One of the most overlooked truths in the business of law is this: an hour saved at your firm’s bottleneck is worth more than just time—it’s worth profit.
This concept, originally from Eli Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints, applies directly to personal injury law firms. Whether it’s intake delays, follow-up lags, or case handoffs that take too long, operational slowdowns in one part of your firm can ripple across the entire business–costing you revenue, client satisfaction, and growth.
Let’s Break It Down
Imagine your PI firm generates $3 million annually with a 30% profit margin. That’s $900,000 in annual profit. If your team operates roughly 2,000 hours a year, each hour of firm productivity is worth $450 in profit.
Now, say a bottleneck in intake, case prep, or client follow-up is eating just one hour per day. That seemingly small inefficiency could be costing you $112,500 a year, without anyone realizing it.
Now, imagine fixing it.
An automation system that costs $12,000 over three months could eliminate that hour entirely, streamlining tasks, freeing up your team, and ensuring more clients move through your funnel faster. That’s a 9x return in year one, and over 27x in three years—without needing more staff, more spend, or more stress.
What To Do Next
As a firm leader, you need to identify where time is most often wasted—especially in your intake and case management systems—and determine whether the fix can be done in-house or with a partner. From there, it's about prioritizing systems that can give time back to your team, allowing them to focus on signing more cases and improving outcomes.
We even created a calculator to help law firms like yours map the value of saving just one hour per day. We created a Google Sheet for you to copy and keep as your own. You may find it here: Calculator for The True Value of an Hour Saved in Business.
Key Takeaways for PI Firm Leaders
- Not all hours are equal. An hour lost at intake or follow-up costs far more than the hourly rate of a team member—it costs your firm growth.
- Every process matters. Efficiency gains from even one daily hour saved compound quickly across the year.
- Automation isn’t an expense—it’s an investment. When targeted at your firm’s biggest bottlenecks, it can produce massive ROI and scalable results.
The question for your firm isn’t if you’re losing that hour. It’s where—and how soon you can reclaim it.
About the Author
Eric Weisgarber is the founder/CEO of The AMG Team. He has 25+ years of experience in data-driven marketing, advertising, and business automation.
About The AMG Team
Analytics, Marketing, & Growth (aka. The AMG Team) delivers permanent revenue growth for personal injury law firms by generating high-value cases and automating your client intake process with performance marketing, advertising, and intake automation solutions.
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