Page 29 - PWM2025_AUGUST EBOOK

TECHNOLOGY REPORT

realise the real cost of new innovative trump going home on time on a Friday. installed just as the exhibition was about
display solutions... There are a lot more And Clasper-Cotte recognises this and says that “work-life bal- to open.”
people involved in design, conceptuali- ance is a key consideration; this is one reason why, as we have
sation and finishing not just doing it but grown, we have increased the size of the team.” He says that there Parting advice
also supporting those doing it.” was “concern about the amount of overtime some of the team As for advice to a print business want-
Nevertheless, the company aims to be were pulling”. Ironically, though, he says that “a number of them ing to prove its flexibility credentials,
flexible “wherever possible” as “it builds were not happy to see overtime reduce as they liked the money Clasper-Cotte is clear when he says that
stronger relationships with clients and and enjoyed the pressure of last-minute jobs”. “it is all about ensuring good internal
shows new clients our company culture It’s interesting that he finds that staff enjoy the rush jobs. When relationships between production and
first hand”. pressed as to why this is the case, Clasper-Cotte simply said that
This said, Clasper-Cotte explains that the company “always tries to recruit ambitious people... who want account management and it is also
the company does monitor the shape of to do a great job for clients as it helps us grow and gives them more essential that account managers are
business from each client “and if all jobs opportunities to develop their career”. available to clients”. The same, inciden-
are similar and we are not getting the Even so, he believes that the company is lucky to have people tally, applies to management as clients
normal stress-free day-to-day work then within the team willing to help out: “There are a number who often call him directly when there’s a
we do significantly increase the costs enjoy overtime; it is not mandatory and there are also a few that panic.
charged”. very seldom do it.” The bottom line for Clasper-Cotte?
Clasper-Cotte says that the need to be Overall, Clasper-Cotte says that “as an employer it is important “Be passionate about making clients
flexible is an almost daily occurrence. to ensure you have a balanced team to accommodate the needs of happy.”
He adds that “being flexible in this way the clients – even if it is hard to anticipate what they might be”. Mark Baker, managing director, CIM
does tie clients in. But we find price is A natural question to pose here is whether employees know Signs & Graphics
the best education – ‘plan ahead and it that from time to time they might be expected to abandon any Mark Baker is a strong believer in cus-
costs less’ is a good motivator”. plans they might have to help with a late minute job? tomer service. To him this means only
The answer from Clasper-Cotte is a clear ‘no’. In expanding
Flexible is as flexible does Processes what he means he says that “we would never expect a team mem- one thing: offering clients flexibility
wherever possible. CIM does this by
Being able to offer clients a working
ber to cancel a pre-planned social event, and certainly not upset
level of flexibility requires planning and
and suggesting solutions with profes-
the application of processes, especially an other half.” “meeting customer lead times, budgets
Notably, he says – with an eye on the real world – that “if we did
where time is of the essence. not have the resource available from the team then we would turn sional advice”. But there’s more to this
In terms of this, Clasper-Cotte says down the commercial opportunity.” That said, he says that he reckons Baker; he also thinks it means
that the company has changed its shift “cannot think of a time when we have been unable to muster a having a team that is flexible enough “to
patterns so that “we have production team capable of doing what is required”. And he says this because say ‘yes’ and deliver” – something which
open 24 hours a day on weekdays and he considers his team to be multi-skilled and very flexible; the he says “sets us apart from the competi-
weekends. In the non-standard hours company can usually divert people from other areas to cover a skill
this is often a small core team; we use where there’s a personnel shortage. tion”.
overtime as required to deliver whatever It also helps that the company has understanding clients. Says He places great store on his word
the client needs”. Clasper-Cotte: “A number of very regular clients are themselves being his bond: “If you are going to say
He explains that the production team flexible and allow us to delay their jobs by a day or two to accom- ‘yes’, you also have to deliver – that
maintains an on-call rota that allows modate last minute panics from other clients.” promise can make or break your reputa-
them to be able to pull in resource when Of course, staff flexibility is baked into the process from the very tion.” Giving the complexity of the oper-
required. Of course, to grease the beginning for as Clasper-Cotte details, the need to be flexible is ation before him it should be no surprise
wheels, the company, says Clasper- discussed during the recruitment process: “But as most people are that he refers to the sign business as
Cotte, does “pay a good overtime rate to keen to earn more, so we have not seen any negativity from candi- “being a giant game of Tetris, where we
make sure staff are happy to support our dates.” He adds: “We do look for individuals who are keen to grow try to fit as many pieces of the puzzle
client’s needs. We can often end up with and embrace multi-skilling; print is not an industry for jobsworths together with the least number of gaps
team members popping direct to a ferry – it needs passion, care and pride in what you do.” ensuring every deadline that’s possible is
or an airport to deliver directly to a client And this can be seen though a couple of examples which met”.
on site”. Clasper-Cotte outlines.
But with any regime dependent on “Yesterday a client called at 2.30pm requiring an urgent same- Every business aims for primacy
people, there is the need to be able to day print as their driver had damaged a load of exhibition graphics through winning market share from oth-
balance employees’ personal commit- for an exhibition opening today. We had them with a courier by ers. And from Baker’s standpoint, there
ments and the company’s need to meet 5.30pm. And just last week a client lost five tension graphics is no denying that being flexible and
to client demands. And sometimes a between their warehouse and London’s Excel. We reprinted over- turning work round quickly “increases
commitment to customer service may night and had a courier collect them at 3.00am. They were turnover and profit numbers.”

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