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Month: January 2020

Law Firm Consultant

Law Firm Consultant

Regardless of the size of an AMLAW 100 / 200 firm, there can be a need to hire an external consultant. For example, firms may not have the time or expertise to conduct operational / process improvement, or new technology assessment/ planning. Or there may be specific goals or projects that Managing Partners, Practice Chairs, Executive Directors or Chiefs would like to have an independent assessment or cost/benefit conducted. Law Firm operational improvement can include evaluating firm, department, practice, and…

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IS FRICTION HURTING YOUR ORGANIZATION AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CUSTOMER?

IS FRICTION HURTING YOUR ORGANIZATION AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CUSTOMER?

What is Organizational Friction? Organizational friction disrupts interaction with operations, customers, and vendors. Friction negatively impacts revenue, expenses, compliance, service, and most importantly “the customer’s experience”. What are the signs of friction? Lost sales, complaints on social media, wasted customer time, lack of coordination between departments, lower profitability, and regulatory/legal penalties are a few examples. Friction causes problems that shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Examples of Organizational Friction include complex on-line order web pages, transferring a customer by phone to…

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Does your organization require a radical change?

Does your organization require a radical change?

To keep up with market demands and ever-changing customer (client) requirements does your organization require radical change? For example, does the customer want the price (fee) and completion (fulfilment) time of a service or product significantly lower than the current state? If so re-engineering may be what is required. Re-engineering asks the question regarding the current way of working “why are we doing this at all” and encourages leaps forward, not incremental change. Re-engineering assumes the majority of process steps…

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Is There a Need for a Chief Process Officer?

Is There a Need for a Chief Process Officer?

Is your organization under pressure to reduce expenses while at the same time, improve quality and service? Have past process improvement initiatives lacked sustainability and coordinated direction? Can issues (defects) in products or services result in customer service, liability, or regulatory issues? Does your organization need to innovate to be competitive? Is there a benefit to have process risks and improvement objectively measured? If the answer is yes to the above, a Chief Process Officer may be the answer. What…

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Is it Time For Your Law Firm To Fully Embrace Process Improvement?

Is it Time For Your Law Firm To Fully Embrace Process Improvement?

What are the external and internal signs that your law firm needs to fully embrace process improvement? External Signs: Are clients consolidating the roster of firms they engage, requiring increasingly restrictive guidelines; and asking for holdbacks, discounts, write-offs, AFA, and fixed fee life of the matter? Do existing and prospective clients ask what process improvement framework your firm is using to lower fees and costs? Internal Signs: Is your firm writing off fees and costs billed to clients, finding realization is not…

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Is Process Improvement Valuable In Our Personal Life?

Is Process Improvement Valuable In Our Personal Life?

I have conducted organizational process improvement for over 25 years. In this work, I have used methods such as Total Quality Management, Business Process Management, LEAN, Six Sigma, and Friction>Less™.  These methods provide a way to help organizations improve efficiency, quality, and service. So as we plan for the new year, I have to ask the question. Can we use process improvement methods in our personal life? In reflecting upon this question, here are key concepts, I believe, can help eliminate what is unnecessary,…

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C-Suite Top Four Improvement Ideas for 2020

C-Suite Top Four Improvement Ideas for 2020

As President of CRE8 independent consultants, I regularly work with CEOs, Chiefs, and Directors to solve organizational problems and identify new opportunities.  Based on this work, my top four C-Suite improvement ideas for 2020 are as follows. Better understand your organization from the perspective of the customer. For a moment, forget about web site clicks, likes, deep data conversations, and internal reports; have your executives talk directly to customers. Ask why do they purchase your services or products?  When do…

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