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Change or Die: A consulting project to help a local family-owned business

Adam Estavillo

Senior Thesis
Professor Don Materniak
January 1, 2016

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Adam Estavillo, Change or Die: A consulting project to help a local family-owned business
In this paper, I will discuss my journey in the summer of 2015, as I worked as an intern on a
consulting project. This project required that I apply experience and knowledge to help a
struggling family-owned t-shirt screen printing and embroidery shop called Graphics In Print. I
teamed up with fellow Franciscan University classmate, Michael Maldonado, and we
systematically observed, analyzed, planned and executed a plan which has brought about a
trending increase in sales of over 30%, totaling over $110,000 increase in revenue. I will discuss
a brief background of the industry of screen printing, the purpose of Graphics In Print, and the
various competitive forces seen in this market. Throughout the consultation project, we
referenced business and accounting textbooks, articles written by consulting professionals, and
shared the wisdom of a few brilliant professors. After reading this paper, the reader will be able
to comprehend the importance of developing a well-rounded education and will understand how
theoretical knowledge is applied in practical terms to Graphics In Print through using the
consulting cycle.

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Background: Getting Started with Graphics In Print

While taking a course called Business Statistical Analysis, taught by Dr. Welker at
Franciscan University, he emphasized the significance of using various methods and tools to
determine how the business is performing. Dr. Welker stressed the importance of knowing how
the business is adapting to change relative to the market. If a company is not improving and
fostering growth both internally and externally, then we must ask the question why? As an article
in business analytics states, Change happens in both your target market and in the industry you
belong to and for your business to survive and succeed despite the changes, proper business
analysis must be conducted at the right time (What is Business Analytics?). The course also
covered over twenty different analysis tools that are used to analyze existing companies, such as
Apple or Google, or how the tool can be applied to a hypothetical business. During the
investigative phase of this project, it was decided that a local business near Franciscan University
that has served the community previously would be chosen for this project.
During the 2014-2015 school year, as co-coordinator for the Seraphic Valor household, I
was responsible for ordering apparel for all of the members. In searching for a local screenprinting company, recommendations were made from the household Totus Tuus Maria regarding
where its members had ordered their apparel. The coordinator recommended a family owned
business called Graphics In Print that was located in Weirton, WV that has been operating for
over 30 years. The company specializes in screen printing and embroidery on clothing and other
types of merchandise. After locating the address in the yellow pages online, I arrived at the
storefront location and was assisted by the owner, Cathie Caranda. After perusing stock, the grey

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sweaters were chosen and would be embroidered with the Seraphic Valor household logo.
Unfortunately, the only method offered for searching the merchandise was through a paperbound
catalog that was from a supplier called SanMar. The sales process seemed to be disorganized, but
the order was still placed with the owner for 25 sweaters at a cost of $34 per item. She advised
that the order would be ready in about two weeks. After placing the order, there was no request
to place a deposit and the receipt was written on a piece of carbon paper that had no logo or other
markings that distinguished it was for a purchase from Graphics In Print.
Approximately one month later, no call or email had been received from Graphics In
Print regarding my order. In contacting the company, Cathie advised that the order had been
completed for over a week and could be picked up anytime. After arriving at the store, it was
determined that the order was incorrect and the sweaters were dark grey rather than the light grey
initially ordered. Cathie profusely apologized; however, the quality of the embroidery was
extraordinary and the dark grey sweaters were a better choice than the light grey! Before leaving
the office, I conversed with Cathie and her husband Mark, the artist for the company, and they
shared the difficulties surrounding the company.
During the conversation, Cathie mentioned that the Franciscan University bookstore and
households used to generate a large portion of their income. She stated that over the past four
years, sales have declined as they have lost a majority of the large accounts to other competitors
that offer online ordering capabilities. Inquiries were made as to the marketing tools they use to
reach new customers and she stated they had created an official Facebook page, but that they did
not use it very often. Graphics In Print had a generic website created by Yellow Pages which
showed the office number and the address of the business. In checking both websites, realization

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that without being recommended via word of mouth, it would be difficult to have known that this
company existed. The Facebook page had not had a post promoting the business in over four
years and the website had not been updated since 2010.
I was inspired to help the company by applying my knowledge of management,
accounting, sales, and marketing to restructure their current business model and essentially, act
as a consultant. Before leaving with the apparel, the owners were advised that the process would
start by conducting an analysis on the company and on the competition in the graphic printing
market. This analysis would help Graphics In Print understand its core competencies, its major
competitors, and about the industry of screen printing and embroidery in general to empower
them with knowledge. Cathie and Mark agreed that if they liked the results that were presented at
the first meeting, they would hire me for the summer as an intern. I was excited at the
opportunity to apply the years of business management studies to a real business that was
struggling. Before beginning an external analysis of the company, it was important to understand
screen printing 101 and to know the basic process of creating a custom t-shirt.

