Business

Shop efficiency

When time is money remember the components of an efficient work environment.

UpholsteryJournalMag.com | January 11, 2012

By Jake Kulju

The cutting table at Banner Canvas. The layout of your shop is important, whether you’re dealing with space limitations, managing a large number of projects or finding a home for every tool.

Share This Article

Spacing out

Whether an upholstery shop is set up in a garage out back, in rented factory space or as a storefront business, having adequate and well-organized workspace is essential to quick turnover and projects that are crafted with quality.

Kim Buckminster, owner and operator of Buckminster Upholstery, Falls City, Neb., found that he significantly increased his output by adding more space to his workshop.

“I found out the hard way that you need to have adequate space to work in,” he says. “I worked for nearly 28 years in a 20-foot by 30-foot garage. I tried to take on a lot of projects and just didn’t have the room for it. I doubled my size and I’ve more than doubled my efficiency. By having more space, you can have more projects on hand, and you don’t have to clean up after everything you do.”

Stacey Barnard of Barnard’s Upholstery & Auto Trimming, Palmyra, Va., agrees that adequate workspace is crucial. Like Buckminster, Barnard is a single operator, though in his case downsizing was the answer.

“I’ve gone about half the size of what I had, which is good because I don’t have to walk so far,” he explains. “My sewing machine, cutting table and workbench are right next to me, only a few steps away. That saves time—and time is money for us.”

A well-plotted floor plan includes adequate storage space, workbench space, garbage bins and tool containers that keep items off of the floor and within reach.

“The thing is to get as much clutter off the working area and floor as possible,” Barnard explains. “I use cabinets and hang tools on peg boards. Most upholsterers know what tools they are going to be using most, and those are the ones that they should have located handy.”

The largest contribution that adequate space gives to efficiency is the ability to have several projects going at the same time. Having enough space to move tools, materials and order forms around the shop is dependent on a carefully plotted floor plan.

Faith Roberts, owner of Banner Canvas, Ham Lake, Minn., custom built her shop with efficiency in mind.

“Space is so critical to what we do here,” she says. “I got information from friends and coworkers around the country to put this shop in its best possible efficiency layout plan.”

Roberts believes in the “time is money” mantra, and applies that philosophy to her work environment.

“If you can take one thing in your shop and cut five minutes out and calculate that down to a year’s worth of time, you save yourself an extraordinary amount of money,” she says.

Her 4,000-square-foot building accommodates five employees. Conserving movement was the goal of Roberts’ layout plan. She reasons that less time spent walking around means more time at the workstation. “I have three cells on each of my sewing tables. These tables are designed to handle several types of work. If I need a certain type of machine, I pull it from the cell on the table. Because we do such large projects, we need that kind of table space.”

Buckminster’s expansion allowed him to redesign with efficiency in mind, as well. “In my case, with the addition and being able to move around, I’ve got a designated woodworking area and a finish area, which I can ventilate,” he says. “That’s also my storage area. Including a plan to organize storage in a shop layout is important.”

Barnard finds that the layout of his shop allows him to take on several smaller projects at once, or focus on a more involved task while still being able to help customers who walk into his shop.

Tools

Getting a project done well and on time takes more than just a roomy floor plan. Having the proper tools and the right amount of them are key components of a shop’s efficiency. “I’ve found out that there are certain tools it is a good idea to have more than one of,” Buckminster says. “I’ve got different work stations, an extra broom and dust pan and air dusters—I’m always wanting to blow off a bench on the other side of the room.”

Roberts is a self-admitted tool nut. “All of my tools are within six steps of the tables and machines I use, as are all of the bindings, snaps, hardware pieces and hand tools,” she explains. “All of my machines have wheels on them. My shop has about 20 pieces of equipment, and putting wheels on a machine makes it very efficient.”

Additionally, having more than one set of certain tools can improve efficiency simply by limiting the amount of time workers have to wait to use them. Having two air dusters on either side of a shop makes them more accessible, and several measuring devices in every toolbox eliminates the minutes that add up searching for one.

When Barnard had hired help, he found that having multiple tools went without question. “The biggest thing with employees is that you have to have enough space so that they’re not being crowded,” he says. “Each employee had his own area and all his tools were there. It worked out because if they needed a tool it was always right behind them.”

On schedule

There is no doubt that keeping a well documented and detailed schedule is the cornerstone of an efficient business. Whether a shop is owned and operated by a single person or by a full staff, a schedule keeps deadlines adequately spaced, appointments clearly highlighted and delivery procedures on time.

Barnard keeps his pick-ups and deliveries on a planned schedule that minimizes travel time.

“I try to schedule pick up and delivery because I don’t like going all over the place,” he says. “If the pick ups are all in the same area, I’ll schedule to pick everything up at the same time. It’s the same with estimates. Instead of two or three trips, I’ll make one and schedule the whole trip around one day. That is one element of efficiency that I find does save time and money.”

