Client
Aintree Group, a professional services firm, was experiencing a period of “extreme growth.”
Challenge
- This rapid expansion exposed critical operational cracks.
- Issues included inconsistent processes, difficult onboarding, and a varied client experience across different team members.
Results
- Transformed operational chaos into a model of efficiency and consistency.
- Achieved scalable success.
- Ultimately made the business more valuable.
The Challenge: Processes “In Someone’s Head”
Aintree Group’s rapid growth meant onboarding many new team members. The firm quickly discovered its existing processes weren’t built to scale.
“We had lots of processes and lots of things that we did every day, but all of those processes were in someone’s head,” explains Andrea McKenna, CEO of Aintree Group. “None of them were actually written down.”
This lack of documentation created significant challenges:
- Inconsistent Onboarding: It was “really hard to get the same consistent onboarding approach” for new hires.
- Varied Client Experience: “One person’s response and another person’s response were completely different,” meaning “every client’s experience was different.”
- Widespread Inefficiency: Team members relied on “handwritten checklists or… a to-do list in their diary,” with different teams doing the same job in different ways.
Andrea knew that to scale quickly and improve productivity, “we had to put things in writing.” The team was using “a bit of Teams, a bit of intranets” but nothing was centralized.
The Solution: A “Scaffold” for Success
Aintree Group began searching for an SOP product and ultimately chose Way We Do. A key factor in their decision was the desire to partner with an Australian organization that understood the local industry.
The implementation was refreshingly simple. “The fact that Way We Do is web-based meant that setting up on the platform was really as simple as logging in and setting up an account,” Andrea recalls. “There were no software downloads… we were… starting with our very first procedure.”
While the initial change management of writing procedures was a challenge, the Way We Do platform made collaboration simple. Soon, the system became “really embedded in the day-to-day of what our team members do.”
Andrea championed the idea of Way We Do as a “scaffold,” not a “straitjacket.” It provides the essential structure for processes, especially for new or part-time student staff, without being overly restrictive.
“The fact that they can open up a procedure template and understand… ‘these are some of the talking points that I use.’ It doesn’t mean that I have to rote, say, everything that’s in there,” she says. “It gives them the understanding of what they needed to know.”
“I find that when people think of processes… they can think of them as… a straight jacket… What I try and make people think of is that the procedure is… a scaffold.”
– Andrea McKenna
A tangible example is the “going on leave checklist.” When a team member’s leave is approved, they receive a link to a Way We Do checklist.
“It reminds them of all of the things that they need to get done,” says Andrea. “You tick off those things as you go and you then know that you shut down your computer, you go on leave, and all of the things that you need to do are done.”
The Results: Efficiency, Consistency, and a More Valuable Business
The impact of implementing Way We Do was clear and far-reaching, moving Aintree Group from a state of inconsistency to one of scalable control.
Key results include:
- Massive Gains in Efficiency & Consistency: “I think efficiency and consistency are the two biggest benefits that we’ve noticed,” Andrea states. “Our clients get a consistent experience.”
- Clear ROI: “There is no doubt that having Way We Do as a system has saved us time, money, and has improved the quality of service internally as well as externally.”
- Improved Leadership & Oversight: As CEO, Andrea no longer has to “physically oversee somebody’s work.” She can “see that processes and procedures are being followed” through the system.
- Increased Business Value: Andrea points to a crucial, often-overlooked benefit: “It’s made our businesses more valuable… A procedure-ised business is actually one that is… more saleable.”
- Game-Changing Features: The team has enthusiastically adopted new features, with Andrea calling “Activated Checklists” one of the “absolute game changers… They are incredible.”
For Aintree Group, Way We Do proved to be more than just an “online procedures manual.” It became the central nervous system for the entire operation.
“I would definitely recommend what we do to others,” Andrea concludes. “The investment in doing something with Way We Do is actually quite low… It’s just a jump in and give it a go.”