Screen Printing 101

Screen printing is a decoration method that uses woven mesh, in most cases composed
of polyester, to support in ink blocking stencil of a design on a screen. The stencil forms open
areas of mesh on the screen that allows a squeegee to move across the backside of the surface
applying pressure and forcing the ink through the open areas leaving a clean cut image on the

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surface of the material (Processes - Screen Printing). Screen printing starts with the artwork
and the better quality the artwork is, the better the print will show up on the printed good, be it a
t-shirt, sweater, sweatpants, etc. If the artwork has multiple colors, then they must be separated
and printed individually. Each color will be created onto a different screen and applied
separately.
Next, the screen printer will print out a positive of the artwork in order to burn the image
on the silk screen. The positive should be as dark as possible so that no light can pass through. A
light sensitive emulsion is coated on the mesh of the screens and should dry for about an hour.
After the emulsion has dried, it is time to put the positive on the screen and expose it to light for
a certain amount of time depending on the power of the light source (Processes - Screen
Printing). The light will harden the emulsion but, the black positive will block light and leave
the artwork area soft. The screen is then rinsed off with water and the stencil is now ready to
allow ink to pass through to the t-shirt. Lastly, each screen has a different color and is applied to
the t-shirt through the mesh screen with a squeegee. After the ink is applied, the shirt is ran
through a drying oven to cure it so that the ink will never wash off. After this last step of curing,
the screen printing process is complete and the finished item is ready to be shipped to the
customer. Having understood the basics of screen printing, I was now ready to use the Nine
Forces Model, SWOT Analysis, and Benchmarking to provide a perspective on the firms
competitiveness, the various forces, and the specific departments that needed improvement.
Pre-meeting Analysis: Nine Forces Model

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Most organizations today are not structured or organized properly to make good decisions
that will help them outperform their competition in the marketplace. (Fleisher and Wright). The
nine forces model is a combination of the STEEP analysis and Porters five forces to look at both
the environmental and industry forces. The STEEP analysis takes into consideration the political,
social, ecological, economic, and technological factors. The Porter's Five Forces tool is a simple
but powerful tool for understanding where power lies in a business situation. This is useful,
because it helps you understand both the strength of your current competitive position, and the
strength of a position you're considering moving into (Porters Five Forces Assessing the
Balance of Power in a Business Situation). Porters five forces are defined as the threat of new
entry, the threat of substitution, supplier power, buyer power, and competitive rivalry.
Unattractive competitive environments may exist when competition from substitutes is strong,
entry barriers are low, government plays a strong central role, and customers and suppliers have
stronger bargaining power. Thus, attractive competitive markets may exist when no good
substitutes exist, entry barriers are high, and both customers and suppliers have weak bargaining
positions. Competitive means that the contest is occurring between two or more parties and the
sources can be multi-faceted, originating in product or service offerings, shelf-space
negotiations, supplier contracts, to name just a few (Fleisher, Craig, and Bensoussan 43). Below,
the forces are labeled and ranked on a scale from one to ten with ten being the force with the
highest pressure.
BARRIERS TO ENTRY Weighting 3
Capital investment into equipment starts as low as $2,300 up to
$20,000 for screen printing kits which open the door for new competitors

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Costly advertising expense to be listed at the top of Google

searches Google Ads
Export tariffs limit the potential for international customers
Experience needed to mix inks properly and to print multi-colored
images
Lack of suppliers Five major suppliers for clothing in this
industry
BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS Weighting 5
The Internet has made purchasing custom T-shirts readily
accessible 24/7
Price sensitivity of consumers is significantly altered by discounts
Market share warfare is the industry norm
Buyers of custom T-shirts typically order in large quantities
Buyer's decision to purchase affected by guaranteed delivery dates
BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS Weighting 3
Suppliers of the shirts require large minimum purchases from
buyers (12 piece order minimum for Graphics In Print)
Import tariffs on clothing have increased cost of clothing for
buyers
T-Shirt manufacturing companies heavily compete for new buyers
providing greater discounts associated with loyalty

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There is a chance that suppliers will be out of a particular product

and will not be able to ship that item until the following week
GOVERNMENT Weighting 3
Government set tariffs on imports raises the cost for every party,
especially the consumer
Government protection policies for suppliers that manufacture
locally to ensure that they are maintaining safe practices for the environment
SOCIAL Weighting 6
Total growth of the demand for custom t-shirts is positively related
with the increase in social clubs, church or religious groups, and sororities and fraternities
Fashion is constantly changing therefore it can may require the tshirt company to switch suppliers to one who carries the newest style
The combined impact of style and price of the t-shirts greatly
impacts whether or not the customer will buy from the t-shirt company
COMPETITORS Weighting 7
Online companies pose major threats rushordertees.com,
customink.com, alliedshirts.com, and uberprints.com
Majority of costs are variable and the more shirts that are ordered,
the more labor and supplies needed to print them

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There are two local competitors for Graphics In Print that pose a
threat: B & B Screen printing located in Steubenville and Stuff With Attitude has multiple
locations locally
TECHNOLOGY Weighting 6
All major competitors have easy to use online websites so that
customers may purchase custom t-shirts 24/7 and they often run promotions through
social media.
New Screen printing technology available to minimize labor
expense
Many of Graphics In Prints competitors have the same niche and
specialize in screen printing and embroidery. challenging
Graphics In Print has no online ordering system and no way of
sending professional invoices to their customers
Outdated inventory system and no system implemented to manage
the customer database
SUBSTITUTES Weighting 7
There are many competitors in this industry that can produce a low
quality product
Customers can make their own shirts by purchasing a screen
printing kit online for under $1,000
Department stores offer cheap colorful shirts and customers may
choose to decorate with a sharpie marker or special t-shirt paint

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High quality screen printing press and professional dryers run

upwards of $50,000
INTERNATIONAL Weighting 2
Limited opportunity to make profits sending custom t-shirts
overseas
The only feasible solution to sell to other countries would be to
expand and open a new screen printing shop in the particular country
Conflicts in manufacturing plants located in China and India would
cause the cost of apparel to increase
CONCLUSION: Competitive forces are range from weak to strong and evolving in this
particular market. Profitability in the custom t-shirt business, particularly for Graphics In Print,
does not seem to fare well due to high forces in substitutes and technology. However, if it were to
offer online sales and develop a new marketing plan, it may be sustainable long into the future.
The next analysis conducted was the SWOT analysis, which will highlight the particular
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that we observed at Graphics In Print.
SWOT Analysis: Graphics In Print
The SWOT analysis is a well-known, popular, and advantageous tool for providing
qualitative information in an organized fashion. Weihrich is often recognized as the first person
to identify the advantages of using this tool (Fleisher, Craig, and Bensoussan 243). However the
SWOT analysis has never actually been documented in history and has grown in popularity
organically over the past 50 years. The SWOT framework model has been presented by many
as a clear and straightforward way to depict information about a company from an internal

