ImagesMagUK_Digital_Edition_March_2018

www.images-magazine.com MARCH 2018 images 33 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Tools Information management systems I favour cloud-based systems for managing jobs and information because they provide dependable storage and versatile access. That said, there are several methods of organising information and many tools can work reasonably well; even an analogue system can function, provided it has the following characteristics… A good information management setup must be: Centralised: all pertinent information must be stored in a single location Accessible: every employee must be able to get to information whenever they need it without difficulty Complete: it must have the capacity and structure to contain any information needed for a job to progress, as well as a way to track feedback like status changes or notes generated in production Reliable: It must fulfil the above requirements well and without interruption The way cloud-based systems fulfil these requirements leads me to recommend them, whether it is as basic as a formatted set of shared-storage cloud documents, or as fully-featured as a dedicated job- management system formatted for the industry. The critical strength is that cloud software offers access from any internet- connected device, at any time, anywhere. This means that, as long as information is diligently updated in your system, any staffer can answer a customer call, respond to questions on order status, log notes or changes and know exactly where an order is in progress. If that weren’t enough, more complete systems automatically log and store customer communication with an order, not only ensuring additions and changes after the initial interview process are well-documented for production, but also reinforcing your argument when the occasional customer forgets their own directives and attempts to pin the blame for poor expectations on your shop. Tactics Nothing kills a system faster than when those who rely on it find the information lacking. Much as we often blame technology, this usually happens due to incorrect or incomplete implementation. Once a system can’t be trusted to provide correct information, employees will increasingly bypass it, making its data more and more unreliable. To ensure the best use of your system, you must instil the following habits from the start. • Information must be collected carefully and completely. Whether using analogue forms or online ordering, you must be sure that the initial interview with the customer includes all the information necessary to start the quoting and order process, and that all the information is verified by the customer. • The system must be used constantly. Every piece of information, every note, every status related to a job must be input into the system promptly, so that everything you need to know about any given job is current and available in the system. • Information must be formatted consistently. Any file names or physical assets should consistently be labelled with order numbers or other signifiers searchable in the system, and any information entered into the system must be easy to understand and always follow the same pattern. Any staffer in your system should immediately know what they are looking at and where to find the information they need. • Communications must be written clearly. Employees should make sure, both internally and in communication with clients, that their statements have only one interpretation, and that any action that a customer or staffer needs to carry out for a job to proceed is explicitly explained. The internal client model Using the ‘internal client’ model helps achieve a smooth flow of information and assets. Each ‘department’ in a shop should see the next department in the workflow as a ‘client’ to whom they must deliver a finished ‘product’. The ‘product’ is the information, labour, customer contacts and assets assigned to each department and contains every component the next department needs to continue the process with no further input. If I can do one thing with my insistence on moving to a centralised information system, it would be to entirely outlaw ‘sticky notes’ from our industry. When information is critical, it needs to be stored and it needs to be with the order information as a whole. If a customer changes a colour or adds to an order, that information should never be appended to a file with a sticky note. Nobody wants to find out they’ve just decorated hundreds of pounds worth of garments incorrectly over a missing sticky note, your filing system shouldn’t be foiled by a stiff breeze, and critical information should never end up accidentally stuck to your operator’s shoe Physical workflow is important, but it isn’t the only thing you need to make your shop efficient. After all, what good is it having all of your tools at hand if you don’t have enough information to start your next production run? Without information, a well-stocked workstation won’t help you