Fix Your Flow and Reclaim Your Hours
This article will count 0.25 units (15 minutes) of unverifiable CPD. Remember to log these units under your membership profile.
If you’re drowning in client emails, chasing paperwork, and fighting off deadline fatigue, you’re not alone. Most professionals, especially those running their own firms, are stuck in survival mode, not because they lack skill, but because their workflows are a mess and their time management is non-existent.
The result? Missed billables, late nights, and frustrated clients.
The good news is this: you can take control. And you don’t need fancy software or a degree in project management to do it. You just need clear, workable systems and a commitment to stop running your practice on chaos.
This article unpacks exactly how to do that using smart workflow and time management strategies built for real accounting firms, not theory-driven textbooks. If you’re serious about reclaiming hours and turning your admin problems into profits, keep reading.
Why Your Firm Always Feels Behind
Let’s call it what it is: accounting practices are clogged with bottlenecks.
You’re probably dealing with some (or all) of the following:
Manual data entry that eats up hours and invites errors
Clients who ghost you when you need documents the most
No automation so your team wastes time on admin instead of advisory
Staff burnout because no one has the time (or energy) to breathe
Compliance changes that pop up mid-cycle and mess with your plans
New expectations from clients who want faster service and more contact but don’t want to pay more for it
If your workflow isn’t structured, your time will never be your own. And if your time isn’t managed, your revenue suffers. It's that simple.
What is the Fix?
Step One: Build Workflows That Actually Work
A workflow is just a fancy word for a list of tasks that get a job done. But the power lies in how that list is managed.
There are different types of workflows and each one has a place:
Sequential (step-by-step like a checklist)
Parallel (tasks done at the same time by different people)
Rules-driven (flows that change based on criteria, like client size or risk level)
AI-driven (automated tasks based on smart inputs)
State machine (flexible steps, order doesn’t matter)
Whether it’s tax returns, new client onboarding, or monthly payroll, your practice already has workflows. But if they’re not written down, tracked, or owned by someone specific, you’re wasting time and money.
Step Two: Document Everything
Pick one process in your practice that causes headaches. Now break it down step-by-step. Who does what? When? Using which tools?
Then write it down.
Visualise it with a simple diagram. Assign accountability. Run a test. Fix the gaps. Train your team. Then deploy and stick to it.
You can start simple there is no need for software on day one. But if it’s not documented, it’s not a real workflow.
What About Time Management?
Workflows help your firm. Time management helps you.
82% of people don’t use any structured system to manage their time. That’s why the day runs you, not the other way around.
Here are techniques CIBA members are already using to win back hours:
Pareto Analysis (find the 20% of tasks that drive 80% of results)
Eisenhower Matrix (separate urgent from important, stop putting out fires that don’t matter)
Time Blocking (assign chunks of your day to specific work and then defend that time)
Pomodoro Technique (work in focused 25-minute sprints with short breaks, this is great for avoiding burnout)
GTD Method (get everything out of your head and into a system so you stop overthinking)
Pick one. Use it for a week. You’ll feel the difference immediately.
Want to Grow? Start Delegating
Your practice can’t grow if you’re doing everything yourself. That’s not noble, it is a bottleneck.
Delegate data entry, admin, and routine reviews to junior staff or software. Free yourself up to do what clients actually pay for: insight, compliance, advice.
Be specific with deadlines. Don’t say, “do the report.” Say, “reconcile, review and submit the Q4 report by Thursday at noon.” Clarity gets things done. Vague instructions waste time and cause rework.
What You Get When You Do It Right
If you’re still wondering whether this matters, let’s break it down like a business owner:
Fewer errors = less rework
Clearer roles = faster output
Better time use = more clients served
Lower stress = staff who stay
Better delivery = clients who pay on time
Structured processes = real business value
Good workflows and time management aren’t admin projects, they are profitability tools. Use them to make more, stress less, and stand out in a crowded market.
Practical Next Step: Try This Today
Pick one process you handle weekly (client take-on, payroll, tax return, etc.).
List every step in plain English
Note who does what
Assign clear deadlines
Use a simple flow diagram (pen and paper works)
Run through it with your team and improve it
Stick to it for a month
You’ll be amazed how much smoother things run and how much time you save.
Final Word
You don’t need corporate speak, you need solutions that work in the trenches of real-life practice. Time and workflow management isn’t about being perfect, it’s about creating space to be strategic, compliant, and paid for your value.
Get your flow right, and the rest follows
Access the Time and workflow management for practitioners CPD Here
Still drowning in admin? It’s not a time problem. It’s a workflow problem.
If you missed our live Time and Workflow Management for Practitioners session, the recording is now available.
Led by Saleem Kharwa, a respected voice in governance, academia, and accounting. This session gives you practical ways to fix broken systems, cut time waste, and turn chaos into cash.
🧠 Practical.
🛠 Built for small - medium practices.
💸 Designed to save hours and make money.
🎥 2-hour CPD recording
💼 Practice Management
💰 Free CIBA Channel 2 Holders / R345 incl. VAT everyone else
📥 Get the recording here now
