The Hexarch framework
Six areas, one question each, and one priority.
Every Hexarch review looks at the same six areas of a firm, asks the same question of each, and tests the answers against the firm’s own records and the views of its people. The aim is not a long list of findings but one clear priority, and a plan to act on it.
What we look at. The stated direction of the firm, its mix of clients and services, the alternatives clients have, and how each partner describes the firm.
Warning signs. Partners disagree about direction. The firm cannot say which clients it serves best.
What we look at. The service list, how each service is scoped, how fees are set, and the firm’s time and billing records, used as management information.
Warning signs. Unbilled time. Fixed fees that regularly overrun. The same price for very different clients.
What we look at. Where new work comes from, referral sources, the website and the enquiry routine, and how many enquiries become engagements.
Warning signs. Reliance on a few referrers. Enquiries followed up late or not at all.
What we look at. The main workflows from first enquiry to final bill, hand-overs, review steps and the tools the team uses.
Warning signs. Rework. Deadlines tracked in inboxes. The owner approves everything.
What we look at. Roles and structure, how much capacity there is and where it goes, hiring and onboarding, and supervision.
Warning signs. The owner is the bottleneck. Hiring happens only when the team is overloaded. People leave and take knowledge with them.
What we look at. The firm’s systems and data, security basics, how AI tools are already being used, and where they could save time.
Warning signs. Staff use AI tools nobody has approved. Information is typed in twice. Tools were bought before the process was clear.
How the one priority is chosen
A firm is only as strong as its weakest area, so no area is recommended for attention until all six have been looked at. Each candidate issue is then put through three tests.
- Dependency. If this were fixed, what else would become easier or disappear?
- Evidence. What do the firm’s own records and the people who do the work say about it?
- Feasibility. Can the firm make real progress on it in 90 days with the people and time it has?
The issue that scores highest becomes the priority. Everything else is sequenced behind it in a 90-day plan with named owners and dates. This is the core of the Firm Review.
What the framework does not do
The framework is a management tool. It does not audit the firm’s accounts, test compliance with professional or regulatory rules, or give legal, tax or regulated financial advice. Where a finding points that way, Hexarch says so and recommends that you take advice from your accountant, solicitor or regulator. See independence and confidentiality for how Hexarch handles its own boundaries.
Start with a conversation.
A first call with Philip is thirty minutes, free and without obligation. Tell him where your firm is stuck, and he will tell you honestly whether and how Hexarch can help.