Proceduralizing

[tonypep]

Not even sure if that's even a word but I consider it to be one of the most important and critical aspects of what I do. Not just scheduling and staging but literally everything minute object, activity and interaction has a specific time and place. Sure it's not always a fluid flow but that is the goal each day. I sometimes wonder how this applies to the owner/operator shop or those with one or two employees. Is it more of a  reactive environment? This is not meant to be a slight on these shops, just an honest question.

[mk162]

This is an area we can improve.  If you want to give away all you secrets, feel free to.

I think it's harder for shops like ours that have floating employees.  Some days there is so much work in one area that we chip in, other days we clean to get ready for the next pop.

[inkman996]

I am with Brad it is really hard to have constant set procedures in an environment where we all wear several hats.

Tho I do try improve constantly.

[squeegee]

I find the more I standardize, the more efficient we become, the better our profit margin.  Everything has to have a system.  We fall short in a few areas on some days but we are way ahead of where we used to be in that regard.  Careful planning and solid organization seems like hard work at first, but after you do things that way, day in and day out it becomes easier, that efficiency thing.

[blue moon]

In my opinion, that is one of the biggest advantages brought in by the software systems. Since we started using TeeCal we were forced into "Proceduralizing" (thank you Tony!). And while it is an investment in time to get it going, just as already mentioned, it gets easier with time.

I should also mention that even though Tony is not running any software, seeing his place in action is inspiring. This is not something you get when you look at it. It is the same as the first time I watched the MHM in action. I walked away thinking "This is it?" But as you spend more time thinking about it, you realize how elegant, efficient and effective his implementation is. Now, Tony is an exceptional individual, as capable I may think I am, there is no way I could do what he does. He keeps that place humming and makes it look so easy (that's where decades of experience come into play too). For the mere mortals like the rest of us, the only option I see is the shop management software.

pierre 

[tonypep]

I find the more I standardize, the more efficient we become, the better our profit margin.  Everything has to have a system.  We fall short in a few areas on some days but we are way ahead of where we used to be in that regard.  Careful planning and solid organization seems like hard work at first, but after you do things that way, day in and day out it becomes easier, that efficiency thing.

Exactly. Sometimes it's hard to wrap our heads around this in the middle of the drama and chaos but it is possible. No secrets here but perhaps a tip. If you are not using shop management software most of them offer demos on line where you can see some of the models. Virtually everything is tracked from raw goods to customer approvals. Try using that as a model. With regards to standards signs and charts are more than helpful, they can become a tool for training and enforcement. We even had a"What to do when there's nothing to do" list at the back of the dryer. Mesh count selection is another one.

I started as Operations Manager years ago at a mid-size op. They had a very successful pre-print line and strong local business. You would come in in the morning and there be racks and racks of press ready screens on the one side of the shop and carts of raw goods on the other. Looked somewhat impressive but oh, the chaos that lurked beneath! First of all nothing matched up. They were trying to schedule by due date rather than real time actual readiness. So there were screens ready with no goods in house and garments pulled for orders not approved. When jobs acually went to press they often couldn't be run. See they had a myriad of screen sizes and even worse, with the mishmash of presses (manual and auto), all with different image limits, it was a crap shoot if a given job would work on any given press. The ink girl walked out in frustration as she could not keep up with the madness. In general, often by 9:00 break not a single piece printed.
There's much more but this is a broad subject and could go on ad infinitum. So if anyone is interested perhaps a follow up post later with implemented solutions and their impact.

[squeegee]

I'm always interested.  Maybe you or someone (a shop management software rep?) could outline all of the benefits and procedural features of a particular shop management program?  (TeeCal?)

With a demo or explanation posted here, I or anyone else could go down the list and compare what procedures they already have in place and which ones they do not.  A quick analyisis of your company's procedures would probably identify weak areas.  I'm sure there are things in good solid shop management software that I or anyone hasn't thought of that can save time, save mistakes, enhance efficiency.

[IntegrityShirts]

As a one-man-band I can chime in a couple priority areas.  My shop is only open from 3-6pm M-F.  I work at a different job 8-2:30 where I can sometimes squeeze in some artwork for screen printing and sometimes answer the phone.

When I get to the shop my priorities are either: print, or expose.  I say one or the other because in multi-tasking for 3 hours a day between phone, walk-ins, supply ordering, invoicing, and art work, I only have time to actually do one of the processes in the shop.