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perspective through strengths and weaknesses and from an external perspective through
opportunities and threats (Brooks, Heffner, and Henderson). Let us now take a look at the
breakdown of Graphics In Print below:
STRENGTHS:

WEAKNESSE
S:

-Family owned
30+ years in business

-Sole
proprietorship

-Customer

-Antiquated

oriented
system of ordering

-Customized to

-Lack
communication internally

customer needs
-Dependable

of

-No-online

product quality
ordering system:

-Managing
multiple FUS accounts:

P
ayment made in person
-Outdated

etaining household orders

website

-Location:
Driving Distance-Weirton

-12 item order

minimum required

-Strategic

-Lacking

Partnerships:

E
mbroidery & Suppliers

-Storefront sign
is tattered & worn

-Great customer
service
-High-end
custom colors used on prints:

full

time sales reps

-Old

building

and storefront
-Advertising is
lacking:

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E
xpertise in multi-screen/color
prints

N
o social media presence

I
nk outlasts the shirt

ot currently reaching
desired customer groups

OPPORTUNI

THREATS:

TIES:
online sales
updated website

-Focus
by establishing
-Social

N
the

on
an

media

-Companies
shifting to sales online:

ohls,
H&M,
Nordstrom

marketing

K
JCPenney,

-Online
companies continual growth

romote to FUS Students

-Offer discount
as incentive for customers to tag
#GANDP in posts

mprint and Custom Ink

-Customer

-Blog run by

buying preference

-Internship FUS

-3-D Printers so
customers can do it at their own home.

interns
students:
log writers
ccount managers
-Mission
shirts/households
-Intramural
sports & Bookstore

-Do-it-yourself
screen printing is affordable

-Regional
competitors increased utilization of
social media techniques

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-Business
apparel (ex. Hospitals)

Results from this SWOT analysis suggest that Graphics In Print has had many years of
success in the community of Weirton, WV. Customers have come to rely on the reliability of the
products and the genuine care that the business owners have for each customer to make sure that
they are completely satisfied with the finished product. The lack of promoting and marketing has
led to a loss of customers that seem to have forgotten about the high quality products that
Graphics In Print produces. They also seem to lack proper IT software that would effectively
help the company manage orders and customer base. The threats that the company faces come
from a majority of sales shifting to online purchases. Customers often do not want to physically
walk into the store to place an order and there are many other competitors that offer quick
turnover from the time the delivery is placed. However, there were many opportunities available
to Graphics in Print by instituting a few changes to bring in new customers. This was an
excellent opportunity to develop creative thinking skills which is always an attractive quality that
employers look for in employees. An overwhelming 93 percent of employers agree critical
thinking, clear communication and complex problem solving skills are more important than a
candidates undergraduate major, according to an online survey of 318 respondents conducted in
January 2013 by Hart Research Associates (Huhman and Heather). After concluding the SWOT
Analysis, there were still many questions that needed to be addressed. It was essential to find out
where in relation to the competitors Graphics In Print stood and to better observe the weaknesses
that give competitors the winning edge.

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Benchmarking Analysis
It was determined that benchmarking would be an essential process to obtain a measure
as to what can be improved upon during the summer. Benchmarking is a way of discovering
what is the best performance being achieved whether in a particular company, by a competitor
or by an entirely different industry. This information can then be used to identify gaps in an
organizations processes in order to achieve a competitive advantage (Huhman and Heather).
1) Identify the Process That Needs to Be Benchmarked
a. How

can

improvements be made on delivery time, communication with customer, and

social media marketing?
2) Identify Performance Measures
a. How long does the
average delivery take?
b. How

many

orders

were not delivered by the guaranteed delivery date?

c. How many customer
emails are received daily?
d. How long on average
does it take to request a new shirt order through an employee?

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e. How

many

orders

were not correct last year?

f. How many times did
the supplier run out of stock?
g. What has our firm
done to promote our business through social media?
3) Evaluate Own Firms Capabilities
a. Understand

how

many shirt orders can it fill in a week and deliver accurately?

b. How long does it take
for Mark (graphics designer) to correctly size and fit the graphic to the shirt so
that it can be printed?
c. How long does it take
to clean the screen printing machine?
d. How long does it take
to have apparel embroidered and sent back to the factory?
4) Identify Firms to be Benchmarked
a. CustomInk Largest
growing custom t-shirt company who leads the way with innovative printing
technologies and unrivaled customer service

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5) Conduct Research from Selected Firms

Some Objective measures of what the company has in place that they offer to customers.
a. Focused on Google Ads, presence on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr,
and Pinterest
b. They have a large
variety of styles to choose from over 400
c. Custom

login

for

customer to make checkout quick and easy, also so that they can see previous
orders.
d. Multiple

shipping

options
i.
Standard Two-week free shipping
ii.
R
ush One-week delivery
iii.
S
uper Rush to have shirts in three days

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e. Promotion of other
items to customize, not just t-shirts
f. Booster programs to
raise money
g. Digital

