Workflow mistakes!

[pacart]

I need some help with alleviating mistakes made in our workflow. We have too many messed up plates being made.

Problems include:

• wrong imposition
• old file being sent instead of new content
etc...

We have nexus, but we don't have the budget to purchase an imposition software right now, so everything is imposed manually.

We just need to make sure that mistakes are at a minimum before someone looses their job!

Any ideas on how to move forward with fine tuning the workflow would be most helpful.

thanks,

Josh

[Lukas Engqvist]

The question is not if you can affort and imposition software…*but if you can afford the mistakes that are more frequent by NOT having an imposition software. Also a routine of having two people other than the person who made the imposition sign the imposition.

Preferably the project manager (upstream) and the person responsible for the finishing (downstream).

[pacart]

I think that is what is going to happen, we are having a team meeting today to discuss this topic.

We are also having some conflict as to how much responsiblity the pressman should take for the plates that have been sent down wrong.

Prepress says that the pressman should be the last line of defense and should proof the plates.

The pressman say it should be good to go once they get it, so they shouldn't have to proof plates.

[Ultimate]

I agree with the responses. You have to ask in the meeting "what is more costly? Repeated errors in manual impositions, wasted materials, time, frustrations, etc... OR Buying an imposition software to automate as much as possible the process and eliminate errors?

I am convinced you can come up with a "rough" figure of what imposition errors cost in time+materials.

The solution will then appear to be "We will save $$$$$$$ by implementing an imposition software a.s.a.p.

If you can identify that imposition is the weak factor, then you already have 50% of the solution.

Ray Duval
Ultimate Technographics
www. imposition.com

[RickS]

Proof everything. We print 2 imposition proofs. One to assemble, and one left flat at press sheet size. Scheduling, press forman, bindery forman, and CSR sign off on the flat impoproof before plating. Then hold them accountable also.
Rick

[cseas]

Good advice RickS.

We do the same at our plant. The more eyes that check the better. But this also takes discipline and responsibility. We have a term we use, "rubber stamping". Folks sometimes think because it's been checked already, they can just do a quick sign off.

The digital workflow will only do what you tell it to do. Fine tuning should be done to production workflow.

cheers!
cesar

[Lukas Engqvist]

It may be a good idea to routinely file all error, irrespective of where they occur, then once a month call the dep. heads together (or representative) to find out where the error should have been first intercepted, and what the cost of "repairing" (re-printing, re-plating, redoing, standstill, materials etc).

This way you learn what is too expensive to let you pass, if many goalies have been past make a note of each, and what expenses they incurred by letting it pass.

This way you can quickly find where your investment in time, software, knowhow will pay off…*as has been discussed earlier.

You will find that as time passes then routine sign offs are done, and you need to bring back the control

[jetzerm]

Take a serious look at your file management. It sounds to me like you have a file management issue more than anything. We live and die by Time/Date stamps. Every PDF, PS, Impose file has a Time/Date stamp in the file. I'm not talking the computer file date stamp. I talking about setting the Indesign, Quark, Illustrator file to include a Time/Date when to make the PS or PDF and include it in the marks. If the Time/Date matches across all the outputs and files you are good to go.

[pacart]

Currently we don't have anyone proof the plate and i think that is where the problem lies after seeing your posts. We do both a assembled and flat proof of the finished product and a printout of the plates. But then the job jacket is transfered to the pressroom and its in the pressman's hands.

We need someone other than prepress to look at the printouts before they go to the pressroom.

I can guarantee that the owners won't spring for anymore software, so impositioning will be done manually no matter what.

[cseas]

You might consider purging old files too. This takes thorough communication between sales staff and clients. Whether the new file is replacing an existing item or is it new.
But even if you've dropped in old copy versus new, if you print out your layout, full size preferably, and compare to proofs that have been turned in with job order, you should see that there is a discrepancy in copy. If it is too difficult to compare because of minor alterations, then you should really think about addressing the issue at the front end, during prep work of the one-up.