I expose screens for jobs I print on the next work day which gives me time at the computer to order supplies, do art, invoicing etc.

I rack and print jobs on the next day and deal with walk-ins and phone calls as needed.  Helps having a production system that can be effectively paused.

Evenings after 7 I run jobs uninterrupted and I usually dedicate one night to cleaning/coating screens.  Every once in a while I clean/coat during business hours and have someone standing there looking at me after the pressure washer turns off haha.

I often order blanks before art approval and don't have invoices ready when customers pick up.  It's hard to do it all and I'm considering shop management software but I worry that it will restrict the flow at certain points that only a one person shop runs into.

[tonypep]

Had a couple of discussions with Pierre today and thought i would follow up on this topic. You may want to scroll up to refresh.

So I walk into complete chaos each morning. Often hours go by, nothing done. Orders are always late. It's a mess. First thing I do is hand out slips of paper to everyone including the owner. Each are instructed to list the three things they like most about the company and the three most disliked. They have 24 hrs to mull it over. Sure I recieved some joke answers but many were quite insightful. It seemed no one liked the fact that they were working hard with little sense of accomplishment. We all meet to discuss the answers. I limit it to one hour and then break off into smaller group meetings. The maintenance guy is instructed to order some supplies from a sign mfgr. I talk to IT about job tickets and production orders. Within a week we now had huge magnet walls with small job tickets that encapsulate the pertininent details of the order so we can track and schedule with accuracy. There is a hold section. One for art one for blanks. Then there is the active section which is where the scheduling begins. (Of course we have software now to do all this but back then it was to rigid)
Next, production meetings start promptly right after break and can last no longer than 10 minutes. First we review art and garment hold issues which are now entered on an excell spreadsheet and updated daily with ETAs. The next five minutes are dedicated to ancilary issues. The active job tickets are are arranged by due date, then # colors, pallet size, # flashes etc. to ensure maximum throughput. From there the actual schedule is constructed (one day in advance). The schedule is broken down to each press and manuals have their own section. Schedules are distributed to pre-press, Production Manager, and press ops.
With this in place staging areas are now established at opposite ends of the plant. One for blanks and one for pre-press. Everything is flagged with large bold letters for "at a glance" identification.
The pre-press carts contain inks, screens, and print instructions with a sample when applicable.
More "proceduralizing". Training begins in proper tear-down/setups, changing pallets, pallet paper, etc. Press ops are given end of day instructions and they are posted on a large sign. Ink and screen techs are likewise trained in their duties and again, signs are posted for reminder purposes.
It took nine months to implement this and smooth out. Meanwhile the presses were refitted and reprogramed so that image limits were exactly the same across the board. Those odd size frames were disposed of. Now almost any job could print on any press which helped tremendously as the schedule could bend and flex as needed.
None of this was born out of any sense of genius by any means. It was out of necessity. Again, todays production management software practially forces you to implement these kind of things, as Pierre mentioned. I've mentioned before that we are in the business of mass customization. Most assembly line business model approaches do not apply here.
So there it is. That's a glimpse into how the better run large to mid-size shops work. It's never perfect; but by establishing and sticking to procedures we can at least minimize the stress drama.
I'm off my soapbox!

[Sbrem]

Thank you Tony, beautifully stated. The first half sure sounds like us. We have had some improvement of late with our procedures, but it's always helpful to have an account from folks who have had success and are willing to share. I'm actually printing out this thread to go over with my partner. Thanks again.

Steve

[EnMartian]

Very valuable advice for anyone who runs any kind of production facility.

I especially like the part about asking everyone what they thought worked well and what could be changed.  It amazes me that owners/managers will sometimes make wholesale changes and never ask the people who are actually doing the work how the changes will impact them.    Everyone's input has value and people who do the work are the experts on where things work well and where the weak spots are. 

[tonypep]

Thank you both. That mindset will work anywhere as you said. There are unrealised benefits of doing the poll, especially when you are walking in cold and don't know anybody. See the poll is of course anonymous so for instance if you don't like your boss you are free to write that down. Or your machine, the heat, lack of paperwork, policies, the screen department, whatever. Conversely, the positive comments shine light on individuals and environment, etc. So what we do is look for trends.
To me this is the fastest way to get my mind around what is really going on, not just what's at face value or what an owner may tell you. This includes popular and troublesome employees, as an example.