.com
416-919-6719

Photo Credits
• “Mom and Dad, looking at laptop” by David Lat, http://
www.sxc.hu/photo/672597 used under stock.xchng standard
licensing.
• “telesales 1” by scholastic http://www.sxc.hu/photo/237476,
used under stock.xchng standard licensing.
• photo of Connie Crosby by Rannie Turingan photography
http://www.rannieturingan.com/. All rights reserved.