No time to lose

KEY POINTS * A brief history of timesheets. * Appreciating the difference between price and value. * The change in the employee/employer relationship. * The need for staff to take responsibility. * Alternatives to the fixed pricing model. * The other benefits of a move away from timesheets.

AS A PROFESSION a culture of charging based on the time spent on a client's work is so ingrained that it goes largely unquestioned. Accountants and tax advisers bill by the hour and typically show great dedication to time counting. This is based on an assumption that since they are in business to make a profit actual time spent multiplied by hourly rate will bring them to this lucrative end goal. Yet a cursory read of marketing management literature would suggest otherwise. Yes businesses do exist to make profit but the foundation of profit is good customer...