16 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
GETTING MORE AGILE
Lockdown has helped Lancashire’s professional services sector adapt to a more agile way of working. And that is already producing benefits for firms and their clients, as well as inspiring further innovation.
For many, the coronavirus crisis has accelerated the pace of change. Graham Gordon, managing partner at accountancy firm MHA Moore and Smalley, says: “As a company, we identified at a strategic level last year that becoming agile was key and have been taking steps to move to a more flexible working model to benefit both our staff and our clients.
“Lockdown has helped us speed this process up. It has also meant the same for our clients and we have been able to keep in regular communication which is delivering added value. The steep reduction in business travel has also led to productivity gains and a fall in our firm’s carbon footprint.”
She adds: “The use of video calls is also a positive we have taken from this experience. We will continue to promote this above face to face meetings in the future as clients have appreciated the time saved and convenience of not having to come into the office, yet still have the reassurance of seeing the person who is advising them.
Covid-19 has actually helped to inspire innovation in the delivery of our own services
“Age is no longer a barrier to technology – we’ve had clients well into their 80s communicating with us via Zoom on a regular basis. Court hearings all over the North West will be a thing of the past, with many hearings taking place by way of video and telephone conferences.”
Ian Liddle, partner at law firm Farleys, says the ‘traditional’ professional services industry had faced rapid change and competition even before the coronavirus crisis hit.
He talks of the impact of technology, changing client demands and employee expectations in recent years.
Ian Liddle
Rebecca Lauder, partner at BSG, a law firm with offices in Preston and Lancaster, agrees that the crisis and the need to respond to its many challenges has accelerated change.
She says: “We’ve been moving towards a paper-light office over the last year and we immediately saw that those departments that had already completed this change were able to adapt faster to the new world of lockdown working. Lockdown has pushed the remaining departments to follow suit.
“Many of the changes forced upon us during the Covid-19 lockdown will stay with us, in some form or another, forever.”
However, he adds: “Covid-19 has actually helped to inspire innovation in the delivery of our own services and, post-pandemic, new procedures and efficiencies will help to develop a new path for our future success.”
Lockdown brought with it another big change – the need to work from home for many professionals.
Ian says: “While home and flexible working will no doubt continue for many, it is important not to forget the social benefits of office and team working.”
And he adds: “One of the positive things to come out of the lockdown was the real ‘in it together’ attitude and sense of purpose from
Shru Morris
Shru Morris, chief executive of law firm Napthens, says: “We have all had to adapt, accelerate new working practices and look for new opportunities, and the pace of innovation we have seen recently should be harnessed going forward.
“We’ve learned to broaden our networks and be more connected.
“There are fewer boundaries to connectivity with clients and colleagues through technology and with more flexible communication we have the opportunity to ‘meet’ instantly with clients and colleagues.”
our team, which can’t be built from scratch behind a screen, particularly when bringing in new people.
“As businesses adapt to new and more agile ways of working, it will be more important than ever for firms to articulate their key values and ensure a joined-up workforce.”
Michael Barker, partner at Preston-based accountants and business advisers WNJ, and member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants’ Lancashire and Cumbria panel, agrees.
He says: “Employers need to have shown an understanding approach in order to support staff facing great uncertainty and various types of stress. Good two-way communication is ever more important because the opportunity for face-to-face discussion has reduced.”
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