A process audit answers one question: where exactly in the production chain does predictability of the result get lost. Not a general verdict of “good” or “bad”, but measurements at specific points of the process and a clear list of what needs to change.
What is checked
- Whether the plant can actually check an incoming file against the requirements of the specific printing process — both the software and the people’s qualifications.
- Plate quality: what is physically imaged on the plate, and whether it matches what was intended.
- The proof, and the conditions under which it is compared with the press sheet.
- Conformance of printing to ISO 12647.
- Operating regimes of press and finishing equipment.
- Climate parameters of rooms and equipment.
How the work is done
An audit is not a single visit with an instrument. It is a sequence:
- Assessment of the current state. Measurements at every stage, from platemaking to the finished sheet. Laboratory analysis where required.
- Recommendations. Process descriptions, required climate parameters, the specifics of the particular equipment, and the points in the chain where deviation cannot be tolerated.
- Assessing staff qualifications, and training. Recommendations are carried out by people, not by a document.
- Explaining the point of the project to the staff. Someone who understands why they are doing something follows the recommendation more accurately.
- Verification. Checking that the changes were implemented and are working.
The full package can be ordered, or any single item from it. But it is worth knowing that insufficient staff qualification and partial implementation of the recommendations reduce the outcome to nothing. More often than not, the greatest difficulty is the human factor.
Two sides, two different answers
To the buyer of printed products I explain what has to be taken into account for the product to be fit for its intended use. The field of application determines the printing process, the substrate, the ink specifics and the finishing. How the product will be handled determines the packaging shape and the method of delivery; storage time and storage conditions are considered separately. At every stage, starting with design, there are details, and each of them visibly affects the result.
The producer needs to know the specifics of the product ordered and to be able to justify design and production constraints to the customer. Which means knowing them first. I go through the production specifics of the particular product and the constraints that come with it, check the quality of file preparation, advise on the inaccuracies found, or correct them once agreed. In effect this is quality control before production begins.
Experience says checking a file before printing is cheaper than fixing errors during the run — and certainly cheaper than handing the customer substandard work at half price and hoping he will not mention it to colleagues.
Related work
- Introducing new product types into the production flow.
- Introducing new process solutions.
- Selecting new production equipment.
- Advice on software purchases.
To discuss a task, see Contacts.