2. Where would you place each service in a scale that goes from relatively low volume/relatively high variety, to relatively high volume/relatively low variety???? Grace Whelan, Managing Partner of McPherson Charles, welcomed the three solicitors into the meeting room. She outlined the agenda, essentially their thoughts and input into the rolling three-year plan. McPherson Charles, based in Bristol in the West of England, had grown rapidly to be one of the biggest law firms in the region, with 21 partners and around 400 staff. It was an ambitious partnership aiming to maintain its impressive growth record. The firm was managed through 15 teams, each headed by a partner. The meeting was intended to be the first stage in ‘Plans for the Future’, a programme to improve the effectiveness of the firm’s operations. The three partners attending the meeting with Grace were Simon Reece (Family Law), Kate Hutchinson

(Property) and Hazel Lewis (Litigation). Grace asked for ideas on what the firm should prioritise in order to improve its performance further.