Posts filed under 'Design Project Schedules'
My husband emailed me this link to Mind Tools-Essential Skills for an Excellent Career. Specifically, he sent me to the “Time Management” pages (I won’t get into whether or not that was a hint ! ha ha), which is the section I’ve gone through.
I found the site to be an incredibly great reminder of ways to ’stay on track’. I’m already great about To-Do lists, but now, I’m applying the priorities and then re-writing the list so that only “Important” items are at the top. And then I work down the list.
What I saw immediately is that some of my most important tasks have stayed on my To-Do list the longest. By having them buried somewhere in the middle, I’m able to excuse them by not really ’seeing’ them. Now these things are at the top and have to happen first. I can also see that I “skip” over them lightly because they are tasks I don’t like doing.
We’re working on tracking how long all of our tasks take, and that’s also a real eye-opener. I spend a lot more time dilly-dallying during the day than I thought I did. But this is good news (and not to be mistaken with IMPORTANT brain breaks and kid-time). It’s good news because it means I really DO have more time in the day to get stuff done. A lot of emails can be accomplished in a “found” 15 minutes.
The best by-product of this is that by the time I reach my night, my stress levels are down because I know I took care of the most important stuff for that day. If I keep working after the kids are in bed, it gets to be on some of my more enjoyable tasks - like DESIGNING!!!!
By the way - Project Runway is back on Wed. nights!!
November 30th, 2007
Little snippets of time. Everything in my life, and business, now happens in increments of time - specifically the amount of time between “events”. We had a cash-n-carry shopping event three weeks ago, which left us two weeks until Halloween events with the kids, which left us with a week and a half until the next shopping event. It’s been this way for a few months, since the ABC Show. I think I had a whole month of nothing before the ABC Show, but since then - one thing or another is looming on the horizon.
My daughter started kindergarten (Spanish immersion no less), and so now there are two schools worth of events and stuff to manage. And somehow, having so much “scheduled” is increasing our productivity and, dare I say, our sanity?
The semester that I made the Dean’s list in college was the semester that I was also working two jobs. Both almost full-time. Because the busier you are, the more time-crunched you are, and that’s just the right amount of pressure to kick you in gear. Knowing that I only had an hour between jobs made that hour precious.
This is also exactly why I have to get better at setting incremental deadlines for the business. Instead of just end-of-the-line pipe dream goals. In corporate life, I had to do the project schedules, breaking months and months worth of a project into biweekly deadlines. We can do this for ourselves too. It will help us to hold ourselves accountable and it will help me know where to ask for help more!!!
The more we can break down our project schedules, our business cycles, our to-do lists, the more we’re going to build up our business. Which is good, because our new BIG BROAD focus is taking it to the next level…
November 4th, 2007
I must say that even though we’re one slim week away from our next trade show, we’re much further than we’ve EVER been with our display at this point. We’re getting the mock display together. Previously, despite many grandiose plans, the furthest we got towards a mock up was chicken scratched plans on paper.
The difference between making a plan on paper and seeing the plan in real life is hUgE. We’ve changed our display ideas I don’t know how many times since we started actually building the display. Nothing compares to standing in front of the shelves or racks and seeing how wrong the paper plan feels.
At least chicken scratches on paper give you a starting point. Our first trade show was pretty much about showing up. The next were about incorporating signs and improving display. We’re finally to the point of trying to convey a mood, we’re working around a theme, which helps a lot for the planning. We’ve got the booth space taped out on the office floor and it’s coming together by the day.
Otherwise, everything is in go-go-go-go-and-then-go-some-more mode. I am very excited about the possibilities of my new line - it’s just about getting the samples in by show time. Oh, please, let it all come together by show time.
As an aside - this heat wave does not help my productivity levels and it’s only supposed to get worse. If my kids would only join me, I’d become a vampire - work by night, sleep by day. But the kids don’t play that way and will not sleep during the day. Ah well, I can live on little sleep for one week.
I hope all of you who are prepping for the show are doing better than I am! I wonder if I’ll ever get to the point where I’m a week away from a show and everything is already done and ready to go. But then, getting to that point could be a sign of a stagnant business…
August 28th, 2007
Right now, this is a catch-all post because I need to catch up…on everything (ha ha). Focus and vision, - have a vision, keep the focus. If I work on this long enough, someday I’ll get it.
My sample fabrics have arrived and I’m giddy with excitement. We’re definitely back in the usual “make it happen” mode - being only a month out from the trade show. If I can make this happen, I feel that we should be good for awhile, that we might get a good stable product line with a decent variety. I have to get to some point of sanity, and getting to a stable product line is a big one for me right now.
Oh please, oh please, grant me the late-night strength this is gonna take.
