The world of professional services has seen a dramatic shift throughout 2020. Professional services organisations have had to adapt due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken by companies in order to stop the spread of the virus. Since many countries around the world have imposed strict lockdown measures, working from home has become more common than not, and video meetings have become the norm.
We listened to a really interesting podcast by the Enterprise Times where they sat down with Manav Singh, the General Manager and Global Head of PSA Suite at Unit4. During the podcast, they discuss how practice management and delivering professional services throughout the corporate world in London and beyond has changed as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. In this blog we’ve summarised our key takeaways.
Singh has 15 years of experience working in professional services, from starting in the trenches and climbing the corporate ladder to his position of GM and Global Head. He knows exactly what professional services employees go through, and offers insight into how this pandemic has shaped the working landscape considering mental health, productivity and achieving goals.
There are a certain set of new challenges that Singh believes will shape customer and employee experience within professional services. As Europe starts to emerge from various country-wide lockdowns, working practice is having to change and adapt to the new standard operating procedures. As this emergence continues, Singh is seeing firms and companies focus on multiple key priorities:
First and foremost, customer engagement and cash management. Singh believes there is a rare opportunity for organizations to review and improve upon current working practices to make them more streamlined and effective. He believes that companies should take two main approaches. The first being; How can we simplify and standardise our processes. And the second; How can we innovate on our current business model. Singh goes on to explain that there is an opportunity for creating a more valuable customer experience.
Unit4 has seen a dramatic change throughout the crisis and continues to work with their professional services teams to adapt to new operating procedures which ensure the ongoing safety of both employees and clientele. Singh is an advocate for business leaders pioneering the way with this movement, and encourages them to concentrate on two certain areas.
Firstly, complete transparency throughout the changes and adaptations. Secondly, employee experience, and ensuring they feel safe and secure when conducting business and using professional services. Singh believes technology can be a key driver for this movement, and can be utilised to assist with the new set of challenges faced by companies as we emerge from this pandemic.
As a closing statement, Singh reveals what he believes should be the first step a business leader should take during these difficult times, and what the business leaders and consultants of the future should consider when creating SOP’s and systems which should be long-lasting and customer-focused.
You can listen to the podcast in full here