Dealing with Large Orders

[Aaron Vice]

I've gotten a fairly large order here recently. A customer would like 20 duck calls made w/ his logo to promote his company (that may not be a lot, but for me...its a large order). I know he plans to give them out for the holidays this coming duck season, so I've got some time to work on em, but have a few questions:

How do you handle larger orders? do you batch them out or build them 2-3 at a time, or 1 at a time. I tried batching some. I'm sure it's a bit faster, but I'll be honest, i really started to get bored with it, and it was taking away the fun of seeing the call come to life. It felt more like an assembly line.

My other concern is other orders. I know this is a slow time of year for duck calls, but how do you guys handle a larger order? do you put everyone else off until the larger order is made, or do you try to squeeze a few others in with the larger orders?

[Joe aka COLD @ J. A. Kolter Calls]

I make calls up ahead each winter season to stock up, several of each wood type per call model.  I usually have what a customer wants in-stock.  If I do not I'll eat up some set-up time to make a custom order with a larger order.  To me a large order is 5 or more calls.

[dogcatcher]

On large orders when I have the wood all gathered up, I cut to length all of the barrels plus 10% extra, same with the cutting the insert blanks.  Then start drilling, first all of the barrels and then drill the inserts.  Place on a shelf and let them rest a day or so.  Then I turn all of the barrels one right after the other including pinning the bands etc..  Next I turn all of the inserts and then start my finish application to both parts.  Then I cut all my toneboards, and finally tune them one at a time.  If I am lucky on an order for 20, I will get 22 perfect calls made, but sometimes I mess up one, but that still leaves 21 for the laser print guy. 

The main thing is to get deposit money up front, the cost of materials, the laser job and something extra.  They won't be worth much to anyone except the buyer after you get them back from the laser guy.  If it s not a custom job, I rarely ask for deposits, because I know I can usually sell them for what I quoted to the buyer.  But for custom print or design stuff, I always want a deposit. 

Marvin

[ben]

What Marvin said.

ben

[Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks]

I agree with Marvin on getting money up front for the custom logo work.  I invoice my customers in full before their name, logo, initials or other personalized feature gets put on their calls.  On the non custom stuff that I could sell to anybody, no money up front.

When I get a larger order I tend to do a few at a time, slip in another few calls from other customers, then go back and do a few more of the big order.  That keeps it interesting for me, and keeps the line moving a little.  If I had to build the same call 20 times in a row I'd go crazy.

[Jack at Mud Creek Game Calls]

I'm certainly no expert on this as I've only had 1 order bigger than 4 calls so my thoughts may be irrelevant. Last summer I made 76 turkey pot calls for one customer with about a 4 month window to work with. I did every step 76 at a time. It got very tiresome but they all had to go to an engraver at the same time so it seemed the best efficiency time wise to do it that way. I will say afterwards I lost a lot of interest for a while. My hobby had become a job and it wasn't much fun at that point. I doubt I'd take that order again although I'm glad I experienced it ONCE.     

[Wade@WEBFoot]

Speaking as someone who does larger quantities...  both in the past by hand and presently via CNC - I 100% batch run everything.  Yes it gets monotonous at times, but with limited machines (meaning you dont have a machine dedicated for each operation and therfore wouldnt have to change anything over) ...  it is by far the most efficient method.  Now, that may not suit you, and your mentality... and by all means, I suggest what suits YOU. 

But for me - time IS money - and I have always felt that way...  so more efficient = less time invested = more time to do something else.

To me, its either a business, or its not.  If its business - efficiency is profit.  If its not a business, then you have to do it in a way that you enjoy.

Like my dad says... "To each their own, the lady said, as she ate the fly along with her salad."

Wade

[Joe aka COLD @ J. A. Kolter Calls]

Let me add that I agree with what Wade say's here.  Its either play time (a hobby) or its a business.  Making call pieces in batch runs saves all kinds of equipment set up time.  Time is money for me as well.  Here's what I keep telling others when they ask why I have so many calls in-stock.  "If you ain't got it, you can't sell it!"  Most folks don't like to wait, unless they order something custom from me.  These are good customers who know in the end that wait was well worth while.