By Howie Fenton, for Rochester Software Associates – While it is always hard to plan for next year, this year may be tougher than most. The good news is that all signs point to an economic recovery. As I write this there are encouraging vaccine results, pharmaceutical companies are applying for fast track authorizations, and flights are already delivering vaccines. Although the exact timing of the recovery is unclear, all indications point to some semblance of a return to normal in 2021. The big question is what can you do to prepare for your best recovery?
Movies and TV shows about disasters often discuss the importance of taking an inventory. In these movies and shows an inventory includes food, shelter and other resources. In the printing industry an inventory usually refers to paper stocks, but in this situation, it would mean taking an inventory of staff, equipment, and all services. Have you lost staff? Have you lost equipment? Have you added or discontinued products or services?
Compare Your Business Inventory Pre and Post COVID-19
The first step is to compare your pre-COVID-19 to your post-COVID-19 inventory. Document what has changed, and the impact of those changes was internally and to your business. I suspect that many experienced one of the following: decrease staffing, eliminated specific products or services, or invested in equipment to respond to a significant increase in demand.
| Downturn Reaction | Internal Result | Business Result |
| Lost staff (CSRs) | Creating OT and morale issues | Declining customer satisfaction |
| Discontinued service (Offset) | Lost four staff | Resulted in $350 outsourcing |
| Bought new equipment (wide format) | Helped provide more floor graphics and OT | Great during surge but demand slowing |
Three Strategies to Help Plan Your Recovery
1) Lost staff – Losing staff– especially customer service staff can be disastrous. It can impair your ability to ensure jobs don’t fall through the cracks, make sure the unique demands of specific clients are fulfilled and that jobs are delivered on-time. If you have lost customer service staff, you have two choices- rehire staff or add automation. You should get feedback from the administration to see if they are leaning toward rehiring (perhaps you lost someone beloved by customers) or toward automation (perhaps they believe your head count is already high). Fortunately, Web to print software like RSA’s WebCRD reduces the demand for job ticketing and automates estimating and billing. Other workflow software such as prepress and batching software also can reduce touches to optimize the use of your staff.
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SOURCE Rochester Software Associates
