If you've been in business for awhile you've probably noticed a rise and fall to how busy your shop is from week to week or month to month.  Sometimes we'll be crazy busy for weeks at a time and then find a week where it feels like we're slow.

Last week was one of those weeks for us, and it got me a little curious, so I took a look at some numbers around the shop.  So far our sales for 2015 are averaging the highest we've had in our 20 years in business, so I know we're not actually “slow.”

So then I counted up the number of vehicles we've worked on in the last month; in approximately 20 work days we worked on 25 vehicles.  Some were just spot graphics and some were full wraps spanning a couple days.

On top of these vehicles we also do the city buses after-hours.  In the same time period we installed more than 50 bus graphics; some filling nearly half of a bus side.

There are four of us who work in production; we also overlap in our duties, which means we also help customers, design the layouts, produce the graphics and handle installation.  The numbers I looked at were just our vehicles and invoice totals but the bottom line is despite a fairly calm week we were very busy overall.

Once we stepped back and looked at the big picture we realized that the reason we felt caught up, not really slow, was that we were on top of things.  Our production guys know their jobs well, we have good systems in place and we're working really efficiently. 

Being efficient allows us to take on more work, and handle it, and it allows us to take little breathers here and there without seeing a drop in sales.  Utilizing simple programs and tools creates efficiency in our shop workflow.

Front Counter

Being efficient basically means being able to perform a task with the least amount of wasted time, effort or money.  This starts at the front counter.  Here are a few tools we use to maximize the time we spend with the customer while gathering information and building a good working relationship.

• Samples—We keep samples of materials, supplier catalogs, color charts and other sales tools organized under the front counter.
• Examples—The walls of our lobby have printed samples of our work.  We also have our website on the screen of the front counter computer; since our website is an ever-growing portfolio of our work we're able to click on different categories and show samples of our work during the sales process.
• Work Orders—We've created custom work orders to help organize information while talking with the customer.  We keep pads of these work orders on clipboards at the front counter.
• Referral Sheets—We often get asked about related services that we don't offer; pre-printed referral sheets allow us to offer names of trusted suppliers without having to stop and jot the information down each time we're asked.
• Vehicle Templates—Pre-printed vehicle templates of common vehicles are in a binder; these can be quickly grabbed and used for jotting down measurements and design ideas.

Quote Process 

Gathering information during the quote process and figuring out the pricing is often very time consuming.  The quote process can really bog you down; having a few tools can help speed up the process.

• Pricing Sheets—Whether it's a printed sheet or pricing software, having your per square foot pricing accurately figured for your shop overhead is crucial.
• Pre-figured Pricing—On signs we do often, like job-site signs and real estate signs, we have pre-figured pricing posted at the front counter for quick reference.
• Wrap Checklists—We've created custom checklists that specifically take us through the wrap sales process without missing important information.
• Van Wrap Options—To help narrow down a person's wrap budget we have templates for a full size van and a smaller delivery style van.  Each template has four coverage options with pre-figured pricing.
• Shop Rules—To keep us on track we have a few rules like shop minimums for both signs and installations, extra charges for rush jobs and time frames for getting a quote to a customer (if you have to get back to them).

Job Tracking 

Once a quote becomes a job the paperwork goes into a system we've created for our shop.  There are two parts to our system—the physical paperwork and computer tracking.

• Paperwork—Copies of the invoice, work order, artwork, templates and any other gathered information are put into a legal-size hanging file folder (with the sides closed); each folder is numbered. 
  These folders go into a simple metal file holder placed near the production desks.  The holder has plastic dividers that separate the folders as they move through early production – Proofs, Approval, Output, CNC / Engraving, Outside (outside suppliers), Hold.
  There are two wall holders in the production area that are labeled.  When a job is through Output it moves to the Production holder.  If it's a job that needs to be installed then the folder moves to the Installation holder.

• ?Computer Tracking—We use software for tracking all of our jobs.  We customized the program with “Folders” that correspond to each of our production steps.
  The customer's name, folder number and a brief description of the job is entered.  As the job moves through production, the “folder” in the computer is updated with where the job is at.
  Because it's an online program we're able to find the job from any computer, phone or tablet even after hours.  There are built in tools for each job too like note taking, attachments, prioritizing and a timer.

Design

The design process can also bog you down but there are easy tools to create efficiency here, especially on re-orders.