On a side note, one of you wonderful readers out there wrote me about organics suppliers and I don’t think I ever got back to you (apologies), but I have some info if you want to contact me - info@babyfabulous.com.
Speaking of suppliers I just had a longtime customer mention to us that she’s starting to see our most popular blanket fabric everywhere. I hate it, yes I hate it. Bad enough when I notice the same fabrics in boutiques, worse when customers notice. The problem is that we’ve gone with this fabric because it’s a big seller and also because it’s a fabric that the supplier keeps in-stock. Meaning, it’s not as limited edition as every other cool fabric from suppliers with low minimums (more than once our supplier has been sold out of the fabric we need when it’s time to place the production order). Since it’s a blanket that boutiques can have on display without worrying about the print selling out, we’ll stick with it a little while.
That’s the growing pains, if a supplier offers low minimums then it seems like everyone uses their fabrics - and they sell out quickly. Not so fun when you’re trying to break into a style industry. But we just have to make it through the startup phases, right? Which reminds me that a really cool graphic designer approached us this week, offering his services. He’s got some big-wig clients in his portfolio, so that’s flattering. It will be so nice to get to the point of our own print designs.
And to sign-off, I want to let those of you who’ve contacted me with questions recently know that I’ll be combing through my emails so I can answer your questions to the best of my knowledge.
August 4th, 2007
Okey Dokey - So we’re now what, 8 weeks out from the ABC Show? Eight weeks and there is far to go. No more lolly-gagging along. I’m going to have to weed down how many new designs I wanted, but I am still going to make this happen.
We have eight weeks to get a pattern, get the sample fabrics, and have our salesman’s samples made, not to mention pictures. I keep wanting to pretend I don’t have to make time for pictures and a catalog too.
I have to revise my previoulsy created project plan, drastically, and put everything into fast motion. On Monday, I need to set an appointment with the pattern maker and get the sample fabrics ordered. I can’t put it off any longer.
At the same time, I’m learning to have patience with my current product offering. Since we are still so relatively new, there will be a lot of retailers at the ABC Show who haven’t seen any of our stuff. I can take comfort in the fact that we have a decent product line as it is. We need to keep pushing branding and exposure.
This next two months now becomes “how to take a product from sketch to launch in 8 weeks”. My own personal eight week challenge. And this is after I wrote about being behind in the season - but we’re in business now. I don’t get to put off our official launch until I can make something real appear. Now, we have no choice but to make it happen.
Which isn’t to negate all of the legwork I’ve done for this season already, including committing to a theme, scouting suppliers, and hashing out the design basics. But, now we have to put the action behind the plans. And we can. We can, we can, we can.
July 6th, 2007
Starting the season off with a bang!!! Well, that was the plan anyways. Now, here I am, already falling behind schedule. I will give credit to the amount of designing I’ve done. Though you wouldn’t know it, because I have nothing to show for it. But I’ve given it a lot of thought and research and planning in my head. This is a lot of the design work, but definitely not all of it.
I need to get on the tech sketches and specs for my pattern maker. Today, I’m calling to order the sample cuts of fabrics that I need to test my theory and create my salesman’s samples. Those phone calls really need to happen today. A lot of phone calls need to happen today. Just 2 1/2 months until market, (is that right?) - a couple of weeks to work with patterns, a couple of weeks for prototypes, a couple of weeks for photography and finalizing the styles.
It’s do-able. Plus, I still have to define the number of styles.
Wouldn’t it be so great if that was all I had to do? Instead I have some crazy running around to do today for a special order and other mid-day things that will push off my productive hours. On the plus side, it’s 6:45 in the morning, the kids are waking, and I’ve already checked a number of items off today’s to-do list. We finally got ourselves an alarm clock with a snooze button - and we actually got up like we needed to this morning. And it feels SO good to have the stuff done already. So I can enjoy a few moments with my kids as the sun comes up.
June 12th, 2007
I’m happy that I’m miraculously starting the planning for the Spring ‘08 season relatively early - because we’ve just been thrown our first curve ball.
I have a very focused vision and the fabrics I need to make this vision happen have a longer-than-usual lead time because they are knit-to-order. I’m SO happy that the rep took the initiative to follow-up and call me back, and that she just happened to mention that because I have to get on the ball now. I have to narrow the selection down, make sure the finishing process I want to do is going to work and then get the sample fabrics ordered.
On the plus side of the whole knit-to-order side is that it enables me to make this a ‘forever’ baby line for us - I know the fabrics will always be available. As long as I’m prepared for the lead-time.
On the negative side, it means that I have to plan for orders well because if I have a 4 - 6 week lead time to get the fabrics, and a 4 - 6 week lead time to get the items cut & sewn, then I’m at least 8 weeks out from product-in-hand at any given time. So, I already have to adjust the “order sample fabrics” milestone on my project schedule.
