Hello I wonder if any of you have any tips on organising a busy
workshop. We are usually working on about 60 different commissions at
once, and as many of you will already know - it feels like keeping
plates spinning organising everything and everybody. At any one time
there are jobs to go to the engravers, to the stone setters, to the
assay office etc etc and of course everything has to go into the safe
at night too. Does anyone out there have a good system for
scheduling each project to a deadline whilst being able to ensure
that jobs are sent to each phase of the making process at the right
time and together (to minimise postage etc) where possible? I would
very much appreciate any advice you may have, best wishes Harriet
Harriet, This could be a long thread…I have been working with a dry
chalk board that is white in color and also magnetic and purchased a
large packet of blank white magnetic business cards from our Office
Depot( I suppose their original purpose is to be printed on but) Then
when a new job comes in I write on it name, job, date in and date
promised with dry chalk. then I have different categories columns
that they begin and then move them when necessary…then easily
erased. I keep the info on the magnetic card very simple OR I would
feel like its more of a job. Don’t forget that the original job
envelope( I use clear 3mil plastic envelopes) have the info on
them(simple take in lazer printed form repeatable on office copier)
with detail and pictures(I lay all Items on the scanner and keep that
in the envelope). That last detail has paid for itself when a client
says where is such and whatever and you can show them the scan with
just the items they left you and it shows relatively good detail.
I’ve been in the business now for 23 years and still learning and
changing with the times…Ron Kreml