Estimate the work left after the last trading day
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Estimate the work that remains after the final trading day before deciding how much aftercare cover is needed. Count the open cases, identify the next tasks and ask who will perform them. An empty workshop can still leave a substantial administrative workload.
Use the estimate to plan capacity, not to set legal deadlines or promise every case will be resolved within a standard time. Complex, disputed or urgent matters need their own assessment and appropriate advice.
Build a week from actual tasks
The following figures are fictional. They describe selected tasks in one week and do not prescribe staffing levels.
| Task | Assumption | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Routine existing-order enquiries | 8 enquiries at 15 minutes | 120 minutes |
| Final invoice evidence checks | 4 checks at 30 minutes | 120 minutes |
| Adviser record requests | 2 requests at 45 minutes | 90 minutes |
| Review and handover | One 60-minute session | 60 minutes |
| Selected workload | Before uncertain new cases | 390 minutes |
The total is 6.5 hours. If the named contact has four hours available for this work, the selected tasks already exceed that cover by 2.5 hours. The example does not establish that the tasks can safely or correctly be completed at those rates.
Ask the actual contact to assess complexity and availability. Include the time needed to find information, obtain a decision and update the record. A short reply may follow a much longer investigation.
Keep unknown volume visible
New messages will not necessarily arrive at the same rate as last week. Use recent enquiries and open commitments to explain the assumptions, then record a contingency arrangement for work outside them. Do not disguise unknown demand as a precise forecast.
The short-absence plan identifies cover if the usual person is unavailable. Check that the substitute has relevant access and authority; a name on a rota does not itself create usable capacity.
Use the invoice evidence queue to distinguish tasks the contact can complete from those waiting on another person. Waiting time and working time affect the plan differently.
Review time and cost separately
The aftercare budget deals with the costs of the chosen arrangement. Keep the workload estimate beside it, but do not multiply every unresolved case by an invented professional fee and call the result a quotation.
If aftercare still depends on office equipment, explain that dependency when discussing disposal with UK Auction Group. Confirm a replacement arrangement or the end of the need before releasing it.
At the next review, compare actual time and new cases with the estimate. Record what changed and whether the contact needs different support. The owner can then make a specific decision about remaining work rather than assuming administration will fit around retirement.
Sources
This guide is general information and education only. Legal, tax, employment and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser who knows your situation. Read the disclaimer.