Survey data on penetration of matter management – spreadsheets, internally hosted specialized applications, or Web-based applications

Results from the tenth annual ACC/Serengeti survey on managing outside counsel give some insight into the incidence of three kinds of software that helps collect spend data about outside counsel. According to the ACC Docket summary, Sept. 2011 at 18, of the responding “hundreds of ACC member law departments,” 64.6 percent work with internal spreadsheets and databases, 41.6 percent use web-based systems for matter management and electronic billing, and 15.2 percent use internal matter management system software.

The percentages add up to more than 100 perhaps because some respondents employ more than one system. Remember, also, that many ACC member departments are one- or two-lawyer shops, so a spreadsheet or Access database (or nothing at all) may suffice. What would be more useful would be a breakdown among these three solutions according to size of law department.