A better way to start a new day
How do you start the day? Well, if you are an early riser, you are at the plant
at 6 a.m. That is without breakfast. Your first job is to start the boiler,
then get that pot of coffee going.
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It is time to start checking the route outgoing orders and get those routes on
the way. Now get the finishing department ready for the pressers to have their
work ready to go. Insist on the early morning preparation so that your pressers
know enough to clean the press, puffers and set the morning start-up routine
with pins, hangers, and whisk brook at arms reach and check that the vacuum and
steam pressure are all OK.
Now we can go to the drycleaning unit. Start with the lint traps and sort out
that first load, whites and light pastels.
Next is the routine and everyday job of being the boss and managing your people
and your business.
If your people are trained and conscientious and they do their job with little
or no supervision, all you have to do is guide the ship and correct the wrongs
when they occur while you keep searching for improvements and for time-saving
products.
It does not take too long to learn that payroll is your largest cost. With that
knowledge, we can go a little bit further. We can zero in on pants, which takes
a major part of our finishing cost — over 50 percent — and it’s no secret that with tensioning equipment we can achieve double production by
incorporating one operator with two presses, utilizing the new fabric covering
on the new legger press to get both legs with one closing and vacuum.
The operator simply removes the trousers off the tensioning press and places
them on the legger and eliminates all wasted motion. Again, one operator just
pivots from the two presses.
Now there’s time to insure quality along with no loss of energy while resulting in
doubling production. With the use of tensioning equipment, all garments — jackets coats and dresses — can be doubled in production and quality. But most important this can be done
with inexperienced help.
No more will the drycleaner be at the mercy of a prima donna who dictates the
quality level and hours of just when she will produce.
What I like about modernizing the finishing equipment is that it allows the
expense of having the entire area properly air cooled or air conditioned,
something that couldn’t be considered in our industry in the past but now is completely possible.
As manager and the full-time owner, you have the task as trainer of all your
personnel and to review test and decide on the vast amount of new equipment on
the market. This takes a special amount of “investigate before you invest.”
Fortunately we have the trade publications and organizations that can help. You
have access to a wealth of current knowledge and interaction with those who are
willing to share their personal experiences and hard-won knowledge.
It seems no matter where you are, someone, somewhere has gone through the same
problem you are now faced with and has solved the dilemma and can help you
avoid costly trial and error.
So we have the good fortune of relying on a cooperative and accommodating
industry. The changes are constantly before us in fabrics and equipment. We are
blessed with improvements in quality and production and the advantage of
seeking unskilled labor where the current methods guarantee high quality
results with assurances of profitability. It’s a changing world with better days ahead. Good luck be upon us.
