A form works in the administrator’s demo, then fails when a business user tries to submit it. Legal technology implementation needs to catch that difference before launch. Test with the roles people will actually hold, using the same route they will use for ordinary work. The accepted configuration should include the awkward cases as well as the clean example.
Translate the Approved Process Into Tests
Worked example: a Florida company’s legal department has approved a new intake workflow for routine commercial requests. Before configuration is accepted, write the result expected from a complete request, an incomplete request, a reassignment, and a withdrawn request. Identify which business and legal owners confirm those behaviors. Keep legal review criteria under the department’s approved instructions.
Verify the Configuration With Named Users
Test the actual roles that will use the system. The requester, coordinator, reviewer, and administrator may see different information and actions. A demonstration performed with administrator access cannot prove that an ordinary requester has the right experience.
| Test | What the Department Should Be Able to Observe |
|---|---|
| Complete Request | A unique record reaches the intended queue with its supplied information. |
| Missing Information | The requester receives a specific return reason and can correct the existing record. |
| Restricted Record | Access follows the approved role and permission design. |
| Reassignment | The new owner receives the history without losing the previous action record. |
| Withdrawal | Work stops under the approved process and the final status is retained. |
Rehearse the Transition
GAO’s FAFSA testing review highlights the importance of connecting requirements to test evidence. Use that discipline when accepting your configured legal workflow. Keep failures visible until the responsible owner has retested the correction. A screenshot of a working form does not establish that notifications, permissions, and return paths work.
Plan how existing requests will be handled when the new route starts. Confirm the launch window, who can authorize a pause, how users will obtain help, and what the department will do if a critical step fails.
Stabilize the Routine Before Closing
Open the workflow to the agreed pilot group and review what happens to actual requests. Record defects separately from questions about instructions. A user who cannot find the submit button needs a different response from a reviewer whose permissions expose the wrong records. Route each problem to the person able to resolve it and retest the correction.
Before wider use, reconcile requests still arriving through the earlier inbox or spreadsheet. Tell staff which route is current and who monitors the remaining old work. Transfer configuration notes and open defects to the ongoing system owner, with a defined way to request future changes. Keep a launch record the department can consult when someone asks why a particular rule was configured.