One of the primary benefits of using eXpd8 accounts in conjunction with eXpd8 case management is to significantly impact on the quantity and turnaround time of billable hours.   By ensuring all activity on a clients file is passed to the accounts package, you are basically eliminating the huge potential regarding leakage of billable hours. Whilst you may not decide to bill it all, you are at least conscious of the total time spent on the cost of managing the file.

 

The process is

 

•         Today’s post is scanned into eXp8

•         It is viewed within scanned items

•         A response or next action is dictated 

•         This is then type

•         The time is passed immediately to time tracker!

This has a major impact on your business cash flow.  Being easily able to see high value WIP files, you are empowered to charge for work done on a file to date without the pain of investigating and verifying various files. 

 

In order to ensure the appropriate/required billable time is posted to the clients ledger card same day, there are some best practice steps that should be taken by fee earners and that discipline passed down to the entire team.

 

Time recording related to Dictation

1.      At the end of each individual dictation, specify on the recording the time that you want reflected for this activity.  (example, letter to Joe Smith………… please bill 2 units of time or 30 minutes)

2.      The secretary at the time of typing the doc, will record the noted time/units mentioned in the dictation. 

3.      As she hits save – she will be prompted to pass this data to the accounts – the answer should be yes.  Please note that what is passed, is the synopsis, the date, and the units of time or minutes.          

 

By consistently dealing with time at this point you can substantially reduce your need to amend the time and costs at a later stage.

 

 

(i.                of course if you add activities to the file yourself – the same logic applies, modify the time/units, click save and say yes to pass to accounts

(ii.               Think in terms of doing a file review, generate a new note called File review, again record your time/units click and say yes to pass to accounts)

 

 

 

Time recording related activities you generate yourself in eXpd8

 

 

Phone Messages

 

•        If you are doing any work yourself within eXpd8 such as a phone message you want to pass to accounts, handle it as follows

•        Save your phone message (including any notes you may have made yourself of the conversation).  Select link to file from the top tool bar and select the appropriate file.

•        The following screen will be displayed, this permits you to modify the time from the default unit to the actual time you wish to record.   Hit save.  You will be prompted to pass to accounts, select yes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emails

•        The same logic applies here as with phone messages, select the required email in outlook, on the top tool bar in outlook select ‘eXpd8 link’ and select the required file. 

•        Again you will be presented with the new note window with the facility to modify the time from the default unit to the actual time you wish to record.   Hit save.  You will be prompted to pass to accounts,

•        select yes

 

 

 

At the end of each day ideally open time tracker.  This is the holding bay for all the data, including synopsis, and time that has been passed from eXpd8 case management.  At this point you have the opportunity to review what has been passed on your files by yourself and others.  You have the opportunity to change your mind about billing/not billing an item and the opportunity to modify the time.  

 

When you are satisfied with this data, advise your accounts person that they may now import this data.  That is when it will appear as work in WIP on the client’s ledger.

 

Of course if you and your staff have established a diligence in time recording within eXpd8 Case

Management, that you know you can rely on – it is entirely possible to eliminate the reviewing of data in time tracker altogether.  This is something you would work towards.