How are you tracking your job specs?

[ericheartsu]

I'm wondering how everyone is tracking all the following info:

-Screens Used (screen number, mesh count, which side of the screen)
-Inks used (style, pantone, use-age)
-Set up time
-Print Time


Any other metrics I should be tracking as well?

[Maxie]

The first two I don't record, the person catching behind the oven enters into a computer every order, number of prints (shirts), number of colors in print, set up, print and screen removal time.
I get a weekly report.     
If you are a small shop you know most of this but I am not in our plant a lot of the time.    I go out selling so this info is invaluable.      Recently a printer left and based on these figures I did not replace him.
The number of prints per day, hours worked etc did not justify another printer.
We also record how's many screens are exposed, how much emulsion and cleaning chemicals we use.
One other thing I do, every function that has to be done on a regular bases has a form that has to be signed.      E.g. Cleaning filters on flash, filters on air conditioners, check compressor, clean oven filters, etc etc.    On the form is written how often the function has to be done and who is responsible.

[Dottonedan]

I have to do this soon myself. Funny, I did a prod. sheet for that last shop in Nashville (the one the let me go after 2 wks) and when I presented it in a meeting as a suggestion that we should document these types of orders, (most) of their prints were sim process that gets re-ordered frequently...but, the PM's scoffed at it and tossed it aside as if it were laughable. The one younger one even said and I quote "I've worked at 3 other shops and I've seen hundreds of those sheets and they don't mean a thing".  Well, if you've seen hundreds, then obviously someone else thinks they are important as well.   I didn't say that to him, but yea....

The first thing I will be doing is creating a production sheet. When a job is first ran/approved, You want to know HOW that was produced so that you can do it again with the exact look.  This is not so critical for solid spot color jobs but SIM process needs dialed in the exact same way. If not, it can run and be given/set beside one from the previous run...and rejected (you lose money) for re running it to get it to look like the other. Now, many will say, "we never have that problem. You do, you just don't hear about it.


This then, has to get entered into a program to document how that order is to run the next time.
I am looking at Google spread sheets so that the other areas can also pull this same doc up and see what was done and print it off if needed.

Again, it's not as critical for spot colors BUT, is indeed still important since even spot colors can be ran in a unique manor. Even running the order on a auto this time and a manual next time can show a difference in the print.

Once this is entered, you can then run reports and make decisions from that info.
I'm willing to share mine when I'm done.

[Prosperi-Tees]

I track in the old noggin! I only have 3 mesh counts that I use and most ink is stock.

[tonypep]

Shopworks. There is a computer station at the back of each dryer station.

[GraphicDisorder]

This is what we use, not perfect but works for us.

[mk162]

We've made T-quoter work for us.  It only has a little section for colors used, so we started adding the color info into that.

We make sure we record the print order and mesh selection, like so:
1. White (155)
2. Flash
6. GNS Dallas Scarlett(230)
7. GNS MAtte Black (155)
8. White (155)

T-quoter isn't perfect, but I can call up any job in the last 11 years and reproduce it(maybe not dead on if it's sim process).  If there are details like LPI, I put that in the artwork notes.

This stuff is critical.  There is no reason not to keep it.  You're asking for trouble.

[alan802]

Shopworks does most of this stuff for us.

[Prince Art]

Small shop approach:
-Job/task times: log on clipboards @ screen room & press area, collect & drop into a spreadsheet every once in a while.
-Order specs: add to end of order notes in customer file. This is just a word doc, so not as efficient as some solutions, but we still make sure we never lose the info. Mesh count, squeegee duro, print order, flash times, stroke count, specific inks (color+brand/series/etc). Since we have a small dryer & have been having some consistency issues, for now we're even recording exact dryer settings per order.

The info I'd like to keep better records of than we do: materials use, i.e., how much emulsion, tape, & chemical are being used per screen.

[Admiral]

Small shop approach:
-Job/task times: log on clipboards @ screen room & press area, collect & drop into a spreadsheet every once in a while.
-Order specs: add to end of order notes in customer file. This is just a word doc, so not as efficient as some solutions, but we still make sure we never lose the info. Mesh count, squeegee duro, print order, flash times, stroke count, specific inks (color+brand/series/etc). Since we have a small dryer & have been having some consistency issues, for now we're even recording exact dryer settings per order.

