If a partner spends his or her time performing work that could be done substantially as well by an associate, paralegal, or even a secretary, then that time is waste. We can never seem to find time to do a task right the first time, but we can always find time to do it over again to correct errors. Curiously, firms that pride themselves on their quality control systems usually have the most rework. Mistakes still get through the system. The better approach is to identify the causes of mistakes, eliminate them whenever possible, and avoid making errors in the first place.
Many law firms are labyrinths of redundancies.
These can arise from a lack of standardization of common, routine tasks and functions. They can also be caused by a simple failure to communicate. Over-inspection of work product Strategies to reduce waste Aggressive reduction of waste often requires innovative thinking. The people who are usually best qualified to answer these questions are the people who actually do the work that is being examined. Support staff, in particular, are very good at spotting waste in law office processes.