• Software—Have current software for designing both vector and raster graphics and for specialty services like engraving and routing.
• Color—Use color tables that allow you to click on Pantone colors.  We are also able to print custom color charts through our RIP software, Roland Versaworks. These pre-printed charts are kept on the counter; if a customer picks a color from the chart we know that our printed graphics, exported from FlexiSign Pro, will hit that color every time.
• Reorders—We use a cataloging software called “Cathy Catalog,” which is a free media cataloging program.  We clearly label our customer artwork and create individual folders for each customer in a “Working” drive, which is basically jobs from the last six months to a year.  After that time the folders are moved to a back-up drive and added to the Cathy Catalog for easy reference on reorders.

Output

When a design has been approved for production, we move it to the Output folder both physically and in the computer.  Here's a few efficiency tips:

• Material Order Form—We keep a small pre-printed tablet in a central location; all needed supplies, material, media, etc., are written down on the tablet and ordered by one assigned person.
• Label Media—Keep all media and laminates clearly labeled to avoid mistakes during printing.  If you keep a particular vinyl in stock for a certain customer put a piece of tape inside the roll with their name on it; hang it up where you can easily see the name.
• Limit Media Types—Over the years we've found particular media types we like for cast printed jobs, calendared jobs, perforated view thru, etc., and we keep just these rolls in stock.  This eliminates confusion, over-stocked inventory and makes it easier to be consistent on reorders.
• Group Media—If you have multiple jobs ready for output, group the prints by media type to cut down on roll changes both on the printer and the laminator.
• Storage—Keep your labeled media stored by the printer / laminator / cutter to cut down on moving rolls around.
• Turn-around Times—Give the customer realistic turn-around times; if you get it done faster, great, but don't overload output and production if the customer is able to wait a couple extra days.

Production

Once the job has been cut or printed we move the folder into the holder in the production area for the finish work.

• Wall Chart—We designed a dry erase chart that hangs on the wall; although we have the computer program, it's nice to have an at-a-glance chart of the jobs that are in production that week and who is in charge of completing them.  We also list the vehicles coming in for installation on each day.
• Wall Racks—We use vinyl storage racks to also store our printed media as it's drying; these keep the graphics up off the ground and keep them from falling over.
• Organized Work Area—We have a tool cabinet in production that we use to keep our tape, squeegees, knives, tape measures, etc., organized and easy to access. It also makes it easy to see when we're running low on items.  Grommets, cleaning supplies, paper towels, lint-free cloths and other production supplies are also neatly organized.
• Substrate Storage—Using a dividing rack we keep our different substrates organized vertically.  It makes it easy to keep track of inventory and avoid damage.
• Cut Lists—We primarily use an aluminum composite material for most of our rigid signs.  When there are multiple jobs in production we'll go through each folder and make one list of all needed substrates and cut them at one time; this helps maximize our materials and time.

Finished Jobs 

When a job is completed it needs to either be picked up by the customer, delivered, shipped or installed.

• Pick-up—Smaller finished jobs go into numbered slots under the front counter, larger jobs are set against a wall near the front counter.  We then update our job tracking software by changing the folder to “Pick-Up” and noting the slot or location of the job so you can reference it when the customer comes in.
• Customer Calls—When the job is completed we call the customer and stamp the front of the invoice with a custom stamp; within this we note the date we called, who we talked to and which of us made the call.  There is space for two additional reminder calls.  If the job isn't picked up timely we go ahead and bill the balance if applicable.
• Installation Instructions—Since customers will sometimes install their own smaller graphics we have pre-printed installation instruction sheets that we give them with an economy squeegee.  We also have a PDF of instructions on our website.
• Care Sheets—We've created care instruction sheets for both Vehicle Wraps and Magnets.  Each sheet provides necessary instructions for taking care of their purchase.
• Shipping—Shipped jobs are neatly packaged, and we pre-print FedEx labels for quick shipment and efficient tracking.

Installation   

If the job needs to be installed by us the paperwork folder is moved to the Installation wall holder and the customer is called to set up installation.

• Google Calendar—We use this free program to schedule all our installs.  It's easy to view a week or month at a time and helps us avoid overbooking a day.  The software can also be accessed from anywhere since it's online.
• Group Installs—For outside installs group them if possible; if you already have the drill and hardware ready-to-go or a graphics installation kit stocked then you can efficiently do them all at once if time permits.
• Stocked Supplies—Keep your installation area of the shop and your install kits for outside installs stocked and ready-to-go.
• Install Checklists—We've created a check list of tools necessary for different kinds of installs like vehicles, windows, Gemini letters, post sign installs, etc.