The info I'd like to keep better records of than we do: materials use, i.e., how much emulsion, tape, & chemical are being used per screen.

Instead of a Word doc we used to use rich text documents, much quicker and more universal to use.  .rtf files specifically.

[mk162]

Honestly, tracking the amount of emulsion or tape per screen really won't get you anywhere.  You can figure it off one screen and go from there for costing reasons, but in the grand scheme of things it's not that much compared to ink and other chemicals.  Your better off looking at what you spend on it in a year and figure it into costs that way.

Nothing is wrong with a word doc for a small shop.  It's not ideal, but you've got it written down and that is what matters.

Our output has increased dramatically with having all of the details on every sheet.  Nobody walks around asking if somebody remembers how we printed a job from 6 months ago, or if there is a sample print of it floating around.

Dan, those guys are boobs.  Pure and simple.  It's your job to fix that.  They need to understand that information is key, and so is repeat-ability.  Heck, if I were just getting into the shop management game, I would go with Printavo.  It looks pretty solid.  Ours will be similar to that, but more robust.  I don't know if I want to sell it at this point.  I feel it's too much hassle to do that.

[Admiral]

Honestly, tracking the amount of emulsion or tape per screen really won't get you anywhere.  You can figure it off one screen and go from there for costing reasons, but in the grand scheme of things it's not that much compared to ink and other chemicals.  Your better off looking at what you spend on it in a year and figure it into costs that way.

Nothing is wrong with a word doc for a small shop.  It's not ideal, but you've got it written down and that is what matters.

Our output has increased dramatically with having all of the details on every sheet.  Nobody walks around asking if somebody remembers how we printed a job from 6 months ago, or if there is a sample print of it floating around.

Dan, those guys are boobs.  Pure and simple.  It's your job to fix that.  They need to understand that information is key, and so is repeat-ability.  Heck, if I were just getting into the shop management game, I would go with Printavo.  It looks pretty solid.  Ours will be similar to that, but more robust.  I don't know if I want to sell it at this point.  I feel it's too much hassle to do that.

The Word / .rtf docs are likely printed out.  They are with every order for us and include placement info, grouped imprints, color and flash sequence, flash settings, squeegee angles if not simple spot color, etc almost everything needed.

These docs are now within the order in the system for us and automatically print out when printing out the order. 

[im_mcguire]

This is yet another reason we decided to go with Workhorse.  Their Owner's portal, allows for all of this information to be input on your computer, and then sent to your press, allowing your pressman to know exact information.  It will store everything for you.  These were features, we weren't sure how we would implement, in our shop, but after using it for almost a year, it is easy to go back, and match a setup of a job.

[Prince Art]

For job consistency, we also snap a picture of final prints on any new job, and keep print samples of complex jobs.

@Dan: I have to say, I feel it's shops like the one(s) you've described that leave the door open for newcomers & small shops. There are printers on this forum that our shop simply cannot yet measure up to in many areas. But we do the best we can with what we have, and strive to keep getting better... and over & over, we encounter (and retain!) customers who have dealt with shops who operate with little concern for excellence. It can get intimidating sometimes rubbing shoulders here with people who can print rings around us... but your anecdotes remind that there's a big field of play out there, and there's still plenty of room for us to make some of it our own! (Sad some guys will cede it so easily, but that's their choice.)

[tonypep]

Honestly, tracking the amount of emulsion or tape per screen really won't get you anywhere.  You can figure it off one screen and go from there for costing reasons, but in the grand scheme of things it's not that much compared to ink and other chemicals.  Your better off looking at what you spend on it in a year and figure it into costs that way.

Nothing is wrong with a word doc for a small shop.  It's not ideal, but you've got it written down and that is what matters.

Our output has increased dramatically with having all of the details on every sheet.  Nobody walks around asking if somebody remembers how we printed a job from 6 months ago, or if there is a sample print of it floating around.

Dan, those guys are boobs.  Pure and simple.  It's your job to fix that.  They need to understand that information is key, and so is repeat-ability.  Heck, if I were just getting into the shop management game, I would go with Printavo.  It looks pretty solid.  Ours will be similar to that, but more robust.  I don't know if I want to sell it at this point.  I feel it's too much hassle to do that.

l
BTW most should find the avg cost to process a screen from reclaim to press ready (in labor and raw materials) is around $12 to $15 with the major variable typically rate of pay