Research and knowledge teams are under more pressure than ever. They’re expected to deliver faster insights, support more stakeholders, and demonstrate measurable value - often with the same, or even fewer, resources.
This was a central theme in the AALL webinar “Doing it All: The Life of the Solo and Small Library Team” earlier this year. The session explored the realities of lean teams and underscored a more urgent truth: with limited flexibility to add resource, smaller teams are under even greater pressure to optimize how they work. As a result, technology is becoming a critical enabler, helping them increase output and deliver greater value without the option of increasing headcount. This is a trend we are now seeing across the whole industry.
One of the biggest challenges facing research teams today is volume. Requests are increasing, turnaround times are shrinking, and expectations from attorneys and business stakeholders continue to rise.
The traditional model of responding to ad hoc queries one by one is no longer sustainable on its own.
To keep up, many teams have been rethinking how they deliver information for some time now. The shift from reactive to proactive insight sharing is already well underway, but it’s quickly becoming non-negotiable. By leveraging technology to distribute curated updates teams can ensure the right people receive relevant information without needing to ask for it.
This shift transforms research from a one-to-one service into a one-to-many capability. A single piece of insight can reach dozens or even hundreds of stakeholders, dramatically increasing output without increasing workload.
While technology offers clear benefits, it also introduces challenges. Research teams are often managing a growing ecosystem of platforms, databases, and AI tools. But without a clear strategy this can lead to even more issues with duplication, inefficiency, and fragmented workflows.
The real opportunity may not lie in adding more tools, but in making existing ones work smarter together.
By centralizing content, streamlining workflows, and creating a single point of access, technology can reduce the time spent switching between systems and searching for information. Instead, professionals can focus on higher-value activities like analysis, synthesis, and strategic support.
It’s time to bang the AI drum again!
AI is increasingly being integrated into research workflows, and its impact is already being felt. From summarizing content to identifying trends and surfacing relevant insights, AI can significantly reduce the manual effort involved in information processing.
But - as we’ve said before - the goal isn’t to replace expertise, it’s to amplify it.
By automating repetitive tasks, AI frees up time for knowledge professionals to focus on what truly matters: delivering context, providing strategic insight, and building relationships across the business. In this way, technology becomes a force multiplier, enabling small teams to operate with far greater capacity.
Cost management is another critical pressure point. With rising vendor costs, research teams must continually justify their spend while still delivering access to premium resources.
This is where smarter use of existing subscriptions becomes essential.
Technology can help ensure that valuable content doesn’t go underutilised. By tracking usage, curating relevant insights, and distributing content more effectively, teams can extend the reach and impact of the resources they already pay for - without increasing costs.
We’ll be exploring this theme further at BIALL this June in the session “Optimizing Subscriptions: Transforming Resources into Measurable Value.” Vable’s Philippa McIntosh will join speakers Jas Breslin (Charles Russell Speechlys LLP) and David Shaffer (Ashurst LLP) to discuss how organizations can get more from their existing content and subscriptions - ensuring insights reach the widest possible audience and deliver tangible value, without additional spend.
Even the most efficient research team can struggle if their work isn’t visible. As we have said again and again, demonstrating value is just as important as delivering it.
Technology plays a key role here by making insights more accessible and visible across the organization. Whether through branded newsletters, shared platforms, or integrated delivery channels, it ensures that research is consistently seen, understood, and utilized.
This increased visibility not only reinforces the importance of the function but also encourages greater collaboration and engagement across teams.
The takeaway is clear: research teams don’t need to do less - they need to work differently.
By embracing technology as a strategic enabler, organizations can increase output, extend their reach, and deliver greater value without increasing headcount. In an environment where demand continues to grow, the ability to scale intelligently isn’t just beneficial - it’s essential.
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