DFK Hirn Newey

Planning Ahead, Priced Right: How DFK Hirn Newey Lifted Their Average Hourly Rate with Link.

DFK Hirn Newey ran a well organised practice on Xero Practice Manager, but capacity was measured the way it is in most firms, by asking. Director Shona Wallace explains: "We have previously used Xero Practice Manager to monitor workflow. In terms of capacity, this isn't something we have been able to measure in the past. We would historically just rely on the team to let us know if there was too much or not enough work in workflow meetings."

The data existed. Getting anything useful out of it was the problem. "We have a lot of data within Xero Practice Manager but it took a lot of effort, and manual steps, to take this data and turn it into useful information. As a result, we were unable to easily track WIP on jobs and how certain services were performing compared to others."

That gap is what led Shona to Link. "There are some big gaps in the market and Link stood out mainly because of its simplicity to take the data from XPM and turn it into useful information. We also like the flexibility to adjust the reports in the program."

Setup was quick. "The onboarding and set up were incredibly simple. We had a very seamless experience with the software and team members on setup." The firm also used it as a chance to tidy the foundations. "One thing we did identify early on was the cleanliness of our data. In order to get the information we were looking for from Link we needed to ensure this was up to date and correct."

Once the reporting was live, the bigger opportunity showed itself. "The largest gap identified was around the planning of our work. We were historically reactive to client work and with the data we were starting to see from Link, we quickly realised that we needed to start being more proactive around planning to become more efficient and ultimately see some dramatic changes in our KPIs." Day to day, the difference is that decisions no longer need a debate first. "Having access to accurate information makes decisions easier. It also provides the ability to track how we are progressing in terms of goals."

The commercial result followed the planning. "One of our goals over the last 12 months was to increase our average hourly rate on fees. Focusing on this has had other desired effects, including a reduction in write-offs because of better planning and invoicing processes. The data available in Link has assisted us with the ability to monitor and review jobs and clients that may be impacting our ability to achieve this."

DFK Hirn Newey always had the data. With Link, they can now act on it before the work lands.