Internal communication and managing your shop properly are essential to meeting client expectations. Here are some simple tools to implement in your shop to ensure it is running smoothly:

Computerize Your Process

Just like ensuring your external communication is computerized, internal systems allow you to streamline your client orders, information, artwork, and deadlines all in one place. Often, there is information missing in personal emails, written notes, etc., or details can be left out when asking a teammate for artwork or “if something has been approved.” The whole team has transparency, and everyone is notified when a phase is changed when using an internal computerized system. Implementing this may take some training but will ultimately make your shop far more efficient in the future.

Mockups

Mockups provide staff and clients alike with a visual of the artwork and note any key areas to take extra care with. Staff and clients receive all the information, and the mockup is used for reference for artwork approval. If there is an issue with a print, it should be obvious from the print.

Team Meetings

Have daily and weekly meetings with your staff. These internal communication meetings can be as brief as 5-10 minutes and can include everything from reviewing upcoming jobs to simple team building. This allows you to highlight any big jobs coming up, customer service concerns, wins and losses, etc. This also gives staff advice on any issues they have experienced in the shop and helps leadership address those issues.

Standardize Ink Colors

Determining standard ink colors is key to printing consistently, order to order, printer to printer.

• What is your standard white?
• What is the standard yellow?
• What is standard red?

Pick a brand and colors you like. Are you adding any extender base? If so, document it so every printer is printing the same way. Other methods to document:

• When an order is printed with white ink, it should be print-flash-print, etc.
• When a customer orders a specific Pantone color, you can mix to order; however, for basic colors, create a standard and post it on the wall behind your ink mixing station.

Supply Checks

Schedule weekly supply checks and have a point person provide a list of what needs to be purchased to office staff. Nothing is worse than running out of a key supply in the middle of a busy print day and stalling your production. This greatly improves internal communication.

Internal Approval

Every job should be approved by the production manager as well as the salesperson who took the order. The order should be cross checked for design, color, placement, and any issues with the screen. The person who received the order would know any client notes that they can highlight and ensure aren’t overlooked. This prevents any issues that can cause you to have to reprint an order.

External Approval

While you should ideally do so every order, especially for high-maintenance customers or orders over 250 units, we recommend an external/client approval. Advise the client of what day and approximate time you plan to print. Let them know you will send a photo of the first print, and they will need to approve the print within 15 minutes. This ensures they don’t tie up your press for too long. Check for placement, colors, etc. Once approved, you can run the full order with confidence. It’s much better to get the approval than have a client be disappointed by something that could have been simply changed, such as placing the print slightly higher or lower.

Editor’s note: If you missed part one of this series, check it out here.