Identifying value means spending time on value-added activities (things your customer pays for) and reducing non-value items (waste) as much as possible.
For a print shop, value is defined by your customer’s need for a specific product: What is the timeline for producing and delivering? What price is your customer willing to pay?
To identify and improve value in your organisation, start with these steps:
Reduce touches. Every step of employee interaction with a production process slows things down and opens the possibility of human error. Wherever possible, let your technology drive the process forward. For instance, configure your Print MIS to automatically receive data from your web-to-print systems, rather than having to rekey the information. A good Print MIS also can alert customers that a quote is ready for approval or send them shipping details, reducing the need for phone calls or emails.
Prevent costly errors and inconsistencies. Your Print MIS can evaluate which production steps and supplies will be necessary for a job and pull up-to-date pricing from your latest price book. The templates found in your Print MIS are designed to guide you. By data collection and having a disciplined approach to understanding costs, you can accurately determine your price points. This ensures billing will reflect actual costs rather than best-guesses.
Automate inventory. Your Print MIS should automatically adjust inventory to pre-prescribed levels to prevent waste. It can keep track of what you have and what you need, eliminating that tedious and time-consuming task.
Build relationships with vendors. When choosing suppliers, look for those that are trustworthy, flexible, service oriented and conveniently located. Establish long-term relationships to maximise efficiency and buying power.