When Systems Don’t Talk, Everyone Suffers

David Langdon
May 28
2 min read

Updated: May 28

“The problem of compatibility is the problem of communication: if systems cannot talk to each other, they are useless.”

— Tim Berners-Lee

In Chapter 5 of Beyond the Features, I explore an issue that continues to trip up even the most well-intentioned legal tech initiatives: integration.

It’s easy to get caught up in features, functionality, and individual product performance. But if the tools you’re investing in can’t communicate with each other — if they live in silos — they quickly lose their value.

The Communication Breakdown

Tim Berners-Lee’s quote cuts to the heart of the issue. Compatibility isn’t just a technical problem. It’s a communication problem — and when systems don’t communicate, your people can’t either.

If your Document Management System (DMS) can’t pull client details from your Practice Management System (PMS), someone’s going to end up manually rekeying data. If your CRM can’t sync with your billing platform, your business development team might be working off outdated or incomplete information. These aren’t minor inconveniences — they’re productivity killers.

Siloed Systems, Siloed People

When systems don’t talk, teams don’t talk. Information becomes fragmented. Workarounds become routine. Staff waste time searching for documents, duplicating tasks, and cross-checking data that should be automatically synced.

And what suffers most? Client experience.

Integration Is Strategy

Chapter 5 encourages firms to shift their mindset. Choosing the “best” tech isn’t just about which tool performs the most tasks — it’s about how well each tool fits into your wider ecosystem. True digital transformation doesn’t come from stacking features; it comes from connecting systems.

Ask the right questions before you buy:

Will this tool integrate easily with our existing platforms?
Can data flow between systems without custom development?
Does this vendor support open standards and APIs?

The Payoff of a Connected Stack

When your systems speak the same language, everything gets easier. Tasks automate. Workflows accelerate. Data becomes a single source of truth — not a patchwork of spreadsheets and PDFs.

Integration isn’t glamorous. It doesn’t demo well. But it’s the backbone of scalable, sustainable legal tech.