As we have all learned over the past two plus years….there are many things in life that are completely out of our control. With tax season rounding the final, furious corner, controlling what is controllable is critical to the success of your firm. There are many moving parts to a successful engagement – most that are within your control. How you manage those moving parts will be a major predictor for your success.
Here are a few to consider:
- Workflow: The question isn’t whether you have it; it’s how well you’ve automated it. Most of the bottlenecks, if not all, can be attributed to poorly defined or inadequate workflow. This is controllable. Control it.
- Collaboration: Unless you are a one-man shop, collaboration is table stakes for most firms. Does your current technology footprint support collaboration of your team? The best way to find out is to ask them. Be prepared to be surprised by the answer.
- Communications: How well does your client understand your process? How well do you understand your client? What visibility do you have into ongoing client work? How well do you know what your staff is doing? If you are unsure of any of these answers, it’s likely you have a communications problem.