What is a Digital Experience Platform (DXP)?
A digital experience platform (DXP) is a software platform that manages digital experiences across a wide range of digital touchpoints. Typically, the functionalities found in a DXP include content creation and management, e-commerce, personalization, and experimentation.
Gartner defines a DXP as “an integrated set of core technologies that support the composition, management, delivery, and optimization of contextualized digital experiences.”
In other words, digital experience platforms provide the tools needed to build, manage, and optimize digital journeys in an agnostic and scalable way.
Digital experience platforms are an evolution of traditional content management systems, capable of mapping the entire digital customer lifecycle, from content creation to deployment, measurement, and iteration. A DXP handles much of the data management and user experience, so legal professionals can focus on the needs and engagement of their clients.
Eliminate the silos dividing your business
Even in organizations that have achieved a degree of automation in their operations, it remains extremely challenging not to integrate all steps and interaction channels in a single environment.
For a seamless journey, information needs to be available wherever the user is. Data must be decoupled from functionality so that it can be organized and presented according to the context.
Users should not have to waste time learning where data is stored and how to access it, especially because this structure needs to evolve to avoid stifling the business.
At Looplex, you can, in one place, (a) create content automatically (such as contracts, petitions, proposals, or memorandums); (b) manage and optimize digital journeys in interaction channels that adapt to the context of each activity; (c) store all your legal know-how and operational documents; and (d) orchestrate third-party experiences.
Components of a DXP
Digital experience platforms are still part of an emerging field of online solutions, but there are several features common to most DXPs:
Content Management - Content is at the heart of digital experiences, which is why these platforms include – and Looplex is no exception – the features of a content management system (CMS). A DXP helps serve as a central repository for an organization’s content, which can be presented across various touchpoints, such as the organization’s website, mobile app, reports, dashboards, project management modules, and more.
Asset Management - A related functionality is digital asset management. Just like content (which is usually in text form), DXPs serve as a central repository for legal logic assets, such as strategies, templates, organizational flows, and others that can be used in different contexts at scale.
Customer Relationship Management - A DXP will track customer data to build long-term relationships and create a personalized experience for each client.
Insights, Analytics & Intelligence - A modern legal digital experience platform like Looplex doesn’t simply host content. It also provides analytics and insights into user behavior workflows. Through technologies like big data analytics and content intelligence, DXPs can deliver real-time insights into user behavior and proactively recommend ways to optimize the experience.
Personalization & Automation - Another related capability of DXPs is personalization. Looplex can customize scenarios and specific client situations for content automation, as well as analyze behavioral data to create personalized experiences for each user.
APIs and Integrations - Of course, no software platform can do everything – at least not yet! That’s why Looplex provides a set of flexible APIs and an open architecture that can easily integrate with best-in-class solutions in the legal market. Each organization can build its use case with different technology stacks.
Digital Marketplace [coming soon!] – Looplex allows lawyers and law firms to easily transact legal services online, providing e-commerce functionality. We handle all the backend work needed to set up a digital storefront, accept payments, and track orders.
DXP Examples Outside the Legal Industry
Other examples of digital experience platforms (according to Gartner’s Magic Quadrant) include:
- Salesforce
- Oracle
- SAP
- OpenText
- Adobe Experience Manager
What to Consider When Choosing a DXP
1. Map your needs to your goals. The requirements of each organization are unique. Make sure the features and functionalities on your wish list weren’t added just because they are the “latest trend.” Instead, set realistic goals and understand how certain technology requirements will help you achieve them. It’s helpful to break down your requirements into phases. Which features are immediately necessary, and which would be nice to have later?
2. Request many references. Of course, you’ll want to see success stories. But you can get stuck in the details if you only ask for references and case studies. Go beyond a simple success example and ask your provider for a similar use case. Ask Looplex to show you a company that has succeeded in your industry, with your use case, or serving a similar type of client.
More importantly, your technology provider should be able to speak your language and share cases relevant to you. That’s why Looplex is primarily made up of lawyers and administrators who have previously worked in legal departments and law firms.
3. Evaluate the provider’s ecosystem. It is absolutely essential to keep the provider’s partner ecosystems and integration resources in mind when evaluating options.
The reality is that software needs to communicate with other software. As mentioned earlier, it shouldn’t operate in silos. As you approach your technology decision, make sure you understand the community, documentation, and integration partners available for a given software.
For instance, Looplex has a robust app marketplace with integrations, pre-built apps, and connectors, as well as extensive documentation and a legal engineering community.
4. Don’t compromise on essentials. If you start to feel like you must settle for less in terms of speed, quality, cost, or support, consider a different direction. For example, instead of choosing between speed and quality, choose a provider that offers the best of both worlds.
Our goal at Looplex is not to be the cheapest or fastest to implement but to deliver the best combination of speed, cost, support, and quality in the market.
Who Needs a DXP?
When you focus on the digital experience, you win. This is especially true in uncertain times.
Focusing on the customer experience is a winning strategy during uncertain times, and investing in digital is absolutely crucial. Especially after the pandemic, it’s not even a question anymore.
How and where you invest, however, is definitely up for discussion. Not every law firm or company necessarily needs a DXP. For some, managing their cases with Excel spreadsheets, drafting petitions in Word, and building a simple website with blog content and contact information is enough. That’s fine, and when that organization is ready for the next phase of digital transformation, we’ll be there!
And remember, you don’t have to invest in everything immediately. For example, if you are entirely new to the digital experience space, start with what is easy and quick to implement, such as standardized documents, proposal creation or analysis, and basic case management.
But if you’re looking for a way to connect the entire digital journey, personalize experiences, and ultimately leverage digital as the main arm of your legal services business, then you’re ready for a DXP like Looplex.