Printing

technologies

6) Final Phase: Analyze the Collected Data and Develop and

Action Plan
During this phase, the Nine Forces Model, SWOT analysis, and the benchmarking tools
were conducted without direct input from the owners or employees of Graphics In Print. It was
almost time to schedule the post-analysis meeting in order to present the data in order to
determine if the results of the analysis were accurate. However, before presenting these results, a
decision was made to bring in a fellow classmate who could work with me and who had a desire
to branch out to help a local business.
Forming the Team
While taking a Strategic Management class taught by Dr. McDonald, it became clear
regarding the importance of creating a diverse team. According to an article written by RMIT
University in Australia, diversity can be classified into two main sources; personal diversity and
skill diversity. Personal diversity relates to the personal characteristics of the team members,
including their age and their cultural background. Team members will also display different
working and learning styles and they will tend to adopt different roles within the team. Skill

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diversity relates to the type of skills team members bring with them and their level of
competency with these skills (Diversity in Teams). The decision was made to bring in friend
and fellow finance major Michael Maldonado to see if he would like to work as a team on this
project. Michael is very organized and systematic when handling problems. He enjoys solving
complex issues and reviews all the potential solutions before proceeding. Thus, the knowledge,
strength and ideas combined to form a powerful two person team. He agreed to join me for this
small summer venture and together we read a variety of books written by consultants in order to
prepare for the many challenges we faced. Below is a review the goals of consulting and the
general principles that consultants follow when working with clients that were mirrored in
working with Graphics In Print.
General Goals of Consultants
In the book, Flawless Consulting by Peter Block, he writes that a consultant has four
main goals that they should keep in mind throughout the project. This is to establish a
collaborative relationship with the client, to solve problems so they stay solved, to develop client
commitment, and to ensure attention is given to both technical business problems and the
relationships (Block 19). The best consultants, and the top services sellers, resist the urge to talk
about what they will do until they understand how the client identified the problem
(McLaughlin 19). The team motto that we agreed upon before meeting with the owners was to
under promise and over deliver. The teams goal by the end of the summer was to provide
Graphics In Print with solutions to enhance long-term profitability. In order to do this, the team
would have to rely on the tools that professional consultants use on a daily basis including the
five stages of the consulting cycle.

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The Consulting Cycle

According to Block, A consultant is a person who is trying to have some influence over
a group or organization but has no direct power to make changes or implement programs (Block
21). In order to have proper influence and to leave a lasting impression, a consultant should
follow the stages in order, which are as follows: entry and contracting, data collection, feedback
and design for action, action, and evaluation and withdrawal (Block 22). Within each stage there
are various subcategories that we experienced while working with Graphics In Print that I have
listed below:
ENTRY AND CONTRACTING STAGE
1. Defining the initial problem
2. Deciding to proceed
DATA COLLECTION STAGE
3. Selecting dimensions to be studied
4. Decide who will be involved
5. Selecting the method (desk research, interviews, questionnaires, group discussion)
6. Data collection
7. Funneling the data
8. Data Summary
9. Data Analysis
FEEDBACK AND DESIGN FOR ACTION STAGE
10. Feedback of results
ACTION STAGE
11. Making recommendations

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12. Decision and action

WITHDRAWAL AND EVALUATION
Michael and I scheduled the first official meeting with Mark Caranda Sr., Cathie
Caranda, Mark Caranda Jr. (son of Cathie and Mark), and Chris who is a close family friend, on
Sunday, June 17th 2015 at the owner's home to relay the results of the analysis and to discuss our
vision for the company with them.
Official Meeting: Defining the Initial Problems
Upon arriving at the home of the owners of Graphics in Print, the team enjoyed informal
conversations over a drink and a delicious home-cooked meal before discussing business. After
dinner, there was an open discussion of the various aspects about the company that raised red
flags. Below is a list of the issues that were presented:
-

Poor Organization
o We

are not running the business; rather, the business is running us, said
Mark Sr. who is the full time artist for the company. This consumes all of
his time and he can no longer put time into managing the operations of the
business. To hire on a full-time artist, the cost of the salary to the company
would be approximately $35-40,000.
o Organi
zation and operation of the business between departments is poor. This
may be due to the business being family owned and operated.

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o The
employees are not being properly managed and are not given the chance to
improve. Essentially, there is a lack of holding employees accountable and
rewarding good behavior.
-

Financial Issues
o Althou

gh the owners said the annual sales averaged about $300,000, they have
never viewed financial statements such as the debt to equity ratio or the
operating cash flow. Operating cash flow refers to the cash flow that
results from the firms day-to-day activities of producing and selling
(Ross, Stephen, Westerfield, and Jordan 31-32). This would tell them if the
firms inflow of cash from its business operations are sufficient to cover its
everyday cash outflows.
o The
owners do not use any type of accounting software to manage cash flows
daily. At the end of every month, a part time employee, named Chris,
figures the total sales, including sales to non-profits and tax exempt
organizations, and sends them off to the accountant.
o Outsta
nding accounts receivable and collecting payments from customers has
been an issue. Oftentimes the sales department does not collect the 50%

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down payment deposit that is normally required before placing and

starting an order for a customer.
o Custo
mer may pick up product without paying outstanding balance (just as was
done for the Seraphic Valor sweater order). High balance of unpaid
invoices (estimated around $20,000) with no collection process
established to reach out to the customers.
o Overst
ocked inventory of apparel needs to be liquidated. When a customer places
the order, Graphics In Print should have minimal supply of commonly
ordered shits in the stockroom. The clothing is purchased from a supplier
who then ships the items for free directly to the store in Weirton. However,
many orders are mistakenly ordered twice and there is a restock fee if
Graphics In Print was to resend the clothes back to the supplier which is
why the extra clothing is usually added to the stockroom.
-

Virtually No Marketing or Online Presence

o We

are not where we need to be and it is hurting our business, mentioned

Cathie after dinner.
o No one
is competent regarding operation of the social media sites to effectively

