Screen Printing - October/November 2012 - (Page 28)

BEST PRACTICES IN THE CHALLENGING WORLD OF This case study examines the standard operating procedures that help KDM produce complex P-O-P projects successfully. Maureen Gumbert KDM P-O-P Solutions Group T he execution of a successful 3D P-O-P display campaign takes careful consideration. If any part of the production workflow breaks down, or if any element of the display is slightly off, the result could be quite costly. At KDM, the majority of a project’s time typically is spent up front, working with the customer on the design, white samples, art creation, and prototyping. The following case study illustrates a typical 3D project. This particular job was recently completed for a national beverage manufacturer. It went something like this: bination of 32 and 44 ECT E-Flute for structural stability and ease of assembly at the store level. By this point, the process had taken almost six weeks. WORKFLOW PRACTICES CONCEPT AND DESIGN The customer wanted to create a quantity of 250 threedimensional P-O-P displays (Figure 1) for a localized, in-store, product-display promotion for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to launch the football season. The display was to hold approximately 100 20-oz bottles. The display needed to be flexible in its application by either sitting on an end cap or on top of a pallet full of product at Publix supermarkets in Florida. Three-dimensional renderings were designed of a treasure box that would hold 100 bottles and not exceed an end cap shelf at 36 in. wide. KDM produced a white sample— a prototype with no artwork—made on E-Flute (corrugated material with 95 flutes/ft) and submitted it to Publix for review. Some minor tweaks were made to height and size. The die line was created and sent to the creative agency to create the art to fit our die line. After receiving the art, a new printed mock-up was generated to show the client and the creative agency. It was then decided that the display would not hold product after all—the client’s prerogative. Instead, the art would make it appear like the treasure box was full of bottles, so new art was created. Another internal mock-up was made to double and triple check that the display would function properly before it went into production. The display would be constructed of a com28 SCREENPRINTING We use a management system called Enterprise. It tracks project status with modules that include estimating, order entry, inventory, scheduling, prepress, proofing, printing, finishing, packing, and shipping. It also provides production-data collection and job costing. Some of our standard operating procedures (SOP) include: Production planners As with any print job, efficiencies in production are critical. Our production planners work with our estimating team to produce the job the most efficient way, considering the quantity, print method, materials, sheet size, press size, die size, and special considerations to color and finishing. They reference our inventoried stock materials and gang the different components of the job to get as many on the press sheet as possible to reduce press time. They may order custom size material to accommodate more components on the sheet. Production schedules Production meetings are held twice a day and include printing and shipping schedules. The production scheduler updates purchasing on arrival of material and department managers on the job status and shipping carriers. Each department manager enters a completion code into Enterprise as the product leaves that particular department. All support departments react to the schedule and any last minute changes. The production department and project managers meet twice a day for updates that need to be communicated to the customer. Project managers Project managers are the communication channel between the customer and production. They generate the production job ticket through the Enterprise system. They assemble the job ticket, artwork, 3D prototypes,

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Screen Printing - October/November 2012

Screen Printing - October/November 2012
Contents
Newsworthy
New Products
Where Are You Coming From?
The Best Halftone for Different Styles of Artwork
Adding Dye Sublimation to Your Business
Best Practices in the Challenging World of 3D P-O-P
The Future of Screen Printing
Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives for Decals and Labels
Shop Talk
Industry Update
Classifieds
Distributor/Dealer Directory
Advertising Index
Editorial Insights

Screen Printing - October/November 2012