Rushing a sign – a good way to make a mess of everything!

Experience is a marvelous teacher, and in #SignForrce’s business of CUSTOM #SIGNS, the one groundhog lesson that keeps repeating itself seems to be that if – or should I say, WHEN – a #sign job is rushed, regardless of how simple the job may be – or seem – or how fast people believe it can be done, the likelihood of errors occurring on the job seem to climb exponentially.

This tends to happen for a combination of reasons, or more accurately an accumulation of a combination of missed steps or rushed procedures that, when followed, assure the work is top quality, correct and on time, but when ignored or missed, almost guarantee some level of error.

In order to make sure that even the simplest #sign job is (1) correct, (2) accurate and (3) delivered on time, processes need to be followed.

The processes include getting the artwork for the job signed off, getting the various processes completed and ensuring that the team have access to the premises when it is time to deliver or install the sign.

As an example I am going to use a Chromadek #sign. In signage terms Chromadek is one of the cheapest, simplest metal signs, which, in simple terms, means it should be the fastest and easiest to produce.

So what has to happen to manufacture a small Chromadek sign?

For starters, if the #Chromadek #sign is smaller than a standard sheet, then the Chromadek needs to be trimmed. That could be the second process. The first being deciding if Chromadek is the CORRECT – read that as BEST – material to achieve the desired outcome of the #sign. (In the fast changing world we live in, this question is becoming more and more important).

Most #signs require some or other decoration, making it important to DO and get artwork APPROVED. It can turn out that getting artwork approved can be one of the most important steps, especially when the client provides the artwork, as it may be of poor quality, but also, if the artwork is ‘layered’, it is possible that the artwork may come out differently on SignForces’s computer and printer than what the designer – and client – intended. More than once we have been asked WHY the person PRINTING or APPLYING or INSTALLING the #sign never “picked up” on an error on a #sign. The ‘simple’ reason is that the person working on the sign has trusted that the client has APPROVED the artwork, and as importantly, they are focusing on their task at hand, not on someone else’s job or task.

Once the Chromadek has been cut and the vinyl has been printed and or cut, the vinyl needs to be applied (attached) to the Chromadek so the sign can be inspected and delivered (or collected).

Depending on the size of the sign and the availability of staff and equipment, with enough hands and EVERYTHING being perfect, that entire process can take between one and two hours. However, the real world is not perfect, and no business exists when staff are simply WAITING for work to do. This is ONE of the reasons #SignForce generally request between 7 and 10 WORKING DAYS to complete a sign.

SignForce has built our over 20 year reputation on MEETING DEADLINES, even if the #signs come at a small premium, because rush jobs are prone to errors and redo’s and mistakes and unintended labour costs.

If you are looking for a quality sign, especially with a TIGHT DEADLINE, SignForce should be your first call on 011 440 7524 or info@signforce.co.za, and if you are in a rush, please tell us so we can quote accordingly and fast.