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promote the company. The company is outdated on the newest trends and
are not aware of how Facebook can be used to reach more potential
customers in the area.
o They
acknowledge that many of their competitors have online websites and they
were not ready to launch online fearing that it was too complex.
Next, the team presented the results of the analysis that were conducted objectively
showing the owners the weaknesses and where Graphics In Print currently stood in the overall
market compared to its competitors. In doing so, the owners acknowledged the reality of the
issues they were facing and agreed that they needed assistance from creative, fresh minds.
Coming to these realizations, it was time to generate excitement about the changes that could be
made to tremendously benefit the company. While in a leadership role and working as a
consultant, it is critical to maintain confidence, clarity, and competence (The 3 Cs of Leading
with Confidence). While explaining our vision for the company, we took the precautions that
Guy Kawasaki writes about in about in Art of the 2.0. He writes to be sure that the level of
commitment to the project is shared by all who will be involved (Kawasaki 17). The owners
vision should align with the consultants and should share a similar intuition for how the startup
and market will evolve (Kawasaki 37). The tone of the meeting had changed once they heard our
vision and future goals for Graphics In Print. Everyone seemed to be excited and ready to make
positive changes immediately.
Deciding to Proceed

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We could not promise perfect results, however, we would pool our knowledge,
extensively research, analyze, and make suggestions. The goals were to increase sales by
building a customized website to accommodate online ordering, promote the company via social
media outlets, and assisting management with organizational tools. First, a thorough audit would
be conducted of all of the departments along with observing the processes in the manufacturing
cycle. This would allow us uncover the direct, indirect, and manufacturing costs associated with
Graphics In Print. Costs are assigned to cost objects for a variety of purposes, including pricing,
preparing profitability studies, and controlling spending (Garrison, Ray, Noreen, and Brewer
28). The owners agreed that the project would be highly valuable to them and could possibly
generate an increase in cash flow. They were now ready to allow us access into every aspect of
the company. Lastly, before ending the meeting, the owners agreed to pay the team hourly wages.
An estimate was provided that by working anywhere from 30-40 hours per week, the team would
be able to accomplish the goals by the end of August.
Select the Dimensions to Study
It was determined that a walkthrough of the company would be conducted to objectively
measure the internal issues much like an internal auditor would undertake. Unlike an internal
audit, only two parties are involved with a consultation: the internal auditor and the department
manager. As a consultant, the internal auditor does not have any managerial or decision-making
responsibility. The auditor will review the department procedures and observe the employees in
action. As a consultant, the internal auditor will give advice and suggest changes to improve the
department (Rodgers). After discussing the dimensions that needed to be studied it was
determined that these consist of the sales/marketing/customer service cycle, the production cycle,

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and the accounting cycle. By breaking down each cycle in detail, responsibilities of each
department could be seen to better assess the problem areas.
Deciding who will be Involved
It is necessary for every single employee to be involved during the process of observation
and data collection. The team determined that Graphics In Print needed to conduct a full-body
examination to understand every aspect of the company. By involving employees of every
department, an understanding of how each interacts with the other could take place. This
eliminates guessing where to begin conducting the audit, and provides the potential to find the
source directly.
Selecting the Method
First, an outline would be created for the process Graphics In Print follows from the
moment it takes the order from the customer to when the customer actually receives the
completed order. This will include observing the sales/marketing/customers service, production,
and accounting departments of the company. An examination would occur regarding the current
process for producing a screen printed shirt and find information about software that could
improve efficiency.
Next, the team focused on creating an employee survey to find out employee satisfaction
and the duties assigned to each employee in all the departments. This gave us a better
understanding of the internal structure and an inside look from the perspective of the employees.
Results from the survey would give us objective measures that we used to coach management in
areas they could improve.

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Finally, all the details about the expenses that Graphics In Print incurred in 2014 were
gathered to better understand the financial situation. The goal was to determine the
manufacturing costs, which is direct materials, direct labor, and any direct manufacturing costs.
The non-manufacturing costs are found by adding the sales expense and the administrative
expenses. The administrative expenses represent a manufacturer's expenses that occur apart
from the actual manufacturing function and most companies separate these expenses apart from
manufacturing costs (Averkamp). We would then would be able to formulate the income
statement for Graphics In Print for 2014 to enable us to compare the future profits postconsulting.
Pre-Data Collection Meeting
Before the data collection process began, a meeting was held to inform all of the
departments of the company about what to expect from the team over the next few weeks. The
team made sure to structure the meeting to be focused on setting the goals collectively and
objectively in order to be most effective. Mention was made about observing the operations of
various departments which would entail asking questions to employees related to their job role.
This was also a time for the employees to share the different problems they witness that may not
be so apparent at first glance. After the close of the meeting, the employees moral seemed to
increase as though they felt that their job had new purpose. The top way to make employee
morale increase according to Marcus Erb, is to keep employees feeling their work is more than
just a job (Erb). The team noticed renewed enthusiasm and drive from the son, Mark Jr., who
said that he was willing to put in whatever it takes to make this company turn around.

Estavillo 28

Data Collection: Business Cycle

The team began at Graphics In Print by observing and writing the sequence of events in
order whenever a customer places an order.
1. Customer walks in/calls the phone
a.

We greet them and ask, How can we help you?

2. We show/tell them their options

a.

When they pick what item, we create a quote

3. Art information How many colors? How many locations (front / back)? Etc.?
4. We write up the order collect deposit of 50%
5. Artist will take art into art room
a.

Artist will place artwork order on schedule board where needed

6. When art is complete send to client for approval

a. Once approved we print positives and send to production7. When production is ready
to produce job they should look over films to determine if correct
a.
If so, they burn screens/tape screens/check for pinholes/set-up press/do test print/ if
good to go, run job complete
8. Jobs should be sorted by this time
9. Get finished product to client
a.

