10% Increase in Utilization
over two years since implementing BigHand Resource Management.

 33.3% Increase in Staff Retention
data captured within a practice group utilizing
BigHand Resource Management.

The Solution:

BigHand Resource Management

Womble Bond Dickinson’s response to these challenges was a strategic initiative built around the implementation of BigHand Resource Management and the recruitment of dedicated resource managers. Rather than a rigid mandate, the firm adopted a nuanced approach that respected each practice group's unique culture, ensuring the software became a tool for empowerment. 

"Every firm has its own nuances,” Perry explains. “We succeed by really listening to our fee earners and partners to learn what is working and then adapting our approach. We are not using the system the same way across the board; we use slightly different setups to suit whatever a specific team requires." 

To drive consistency, the firm uses weekly forecasting as a communication tool. This agile process ensures that data serves as a catalyst for Fran and her team to have meaningful conversations rather than a strict performance metric: 

"We focus on getting our fee earners to forecast weekly as a starting point for conversations around capacity. We tell our lawyers not to worry about it being perfectly accurate. It is simply a starting point so that when work comes in, we can have an informed conversation to check if they still have that capacity." 

Beyond capacity tracking, Womble Bond Dickinson uses the Skills and Sectors Matrix to match specific experience levels to the right matters and identify gaps in the team’s collective knowledge. The firm has even used this intelligence to trigger proactive training sessions, upskilling individuals in areas of interest as the market shifts. The Opportunities Board also helps democratize work allocation across teams. By posting matters openly, they allow fee earners to volunteer for projects they might not have had access to under the old partner-led model, followed by a strategic review to ensure fair distribution. 

"Our teams love the Opportunities Board. One team posts absolutely everything there to give all fee earners a chance to get involved in work they might not otherwise see. I then have a strategic conversation with the requester to make sure we are giving a fair opportunity to people and structuring teams in a way that serves our clients correctly." - Fran Perry, Resource Manager at Womble Bond Dickinson 

The Results: Utilization Gains and a Retention Boost 

The success of Womble Bond Dickinson’s innovative, data-led strategy is most evident in the firm’s real estate practice group, which has been using BigHand Resource Management for more than two years. Over that period, the team saw a 5% year-on-year increase in utilization. 

By leveraging the data to identify outliers, we have been able to shift administrative tasks away from fee earners and flatten the utilization curve, it’s been great to see that overall lift in the team's output while also evening out the workload across the group. - Fran Perry, Resource Manager at Womble Bond Dickinson  

Womble Bond Dickinson also uses retention as a core metric, operating on the principle that better opportunities lead to higher job satisfaction. The use of BigHand’s dashboards has enabled the firm to analyze the breakdown between matter and non-matter hours, shifting administrative burdens away from lawyers and onto dedicated business support teams. Since implementing the system, the real estate group has seen a significant uplift in staff stability.  

What's Next?

Scaling Success at Womble Bond Dickinson, and Advice for the Resource Management Journey

Womble Bond Dickinson is continuing to build on its success by rolling out BigHand Resource Management to additional practice groups. The firm maintains a disciplined approach, using a tried-and-tested pilot structure to ensure the technology is configured to the specific nuances of every team. 

“We work with smaller groups of early adopters to get rich feedback and understand a team's specific needs,” Perry explains. We’re confident that by successfully embedding the tech within these pilots, the benefits will naturally filter through and expand to the rest of the firm.”  

For firms earlier in their resource management journey, Perry advises that success starts with securing internal buy-in from key figureheads. Having a champion at the board level who can influence decision-making and promote success stories is vital to advancing the initiative. Alongside this, she emphasizes the importance of being vocal about the results to shift the firm's mindset: 

Don’t be scared to shout about your successes. I recently spoke at a partner conference, showcasing our data, and there was a real ‘wow’ factor for partners who weren’t yet aware of the work we’ve been doing. Get others to shout about it, too! Lawyers listen to their peers, so sharing success stories from people in the same roles helps drive interest and gets others excited about becoming part of it. - Fran Perry, Resource Manager at Womble Bond Dickinson