Commercial print supervisors and print production managers play an integral role in the business. To be successful, these leaders must be able to problem solve and mitigate press issues with ease every day. On top of that, productivity is key when it comes to bringing the most value to the organization. The simplest setbacks can cost hours or thousands of dollars during a run. We recommend planning ahead with time-saving tips. Here’s our productivity guide to maximize efficiency.
Invest In The Right Equipment (It’s Worth It)
It’s tempting to try and minimize costs when setting up a new equipment in a printing facility, or to simply use your old equipment for as long as you can. This can minimize the cost of obtaining new equipment and maximize the capital investment in your current equipment.
But this is not conducive to productivity. In fact, using old and inefficient equipment could end up costing you more than simply investing in new printing tools and equipment. In fact, a study by the Center for Prints and Economics Management showed that a 25-percent premium in equipment costs is equalized by an 8.75-percent difference in equipment production.
That is, if you pay 25% more for printing equipment, it only has to be 8.75% more efficient in order to recoup your investment. By paying for the right equipment, you’ll spend less time dealing with daily hiccups that cause delays and more time producing quality work.
Related: Time Management Strategy
Minimize Waste With Lean Manufacturing
Lean manufacturing is concerned with eliminating 7 problems that disrupt operational workflows:
- Motion – The unnecessary movement of people
- Waiting – Waiting for another machine or person to finish work
- Conveyance – Inefficient or unnecessary transport of goods
- Correction – Making, then fixing defective products
- Over-processing – Doing more than the customer requires for no good reason
- Inventory – Holding too many raw materials or parts in inventory unnecessarily
- Over-production – Making too many products for the specific jobs or task
Ideally, you should be doing your best to eliminate all 7 of these problems. We recommend taking a look at your workflow and seeing where it can be improved. You may even want to hire a lean manufacturing consultant, who can help you identify and correct your top areas of improvement.
Read also: Five Ways to Reduce Corporate Waste
Don’t Be Afraid To Delegate – And Hire The Right Employees
As a commercial print supervisor, it’s important to know when your responsibilities begin and end. You’re not a shop floor supervisor or manager, and your job isn’t to interact with individual workers or employees. You’re also not expected to be on top of all mechanical aspects of your printing facility.
When you find good people to do the jobs you need, you’ll be able to delegate these tasks. Hiring the right people strengthens your organization. To attract quality employees, communicate your brand across the company and share the message that you are looking for great line production employees that meet your values.
Follow These Tips – Boost Profits At Your Printing Company!
The printing industry is booming, and will continue to grow in the future. To take advantage of this growth, you must position your company for profitability, and ensure that you are as productive as possible with quality equipment, lean manufacturing assessments, and great employees.
Set your high-volume printing floor for success and choose a reliable paper that won’t jam or curl during production. If you do that, you’re sure to succeed!