Legal firms and in-house legal departments often face the challenge of managing complex projects that require meticulous tracking of time, costs, resources, and compliance requirements. To effectively handle these demands, an integrated and agile enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is essential. SAP Business ByDesign (ByD)—SAP’s cloud-based ERP solution—offers comprehensive capabilities tailored to support legal projects, enabling legal professionals to manage their operations with greater efficiency, transparency, and control.
Legal projects can include client engagements, litigation cases, contract management, regulatory compliance initiatives, and advisory services. These projects often involve multiple phases, diverse resources (lawyers, paralegals, external consultants), and the need for precise billing based on time or milestones.
SAP Business ByDesign provides an integrated platform that combines project management, financial control, resource management, and analytics—critical components for managing legal projects successfully.
ByDesign enables legal teams to define project scopes, assign tasks, set deadlines, and monitor progress through clear project plans. The system’s project management tools help track case phases, manage workflows, and keep all stakeholders aligned on timelines and deliverables.
Efficient management of billable hours is vital for legal projects. SAP ByDesign allows legal professionals to log time and expenses directly against projects or cases, ensuring accurate tracking for client billing and internal cost management. Resource allocation tools help optimize the workload of lawyers and support staff.
Legal projects often require complex billing arrangements—hourly rates, fixed fees, retainers, or milestone payments. ByDesign supports diverse billing models and automates invoice generation based on recorded time, expenses, and predefined billing rules, ensuring transparency and timely revenue recognition.
Legal departments benefit from ByDesign’s integrated financial capabilities, including budgeting, expense tracking, and profitability analysis. This enables better control over project costs and financial performance, supporting strategic decision-making.
While ByDesign does not provide a dedicated document management system, it integrates smoothly with leading document management and compliance tools used in legal settings. This facilitates secure document sharing, version control, and audit readiness—key aspects for legal work.
Real-time dashboards and reports provide insights into project status, resource utilization, billing performance, and client profitability. These analytics empower legal managers to identify bottlenecks, optimize operations, and improve client service.
SAP Business ByDesign provides a comprehensive, cloud-based ERP platform that empowers legal professionals to manage projects efficiently while maintaining financial control and compliance. By integrating project management, resource tracking, billing, and analytics, ByDesign enhances the productivity and profitability of legal projects.
For legal organizations seeking a scalable, flexible ERP solution that supports complex project workflows and client billing, SAP Business ByDesign offers a strategic tool to drive operational excellence and client satisfaction.