Customer Folder Management

pcmodem

Registered Users
I would like to get feedback from others on the structure of your customer/client/job folder. I realize every job will have its own folder, but where does the job folder reside.

Currently we have a folder for each customer and inside of that folder is the job folder
Example:
Customer A > Job 12345
Customer A > Job 12545
Customer B > Job 12341

At my previous employer, we had all of the Job Folders out in the open.

If you could, please explain which method you use and why.

Thank you in advance!
 
[

Currently we have a folder for each customer and inside of that folder is the job folder
Example:
Customer A > Job 12345
Customer A > Job 12545
Customer B > Job 12341


We store all job folders in a file cabinet with tabs that indicate the customer name with all that customer's job jackets behind their name tab.

Blessings!
 
I think the answer depends on a few factors. How much volume do you have? Are jobs being archived after they are complete to clear out that active job folder? How are folders being used? I presume people are... but you may also need to consider giving them a path that is calculable by computers if you want to use any automation or access them through a MIS. Not a requirement -- but sure does help.

Again with a MIS -- if you're tracking jobs properly and know which ones belong to which customers, you wouldn't need to sort them in folders.
 
Since you mentioned it was customer folder[/B] management, I'm going to assume you are a small to moderate sized shop. The main ingredient will always be strict file management. Stick to one naming convention, keep each job organized one job to one folder within each customer's enclosing folder. No loose files - everything is worked on a main drive or server at the location it is to be filed. If these basic rules are followed finding any job is a snap.
 
I have all jobs in one folder named job number than customer ie. 567890 Print Planet, keeping multiple folders for different customers can be a pain, we use a mis system which we can pull up all the details on that if we need.
 
I have all jobs in one folder named job number than customer ie. 567890 Print Planet, keeping multiple folders for different customers can be a pain, we use a mis system which we can pull up all the details on that if we need.

I agree that having different folders for customers can be a pain and difficult to track jobs.
We have a folder on our server called JOBS. That folder is mounted as a volume on each workstation. In that volume are all active job folders for each job. The job folders are named using the five digit job number, and customer name, such as: 12345_Widget_Co. We do not allow spaces to be used, all spaces will be an underscore. Our job naming scheme is very rigid and must be consistent. Inside each job folder is a subfolder called Job_Files. Also inside each job folder is a text file called Job_Information_Notes for such information such as known trapping issues and other notes that pertain to that job, after it has been processed. This job folder has been pre-made and is on the side bar of each workstation, so that it can be copied onto the Jobs volume for each new job. The name of this pre-made folder is: zz_Newjob. The reason for the zz is so that it puts it at the bottom of the list on the sidebar, and also at the bottom of the Jobs volume, so it is simple to locate. Then the operator will rename the zzNewjob folder with the new name using the naming scheme as mentioned above. The operator will then copy the files into the Job_Files sub folder. Also pre-made in the Job_Files folder is a sub folder called zOriginal_Files. Copies of the original customer files are placed in that folder as well, and are untouched and not renamed. This is so that we have copies in case we make a mistake in editing, and save the edited file and have to go back to the original file. By naming the jobs folder with the job number, this makes it very easy to find once the job is archived. All we have to do is enter the job number in our archived files data base, and it will bring up the name of the folder, and the location of the folder (which DVD it is archived to) This is all a very simple procedure and has proven to be effective for years. The main concept is to keep the naming scheme rigid, and all operators must be consistent.

Hope this helps.

-Sev
 
My last employer had a really well thought out numbering scheme for the type of work we did. I have no idea what my current employer is doing with numbers, I'm not sure they do either. How you number jobs depends on whether it's a single operation or multiple operations/press rruns. Either way you should use an operation code at the end of the job

If you are doing work that is a single press run, and maybe went to a folder, cutter, or imaging afterwards I would do.........

12345-101
12345 being the job number and 101 being the opertation code. I would run all job numbers in chronological order having nothing to do with the customer,

Each customers jobs can be stored together in a file under their name. This makes it easier to locate because you will always know the customers name but you will never remember the number. You can easily tell which job ran in what order because it's chronological. for ex.....
Steves pizza
12345-101
12652-101
12784-101

Prep would only be concerned with the job number (12345)

Then you use the operation code a number of ways. -101 would denote a completely new job going to press.If the job had to be reprinted due to a mistake or shortage, you can use the same job number but change the op code to -102. (12345-102 for ex)

If you were printing another job for the same customer that is almost the same thing as a previous (maybe just some black type changes or something), you could use the same number but change the operation to 111 (12345-111). The only problem with this is that it screws up your shop"s overall chronological order, but I'm sure you have a date somewhere in the file. You can also just carry out the number order and then leave a note in the file that it is close to a previous job, but I like the other way better.

if it went to a cutter or folder afterwards they could use op code -201 to denote that it's a different operation on the same job. (12345-201) and they would use the -211 and -202 the same as press would
 
Last edited:
I have all jobs in one folder named job number than customer ie. 567890 Print Planet, keeping multiple folders for different customers can be a pain, we use a mis system which we can pull up all the details on that if we need.

This is how set it up where I used to work. One folder with every job ever done. The MIS would pull from this folder structure. We then created more user-friendly network shares that were symlinks to those job folders. We had two distinct types of work going on there, with separate operators for each. So each group got their own share with symlinked jobs to that master job folder. Going a step further, we separated those into "Active" and "Archived" within the group. All of this was handled by the MIS (symlink creation, symlink moving, folder naming, file retrieval, etc...).
 
PC . . . take a look at the images attached I think the photos show what we do better than trying to write about it . . . . seems to have been working pretty good now for the last 15-20 years for us . . . . also a copy of our job ticket which we print on a tabloid laser printer onto a 10x14 catalog env.
 

Attachments

  • JOB FOLDER.pdf
    17.9 KB · Views: 224
  • Pre-Press folder structure.pdf
    222.2 KB · Views: 250

PressWise

A 30-day Fix for Managed Chaos

As any print professional knows, printing can be managed chaos. Software that solves multiple problems and provides measurable and monetizable value has a direct impact on the bottom-line.

“We reduced order entry costs by about 40%.” Significant savings in a shop that turns about 500 jobs a month.


Learn how…….

   
Back
Top