Before a demonstration, give the vendor a task your firm performs every week. Ask a member of staff to follow it from start to finish. That exercise tells you something a feature grid cannot: whether the proposed case management software fits your practice. Use the same task with each shortlisted provider so the comparison rests on demonstrated work.
Choose the Workflow You Need to Improve
For a worked example, a small California firm wants fewer gaps between matter opening, document storage, and billing. Define a completed matter-opening record and identify the information that needs to reach each system. Do not begin by scoring every available feature. The ABA’s July 2026 software-selection article emphasizes usability, document retrieval, vendor support, and demonstrated AI value. Those questions offer a useful starting lens for the firm’s own evaluation.
Compare Three Demonstrated Scenarios
Give each vendor approved fictional records and ask them to show the sequence, not only a prepared screen. Include an ordinary task and an exception. Have an actual user observe the steps and record where additional configuration or a separate product is required.
| Scenario | Evidence to Record |
|---|---|
| Open a Matter | Required fields, approved workflow, unique reference, and connected document location. |
| Correct a Mistake | Who can change a record, what history remains, and whether downstream data updates. |
| Retrieve or Export | Whether the firm can find and export a complete record in a usable format. |
Decide Which Gaps Are Acceptable
Separate a feature shown working from a vendor promise, a configuration proposal, or a product-roadmap item. The firm may accept a manual step if it is limited and clearly owned. It should not count an unverified connection as a delivered capability. Ask the technical and professional reviewers to assess data handling, access, and contract questions within their responsibilities.
Compare the Continuing Commitment
Include configuration, migration, training, and ongoing support in the cost comparison. Ask what happens when the firm needs urgent help and who maintains the setup after launch. A low subscription price can become expensive if routine tasks require paid configuration work.
Also ask the vendor to demonstrate an export. Check whether the firm receives usable documents and matter relationships, how attachments are delivered, and what assistance a transition would require. Have the appropriate reviewers examine the proposed contract and data arrangements. Record unanswered questions before the buying decision and identify which must be resolved before a commitment.
Record the Reason for the Choice
Keep the requirements, demonstrations, unanswered questions, and accepted tradeoffs together. Name the partner or authorized owner approving the purchase and the person responsible for implementation. If two products perform similarly, explain the team’s preference in words and identify the tradeoff it accepts. The decision record should let a later practice manager understand what the firm expected, what remains to be configured, and which promises still need verification.