We have a large dry-erase board, divided into 8 sections: monday thru friday, long term (jobs not due in that immediate week), quotes and a general notes section that everyone checks and adds too (things to buy, important events, etc..). Each day of the week is divided into three sections: proofs due, jobs due and installations due. Each proof due that day is writted into the proof section, the jobs due that day are written in the jobs section, and the installations for the day are writted in that section, including their time. Next to the board, there are six wall hanging baskets, each basket for each day has a folder labeled proofs, jobs and installs, to correspond with that day's jobs on the board.
When a job comes in, it is writted up on a work order, placed in a clear plastic job jacket, and put in my in box (we all have in boxes on the wall too, all mail, notes, etc., go here). My job is to control the board, so all jobs go to me, I write them on the board. If a job requires a proof, the proof is written on the day that proof is due. The actual job is also written on the correct day the job is due. Same for installation. So a job can be on the board in three places, this is so nothing can sneak up on anyone, and at a glance we can see what's on the horizon. Once the job is on the board, the job jacket is placed in the correct folder in the correct day. When that day rolls around and action is required, I pull the job and assign it to design or prepress. If a proof is due, it goes to design. When the proof is sent to the customer, that job is held in a folder on the designer's desk labeled "waiting on approval". It stays there until the job is approved, at which point the designer preps the job for production and releases it to production by placing it in the appropriate "job due" folder for the day the job is due. If the job did not require a proof, it's immediately released to prepress, where the art is prepped for production; once done, again it's placed in the job due folder for the appropriate day. An "OK" is written on the board next to that job to let the production people know the job has been approved and the art is prepped and it is ready to be produced. They then pull the job from that folder and do what is necessary to produce it. If an installation is required, it goes back into the correct install folder. If not, the job is delivered to the customer and the job jacket goes to billing and is erased from the board.
It sounds complicated, but it's actually very smooth and easy to use, and it has an absolute minimum number of steps. It's a self-controlling board so to speak, it doesn't require someone constantly updating or watching it. Everybody knows what to do, and when you put the whole system into motion, it requires little user intervention aside from updating new jobs and removing old jobs. When you combine it with a very thorough work order form there's no reason for anybody to stop what they're doing to ask for clarification from someone else, very few mistakes are made and if people are paying attention no deadlines are missed.
If you're interested I can post up a .pdf file of the job board and our work orders, if you think they'd work you're welcome to use them. This is about our tenth job board in 3-4 years, we've been using it for a little over a year now and it works great, at this point we wouldn't change a thing.
