This flowchart sets out the steps to take when improving a process within your firm and identifies Precedents for each step. Note 1 You could do this by: • identifying where there is waste in a process—see Precedent: Identifying waste questionnaire, and/or • looking at a process from your clients’

There are five key steps to improving efficiency: • identify (define) what process needs improving • measure the problem • analyse your information • improve the process • control, ie embed the new process so it becomes business as usual Management consultants often refer to this is as the DMAIC framework. This Practice Note guides you through the first step. For more information on continuous improvement and the following four stages, see Practice Note: Simplifying continuous improvement—law firms. It explains two different methods you can use to identify and define which processes needs improving, ie by: • finding out where your processes generate waste, as waste is an indicator of an inefficient process • establishing whether your way of working delivers what your clients want (within reason, ie within the range of what you are willing to do for your clients) It also describes some tactics you can use to get staff on board at this early stage. Identifying waste A good way of finding out where

There are five key steps to improving efficiency: • identify (define) what process needs improving • measure the problem • analyse your information • improve the process • control, ie embed the new process so it becomes business as usual Management consultants often refer to this is as the DMAIC framework. This Practice Note guides you through step 2, ie measuring the problem or inefficiency that you identified in step 1—see Practice Note: Continuous improvement—law firms—step 1—identify and define the problem. It assumes the problem identified in step 1 is an inefficient client onboarding process. For more information on continuous improvement and the stages in improving efficiency, see Practice Note: Simplifying continuous improvement—law firms. All areas of waste and inefficiency have a cost to the firm. Some, eg surplus equipment. have a direct cost, whereas other costs are associated with wasted time (opportunity cost) and materials. The most common issue with step 2 is knowing what to measure. The tools below will help you establish which part of

There are five key steps to improving efficiency: • identify (define) what process needs improving • measure the problem • analyse your information • improve the process • control, ie embed the new process so it becomes business as usual Management consultants often refer to this is as the DMAIC framework. This Practice Note guides you through Step 3, ie analysing the causes of the problem you identified in Step 1 and measured in Step 2. For more information on continuous improvement and the stages in improving efficiency, see Practice Note: Simplifying continuous improvement—law firms. This Practice Note develops the case study followed in Practice Note: Continuous improvement—law firms—step 2—measure the problem, which relates to a firm’s new client process. Step 3 requires you to analyse the information you have collated to: • investigate the root cause • prioritise the issues • explore and evaluate a range of solutions Analyse the root cause Once you have measured the problem or bottleneck in your process—see Practice Note: Continuous improvement—law

There are five key steps to improving efficiency: • identify (define) what process needs improving • measure the problem • analyse your information • improve the process • control, ie embed the new process so it becomes business as usual Management consultants often refer to this is as the DMAIC framework. This Practice Note guides you through step 4, ie improving the problem you identified in Practice Note: Continuous improvement—law firms—step 1—identify and define the problem, measured in Practice Note: Continuous improvement—law firms—step 2—measure the problem and analysed in Practice Note: Continuous improvement—law firms—step 3—analyse what's causing the problem. The Practice Note develops the case study in the Practice Notes on steps 2 and 3, which relates to a firm’s new client process. Making the improvement Once you have selected which issue you will tackle first you need to begin the task of making improvement. One model for approaching this is the five 'S’s' model. The table below takes you through the process of addressing the issue of standard client

There are five key steps to improving efficiency as part of a continuous improvement framework: • identify the process that needs to be improved • measure the problem • analyse the information • improve the process • embed the new process so that it becomes common practice Management consultants often refer to this is as the DMAIC framework. This Practice Note provides additional guidance on step 5 of the continuous improvement process. This involves embedding the new process to overcome the problem you identified and have now measured, analysed and improved. People react in many different ways when faced with change, and this Practice Note considers the individual emotional impact of change and what you can do to engage and involve people in the change management and delivery process. There is overlap between this guidance and Practice Note: Continuous improvement—law firms—step 5—embed the process—making changes firm-wide, which explains John Kotter's process for making change. The difference is that Kotter's viewpoint is procedural, whereas this Practice

There are five key steps to improving efficiency as part of a continuous improvement process: • identify (define) what process needs improving • measure the problem • analyse the information • improve the process • control, ie embed the new process so it becomes business as usual Management consultants often refer to this is as the DMAIC framework. This Practice Note guides you through step 5, ie embedding the new process to overcome the problem you identified (see Practice Note: Continuous improvement—law firms—step 1—identify and define the problem), have now measured (see Practice Note: Continuous improvement—law firms—step 2—measure the problem), analysed (Continuous improvement—law firms—step 3—analyse what's causing the problem) and improved (see Practice Note: Continuous improvement—law firms—step 4—improve the process), developing the case study followed in some of these Practice Notes that relate to a firm’s new client process. John Kotter's eight-stage process There are many different theories about how to implement change within an organisation, but perhaps the best known and most often referred to is John Kotter's

This Practice Note helps you to improve efficiency at your firm by choosing the correct tool(s) to use at each stage of the five-step continuous improvement process, as set out in Practice Note: The five steps to continuous improvement, ie: • define (ie identify) • measure • analyse • improve • control This is known as the DMAIC framework. It is an excellent framework to follow when you are trying to improve an existing

1 Step 1: Identify our clients Question Response Who are our existing clients (specific and generic)? Anyone who wants to buy, sell or rent a house. Who are our potential clients?(Could be specific or a type of client, eg more corporate clients, more family law clients) We’d like to expand into commercial property. Are there untapped markets to explore? Holiday lets/buy-to-let rentals are becoming more prevalent in our local area. Is our client-base likely to change? Property market is beginning to pick up and we are seeing more second home owners in our area. [Insert other] [Insert response] 2 Step 2: Gather client information/feedback Question Response What do we already know about our clients’ needs? Clients want their transaction to be dealt with swiftly and at a reasonable price.Clients like to be kept updated, even if nothing is happening. They tend to judge us more on our service than on our technical work, which they appear to take for granted.This is really as much as we know, as we need to improve our methods for gathering and recording client feedback. How do we currently receive client

Treatment by an occupational pension scheme (approved prior to A-day under Chapter I) of the pensionable employment of a member as continuous with a previous period of pensionable employment (within the same scheme or another scheme).

A sum due by the client to the debtor which may be set-off against a receivable.

The contra proferentem rule is used when interpreting an ambiguous clause within a contract; should a clause appear to be equivocal the words should be construed against the interests of the person who insisted that the clause be included.