Deliver/ship/have client come pick up product

After labeling the general steps in delivery of the completed product to the customer, a

specific list was made of the software or system in place to manage everyday tasks involved in
the sales, production, and accounting cycles.
I.

Sales/Marketing/Customer Service Cycle

Estavillo 29

1. Prospect Management: Sticky notes on the desk and word of mouth referrals from current
customers is where new business comes from. There is no system in place to reach out to new
clients.
2. Customer Management: Microsoft Outlook is used to retain contacts and there are many
contacts stored on old paper contact sheets in a filing cabinet.
3. Quotes: The current quotes are calculated by hand. There is a standard pricing sheet used by
all sales department that has discounts for orders with higher quantities. Quotes are emailed
through Microsoft Outlook and there is no template used by the company.
4. Sales Orders: Sales orders are written on a three piece carbon copy receipt. The top orange
receipt goes to the customer, while the middle pink receipt stays with the sales department and
the bottom orange receipt is given to the production manager when it is time to screenprint.
5. Order Status: Currently there is no way to update the customer quickly when they call asking
about the status of the order. It may take an entire day for Graphics In Print to respond to the
customer in regard to the status of the order and not everyone in the building knows where the
order is located in the business cycle.
II. Production Cycle
6. Purchasing and Inventory: Brittanee is the current full time purchasing agent. She logs onto
the suppliers called SanMar and Bodek and Rhodes at the end of every day and has to order the
products that are needed to fill the customers orders. There is an inventory room with close to
750 shirts that has grown over the past 30 years. Ideally, there should be no inventory on hand

Estavillo 30

because all of the products needed can be shipped overnight by the two major suppliers. This
inventory is not logged and often times there are duplicate orders causing unnecessary product to
be ordered when it is available in the inventory.
7. Production Scheduling and Management: The art department used a cork board to pin the
orders which needed artwork to be created or separated for screen printing. There was no
particular order in which Mark Sr. works on the invoices and it seems that some artwork was not
created because there was no organization based upon due date of the order. Similarly, on the
production floor, Mark Jr. would arrange the work orders that needed to be completed for that
day. The board seemed to be used half the time and the production board would not let them plan
long term orders over a week out.
8. Design Management: There is poor communication between the customer and the art
department seeking approvals for created artwork. Artwork approvals were sent through emails
or cell phone picture messages to the customer to receive approval. If the customer does not like
the artwork or disapproves of the design, Mark Sr. is forced to go back to the drawing room or
computer and create a whole new design for that order.
9. Receiving: When Graphics In Print receives supplies or the apparel, they immediately open
the product and check to be sure that the order was shipped to them correctly. If the order is
missing a piece of clothing or if there is defective products, the production manager relays this
back upstairs to the sales department. Typically, the manufacturing defects to account for are
around 3% when ordering clothing from suppliers. Cathie will call the supplier to resolve the
issue and the replacement is then rushed to the business.

Estavillo 31

11. Shipping/delivering/pick up order: Once the order is completed, folded, and boxed, it is ready
to ship. UPS will pick up directly from the building and they offer delivery anywhere in the
United States. Generally, the customers that place orders will end up picking up the order from
the office building. If the order is large, Mark Sr. will take time out of his busy schedule to drive
the order to the customer.

III. Accounting Cycle

12. Invoice to Customer: There is a pre-made template on Microsoft Word that is used to create
invoices for customers.
13. Receivables: There is no full time accountant to manage the books on a weekly basis.
Graphics In Print has roughly around $20,000 in accounts receivables yet there is nothing done
to collect that money. Bank deposits are made by Cathie whenever a customer pays in cash or
with a check. There is a card scanner that takes about 3.25% per swipe as commission and
deposits the other 96.75% of the order into the business checking account. At the end of the
month, all of the transactions are sent to the accountant so that he updates the taxes. For
accounting purposes, the total sales made to tax-exempt organizations are separated, added up
and sent to the accountant.
14. Payables: Bills are paid via check and almost always are paid with the approval of Mark Sr..
We did not have access to the particular monthly fees that the company was inquiring, however
we estimated all of the costs which we will examine shortly.

Estavillo 32

15. General Ledger- There is no accounting software being used by the company. All financial
information is being sent to the accountant who then enters the transactions into the general
ledger.
16. Financial Statements: Financial statements are non-existent for this company at this point in
time.

Data Collection: Survey

Next, the team created an employee survey to better understand the working atmosphere
and the overall perception of Graphics In Print. Below are the short survey questions that we
passed out to every employee in each department. We advised the employees that the results will
remain anonymous to the owners. Out of ten questions, we selected the four that gave us the
most important feedback to make our recommendations. Below are the exact responses that were
written by the employees:
1. What do you enjoy most about working at Graphics and Print?
(1 Art Department) Mark Sr.s response: I love being self-employed, love art, enjoy great
employees, and enjoy making customers happy with the shirts and artwork we provide.
(2 Sales and Managerial Department) Cathies response:

Estavillo 33

I enjoy selling a product that I can stand behind. I enjoy working with customers from different
backgrounds. The customer base is typically people who make decisions, hence more
opportunity to upsell and get referrals. Working with family, when good, is a real plus. We all
care about the customer and our community. Expectations of finished product is high priority
(3 Sales and Purchase Department) Brittanees response:
I love the friendly, laid back, environment. I love working with the public and local
communities. The work itself is fun and interesting.
(4 Production Floor Manager) Mark Jr.s response:
The people, the work environment and the quality of the goods we produce make my job
enjoyable.
(5 Production Floor Screen Printer) Chris response:
Its a laid back environment with good people. Everyone here shows a genuine interest in doing a
good job. They offer benefits that lots of small businesses dont, for example paid holidays, paid
vacation, and a nice Christmas bonus.
(6 Production Floor Screen Reconciliation) Joshs response:
Friendly environment. Also I like the people I work with and the job I do.
(7 Rhinestone Machine Operator) Monicas response:
I like what I do and the work schedule is flexible which helps out with my kids.
2. What do you find least enjoyable about going to work?

