APIs and integrations as part of a Single Version of the Truth by 3Kites
In the words of Julie Andrews, let’s start at the very beginning. For many years now, 3Kites has advocated for a Single Version of the Truth (SVotT) to eradicate inconsistent data between a law firm’s different systems (a situation which can exist in any sector). With a disconnected IT landscape, my name might appear in the case management system as Paul Longhurst but could have been entered into the PMS as Phil Longhurst and the CRM as Paul Longhurst. This is a headache for the lawyers who now need to spend time figuring out which system has the right spelling of my name rather than how to win my business.
If, however, the CRM was able to feed prospect data to the PMS for file opening which in turn fed the case management system, then my name might appear as Paul Longhirst in all three systems. Whilst this is still incorrect, it is at least consistently incorrect. Going back to the CRM and correcting my name to Paul Longhurst could, with one change, resolve this in all three systems.
But how to achieve this, and here is where the APIs come in… sometimes. An API (or Application Programming Interface) is a gateway provided by one application (let’s say the PMS) that allows other applications to access data from, or to effectively ‘push’ data into, that system. However, APIs are unlikely to allow the accessing and updating of all and any data – there are rules governing what can be accessed or loaded and which parts of the system support this.
So far so good, within those rules. However, what happens when, say, your case (or matter) management system’s API won’t allow you to pass time to the PMS as the case system’s vendor wants to retain control of billing all time racked up whilst using its system. This might be sufficient to rule a product out of consideration but, if not, other methods will need to be found to get data from one system into another, bringing complexity both in terms of creating the necessary links and maintaining these over time as systems evolve. A further consideration will be how many calls can be made to access or load data via an API within a set time limit, say one minute. It could be that an API supports access to all the data you need but with too many limitations to be of any practical use.
Now you are starting to see the problem. For smaller firms, all-in-one systems that include PMS, DMS and CMS functionality can be a good fit if the individual components meet the needs of the firm. Where this is not the case, or for larger firms where separate applications is often the default, it is crucial to undertake due diligence based on an understanding on what the firm will need to do by way of moving data from system to system.
Back to the SVotT approach I started with above – it is crucial that firms understand what systems and data they wish to access/report on and why. It is not sensible to take a blanket approach of needing to move any data, anywhere, in or out of systems as this could rack up unnecessary costs buying APIs that are not required. It is also important to understand the increasing shift from where integration is used to achieve SVotT to having a Single Source of the Truth (from one or multiple data lakes) that feeds consistent data to any systems that use it. This is likely to be the direction of travel in future and, therefore, a major consideration when defining a tech strategy for your firm… and, as a quick adjunct here, it doesn’t make sense to simply abdicate these decisions to IT when their impact can be felt across the whole business.
As such, taking the time to get to an accurate picture so that the selection process for the system/s being evaluated can ask the right questions is an imperative. I know that, for some, this just sounds too difficult or technical and so may be ignored. However, as more and more firms move from all-in-one systems to separates, this is an area that can significantly affect the success of any such project and, potentially, the ability of a firm to compete with others that have taken the time to get this right.
3Kites provides assistance to firms of all sizes with product evaluations and selections including the areas outlined above. We also undertake implementation preparations, migration planning and project management. If you would like further information about 3Kites system selection and implementation or any of the other 3Kites’ services, please contact us using the following details:
- Paul Longhurst T: 07785 254909 E: paul.longhurst@3kites.com
- Contact 3Kites
