Every company approaches graphics differently. Some have dedicated design teams, some rely on engineers while others integrate it into marketing. Regardless of the structure, invariably during the process you’ll hear…
“Where are the graphics?”
On a recent occasion, it happened as the prototypes were rolling down the production line. That’s when we get the sheepish call. “Uhhh, we need some parts quickly…”
It’s not just for new products. Production schedules change. Events occur that create unanticipated demand. There’s a number of reasons that drive short lead times for graphics.
Yet that doesn’t change the fact that it’s frequently the last thing that comes to mind. In a practical sense, tooling lead time is shorter for graphics. The complexity of the engineering that goes into designing and producing a durable graphic can be an unknown to the company purchasing them. There’s a perception that the graphics pop out of something similar to a copy machine. As much as technology has advanced, that isn’t quite the case yet.
For these reasons, graphics are easy to push off, or forget all together. If you can relate to that, you have plenty of company. At Romo Durable Graphics, we see this so often, our entire production system is set up to respond quickly as a normal course of business
It’s ironic that something representing the brand for such a long period of time is such a forgettable item. We could stomp our feet and demand more attention. Of course, we want time to make sure the graphic is engineered properly for the application. But we get it. It’s a relatively low cost item. But it requires more engineering than meets the eye. Each application presents new challenges. Thus, it’s often classified as a Class C commodity that acts in ways similar to Class A.
Customers find this frustrating. It’s like the “forgotten” tasks on the Honey Do List that somehow bubbles up to the top when something unforeseen occurs. It sure is nice to know a good fix-it guy. Romo is that guy.
