One in-plant's journey from an environment where specialization reigned to one where cross-training is the norm—and how life has improved.
Change in the printing industry is happening at a dizzying rate. Technology and the morphing face of business have forced printing managers in both the commercial and in-plant markets to make some hard decisions, not only concerning technology, but also what services to offer.
Making the right informed decisions can spell success and longevity in the industry, while standing still and ignoring change will inevitably lead to extinction. With all this to consider, the printing manager is reluctant to alter the things he or she can control. After all, as the cliche goes, "If it ain't broke don't fix it."
Unfortunately, as I've learned, change has to occur at every stage of the printing process.
A while back, my printing and copy unit had successfully converted from primarily being a forms printer to an on-demand printer, concentrating on short- to medium-run marketing work. This met a demand that previously wasn't being addressed.
Tight deadlines and stringent quality requirements are all part of the print-on-demand philosophy. Print managers that subscribe to this philosophy must put it into practice consistently, as advertised, in order to maintain credibility. Often it is like walking on a high-wire without a net. There is simply no margin for error.
At the time, we seemed to have successfully made the transition to on-demand. Customers were happy, corporate expenses were down and the internal print business was booming. All seemed right with the world—but things weren't as they appeared.
To adapt to the pace of on-demand printing, I had allowed my staff to specialize in different areas. I got positive results immediately. I knew one fellow was great at high-quality color printing and another at prepress. One of my staff could do amazing things on the folder. I had a copier operator that the customers loved, and he handled his area like his business. These became the GO TO people. I could rely on them to get things done, every time and all the time.
It turned into a science: specializing even my own responsibilities. I would handle all the scheduling, project details and follow-up, because I wanted my staff to concentrate on their tasks. They were compensated for their accomplishments. Everyone took pride in the quality of his or her work—so the drawbacks were ignored.
The Downside Of Specialization
Soon, however, it became obvious that this process of specialization had some serious drawbacks. The most obvious obstacles were sick and vacation days. When one of my specialists was out it would turn the stress level up a few notches on the secondary operator and domino down to the person filling his spot and so on. I found myself canceling time off to handle the workflow. I would try to schedule work around people's vacations, but by the very nature of on-demand printing, the results were uneven.
Ownership became a problem. The piece of equipment each specialist operated become his or her own, and the areas they worked in they considered their domain. When someone filled in at their position arguments often broke out.
A very unexpected drawback developed over something that is always considered positive. The operators were proud of their work. In a specialized area everyone outside that area is naturally thought to be second rate. Add to this the fast pace of on-demand printing and the constant pressure of being the GO TO person and plain, old, undeniable human nature sets in.
It stands to reason, if you assume you are the best, if you have to be infallible all the time, and if you feel uncomfortable when you take time off, then you must be the most valuable employee and everyone else is along for a free ride. Remember, it's basic human nature. I felt the same way.
One by one my staff was coming into my office telling me that they did all the work. Fair compensation is no match for personal perception. I had to make changes without affecting the integrity of our work.
Transition To Cross-training
The transition from specialization to effective cross-training in an on-demand environment heightens the print manager's high-wire act. Not only are you working without a net, but now you're riding a unicycle and juggling.
The flow of work is still there, with the same breakneck deadlines and quality demands. Moving people into positions they are not totally familiar with and expecting them to perform is scary and dangerous for all concerned, and the temptation to revert back to your specialists for "just this one job" is almost irresistible.
Job descriptions and salary compensation levels must be addressed when considering cross-training. For union shops this could be a serious hurtle. In my case, my offset press and bindery people were all at the same or close to the same level of compensation and some had basic cross-training in back-up rolls. Although, I couldn't ask my copier operator to learn how to run an offset press, I could have the offset press people learn the copiers.
My goal was not to create back-up specialists, but for my whole offset printing and bindery staff to be fully trained and interchangeable.
I started by taking the person who ran my best offset press out of production. This operator consistently produced high-quality color work on this press. He kept the press meticulously clean and well-maintained. Service calls were almost non-existent. I turned him strictly into a trainer and the first person I had him train was a bindery operator with absolutely no press experience.
Since the bindery operator had never operated an offset press, he couldn't bring any bad habits along with him to fall back on. I wanted him to learn exactly what the trainer was teaching him.
Originally, the training timetable was three months, but it ultimately took six. During that time all parties concerned hit high levels of exasperation. The trainer thought his student would never learn, the student tended to agree and I had to resist the tremendous urge to go back to business as usual. I was running overtime to make the training time invisible to my customers, because the jobs were taking longer to produce to get the same results.
Finally, it paid off. The bindery operator became a very skilled press operator. After this, I extended the master/apprentice practice to the bindery, prepress and copier areas, changing the principals.
I also created a working production assistant assignment. This person helped with the scheduling, quality control and follow up.
Advantages to Cross-Training
Now every three months everyone rotates to a new area, a new piece of equipment and a new set of responsibilities—and things have never been better. The pressure and/or monotony of doing the same job is relieved when the staff rotates. An operator that has been running on-demand four-color process work for three months might rotate into the bindery, or become the production assistant.
Once on the other side of the fence, the operators can actually see what color the grass is. They gain an appreciation for what the other staff was, in the past, doing almost exclusively. They all can feel more comfortable when taking sick or vacation time. I also noticed a good-natured competitiveness has developed.
I'm sure there is some obvious glaring mistake I'm making with my operation now and when it surfaces—or when I recognize it—I must be willing and patient enough to make the necessary changes, because change is going to be there, whether we are ready to embrace it or not.
by MIchael Renn
Michael Renn is the manager of corporate printing & design at Mellon Bank, in Philadelphia, where he has worked for 23 years. He can be reached at (215) 553-2211.