Are you thinking about implementing a Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) in your firm this year? Maybe you already have but are struggling to make it work smoothly. Flexible work plans offer many benefits including better staff recruitment and retention, improved morale, more flexible office space requirements, more flexibility in scheduling for peak workloads, and a better work/life balance. In a knowledge industry like accounting, an FWA tends to do very well, as long as the firm managers have a system in place that avoids the usual pitfalls of an FWA– and this is where Aero Workflow can help.
Communication
A good communication plan is important for any business, but absolutely essential for a firm that offers flexible work arrangements. Software like Google Business Apps and GoTo Meeting allow staff members to stay in touch with each other, but it’s also important to have a plan in place for client communication. Aero offers a central location for all client activities, including work, meeting notes, emails, and any other communication. Any staff member has access to all the client information, regardless of where or when they are performing their work.
Managerial Oversight
This is perhaps the biggest stumbling block a flexible work plan runs into. Firm managers and owners need to know that the necessary work is getting done in a timely manner, and this is an area where Aero performs beautifully. Manage Work gives firm managers a quick overview of assigned tasks and their status, allowing them to take in at a glance who’s doing what, what work has already been completed, and what still needs to be done. They also have the ability to assign work as it comes up to the staff member who is best suited to perform it, no matter where that staff member is working.
Consistency
Managers want to be sure that client work is being done consistently throughout the firm, no matter who is doing it or where and when the work is taking place. Aero facilitates consistency with features that allow managers to outline the steps to be followed for any given activity, links to company procedure documents, client email templates, and a library of activity templates. This allows a task to be handed off from one staff member to another seamlessly and gives managers a comfort level about the consistency of the work performed.
