Control Feature Rollouts with Litera One
For CIOs and IT Directors at modern law firms, maintaining stability while introducing innovation is a constant balancing act. While new legal tech capabilities promise real gains, rolling them out firmwide all at once can create confusion, disrupt established workflows, and overwhelm support teams. In a risk-averse legal environment, a “big bang” deployment approach is rarely the right move.
That’s why we’re excited to introduce Granular Feature Control, one of the most highly requested enhancements to Litera One. Now available, this new capability gives IT administrators the power to roll out features with confidence—assigning specific functionality to individual users or groups instead of deploying changes organization-wide.
Below, we’ll walk through how Granular Feature Control helps firms adopt innovation at their own pace, without sacrificing stability.
What is Granular Feature Control in Litera One?
Litera One’s Granular Feature Control allows administrators to manage feature access at the user and group level. Previously, new features launched in Litera One were often available to all users immediately upon release. Now, admins can toggle access to specific workflows, including Preview-mode features, directly from the Litera One Admin Center.
This functionality applies across all Litera One experiences, including Word, Outlook, and the Web. This ensures lawyers have a consistent, managed environment regardless of where they are working. By providing IT leaders with direct control over feature deployment, Litera One transforms how firms manage technological change.
Why Controlled Feature Rollouts Matter for Law Firms
In a high-stakes legal environment, technology must be a source of stability, not disruption. The ability to manage feature releases in a controlled manner is critical for several reasons:
- Preventing Disruption: Immediate, firm-wide releases of new or untested features can confuse attorneys and interrupt their work. A controlled rollout minimizes this risk
- Enabling Safer Innovation: Granular control enables safer innovation. By limiting a new feature’s access to a small pilot group, firms can test compatibility, gather user feedback, and assess value without risking firm-wide stability
- Ensuring Compliance and Visibility: In regulated legal environments, knowing exactly who has access to which tools is critical for governance. Granular controls provide the visibility needed to meet compliance standards
Benefits of Assigning Features by User Group
By moving away from an all-or-nothing approach, IT leaders can unlock significant benefits that improve efficiency, user satisfaction, and security across Litera One.
1. Reduced Support Burden
A primary challenge with any new technology rollout is the inevitable increase in help desk requests. Granular Feature Control mitigates this by allowing for targeted deployments that minimize confusion.
- Fewer Distractions, Fewer Tickets: When only trained pilot groups can see and access new features, the broader user base continues with their familiar tools uninterrupted. This focus prevents the confusion that often leads to a spike in support tickets.
- Proactive Issue Resolution: IT teams can proactively identify and address usability issues or technical glitches with a small, manageable group before a full rollout, leading to a smoother firm-wide deployment.
2. Enhanced User Experience
Lawyers are most effective when their digital workspace is clean, intuitive, and stable. Controlled rollouts contribute directly to a better user experience.
- A Cleaner, Relevant Interface: Users only see the workflows relevant to their specific role. For example, associates can be given access to tools that help them create new documents or understand “what’s market,” while document support specialists are assigned tools that help with proofing and repair.
- Improved Stability for the Majority: While early adopters and tech-savvy users test "bleeding-edge" features, the majority of the firm can continue working in a stable and predictable environment. This ensures that innovation doesn’t come at the cost of productivity.
3. Improved Governance and Auditability
In the legal industry, auditability isn't just a best practice—it's often a requirement. Granular Feature Control in Litera One provides the deep visibility needed for robust governance.
- Comprehensive Permission Tracking: Litera One automatically logs every assignment of a feature to a user or group. This creates a clear, unchangeable audit trail of who has access to what, and when that access was granted or revoked.
- Simplified Compliance: IT leaders can review and audit access logs at any time to verify that feature usage aligns with internal policies and external regulations. This makes it easier to meet compliance standards and respond to audit requests.
How to Implement a Pilot Program Using Granular Controls
Setting up a controlled pilot program with Litera One is a straightforward process that can be managed entirely within the Admin Center.
1. Identify Your Pilot Group
The success of a pilot program often depends on selecting the right participants. Ideal candidates are users who are generally tech-savvy, open to change, and willing to provide constructive feedback. Good choices often include:
- Knowledge Management teams
- Document specialists and paralegals
- Innovation-focused attorneys
- Specific practice groups aligned with the new feature's function
2. Configure Access in the Admin Portal
Once the pilot group is identified, configuring access is simple.
- Navigate to the Litera One Admin Center and select the feature you wish to pilot
- Assign the feature to the identified groups or individual user emails
- The changes take effect immediately, with the new feature appearing only for the designated users
3. Monitor, Gather Feedback, and Scale
With the pilot underway, the focus shifts to monitoring and feedback collection.
- Engage with the pilot group to gather their thoughts on usability, performance, and overall value
- Use this feedback to refine training materials, adjust configurations, or address any unforeseen issues
- Once confidence in the new workflow is high, you can gradually expand access to other groups, ensuring a smooth and successful firm-wide adoption
Modernize Your Feature Management
Litera One’s Granular Feature Control empowers IT leaders to manage change on their own terms. It transforms the feature rollout process from a risky, all-or-nothing event into a strategic, controlled, and data-driven operation. By enabling targeted pilots and ensuring robust governance, this functionality helps firms innovate with confidence while maintaining the stability that legal professionals depend on.
Ready to streamline your feature management? Request a demo of Litera One and see it in action today. If you’re a current customer, contact your account team or success@litera.com to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I reverse a feature assignment?
Yes. Administrators can revoke access to a feature or workflow instantly via the Admin Portal. The change is reflected immediately across all platforms (Word, Outlook, and Web).
Is this feature available to all Litera One customers?
Granular Workflow Control is available to all firms with a Litera One subscription, regardless of their subscription tier (Base, Pro, or Advanced).
Which platforms are supported by Granular Workflow Control?
Assignments and permission changes are updated instantly across all Litera One experiences, including Microsoft Word, Outlook, and the Litera One Web application.
