Staffing Becomes No. 1 In-plant Issue

As reported here and other places, staffing issues have become one of most significant issues in-plants are struggling to overcome. This was based on preliminary data from a Canon-sponsored IPMA survey titled “The Next Generation Tactics and Strategies for In-plant Service Providers.”

When asked “What are your greatest challenges,” there was a tie for first place between “Training customers to better prepare files” and “Finding and hiring good staff.” However, 18% also reported, “Our salaries are so low it makes it hard to attract and keep good staff.”

When asked about this, John Sarantakos, director of the University of Oklahoma’s in-plant, talked about the challenge of hiring staff and described a strategy his team has found effective.

“We are no longer looking for experienced journeyman that we can steal from other companies. Instead are looking for younger staff with a good work ethic, who are willing to learn the industry with the training we provide, and we offer them a career path.”

There are other strategies we have seen work. In the report, we recommend:

• Discussing the role of data analysis for variable data printing,
• The growing role of programming such as embedding JDF codes in PDF files or in Print MIS systems
• Talking about the advantages of benefits packages
• Creating an on-call staffing strategy
• Scheduling cross training
• Using software automation to eliminate repetitive tasks

If you’re interested in learning more about this, please join us at our session at the Printing United show (Oct. 24, 11:00 a.m.). In these presentations executive summaries of the report will be distributed, and we will discuss the results.