GENERATE IMMEDIATE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS AND COST REDUCTIONS in the editorial and pagination areas of a multi-location weekly newspaper
Project Focus
Design and lead an operational assessment of pagination, ad order entry and editorial areas to identify opportunities, and develop recommendations with related cost benefit analysis and implementation plan.
Financial Benefits
- In excess of 20% of annual labor cost reduction
- Significant reduction in annual technology costs
- 25% reduction in page handling process
- 25% increase in editors’ time available to communities
- An appropriate staffing mix (full-time, part-time, stringers) and “editor to masthead” ratios to support the new operating model
Key Changes and Operational Benefits
- Developed an operational design that increases capacity for editors and reporters to improve productivity, quality and service to the community
- Developed a design to centralize the pagination process
- Identified 21% excess capacity in staff as a result of activity based staffing models that define the number of full time equivalents required to effectively service a community while redesigning the organization structure and staff to ensure an equitable span of control with clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships
- Defined quality performance standards that eliminate the copy edit function and move quality assurance responsibilities for copy and photos to the editor, reporter, and photographer
- Defined service performance standards that eliminate the bottlenecks that exist at the copy desk; ensuring a steady flow of stories and photos, and reducing last minute planning and design of pages
- Defined productivity standards that set clear goals and expectations for management and staff and provide quantifiable indicators that can be used to manage performance
- Streamlined the editorial process flow design by reducing the number of times a page is handled in the pagination system thereby reducing errors and lost time
- Developed a communication system that ensures effective intra and inter departmental communications, that is timely and enhances team building
