Job specialization?

[capitate]

We are a small company of four. Here, we do a lot of vehicle graphics / wraps, billboards, real estate, and some custom signs. We loosely each have our roles. But currently, everyone here takes on, and completes jobs – most often from start to finish.


I'm thinking it would be more productive if we had more clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Each of us have our own talents; salesman, designer, sign-maker. As well as our own weaknesses. Yet, each of us takes on all of these roles everyday.


What are your experiences with running either way?

 

[Andy D]

It's usually more efficient having employees specializing, as you said.
For example a good print employee can have a couple printers and a plotter going
while setting up and ripping the next files.
They will typically stay later to have jobs printed and gassing out so that when the
table and install employees get there, they're ready to laminate and go.

Problem is everyone wants to design and print, it's hard to keep people on the tables
once they start getting on the computer, but everyone doing everything on a job causes bottle necks and many more mistakes/misprints.

 

[TonyC]

Our system

We have 4 people inside our shop with 2 outside installing. Inside I have tried every way possible but find each person having defined roles works best for us. With everyone doing their own thing no one has control and jobs can slip through the cracks. Production can also have problems with no consistency.
My wife has the jobs of receptionist and accounting. She also orders all materials. We have one person handling 90% of layouts and design. This same person handles most of the inside sales. Another person is dedicated to production. He checks the prepressed files, manages color verification, prints, laminates and mounts. The installers will do all substrate cutting, wood work, and anything else requiring getting dirty so the production area stays clean. I do all outside sales, manage every job and do the majority of prepress. I also order all outsourced items. Every job is inspected by a second set of eyes before it leaves the shop.
In our system, everyone has a part in every job. Everyone knows about each job to an extent. Whoever is the salesperson for a job, handles all communication with the customer. The customer never knows more than 1 person was involved with the order.

A lot of other things involved but this is the short version.

I am not going to plug any particular workflow system but I will say you MUST have a system and you MUST stick to it.

 

[capitate]

Thanks guys, I think you are right, we get bottle-necked often. And there will be mistakes made, because some tasks we are not as comfortable / skilled at doing as another person would be. We are four in the shop - there is an installation crew that does most our installs.

Still, I would like to hear from someone where everyone is doing a bit of everything.

 

[ExecuPrintGS]

We currently have 4 here also, 3 employees 1 owner and everyone like you has their specialties.
1 (me) does signs & vehicle graphics, from design to production and install, i do every aspect of signage/ vehicle graphics.
1 does paper printing, business cards etc.
1 screen printing/ embroidery
1 (boss) floats

The only issue we have with this system comes to time off.
I recently took a week off for my honeymoon, which was awesome for me, but it put the shop in a tough spot.
Because i handle these jobs start to finish often no one else here talks to some of these customers or ever sees a job ticket or completed product. So when regulars come in, its a bit confusing. Also having people run equipment (and some relatively new equipment) that they arent used to can make things tough.

I really think it depends on workload. Specializing is nice because people know that this is what "I" do when they are talking to me. I don't do a little bit of everything, i focus on this one aspect of our business. If you want business cards, i will finish with your sign order and go get the guy who does those, he knows them inside and out, paper stocks, weights and everything that i don't.

Its a double edge sword, you just need to find what works for you and walk that blade edge.