Top 5 ELM Benefits: Create Resource Allocation Wins

Resource allocation is a business-focused way of saying, “Putting the right people, technology, and money in the best place to make things run smoothly”. The resources are limited; there’s a point when you can’t give any more. In today’s global business environment, allocating the right resources is critical to success. If one piece fails to deliver value, the entire business suffers—and this applies to Legal as well.

That’s why we’ll explore how Enterprise Legal Management (ELM) systems provide holistic benefits that support the entire organization.

Ensuring the right use of your team is more critical than ever. The Great Resignation has caused businesses to lose top performers, especially in Legal. Whether employees leave for early retirement or new job opportunities, it disrupts the company, requiring new hires and retraining to restore the team to full strength.

Legal professionals are increasingly changing jobs to better align with their skills and career goals. This trend highlights the need for businesses to focus on retaining their top talent. The goal is simple: keep your best people or pay to replace them. In today’s market, prioritizing talent retention is key. So, what drives legal professionals to seek new opportunities? Common reasons include:

• Misalignment between the company’s direction and personal career goals
• Workloads that don’t align with their skill sets
• Lack of support through staffing or technology to meet growing business goals

Many Legal teams are struggling to find staff that can handle the increasing workload. Fewer people means new skills or retraining are required to meet these demands. This is where legal technology comes in. By adopting the right tech tools, teams can augment their staff’s capabilities and manage the workload more effectively. Combining skilled people with technology opens a path to better resource allocation, leading to more efficient and successful Legal Operations.

NINJA TIP: People are your most important asset. Keeping them satisfied by aligning their work with their strengths will increase productivity and retention. A happy, skilled team boosts Legal’s value to the business.

Technology has long been seen as the “silver bullet” for Legal departments seeking to turn data into actionable insights. It improves business processes and helps manage evolving legal responsibilities. The challenge, however, is justifying the cost and ensuring a strong ROI.

Enterprise Legal Management (ELM) technology can significantly impact resource allocation, creating more efficient workflows. While many technologies improve business efficiency, none have a more measurable impact than ELM. ELM allows businesses to record, track, and analyze data across multiple departments, extending its value beyond just Legal.

Integrating ELM enables data to flow seamlessly across departments, providing broader insights. DiliTrust’s clients who implemented Ascent ELM have shared remarkable benefits, showing what’s possible when ELM is adopted.

In a business environment where the pressure to “do more with less” is stronger than ever, technology allows teams to handle increased responsibilities with fewer resources. How does it work? Through automation and efficiency improvements.

For instance, Ascent ELM offers an auto-review feature that checks invoices with a “first-pass” automated review. It evaluates UTBMS coding, billing rules, and business guidelines before invoices enter human review. This automated process saves time by adjusting line items that don’t pass the checks or returning them for correction.

Clients have reported saving over 25% of their reviewer’s time using this feature, freeing them to focus on higher-value tasks. These time savings can add up to thousands of dollars per attorney each year.

ELM’s benefits don’t end there. It also automates redundant tasks, reduces human input errors, prevents double payments, and speeds up invoice review, all contributing to greater efficiency and cost savings.

By freeing up staff to focus on more strategic tasks, ELM boosts Legal’s ability to contribute to the company’s profits and savings goals. The technology opens up new opportunities to improve automation, optimizing both human resources and budgets.

NINJA TIP: With the right tools, it’s possible to “do more with less.” Clients report feeling immense pressure to perform more each year. Their stories of improved efficiency and resource allocation with Ascent ELM are overwhelming. ELM systems empower teams with full data transparency, real-time insights, and actionable answers—helping businesses make critical decisions faster.

In a previous blog, we discussed cost savings. Now, let’s focus on how clients are reallocating funds with the help of ELM. Budget reallocation goes beyond simple cost savings. It gives Legal departments and businesses the flexibility to reinvest savings or save them altogether. These funds can either return to Legal or be redirected to other departments, unlocking opportunities to boost revenue or reduce costs.

When resource allocation is optimized, everything aligns perfectly. Legal departments can then contribute more to the bottom line or fund improvements that elevate overall business performance. By efficiently managing costs, increasing efficiency, and reallocating resources, Legal becomes a powerful driver for business success.

A common question we often hear from clients is: “How are others using their savings?” Here are some ways our clients have reallocated funds to increase Legal’s value:

• Funding new business initiatives or ventures
• Keeping the savings within Legal for new technology or initiatives
• Hiring new Legal staff to meet growing responsibilities
• Contributing millions in overall savings to the business each year

NINJA TIP: Money is how businesses measure success. Ascent ELM helps clients track expenses, uncover savings opportunities, and boost ROI. With the ability to reallocate funds to strategic areas, Legal departments can become key players in driving business growth and staying competitive.

In this blog series, we’ll continue exploring the Top 5 benefits of ELM and what each one offers to modern business teams.

Next, we’ll dive into the fifth benefit of implementing ELM systems in Year 1: Scaling and growing with the business. ELM helps teams adapt to market changes while providing insights on the best opportunities to achieve new goals.