Andrew joined SQM Solutions in 2006 after 15 years working for Nomis, University of Durham as a Labour Market analyst and Geographical Informations Systems (GIS) professional.
With a background in Economic Geography and GIS, Andrew has over 17 years experience in research and consultancy including the collection and management of statistics and provision of high quality advice to many private and public sector clients in the fields of development and regeneration, economics, housing, planning, property, health and GIS. This is provided by making extensive use of government and academic online databases and data services.
One of the benefits of having left the LSC and converting from gamekeeper to poacher is being able to meet up with the firms I previously used to audit. Whilst many of them have evolved in Darwinian terms into more effective firms, you would be amazed at how many firms are still using vintage 1993 office manuals.
I'm not one who advocates change for the sake of it but there are limits. The best firms continually review their practices, challenging what they do and how they do it. In file review for example, it is common to see firms following the same largely administrative, mechanistic process that they have done for years. It isn't adding any value.
"... many firms are still using vintage 1993 office manuals"
File reviews are the best tool you have available for checking the quality of work your firm does and for supervising your junior fee-earners. If you had an errant fee-earner are you confident your file review system would pick it up? How do you select files? Do you look for items peer reviewers look for or is it all ticks in boxes?
Challenging your file review system and re-examining your Office Manual is healthy and the mark of a good firm. Make it your next New Year's resolution...
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