Empowering Your SME with the Right Legal Software for Global Success
International Scaling of SMEs and the Role of Legal Software
International scaling of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) on a global market is a challenge that requires identification of the right tools to enable growth. In the era of “fanatical focus on client success” and “lean startup movement” the use of legal technology in business operations of SMEs is a must. So what comprehensive types of legal software tools do you need for your internationalisation strategy? This post aims to explain how different “types of legal software” such as contract automation tools or in-house legal management software can support your international scaling ambitions.
The authors from Up4Scale explain different types of scale-up strategies, particularly the importance of market development strategies and how to integrate them into your business operation. It is evident that globalisation forces SMEs to evaluate where to focus their development efforts to keep up with changing customer preferences and satisfy the needs of the local market. Internationalisation is often a matter of survival. The process of internationalisation requires SMEs to develop and implement innovative and conventional business models, allowing them to reduce costs and increase their productivity by using processes and procedures that incorporate the best practices, technologies and ideas from around the world. Thus, organisations must be able to adapt to the local environment, develop a flexible organisational structure and build a common corporate culture throughout the group. Assessing and enforcing compliance on a global level is critical. To support this process, the use of legal technology becomes essential.
Internationalisation often requires the use of different types of legal software. Each type of legal software addresses a specific need (from contract automation software to legal management software) and supports different internal business processes (from contract drafting to legal compliance). SMEs should invest their resources in the most adequate types of legal software for their business structure.
A flexible organisation structure requires recruiting and hiring local talent. To support a new local entity, all legal aspects of doing business need to be accounted. When designed correctly, those legal processes can significantly decrease the workload of local counsel and can ultimately reduce the overall legal costs while increasing productivity. If an organisation lacks capacity or the internal infrastructure to deal with local legal matters, it has three main options: For example, contract management software can provide an overview of contracts. It can help track performance, identify potential risks and loopholes. Often experts can share their information in a meaningful way (with or without access to the legal management platform) preventing the multiplication of work and increasingly ineffective workflow.
Having identified the types of legal software you need, the next step is to create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and integrate legal software into every day business operations. In this respect, the choice of a suitable legal management system should reflect operational needs and available IT infrastructure. For example, in manufacturing (depending on the size of the organisation and specific requirements), a legal management tool can support implementation of ISO 9001 or 14001 managing processes faster and more efficiently. A good supplier and contract management tool can speed up your request for proposal (RFP) and Tendering process.