I'll just add one more trap that's caught me more than once: the client (or other supplier) who misses an intermediate deadline, leaving you to carry it. This has happened on annual reports where the accountants don't sign off the numbers until two weeks after the agreed deadline; the chairman wants to rework the letter you signed off a month ago etc.
I've learned to give them early deadlines, then to start screaming the second they go past them.
Clients also need to understand that to complete work quickly, you often need to work inefficiently - odd though that sounds. For instance, you may need to drive over to the photographer's (or illustrator's or retoucher's) studio to avoid time wasted couriering material. And you may need to sit around at the pre-press house for half the night to approve a proof for a section that's has to go to press that night.
If things are on schedule, these things can happen in an orderly way, as part of you daily workflow. When you're down to the wire, you just have to spend all your time on the project. Even if this means doing menial tasks or sitting around.
Explaining this to clients at the outset, when establishing a project's timetable, helps them understand the importance of everyone meeting their agreed deadlines. It also helps them understand how it affects those of us at the end of the line and the consequent effect on costs.
It also helps to have them realise what's required of them if a deadline is being squeezed: they may have to be at a printers at 4am waiting to approve a cover; they may have you knocking on their door at home at 10pm or expecting a response to your 2am email.
I say this having had bitter experiences of finding myself being held to a final deadline by clients who've completely let me down in terms of providing material, approving things etc. Not to mention key people (CFOs and CEOs) who aren't in the country when their approval is needed!
Hope this is helpful!
Submitted by David Glover on Tue, 05/07/2002 - 12:55.
And impose deadlines on your clients too!
A good article - and every point's valid.
I'll just add one more trap that's caught me more than once: the client (or other supplier) who misses an intermediate deadline, leaving you to carry it. This has happened on annual reports where the accountants don't sign off the numbers until two weeks after the agreed deadline; the chairman wants to rework the letter you signed off a month ago etc.
I've learned to give them early deadlines, then to start screaming the second they go past them.
Clients also need to understand that to complete work quickly, you often need to work inefficiently - odd though that sounds. For instance, you may need to drive over to the photographer's (or illustrator's or retoucher's) studio to avoid time wasted couriering material. And you may need to sit around at the pre-press house for half the night to approve a proof for a section that's has to go to press that night.
If things are on schedule, these things can happen in an orderly way, as part of you daily workflow. When you're down to the wire, you just have to spend all your time on the project. Even if this means doing menial tasks or sitting around.
Explaining this to clients at the outset, when establishing a project's timetable, helps them understand the importance of everyone meeting their agreed deadlines. It also helps them understand how it affects those of us at the end of the line and the consequent effect on costs.
It also helps to have them realise what's required of them if a deadline is being squeezed: they may have to be at a printers at 4am waiting to approve a cover; they may have you knocking on their door at home at 10pm or expecting a response to your 2am email.
I say this having had bitter experiences of finding myself being held to a final deadline by clients who've completely let me down in terms of providing material, approving things etc. Not to mention key people (CFOs and CEOs) who aren't in the country when their approval is needed!
Hope this is helpful!