To keep track of her employees’ schedules and project completion times, Roberts uses a computer software program. She uses the time clock for payroll, but also for job studies.

“Let’s say one employee grabs a repair,” she says. “I want him to swipe the card and log the number onto the ticket. That way we can track how much time he has put into it. People do not realize the amount of time they spend on something. This helps me manage them with their time, as far as salary goes.”

Keep it clean

A clean work place is an organized work place. That is why adequate storage space, proper cleaning equipment and a cleaning schedule are big efficiency boosters.

“As far as keeping things clean, a lot of cabinetry is important, as well as keeping things put away,” Buckminster says. “It’s also very important to pick up after every job and reorganize the tools and work area. If you’ve been working on a car seat and you’ve got a socket set out and spray glues, pick it up and put stuff away so you have a fresh start on the next job.”

Working in a clean shop is safer and projects the image to current and potential customers that a professional work environment should. “I’ve seen different types of shops in total chaos and total disorder,” Buckminster says. “I don’t think it is good on the vision of your business. You should have a tidy shop. It’s important that you keep things swept and picked up so you know where everything is.”

Barnard also emphasizes that cleaning up as he is working has helped him save time. “Having a smaller shop is an advantage because my wastebasket is very handy,” he says. “I can just turn around and throw things in the trash. When I had a larger shop it seemed like everything was on the floor.”

Maintenance

Tools aren’t worth much if they don’t work. By performing regular equipment maintenance, a shop can keep running without glitches and setbacks caused by malfunctioning machines.

One of the most common maintenance operations is air compressor cleaning. “Unless they have an automatic drain, I bet every one of us neglects to drain our air compressors,” Buckminster says. “That’s a maintenance thing that we really have to keep after, and I bet a lot of us don’t.”

Like cleaning, maintenance can best be regulated with a schedule. Knowing when each machine and tool needs a tune-up, belt change and oiling helps keep them functional, safe and efficient.

“You want to have some kind of set schedule,” Buckminster says. “It is important to drop some oil in the staple guns and change dull needles.”

Barnard agrees. “Friday is my dedicated day to maintenance,” he says. “That’s when I clean and oil my sewing machine and drain my air compressor.”

Roberts takes the slower winter months to do her annual maintenance checks throughout the shop, but maintains weekly upkeep on her machines. She keeps extra machines on hand to replace ones that are in need of repair to minimize downtime.

Play it safe

A safe workplace is not only smart, but it also increases efficiency. Working in a clean, safe environment lets daily operations continue uninterrupted by injuries or near-accidents.

Upholsterers work with tools and materials every day that require caution. Whether wearing leather gloves while handling a chisel, sweeping the floor and keeping it clean of slippery material or keeping an air compressor hose out of frequently traveled areas, safety precautions keep time and energy on the projects at hand.

Roberts emphasizes keeping things off the floor. “No one can afford to have a turned ankle around here,” she says.

“Safety is very important to me,” Barnard says. “That’s one of the reasons I have a shut-off on my air system. If one of those tools breaks, or a coupler goes bad, those hoses can swing around.”

Barnard also shuts off his air supply every night to ensure that nothing overheats or wears out too quickly.

“Most people put up caution signs when a floor is wet, but I need a caution sign for when the floor has horsehair on it,” Buckminster jokes. “Just envision what could happen. No convenience is worth risking safety.”

When scraps of vinyl start piling up, stray staples litter the floor and unfinished projects start creeping toward workspace, it’s time to take action. A quick cleaning may make the shop look nice, but keep in mind the difference between neatness and organization.

Neatness is an appearance; organization is a plan where task-specific objects are placed in a position according to a set of standards.

By creating a plan and maintaining an organized, well-maintained and safe work environment, upholsterers can increase shop efficiency—and their bottom line.

For more tips on efficiency and methods of keeping a neat and organized shop, ask advice from friends and colleagues in the industry. Most of them are willing to brag about their efficiency secrets.

Jake Kulju is a St. Paul, Minn.-based freelance writer, and a frequent contributor to Upholstery Journal.

The cutting table at Banner Canvas. The layout of your shop is important, whether you’re dealing with space limitations, managing a large number of projects or finding a home for every tool.
The sewing table at Banner Canvas. Give some thought to how your shop facilitates or impedes your work, and make a plan to maximize its efficiency.
A basic shop diagram of Banner Canvas, Ham Lake, Minn. Conserving movement was the goal of owner Faith Roberts.
When upholsterer Kim Buckminster renovated his shop and doubled the workspace, he estimated that he doubled his output. A clean shop adds the element of safety and produces the image that a professional work environment should provide to customers.
Adequate storage space keeps materials and unfinished projects away from workstations, allowing upholsterers the freedom of unobstructed movement necessary for efficient work.
Getting a project done well and on time takes more than just a roomy floor plan. Having the proper tools, the right amount of them and ensuring that they are in the right place are key components of a shop’s efficiency.