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PRISM
Get ready to
work smarter
As the market prepares for new growth, printers are starting to work
smarter. This means tighter process control and continuous improvement
across the board, from production, to people management to marketing
I
ncreasingly Prism is hearing about be more open with their staff and deal with on-line audit of their HR structure to ensure
members who are doing really well. grievances in both directions in a far more they are up to speed with the constantly
General manager at G Bopp, Andrew professional manner. A measure of how changing regulations. It costs nothing to
Moss, for example, says the company is well employers deal with their staff can be check, but it could save a great deal of grief.
going from strength to strength and has the involvement of unions in the workplace. Prism members will receive discounted
had to increase its production capacity. In our industry the penetration of unions is rates from Business HR for this support.
What G Bopp is seeing is a transition in the negligible, this not because they are The principal is like seatbelts, which are
screen printing industry to a demand for opposed by employers, but staff cannot there when you really need them, but you
high quality screens produced to very tight justify the cost of belonging when they are have to wear them all the time. A free legal
tolerances. This is particularly so in the treated reasonably by the company. help line in all aspects of business has
industrial market but also the graphics One member has restructured his proven to be of real benefit to members. It
sector, which has adopted a similar company by removing barriers between is provided through Croners and accessed
approach. departments and multi-skilling his using a password over the phone. Our
Tight process control is now a necessity workforce. This has resulted in a 30 per opinion is that you can never have too much
for successful companies and 'first time cent increase in productivity and a much support when things get difficult.
right' is becoming a reality rather than an happier workforce. The really important It seems that the general printing
aspiration. The recession has sharpened up point is that even on a slightly reduced industry is starting to understand what we
our game, which means many members are turnover he has seen an increase in profits, have known for years. That is - we are not
taking a completely different approach to a not just as a percentage, but in actual just printers. It is to some extent
few years back. monetary terms. understandable when a company has a
One of the biggest changes is the Working smarter, being more selective multi million pound multi colour printing
attitude of senior management to the shop about the work taken on and keeping the press, that they consider themselves
floor. People who own and run companies workforce fully informed of how the printers, rather than service or product
now get onto the shop floor on a regular company is doing, pays far greater providers. When it comes down to it
basis and communicate with their staff. It is dividends than just maintaining the status though, the customer isn’t really interested
easy to complain about increasing quo. Process improvement is not just about in what equipment we have, but what
employment legislation, but in some cases, manufacturing. Aiming to continuously benefits we can provide for them.
the tight regulation has forced employers to improve working relationships is just as, if As the market becomes more discerning,
not more, important. the skills available in our industry can be
It is worth remembering that the very useful to innovative companies. We
legislation can be draconian if you get HR understand design, colour, texture,
issues wrong. Sadly there are times when profiling, substrates and how they can be
redundancy or even dismissal is necessary, manipulated to create innovative products.
but if, as an employer, you have not Simply ask customers: Have you considered
followed the legislation to the letter and making your products appeal to additional
the matter comes to a tribunal you are markets? Would you like to access a
stuffed. Whether large or small, resource that creates compelling arguments
companies have to have procedures to buy your products and services? Would
in place that deal with such you be interested having a one stop shop
eventualities. for enhancing your product offering. These
Prism is working with Business are the solutions this industry can provide,
HR to provide a service that so you see we are not just printers - we
ensures members have all the have a lot more to offer than ink on a page.
necessary documents and systems
available on a web site. Visitors to llll www.prismuk.org
the Prism website can carry out an
22 SCREEN PROCESS AND DIGITAL IMAGING l January 2010 Visit us at www.spdi-online.com
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