Mapping processes: Using LPI workshops to improve matter efficiency

 

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Key takeaway points:

1. Simple: Understand the complexity, then create simplicity

2. Non-jargon: Never use management speak

3. Logic: Beautiful process design cannot be imposed on people

4. People: Always involve people in creating their own processes and improvements

5. Design: Lessons learned can be used across many different legal disciplines

6. Culture: A culture of continuous improvement and change is critical to success and requires effort to create and sustain

7. Collaboration: Bringing together all project stakeholders maximises the scope for innovation

8. Holistic: Don’tjust look for knowledge management or IT solutions; communication is often the key to unlocking efficiency

9. Scope: Use your position to influence change in other organisations; don’t limit your thinking to your firm and your client

10. Fun: Humour will create common purpose and an open environment for discussion

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It was the week that changed my
life. In 2011, as a knowledge management project manager, I had been asked to observe a three-day
process mapping workshop for a team of BLP lawyers, facilitated by an external lean six sigma specialist. I instantly saw the value of creating a visual map of a legal process and was convinced of the power of this tool in bringing about transformational change.

As a firm facing the challenges of the global downturn, we understood the pressures our clients were under when they were asking us to deliver 'more for less' and now we had a very practical
way to respond. Getting processes out
of people's heads and into a picture
opens up all sorts of conversations
around resourcing, pricing, innovation
and collaboration.

Our people-centred approach has supported strategic projects, such as the creation of our integrated client service model and the transfer of new and existing work to our legal service delivery team in Manchester. We use mapping to facilitate the exchange of ideas and to improve understanding of priorities and constraints.

We have delivered over 100 legal process improvement (LPI) workshops
both within our firm and to clients, including three FTSE-100 organisations. Now is a good time to look back on our journey and experiences and to consider the future potential of our LPI service, dubbed Streamline.

Design and support

The journey began with human resources.
I worked with our HR team to map processes relating to recruitment and onboarding. Having proved my workshop facilitation capabilities, I launched the service to my legal colleagues, starting with employment litigation. I quickly understood that lawyers were not interested in the management theory behind the mapping process and would not tolerate jargon. They required something quick, simple, visual, practical, immediate and effective.

In response, our signature three-hour workshop was developed with the outputs, i.e. a map and a list of improvements identified during the session, delivered within a week. The workshops employ a holistic approach that embraces specialist process design, continuous improvement, project management and innovation.

We recruited process improvement lawyers to deliver workshops, to avoid the need for the law to be explained. We also recruited process improvement assistants who were capable of supporting client workshops and using software to map processes live. We now have a dedicated Streamline team of six, plus a knowledge development lawyer secondee and two consultants who support the work we deliver through BLP Manchester.

Clients heard about the workshops we were delivering from their BLP partners and lawyers and we soon began to offer and deliver workshops to wider teams involved in a legal project, including clients, members of their internal departments and other professional advisers. With typically 15 senior executives in a workshop, we moved from maximising efficiency in the legal services that we deliver to capturing value from the input and innovation of everyone in the room.

Very quickly, we began to receive requests from clients for workshops to create leaner, more effective ways of delivering their own internal strategic projects. In response to this demand, we launched Streamline workshops externally in October 2014. Our successful and unique LPI methodology was highly commended for both innovation of the year (Modern Law Awards) and most innovative law firm in client service (FT Innovative Lawyer Awards) in 2014.

Knowledge base

With a background in corporate finance law and 10 years' knowledge management experience, I wanted to understand the legal services world from a business perspective. I approached our firm for support to complete a part-time global MBA at the University of Warwick.

The positive response from our managing partner, Neville Eisenberg,
and his vision and unfailing support throughout, have been critical to accelerating the impact of Streamline.
I am now in my third and final year of the MBA and have specialised in outsourcing, process and operations management in service organisations.

The firm also provided me with
regular access to industry expert
Professor Richard Susskind OBE as
a mentor. The value of having a sounding board throughout a period of cutting-edge innovation is immeasurable.

The development needs of the
growing team are being identified and addressed through lean six sigma/organisational development certification and project management training at London City University. We also actively pursue opportunities to upskill in technologies that support either the delivery of the Streamline workshops or BLP's legal service delivery.

Continuous improvement

We have used our Streamline approach to map over 100 processes and have:

• delivered 12 client workshops;

• mapped processes involving the laws of other jurisdictions;

• delivered workshops internationally, including the British Virgin Islands;

• delivered a multi-office videoconference workshop;

• supported clients in their own strategic projects; and

• developed granular mapping to support more junior teams using process software and a proprietary case management system.

We understand that legal, process and efficiency opportunities keep emerging. Clients know that we can provide independent expert input to help them to achieve clarity, particularly during periods
of crisis or opportunity. They recognise
when to involve us and regularly bring us fresh challenges.

We ask for feedback at the end of each and every Streamline workshop we deliver. We want to hear what has gone well and also what we can do better. This feedback is key to developing our service and to keeping it relevant to both our internal and external clients. We collect this feedback and act on it by improving our own approach and processes; we think it is important to 'practise what you preach'.

Internally, our partners have said the workshops have made it easier for them to deconstruct how deals are managed and to drive efficiencies. It's been noted that the transparency of the process and the visual effectiveness of the map created have helped them to deliver work at the right level and price, while removing the need for long explanatory emails to clients.

Clients have also responded well to the Streamline service, saying it has helped them to clarify their objectives and priorities, and to then break down problems into 'solvable' chunks. They have found that, by having all of the key stakeholders sit together to discuss the issues, they were able to quickly distil the key drivers and meaningfully map out the process, which led to the identification of several enhancements.

Opening doors

Streamline is empowering us to support clients as they assess their legal needs and embark on their own transformation journeys. Our approach has opened doors for us to talk to new clients - even organisations that have just been through
a panel selection process.

We are now working with clients to design bespoke integrated legal services through our integrated client service
model. Solutions include the use of our London and international lawyers, our legal service delivery team in Manchester, our
Lawyers on Demand business and
third-party specialists.

Our partners have noted that the service creates a different energy on client matters. We are regularly invited to make presentations to new clients and are included in pitch teams. We receive enquiries for workshops from organisations that are new to the firm.

Streamline is supporting a cultural transformation within BLP and the design of new legal products and services. It has changed how we deliver legal services and how we communicate with our clients - and we have only just begun.

Cathy Mattis is head of process improvement at Berwin Leighton Paisner (www.blplaw.com)