What to document.
WHAT TO RECORD PER JOB
Customer and contact Job description and specification Quantity Material used Machine settings, where repeatability matters Artwork file and version Approved proof Quoted price Actual material and time consumed Delivery date and method Payment
WHY MACHINE SETTINGS
Repeat orders must match, and reconstructing settings wastes material.
WHY THE APPROVED PROOF
It settles every dispute about content.
WHAT TO ARCHIVE
Artwork files, organised by customer and job.
WHY
Repeat orders are frequent, and re-creating artwork is unpaid work.
HOW LONG
Long enough to cover realistic repeat cycles.
WHAT TO BACK UP
Everything.
WHY
Losing a customer's artwork archive is a serious failure.
WHAT TO CALCULATE PER JOB
Material cost Machine and labour time Margin against the quote
WHY
It reveals which work is profitable.
WHAT TO ANALYSE
Margin by product type Margin by customer Reprints by cause
WHAT THAT TYPICALLY SHOWS
Small urgent jobs losing money, and some customers consuming disproportionate time.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM
Reprice, set minimums, or decline.
WHAT TO MAINTAIN
A record of repeat customers and what they order.
WHY
It enables reminders before they need reordering.
