Work-in-Progress (WIP) Best Practices in Smokeball

Managing work-in-progress (WIP) efficiently is crucial for maintaining productivity and preventing bottlenecks in any legal practice. Smokeball offers several tools and features to help you streamline and track your WIP.

In this guide, we will demonstrate the best practices in Smokeball for monitoring WIP and setting up alerts to ensure that your workload remains manageable.

Step 1: Use Smokeball's Dashboard

Your Smokeball Dashboard provides a real-time overview of your practice's activities, including WIP. 

Configure your Dashboard to display widgets showing WIP metrics relevant to your role, such as the number of new matters, intake, and billing hours.

Step 2: Manage and monitor Tasks 

Smokeball's task management system allows you to create and assign tasks with due dates and priority levels. Monitor the progress of these tasks to ensure they do not exceed your WIP limits.

• Set up tasks and assign them to team members.
• Use task categories and views to regularly monitor the status of all tasks.
• Use Workflow to create a series of tasks based on matter types. Workflows save admin time on task creation and keep the team on track with matter-specific processes and deadlines.

Learn more about creating a review process with tasks.

Step 3. Set Up Automated Alerts

Smokeball can send automated alerts for fee estimates. Configure the alert to notify you when a matter’s WIP approaches and exceeds a certain threshold.

• Open Smokeball Settings and navigate to the Time & Billing section.
• Tick the setting to Send Client Portal notification when matter approaches the estimate and Save.
  
• Set up default fee estimates based on matter type. You can also set up fee estimates on individual matters.

Step 4. Leverage Reporting Tools

Smokeball offers comprehensive reporting tools that allow you to generate reports on your WIP. Regularly reviewing these reports can help you identify trends and areas where WIP may be getting out of control.

• Generate reports focusing on WIP metrics.
• Use tasks to schedule these reports to be generated and reviewed at regular intervals, such as weekly or monthly.

Learn more about WIP reporting in Smokeball.

Step 5. Integrate with Calendar and Time Tracking

Integrate your WIP monitoring with Smokeball’s calendar and AutoTime features. By tracking the time spent on each matter, you can get a clearer picture of your WIP.

• Ensure all team members log their hours and update their calendars regularly.
• Use AutoTime activity tracking for more accurate time recording.
• Use the calendar sync to track events and see upcoming deadlines.

Best Practices for Managing WIP

• Set Realistic Limits: Define what constitutes an acceptable WIP level for your team. Consider factors like team size, matter complexity, and available resources.
• Regular Review: Review your WIP metrics regularly and adjust your limits as needed. This helps you respond to changes in workload and resource availability.
• Team Communication: Foster a culture of open communication where team members can discuss their workloads and potential bottlenecks. This proactive approach can prevent WIP from exceeding manageable levels.