Estavillo 34

(1) Mark Sr.s response:

The right hand doesnt know what the left hand is doing. Too many interruptions (stop doing this
job/need to do this) screws my schedule up. Total mess (All departments need to be cleaned and
kept clean).
(2) Cathies response:
The stress of not being able to find the items customers want and expect. Dealing with
backorders that tie our hands. Currently, we have excellent employees. However, over the years
problem employees can be exhausting. Housekeeping; sweeper, steps, sidewalk, not being kept
up really bothers me. Im not a blamer, the cause of a problem is not important, finding a
remedy is. In that process the source of difficulty is often revealed. I hate to get into this as you
two are not counselors, however, Mark Sr. can be difficult. He takes stress differently than me
and it can be extremely difficult. He looks for others to blame instead of taking responsibility and
asks my opinion. If I do not agree with him, he gets upset. The stress wears him down. This
sounds crazy but I think its an Italian thing However, I love what I do. It keeps me going
every day.
(3) Brittanees response:
There are times when I find it very hard to do my job due to the lack of communication if
someone has orders on their cell, computer or somewhere else that has not been passed to me. I
cant answer customer questions or be of any help to any other department if I dont know
anything about the order.

Estavillo 35

(4) Mark Jr.s response:

The heat working in the production floor due to the oven that constantly runs to dry freshly
printed shirts. Surprise orders that do not get passed on to me from the sales team until the day
before the order is due. For example, I may have to stay late on a Thursday night to complete the
order that a customer needs by Friday morning.
(5) Chris response:
The clutter bothers me some but thats being handled. The confusion about orders is frustrating
to see sometimes but doesnt directly affect my responsibilities. It would be nice to have a
steadier workflow which makes the days go faster.
(6) Joshs response:
It can get pretty hot in the summer and cold in the winter.
(7) Monicas response:
Heat in the summer makes running the rhinestone machine very difficult.
3.

What are some of the major problems or difficulties that you have encountered while

working at Graphics and Print?

(1) Mark Sr.s response:
Inefficiency and errors that occur by misspelling of company name or a misprint on the shirt.
Orders seem to be held on the desk (Cathies) until the last minute. Telling customers yes, we

Estavillo 36

can have it completed by X when it is physically impossible due to the production floor being in
use to complete another job.
(2) Cathies response:
I feel as though I have too many responsibilities and cannot focus on my strengths. Brittanee has
helped reduce my responsibilities but the learning curve was slow. She takes care of walk-ins,
buying and the input of resolving customer issues. Brittanne needs to ask questions when
uncertain with procedures. She and I discussed emailing questions or putting on paper to
communicate more effectively. Verbal responses are easy to forget. While I dont deny that I am
at the center of many problems, it becomes very stressful. Holding a meeting with everyone at
one time seems impossible. Mark Jr. asks a lot of questions about jobs because of lack of
information given to him from the sales department. Mark Sr. asking questions that often were
already answered in emails forwarded to his inbox. Communication is handled poorly overall.
Needs a serious fix as soon as possible.
(3) Brittanees response:
There is a major lack of communication in every department. Orders are placed several different
ways with several different people. Many times the information does not get passed on to the
production floor until the day before the customer needs to pick up the order.
(4) Mark Jr.s response:
I receive work order forms with missing information on a regular basis. Customers have not had
the orders on the day promised to them because there is no schedule of production.

Estavillo 37

(5) Chris response:

I think the biggest problem is a lack of organization and communication. I dont ever seem to run
into too many difficulties in production. The production floor is usually waiting around for
artwork to be completed or the shirts to get delivered from the supplier.
(6) Joshs response:
Sometimes there is a lack of communication between upstairs and downstairs meaning the
ordering of the shirts and the production of the shirts becomes chaotic.
(7) Monicas response:
There is not always work for me to do running the bling machine.
4.

Please list your duties and responsibilities that are expected of you daily/weekly:

(1) Mark Sr.s response:

-

Creation of the Artwork

Deliveries

Normal administration duties

Answering questions for customers

Sales Limited time to follow up on the large accounts I used to

(2) Cathies response:

manage.

Estavillo 38

Quoting customers on certain orders they want requires overtime. I

encounter many interruptions during the day. Invoicing all orders correctly takes too long.
-

Pricing jobs for anything that isnt the standard tee, or fleece.

Pricing every bling order, ASI orders with Jen, and embroidery orders. I have gone over
the pricing method with Monica and Brittanee. Were all too busy.
-

Calling to collect the payment info from the customers. This can be

uncomfortable as a salesperson, but I am diplomatic and get the job done.

