All Accountants, actually, all life itself is striving for efficiency and effectiveness.
If you attended our best practice roadshows late last year you will know I've been working on ways to try and make building your offshore team a little simpler. Having spent a lot of the first half of this year on the road, I can finally say that we are ready to launch our comprehensive Client Onboarding Program (COP).
This program is the result of over a decade of dedicated learning and refining processes to build a stellar offshore accounting team in the Philippines, combined with my systems and processes expertise. The COP aims to set up accounting firms and their offshore teams for unparalleled success by providing a roadmap for best practices and seamless job integration.
A Decade in the Making
We’ve been living and breathing this program for over ten years, in fact, Mark & Jon wrote the book on it! When Frontline Accounting first ventured into running our own accounting firm, with an offshore team based fully in The Philippines, the journey was filled with valuable lessons which were hard learned!
Frontline Accounting navigated the complexities of cross-cultural collaboration, process optimization, and technology integration, and each step provided insights that were (eventually) meticulously documented, analyzed, and improved upon.
With my background in engineering, systems and processes and process efficiency have always been a favourite topic of mine.
Having come from outside of the accounting industry, I've never been afraid of asking “why do you do it like that”.
Now with over 2.5 years at Frontline, working with some great accountants and learning from the few clients who couldn’t make offshoring work, I’ve built a simple program that I think should help most firms get up and running.
The Essence of the Onboarding Program
The Client Onboarding Program is designed to map out best practices for all the jobs you plan to assign to offshore teams. It’s not just about transferring tasks; it’s about building a cohesive, efficient, and collaborative environment where both onshore and offshore teams thrive. It’s also about how best to get your onshore team invested in the process and how following this program is good for the onshore and offshore team members.
1. Comprehensive Job Mapping
One of the program’s key steps is its detailed job mapping. Every task given to your offshore team is meticulously documented, outlining the steps involved, expected outcomes, and performance metrics. This clarity ensures that offshore teams understand their roles and responsibilities from the get-go, reducing confusion and increasing efficiency. We can start off easy and add more detail as we go but we use modern tech to make this as painless as possible.
2. Tailored Training
Training is pivotal to the success of any onboarding program. Frontline Accounting’s initiative includes bespoke training modules tailored to the specific needs of each staff member. Combining your leveraged internal training and our ACCA, AAT or CIMA training ensures your staff have an expectation and formed habit of continual learning.
3. Process Optimization
The COP has an emphasis on process optimization. By analysing existing workflows and identifying bottlenecks, the program offers the opportunity to review and streamline current processes. This not only enhances productivity but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement within the team.
4. Technology Integration
Obviously, technology plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between onshore and offshore teams. The steps in the COP give the opportunity to review where the tools and software can be introduced to enable seamless communication, task management, and performance tracking.
Note: We can help you find and review software, but we are completely agnostic and will never recommend or refer you to particular suppliers.
Setting Firms Up for Success
The ultimate goal of the Client Onboarding Program is to set accounting firms and their offshore teams up for success.
Here’s how it achieves this:
Communication
Clear and consistent communication is the bedrock of successful collaboration. The program includes strategies and tools to foster open lines of communication between onshore and offshore teams. Regular check-ins, feedback and collaborative platforms ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Culture
Building a successful offshore team goes beyond just understanding job roles; it involves appreciating cultural nuances. The program includes cultural training sessions that help onshore teams understand and respect the cultural dynamics of their offshore counterparts. This mutual respect fosters a positive and productive working relationship.
Performance
Success is measurable, and the onboarding program includes ideas on how best to measure the output of your team. Key performance indicators (KPIs) are established for each task, and regular performance reviews are conducted to ensure that teams are meeting their targets. This continuous monitoring helps identify areas for improvement and celebrates successes.
Scalable
As your firm grows, needs evolve. The Client Onboarding Program is designed to be scalable, allowing you to expand your offshore teams and operations without compromising on quality, from accounting to admin and EA’s any job role that can be done remotely can be mapped properly using the COP’s methodology.
Let's get started!
If you are in the UK or EU, have been on the fence about starting an offshore team, and want to use the Frontline COP to unlock your accounting firm's full potential, Schedule a Discovery Call with me.
I can walk you through the Frontline Service including the COP.
Whilst the COP was designed to help firms new to offshoring up and running, it can also serve as a useful refresher for those who are “old hands” at offshoring accounting.
If you are already working with Frontline, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the COP, discuss best practices with you, and see what we can learn from you!
Book in a Catch-Up Call with me here.
For non-UK / EU clients and prospects, we will roll this out to our other regions after running some UK clients through the program and getting all-important feedback.
For now, all the best!
Connect with me on: LinkedIn.com/in/mark-mcnee
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