Teams and Roles

Overview

Acumin’s reporting structure includes a variety of reporting dimensions, of which there are twenty (22) member-relevant ones. These include:

Working Member: Timekeeper based, native to anyone with recorded time

Housekeeping Roles: Creator, Invoice Signatory, Posted by – action dependent

Member Associations: Reporting dimensions based on member groupings, for example the members’ Practice Group (litigation, corporate commercial etc.); the member’s reporting classification ( partner, associate etc.); and the member’s main classification (timekeepers, sabbatical timekeepers, former timekeepers etc.)

Client Level Roles: Up to five firm-labeled team role assignment-based reporting dimensions and two firm-labeled shareable role reporting dimensions at the client level

Matter Level Roles: Up to five firm-labeled team role assignment-based reporting dimensions and two firm-labeled shareable role reporting dimensions at the matter level

Highlights

Team and shareable roles can be re-labeled by the authorized user to reflect the naming conventions for member-based reporting dimensions used within the firm;

Many firms assign the “firm” member to undefined client and/or matter level roles to facilitate contextual reporting. The concept of assigning the “firm” member to affected client and/or matter level roles is typically applied when this level of role-based results does not factor into the firm’s reporting or operational structure;

Licensed firms consider the matter-level first shareable role as the most desirable dimension for assessing the members’ ability to generate new work for the firm, particularly if the marketing and new-engagement process allows for multiple member participation.

Licensed firms consider the client-level first shareable role as the best way to track new clients separately from new work and use the “firm” member concept as the role-holder once the “New Client” becomes and existing client. This allows for “period” based consideration for new clients which comes to an end after a period.

Reporting Dimensions and Member Role Use

To optimize Acumin’s reporting engine, reporting dimensions should be considered as presentation tools for reporting measures and calculated metrics.

It is considered best practice to assess the firm’s reporting requirements in context of existing reporting dimensions, as well as new ones, not previously considered, due to product or license limitations.

With the large number of client and matter level member-relevant options available for use, a transparent role assignment policy must be created to provide confidence in reported measures and metrics and to ensure that their context is consistently understood.

Recognizing that the firm will define roles for use in context of reporting objectives, we include examples of how these roles are often leveraged to provide valuable measures to decision makers and stakeholders.

Teams

Teams are groups of members assigned to client and/or matter level roles, defined and labeled by the firm.

Changes to team role content are historical. This makes it possible to report transactions for the role holders in context of the period in which they held the role. For example, if a member responsible for a matter is changed from Lawyer A to Lawyer B on June 15, 2022, then if a fee billed report is executed by matter responsible for the year with the option to report role changes historically, the results for invoices dated January 1^st 2022, to June 15^th 2022, will be included with Lawyer A and those for invoices dated June 16^th 2022, will be included with Lawyer B.

Reusable Teams

Teams can be reusable; in which case they can be assigned to more than one client or matter. Only specifically authorized individuals can create or modify reusable teams due to the impact on multiple clients and or matters.

Non-Reusable Teams

Teams can also be non-reusable in which case they only exist in context of the one client or matter associated to it. Although most firms use reusable teams as a start point for role assignment, the actual team associated to most or all clients and matters are non-reusable (see use case).

Team Changes

Reusable Teams

Role content changes made to a reusable team will impact all the client and/or matters associated to the affected reusable team.

Non-Reusable Teams

Role content changes made to a non-reusable team will impact the client or matter associated to the affected non-reusable team exclusively.

Use Case

Reusable Teams

Reusable teams are often used to have a common start point during client or matter creation, facilitating data entry when creating new clients or matters. In this case, the firm creates a reusable team for every member that will potentially hold more than one role within the client and/or matter affected, with the same member added to every role in use and the “firm” member on non-used roles.

During the client or matter opening process, the user responsible for this task selects the reusable team for the member that holds the most roles, and once associated to the client or matter other changes to role content are completed – an action that automatically stores the changed team as a non-reusable team.

Sometimes reusable teams are created based on a group relevant to the firm – for example industry, client, or area of practice. In this case, the same team is used for multiple clients in an industry, specific clients, or area of practice, so all or most of the matters for the group have the same role content. For firms that have a team concept, the benefit is that when there is a change in role content all affected matters for the client or area of practice will reflect the change on the reusable team.

Non-Reusable Teams

Non-reusable teams are used in firms where there is no team concept. In this case, any selection made, is considered as a start point because changes made to the role content in client or matter opening forms, wizard or properties will result in the automatic creation of a non-reusable team.

Team and Shareable Roles

Roles are used as dimensions for reporting measures and metrics as well as workflow-recipient indicators. Although role captions can be “re-labeled”, the new label should not be similar or equal to default ones unless they are kept in the same position. For example: Spare can become “Referring Member”, however if the “Billing” role is re-labeled as “Referring Member”, then “Spare” cannot be re-labeled as “Billing”.

The following represents sample definitions based on best practice use-cases:

Default Caption	Client Level		Matter Level
Originating	Populate with the member that brought the first matter for the client. Once entered, even if the first matter is re-assigned to someone else, typically this role assignment is kept and used as a historical audit trail.		Populate with the member that brought the matter. This is not necessarily the same person that brought the client; particularly with respect to large, multi-divisional long-term clients.
Responsible	Populate with the member responsible for maintaining the relationship between the law-firm and the client. Typically, a senior Partner; this member is not necessarily the same member as the one assigned to the client-originating role.		This popular role is typically populated with the member responsible for the strategic management of the matter (worked to collected realization). Although not necessarily the invoice preparer this role is often set as invoice signatory.
Billing	The member ultimately responsible for dealing with collections issues on all matters for the client. Typically, this is the same member as the one assigned to mind the relationship. In addition, he or she may be set to list on the statement of account presentation.		Populate with the member responsible for the preparation of the invoice. This role is typically delegated to a lower cost member that is a major timekeeper on the matter. The preparer of the invoice does not need to be the same member as the invoice signatory.
Assigned	The member assigned to the client. Internal point person for the client – typically the same member as the responsible member for the client, however depending on the size of the client, the member assigned if different would provide a supporting role to the member responsible – maintaining visibility with the client.	This role is typically populated with the member responsible for the tactical and operational management of the matter. As this role deals with productivity, workflow and quality assurance at a tactical and operational level, this role is often assigned to a timekeeper, senior member of the production team, which may be the same as the billing member.
Spare	If used at either or both levels, this role should be re-labeled to reflect the member dimension’s intention. If it is not used, the field often relabelled as “Not Used”

It is considered best practice to set the member equal to firm to any unused roles.

Shareable Roles

Licensed organizations will have access to one or both shareable roles with a default label of “Ownership” and “Perpetuator” respectively, available at the client level and/or Matter level.

The functionality behind the concept of Client and /or Matter shareable roles is separate and apart from the functionality attributed to any of the five roles found within the client or matter level teams, and these are the only two roles that can be split amongst multiple members if the sum of the shares totals 100 percent.

Shareable role assignments are date sensitive.

Client Level	Matter Level
Typically set to equal the originating member with 100% ownership, this role is not used to report active measures, as it is not representative of who brings in the work, particularly when dealing with government departments and/or multi-divisional organizations.	Typically set to equal the originating member with 100% ownership, this role can be further modified to reflect multiple finders of the matter if the sum of ownership shares equals 100%.