The connectivity of our client practices, our team members and Advancetrack’s leaders, is critical to a successful working relationship, writes Vipul Sheth.
Outsourcing and offshoring can seem so impersonal, but for Advancetrack it’s all about people, communication and connection.
I witnessed this first-hand during a visit to our Indian offices in early October.
Firstly, we were delighted to have two partners from one of our client practices come out to meet their team. The firm has grown its Advancetrack team by 50% in the last 12 months, so it was important for both parties to learn more about each other at a personal level.
Sometimes I will sit in on these meetings, particularly where working points are to be discussed; however, on this occasion I kept out of the way – it was about what the clients wanted to get out of their time in India. Their firm is on a big growth journey, and it was important for personal connections to be built.
Supporting practice growth
Separately, I got to understand better the firm’s plans – particularly as it’s now PE-owned. We hope to be working with the (new) wider group of offices as time progresses.
And then I had the opportunity to see first-hand the work that our Indian team members are doing, which has contributed to us growing 20% in the last year.
A key part of my team communication is about discussing the direction of travel for the profession, our clients, technology, and the impact on how and what we deliver. This inevitably means talking about how roles within Advancetrack will evolve, too.
Change can unsettle people, but it is part and parcel of providing services for a profession that is constantly evolving, and outsourcing is also not a place to stand still. There are concerns in both accountancy and outsourcing that AI means there is no future for people in these worlds. I worry for anyone that stands still, for sure.
But the most successful businesses won’t solely rely on cutting-edge AI; it will be those who understand that technology change will always be with us. So, success will be shaped by preparing customers and staff for these changes.
While Advancetrack is, in some ways, a mirror image of the practices it works for, in truth we need to be further ahead of the game when it comes to processes, tech, and workflows.
We need our team to be ready to move forward, and that’s what I and Advancetrack’s leaders try to do. That was a big part of our discussions.
Taking our people with us
What did I learn from the team?
I was reminded that running an operation in a fast-growing company is not without its challenges… We are looking to recruit and retain the best people in a very competitive environment, and so I received feedback on how we can evolve our team rewards and acknowledge the efforts of Advancetrack’s people. Doing so is vital.
This circles back to how their roles will develop as the organisation develops.
Inevitably, there are milestone moments where, for example, ‘Tech Platform X’ is introduced and that creates changes in working patterns and role expectations. But, understanding that change is iterative and constant, and that people need to be able to flex – so you look back and realise your job is different to how it was two years’ earlier.
Finally, the team got to celebrate, with thousands of others, as the Navratri Festival of Nine Nights began. You can see from the picture that there were thousands in attendance! It was another reminder that how we connect as humans is critical in all its forms.
Vipul Sheth is founder and MD of Advancetrack
If you’d like to find out more about how Advancetrack’s offerings can support your practice, then please click here.
