When individual lawyers or small law firms join forces, they typically want to better serve existing clients and to get new clients by leveraging the combined resources of the new firm. As economies of scale and collaboration for greater service quality benefit clients, it should mean more revenue for the lawyers. This can only happen if the values of the lawyers and the strengths of their practices are successfully integrated.

If these elements are in place, the lawyers in the combined firms typically concentrate on the visible elements of integration: marketing the new firm name, designing office space, allocating management responsibilities and staff. Too often, an important element for economies of scale and service collaboration is neglected or even forgotten: technology. Assessing the current state of technology used by the lawyers or firms, including the age of the hardware and software and their replacement cycle, should be — but rarely is — central to the merger due diligence.

If at least one of the parties to the combination uses up-to-date databases, hardware, and document processing and practice management software tools, it can serve as the foundation to make the combined practices more efficient. The time savings, efficiency and commoditization of routine tasks and services afforded by electronic technology mean that legal services can be provided at a lower price with higher volume, with a likely increase in revenues and profits. But such benefits cannot be realized without adequate planning to integrate the technology capabilities of each side of the combined firm.

• Client relationship management software. For CRM to be effective, the merged practices must give up the “my client” mentality in favor of an “our client” approach. And it must be decided what data is entered, how it is classified, who enters it and who verifies accuracy. Otherwise, CRM is a wasted investment with little useful return.

• Knowledge management systems. The KM challenge of creating a standard classification system for each lawyer's work is similar. If the document management systems of the merged practices are not integrated completely, from the start, the result will be a haphazard, after-the-fact effort that will doom KM efforts to failure.

• Finance and accounting software. Most firms use accounting software. Some systems take an integrated time, billing and accounting approach; others are little more than electronic worksheets. Either way, unless the members of the new firm identify key financial benchmarks and how to track and reward them, any software system will be inadequate. And this software, including collection benchmarks, can make or break not only the merger efforts but the entire firm.

• Communication tools. From how much time lawyers are encouraged to blog and do social networking, to how scrupulous or lax the firms are in making billable time entries for sending client emails, billable revenue is at stake — and conflict over it is always possible. Assessing and integrating technology concerns create a healthy and growing organization. A step-by-step process helps assure that technology will increase efficiency and quality of work in the life of the new firm. There is no one right way to combine technology systems and approaches, but there are clearly wrong ways. Giving due attention to the integration process is the best way to assure that the new organization, in its combined state, will be harmonious, efficient — and profitable.