Common Workflow Bottlenecks

I've been tracking my time more carefully and noticed some consistent bottlenecks in my audit workflow. Curious if others have similar issues:

1. Waiting for utilities to provide missing bills or data
2. Deciphering poorly formatted bills from smaller utilities
3. Getting stuck on complex tariff language
4. Client delays in providing facility information

What slows down your audits the most? Any strategies for avoiding these delays?

Brenda, #1 is my biggest frustration too. I've started requesting bills upfront as part of my initial client intake, even before the contract is signed. Gets the process moving earlier.

For #3, I keep a library of tariff interpretations from past audits. When I figure out confusing language, I document it so I don't have to re-research it next time.

The utility data delay is killer. I now have standard request letters for each major utility with specific language about what I need and timeframes. Helps get better responses than generic requests.

Also learned to work on multiple audits simultaneously so when one gets stuck waiting for data, I can keep productive on others.

Client communication is huge. I send weekly status updates even when there's no progress to report. Keeps them informed and reduces the "checking in" calls that interrupt workflow.

For complex tariffs, I've found the utility customer service engineers are usually more helpful than billing reps. They actually understand the technical provisions and can explain the intent behind confusing language.