What comes 1st the process or the solution
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When you have outgrown your current processes and technology do you reevaluate your process or look for the new solution 1st?
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What comes 1st the process or the solution
- 1. What Comes First – the Process or the Solution? Samantha Mansfield Sr. Manager Corporate Communications and Program Development 1
- 2. 2 Samantha Mansfield Sr. Manager Corporate Communications & Program Development • 14+ years of experience in tax and accounting technology industry • Consultant on workflow and web implementations • Designed and built educational events for practice development
- 3. Agenda • Beginning the Process • “I don’t know what I don’t know” • Systematize the Evaluation • Final Thoughts 3
- 5. 5
- 6. “Innovation doesn’t happen in the comfort zone… The key thing is for your company to understand that innovation is uncomfortable because it’s new, not because it’s bad.” 6 What’s Your Innovation Readiness? by Daniel Burrus
- 7. “I don’t know what I don’t know” 7
- 9. What Does Your Ideal Process Look Like? Staff playing different roles Eliminated steps Actions clients taking (on time and correct) 9
- 11. 11
- 12. • Do you need to adjust your process? • Did you think too big for now? • Did you not think big enough? Revisit Your Ideal 12
- 13. Map Out the New Process 13
- 14. The Steps Imagine the ideal Gather feedback Explore the options Revisit the ideal Map out the new process 14
- 15. 15 So…… Is it the Process or the Solution 1st?
- 17. Final Thoughts 1. You will be uncomfortable 2. Keep a receptive frame of mind 3. Don’t give this entire project to 1 person to do in a silo 4. Seek outside input 5. Don’t put a new tool in an old process 17
- 18. Questions? 18
- 19. Copyright © 2013 American Institute of CPAs. All rights reserved. THANK YOU 19
Editor's Notes
- Welcome… (remind to use the workbook) Ask audience: How many of you have asked yourself this question? Or wondered really where to start? How have you begun in the past? Encourage them to think disruptively as we start. How can things be different?
- Ask audience: what is your role in your firm Explain my role at CPA.com now.
- Where do you begin? It is like the chicken and the egg question. Do you need to know what is possible w/ technology to redesign your process or do you start knowing what you want the process to be then finding the technology that will facilitate that? Arguments can genuinely be made for either side being the 1st step just like the age old chicken and the egg. But we are not going to leave you w/ this today.
- Let’s put the discussion in the context of the business cycle. You start your business w/ specific needs and you get the tools that meet those needs and budget. You grow, expand services and clients. Your services mature and become more refined on what you are offering and then there are transitions that will take place. These transitions may be leadership, clients, staff, and most assuredly processes. As a consultant what I witnessed many firms not change their processes and tech as they grow. They continue the same way it was always done just adding more people and more licenses to the software. It is key to break out of the comfort zone and analyze if things can be improved. Honestly sometimes there is not much to change, but more often than not there is opportunity for improvement. So the question is when you think of your firm, or the department you work in where are you in this process?
- When the maturing stage hits it can be hard to infuse innovation, which limits transitions and further startup services, growth, expansion, etc.
- The flip side of this coin is the sentiment “I don’t know what I don’t know.” This is completely understandable. When you are doing things the same way for many years it is hard to think of doing it differently. When I entered firms one of the most common questions I received was “You are in a lot of firms how do others handle this problem?” I loved that question because it is a great way to learn. Doesn’t mean you will mimic their method, but sometimes we just need that spark of a different way to get you rethinking. The challenge is when you start hearing different methods to not immediately dismiss it. I saw that all too often too; I would share and the partner starts shaking their head no and grimacing “Oh that would never work.” When I see this reaction I know we have an uphill climb. It makes me wonder is this mentality felt throughout the organization so innovation is stunted or done under the table by individual staff members just making their daily life easier. So as we venture down this discussion about process or solution 1 thing we have to remember is that all parties need to be receptive, prepared for being uncomfortable and acknowledge you may not be doing it optimally. I realize some of you may think – I am in this class of course I am open to this information, but amazingly enough the openness shuts down pretty quickly when we dive into the work that will be involved so you want to keep the energy high and stay focused.
- From what you know right how if you could wave a magic wand what would your process look like? Don’t put limits on yourself just think if anything could happen what would that be? Think about different roles people will play, steps that could be automated, ideally what clients are doing (ontime and correctly).
- You work w/ others – staff, clients, other professionals. Gather input from them on specific processes. If we go too general in the questioning you won’t get to the details. If you are trying to improve your accounting process ask EVERYONE that is involved in that process from receptionist that may collect data from clients to admin staff copying & scanning work in. You may be surprised at the duplication in processes between team members. Also look at metrics: which services are most profitabitable, which are highest revenue (2 different questions). Find out from clients what bothers them about your process? We don’t want to know, but we need to know so they aren’t telling others. Ask other professionals you work with: bankers, boards, etc. and what do they like and not like
- It is important to know what else is available. You may think you have identified all the time savings an efficiencies, but technology changes so fast you may not be aware of the options out there. Conferences are good to hear and see what is happening. Watch webinars on tools associated to your process, look at reviews like TrustRadius, CPA Practice Advisor, etc. Do firm visits as part of your associations you are in to see how others are doing it. (share how PASBA does this and others).
- Is it your ideal now that you have gathered the feedback and see other options? Do you need to adjust the process? Did you think too big and solution doesn’t exist yet, or did you not think big enough?
- Now that you know options available, you can prioritize the areas of focus from the feedback you gathered and you have adjusted your ideal scenario it is time to map out what the process is going to be. Make sure you document. Make sure you specify who is involved. Make sure you are thinking about the hw and the sw. Don’t put a new tool in an old process, or vice versa. (pulled from description) http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?lang=en&language=en&ref_site=photo&search_source=search_form&version=llv1&anyorall=all&safesearch=1&use_local_boost=1&search_tracking_id=jcpfuRZxQRbAVfBuwOW9SQ&searchterm=map+the+process&show_color_wheel=1&orient=&commercial_ok=&media_type=images&search_cat=&searchtermx=&photographer_name=&people_gender=&people_age=&people_ethnicity=&people_number=&color=#id=58530694&src=hQP4Kt3HKkPXFUdipu73bg-1-30
- Give audience a chance to answer.
- http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?searchterm=chicken+and+the+egg&language=en&lang=en&search_source=&safesearch=1&version=llv1&media_type=#id=60168772&src=KtNwvW63GEPylGgXGAS5lA-1-86 It isn’t a pure black and white. It is both.
- 1) Mention William Bridges book to help w/ this discomfort 2) Staying open minded is a conscious effort we have to make which is why I depict it as a switch. We can catch ourselves turning it off. 3) 1 person hard to see all the angles. Also don’t leave just to IT w/o involvement from those doing the work everyday. 4) doesn’t mean you are going to do it the same way, but get the fresh ideas and why others will do it another way. Creates innovation.