PROGRAM MANAGEMENT PAGE
When a new facility opens, a significant investment is made in building and land. By comparison, the signs associated with the new operation seem insignificant. Usually handled by a vendor who has invented his own terms, conditions and engineering, signs are purchased like fixtures and furniture. Outdoor signs are structural units, which warrant the same preplanning and documentation as building construction. More and more, large corporations are seeing the collective investment of millions of dollars placed in signs. What are the benefits of a well managed sign program? |
Control Preplanning will eliminate, once and for all, many of the daily hassles associated with “putting out the hottest fire”. Once information dependancy on vendors is broken, competition for price, service and quality places you in control. Service Your sign program should use interchangeable parts whenever possible. The parts should be available in most mid-sized towns. Those parts which are most often serviced should be easily accessible. A documented parts list should be available. There should be a documented maintenance schedule and sign vendors should be required to provide written warranties. Documentation Collection, storage and retrieval of information are key elements to effectively and efficiently organize any business. From a customized data base, your program information is both secure and available, providing reports which pinpoint your issues of interest. Performance Performance can only be measured against contract requirements. How can a sign vendor perform above and beyond, when there is no clear written definition of reasonable price, service and quality? |
Ownership Your logo belongs to your company but in most cases, other information necessary to construction and record keeping is buried in a vendor’s files. * Are most of the pertinent details of your sign program locked up in your vendor’s building at night? * Will you have to “gather” information in order to move your account? * Do you know where to buy matching durable paint? * Will changes in your sign vendor’s business affect your price, service or quality? * Will they maintain state of the art manufacturing and installation techniques? * Will quotations yield a real comparison or will they reflect each bidder’s most habitual profit making techniques? * Is your sign vendor in a competitive posture or in a proprietary one? Competition is the driving force behind healthy business relationships. Consistency Whether it’s your logo, the shape of your sign cabinets or the manner in which you review installation pay requests and measure performance, your corporation is more respected when all concerned receive consistent feedback. Organization For every subject or discipline, there is an organized and flexible approach. Your sign program is no different. A reliable, systematic set of events and documentation is designed - not in general, but specifically for your company and its franchises, branches or dealers. |
|
