Circit - Case Study: Confirmations & PBC Client Collaboration
How Rickard Luckin’s staff and clients benefit from Confirmations and Client Collaboration
Rickard Luckin is a top 75 UK accounting firm and member of MGI. Amit Popat, Director at Rickard Luckin first came across Circit during an MGI Worldwide conference.
Attracting and retaining talent is a challenge for business leaders.
In an evolving landscape, organisations need to redefine their accounting and finance teams’ skills and competencies, driven by rapid changes in technology and automation, the desire for flexible working arrangements and the focus on developing sustainable business models.
BEFORE CIRCIT
Rickard Luckin currently uses Circit’s Confirmations and PBC Client Collaboration products. But what was their situation before they moved to Circit?
Amit: “Our existing portal wasn't fit for purpose anymore, as the system wasn’t user-friendly.
“Requests to clients were generally made with a deliverables list in Excel or Word that we would send out by email. Clients would then upload documents to our old portal system. The problem we had was that we were receiving some information through emails and some through the portal, and it wasn’t all centralised. That need for centralisation was one of the reasons we started looking for a new solution.”
Amit explains: “From the client’s perspective, they might have dealt with some queries, but from our end, we would then need to check both emails and the portal to locate the information requested, before we implemented Circit. Circit has provided a clear transparency on what deliverables have been sent and what is still outstanding.”
The goal was clear: to improve client interaction and collaboration, to ultimately create a more dynamic, efficient system for clients and staff alike.
Aside from client collaboration, Rickard Luckin was also looking for ways to improve their confirmations process. “We used a different platform to Circit as well as letters that were sent to the bank.”
Amit Popat
Director at Rickard Luckin
IMPLEMENTATION
Implementing a new system, no matter how necessary or how well-perceived, comes with its own set of challenges: both staff and clients need to be made aware, onboarded correctly and guided through learning the new processes and workflows.
“Initially, a group of five came together to review the demonstration of Circit, including our IT specialist from an IT perspective and our Head of Technical from the perspective of compliance with laws and regulations. Aside from that, it was myself driving the project in terms of the timings of when we were going to implement and arranging for all clients and employees to be uploaded to the system.”
Circit was an easy sell to Rickard Luckin’s clients. “Some clients had already indicated that it would be great if we had a dedicated client portal. Other clients, having adopted it, said that it was brilliant and exactly what they wanted in terms of interacting with us.
The transition for clients that were on the old portal to this new portal was seamless. I drafted guidance for clients in terms of what Circit was and how they would set up their account and use it, and that helped them with the transition. It’s been really straight-forward and I'd say 99% of the clients have been really positive about the move to Circit.”
While there was some hesitation at the start, staff at Rickard Luckin got to grips with Circit quickly and hit the ground running.
IMPACT
Streamlined confirmations process
Enhanced client relationships
Clarity and transparency for clients and staff
Freed up time for more important things that require in-depth analysis
Rickard Luckin uses both Confirmations and PBC Client Collaboration products. What has the impact been so far?
About Confirmations, Amit explains: “It's been brilliant, Confirmations has streamlined our processes. Prior to use of Circit, particularly where we sent out letters manually or via e-mail, now all are in one central platform improving workflows. Turnaround time has been a lot quicker than doing it by other means.”
And what was the impact on client collaboration using Circit’s PBC Client Collaboration tool?
“It has helped significantly in terms of communication with the client. Clients have fed back to us that everything is quite clear and there are no misunderstandings. There is a clear audit trail which means clients don’t have to reach out to us as often with questions as it’s all right there on the system.
Rickard Luckin now has fully integrated processes, protocols, staff workflows and client interactions, with clear positive results.
Clients can be more discerning nowadays. “We find clients will now ask questions such as ‘How will you interact with us? Do you have a client portal?’”, says Amit.
To be able to answer with a resounding ‘Yes!’ is part of what makes Rickard Luckin an inspiring place to work, adding value for their clients with carefully chosen technological solutions.
Get in touch with Circit to learn more.
