Includes bibliographical references and index.

Innovating Professional Services provides a practical and detailed guide for change agents and leaders in professional service firms who are seeking to transform their firm’s performance through innovation. The book covers business innovation in its broadest sense as it is relevant to the professional services sector. This includes process innovation - the re-engineering of services and internal support processes to reduce cost and increase value to clients. It also includes the development of new services, market-position innovation and also business model innovation. Alastair Ross draws heavily on his practical experience in working with leading law firms and business service and consulting firms over the past ten years in which he and his firm have applied best practice techniques and methods to create measurable improvements. Detailed techniques such as the use of Lean, process mapping, waste identification, service experience mapping and value profiling are explained. The book also details effective approaches for making the required changes in professional service firms. Multiple case studies are used to help demonstrate the opportunities - and challenges - of driving major improvement through innovation. The book can be used by leaders and change agents in law firms, accountants, consultants, architects, financial services and engineering services, to explore the opportunities for innovation in their firms and then to construct and implement a transformation programme to embed innovation in their organisations.

Contents: About this book; The landscape for innovation in professional services; Why innovation? Lessons from the UK legal sector. Part I Opportunities for Innovation: So you want more innovation in your firm?; Innovation - what is it?; Innovation opportunities in professional services; Process innovation; Product/service innovation; Market position innovation; Business model innovation; The benefits of effective innovation; Standing back and looking forwards. Part II Establishing a System for Innovation: Where to start?; Managing innovation - lessons from best practice; Leadership for innovation; Strategy for innovation; Process for innovation; Climate for innovation; Resources and methods for innovation; External links to innovation; Learning from innovation; Putting an innovation system in place. Part III Innovation through Smarter Working: Introduction to re-engineering; Let's talk about business processes; Lean and continuous improvement; Smarter working - applying re-engineering in professional services; The challenges for re-engineering in professional services; The benefits of re-engineering in professional services; How to re-engineer - an introduction; Re-engineering in a downturn; Getting started. Part IV Managing Key Challenges: Common innovation challenges in professional service firms; Challenge 1 - poor supportive culture for innovation; Challenge 2 - limited understanding of client needs; Challenge 3 - insufficient resourcing of innovation; Challenge 4 - poor innovation process; Challenge 5 - ineffective execution; Challenge 6 - resistance to systemisation of work; Developing your innovation; Final words. Appendices; Further reading; Index.