Lean Printing means operational efficiency with the goal of identifying and weeding out wasteful processes and resources that do not add value, but rather, reduce a print company’s profits. Operational efficiency also involves implementing new work processes and the latest technologies that improve quality, productivity and environmental sustainability.
Typically, “waste” in a printing company is related to paper and ink – the trim, the roll or skid that might have been spoiled in the warehouse, the printed sheets wasted as the press comes up to color, or wasted as the color or density shifts somewhere in the course of the press run. These are examples of wasted materials, but there may be other kinds of waste in your business that are harder to identify yet may be squandering more of your resources.
Operational efficiency requires studying all of your business procedures and processes and finding those that add time and effort – but not productivity and profit. A serious review of your business covers every operational aspect, from the administrative offices to the production floor to eliminate waste and develop a lean and profitable value stream.
Plant configuration is one important example. The concept of “workflow” means more than the digital transmission of an image from prepress to the platemaker and press. “Workflow” also refers to where your paper inventory is located in relation to the pressroom and how far your employees have to haul a skid of printed sheets to the bindery, and then moving finished product to the warehouse or shipping area. The physical arrangement of your plant should provide logical and convenient pathways through the production process to reduce the time and effort necessary to move the work through to completion.
Wasted time is another area to consider. Do you have the specified stock for a particular job in your inventory – can your supplier provide it just-in-time? Just-in-time not only keeps your presses rolling, but saves space in your warehouse. Do your press operators have the tools they need at hand, or do they spend time hunting for them? In your office, do your salespeople and customer service reps have the communication tools they need? The estimating software? The ability to accurately account for every job and bill it correctly?
Wringing out the waste begins by taking a holistic approach to your business. Take the 30,000 foot view of the company as a whole, and by all means, involve employees at every level. We’ll take a closer look at this next.