And yet, I don’t want to over-order just because I think this is a brilliant idea. That’s why, the sales for this first round will be traditional - show the salesman samples, take orders, order the fabric (based on actual sales), and then place the production order. Once the collection is rolling, I visualize a contanst flux of production. Visualization followed by action makes dreams turn into reality.
May 16th, 2007
Since we’re now in the sprint to Spring ‘08 sales, the designing must begin. This means we have to have the major milestones (deadlines) figured out. Each season, there are things that need to be done on the design side of your project, and things that need to be done to prepare for the sale of your collection. Manufacturing happens after you go to market, so we’ll start tackling that project schedule mid-design-season.
The following design deadlines need to be defined and met in order to have a successful season:
- Select Fabrics
- Create Technical Sketches
- Order sample fabrics
- First, Second, and Third Pattern drafts
- First, Second, and Third Style Prototypes
- Sample fabrics and spec sheets dropped for manufacturing
- Salesman samples complete
The following sales deadlines need to be defined:
- Product photography
- Catalog (either updated from previous season or recreated)
- Price Sheets
- Line Sheets
- Season Launch Press Release
- Create your Terms & Agreements form if you don’t have one already
If you can start with the above major milestones, and map out a deadline by which each of them MUST happen, you’ll be in good shape for a good season. It’s a good idea to set your market date a week earlier than it really is - to see if your season schedule is realistic. Remember, work backwards from your market (start of sales) date!!
And keep in mind that your deadlines should be realistic based on the number of styles you are creating for the season. This is one of the main development decisions you will make, and everything in your project will be based on how many styles you decide to design. If this is your first season, I highly recommend that you stick to just a few designs. Highly, highly, highly recommend it.
Our project schedules should be complete by Monday. I will share mine on Monday. I have already been requesting swatches from suppliers and sketching out designs. I’m hoping, that by tracking where I’m at in the season, it will A) hold me more accountable to my own deadlines and B) prevent others from making some of the costly start-up mistakes I made in the past.
Spring ‘08, here we come!!!
May 4th, 2007
To begin fleshing out the project plan and schedule for our Spring ‘08 Kids Collection, there are a few things I have to take into consideration. First, our schedule must be for the entire business, not just one project. Next, I have to figure out the “must-knows” in order to make the plan and schedule realistic. And finally, I’ll hash out an initial draft and get a picture of the estimated budget.
I’ve decided that I will add our marketing and other “business management” deadlines to the season’s project schedule. Because running a business is more than just launching a collection. To help me run the business, I want to get a picture of how all department deadlines are working together. The design of the Spring 2008 collection will be my main project, but we need to add weekly status meetings, marketing deadlines, admin tasks, sales appointments and tasks, and all the other stuff that has to happen to keep business running as we go along.
As I’m working through the project management details in my head, I’m getting a grip on the three things I need to know in order to make the project schedule realistic:
We need to create a budget and look at our resources. We should have a post-mortem meeting for last season and take everybody’s input on what went wrong (and what went right of course). I think I will schedule that for mid-week. By mid-week, I should have a good draft of the project timeline.
Next, I’ll work backwards from the end deadline to now to figure out all the intermediate deadlines. I work from the market date, or final deadline, because if I know when I need to be ready for market (design samples are done, print materials complete, and we’re ready to take orders) , then I know how far in advance I need to have the samples back, how far in advance I need to have the print materials to the printer.
On budget, I would approach by fleshing out how much I expect each aspect of the project to cost, from development to marketing the line. Then, see what projected total cost is, figure out if this is do-able. From there, the tweaking begins, do we need to drop a design? Move the marketing deadline? Can we add an accessory?
April 22nd, 2007
I usually use the textile show (which I missed) to kick off my season’s project schedule. So, that was last week for the Spring ‘08 fashion season.
I know I’ve said this before, but I’m going to make a real effort to track the progress and main events of the season’s product development through this blog. I hope that a lot of you will jump in and comment to share what you’re doing to make it to market in time.
First things first, we need to work on a realistic project schedule. Figure out our main deadlines and then start working on the designs. I’m going to use good old MS Excel to create a project timeline and then I’ll create a project calendar.
We go to market for Spring ‘08 in August. We’re going to try to run this like a decent project and not like we’re a couple of chicken’s with our heads cut off.
One week to our big event, so I’m going to make the project schedule due beginning of the following week. This week I will start to mull over the designs in my head. I’m going to try to come up with a theme and then find some fabrics to go along with it.
I don’t think I’ll miss a textile show again. It’s such a great way to kick off the season. Ah well. We’ll work around that. It’s nice that a lot of suppliers have websites now, so you can at least get a visual before you talk to them.
So, here we go. Designing for ‘08 already, it’s amazing.
April 21st, 2007
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