-

Lack of info from customers. Im always asked to contact even if it

isnt related to what I do. I dont always clearly understand the issue. Do my best to get
Mark, or Junior to make contact instead.
-

Resolve issues such as orders from suppliers that have errors and

handling returns back to suppliers. Most things require more than one email or phone
call. Just today an artist for company that has an order with us sent files that werent
usable. It required for emails, and finally a phone call, but I wasnt able to work with her
because I lack knowledge of specific art files. Its quite silly. Mark could have resolved
with one phone call. The ink issue this week should have been handled by me. Mark Jr.
could have resolved it with one call. Meanwhile Im juggling those problems and
checking/responding to my emails, quotes
-

Emailing the hours of the employees to Paychex in order to

complete payroll. Somehow Mark Jr. passed this back to me. Three out of the four
employees that work in production are hourly. Again, another silly problem. I feel like the

Estavillo 39

mother of this place. All follow-up communication is initiated by me No doubt this

isnt a complete list of all the duties.
(3) Brittanees response:
-

Answer phones

Place orders online for products that customers want screen printed

Work with customers and assist them with choosing the best

Process payments

Write up orders

Assist with anything else that may need to be done

Production Manager

Make sure orders are finished on time and quality work is being

Try to have as little downtime as possible

Make it an enjoyable place to work

product for them

(4) Mark Jr.s response:

produced

(5) Chris response:

Estavillo 40

Tape and prep screens

Burn the image on the screens

Set up automatic or manual press

Print orders

Reclaiming printing screens (cleaning the old ink off with pressure

Taking the emulsion off

Washing the previous design off the screens

Coating screens with new emulsion with a troth and putting them

(6) Joshs response:

washer)

on racks to dry. Once the image is burnt into the screen I spray it with a hose first to
dissolve the image then spray it with a power washer. I will then dab the design out with
a cloth to get any loose emulsion off so that the image will print clearly on the shirt.
-

Assisting with printing process which means pulling shirts off the

palate or catching them when they come out of the dryer used to cure the ink.
(7) Monicas response:
-

I just come in to help wherever I am needed. I may be in the shop a

total of five hours per week making shirts using the rhinestone machine.

Estavillo 41

Now that we have outline the results of the employee survey, the team would examine
manufacturing overhead costs.
Data Collection: Cost Classifications
In Dr. Kellys Managerial Accounting class, he emphasized the benefits of creating
incomes statements that told how the company was doing financially. This was our goal and we
followed the methods to create an income statement from the previous year for Graphics In Print.
Cathie and Mark relayed to us that the total annual sales in 2014 were about $380,000. Below,
we estimated the expenses that we were not given access to either because the owners did not
want to share it with us or they did not know the exact amount of each cost.
Direct Materials: $152,000 in purchased apparel, $20,000 in ink and screen costs,
Direct Labor: Josh $27,500, Chris $30,000, Mark Jr. $45,000
Manufacturing Overhead: Maintenance and Repairs $1,500, Curing Oven Operation $3,600,
Indirect labor: subcontracting work to embroidery $10,000, Water expense for reclamation room
$500, Lights in production floor $1,500
Product Cost for Graphics In Print = $291,600
Period Cost: $120,000 (Administrative expense $80,500 + Selling expense $5,500)
Conversion Cost: $119,600 (Direct labor $102,500 + Manufacturing overhead $17,100)
Prime Cost: $274,000 (Direct materials $172,000 + Direct labor $102,500)
Graphics In Print 2014

Estavillo 42

TRADITIONAL FORMAT INCOME STATEMENT

Sales ...

$380,000

Costs of Goods Sold ...

291,600

Gross Margin ..

88,400

Expenses; Selling $5,500

Administrative. 80,500

85,500

Net operating income .

$2,900

Analyzing: Feedback of Results

It was now apparent that Graphics In Print had many positive things that we uncovered
with the data collection phase. By outlining the product cycle, it shows that even without having
a system in place to reach out to new customers, they maintained enough work to continue
making a profit. Customer loyalty seems to be keeping them in business and the high quality of
the finished products live up to the standards of customers. On the other hand, many of the
management tools that the company has in place for the production cycle are outdated and
ineffective. The business cycle is not a well-oiled machine yet and it will require us to research
industry based software that would unite every department. This would also mean researching
small business accounting software to provide Mark Sr. with up to date number about operations
and income statements.
Furthermore, the employee surveys were a big success insofar as they gave us the
positive and negative feedback regarding the day-to-day business of Graphics In Print. The paid
time off and bonuses seemed to improve the overall employee morale and seemed to make them

Estavillo 43

excited to go to work. Since this company is family owned and operated, the laid back
atmosphere allows the employees to have a relatively low-stress atmosphere. On hindsight, there
are huge issues with communication throughout the company that still need to be addressed. As
one employee stated on the survey, The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing.
This is often due to a lack of solid leadership and is a difficult task to solve and recommend
solutions.
Upon creation of the 2014 General Income Statement, we were relieved to find that
Graphics In Print did not operate at a loss. Despite the lack of a website, social media marketing,
and the internal communication problems, the company managed to operate at a profit. While
observing the production floor and asking the manager Mark Jr. the average amount of time that
is spent producing, we determined that the average time spent producing is about five hours out
of an eight hour work day. That equates a total of 75 actual hours of labor per week, which
equates to an output of $380,000 of finished goods per year. The output is close to $608,000 if
the three production workers constantly had orders to produce and were producing 120 hours per
week. This shows that Graphics In Print needs to increase its business and when they have a
streamlined internal system, a website that offers online ordering should be the solution to
bringing about more business.
Making Recommendations
While the team was researching the software for accounting, operations, and the website,
we met with Cathie, Mark Sr. and Mark Jr. to fill them in on the findings thus far. We told them
about the positive things such as the overall attitude of the employees and how little changes we

Estavillo 44

make should make big differences in efficiency resulting in increased sales. The particular
solutions we found support the screen printing business and includes software that would link all
the operations in every department. Mark Sr., who has control of the money to make the software
purchase, did not like the idea of having to learn a new system. However, Cathie and Mark Jr.
were on board with the idea of a system that would virtually eliminate all of the communication
errors, incorrect orders, and downtime of production.
In an interview of Annie McKee, which was filmed by the Teleos Leadership Institute,
she answers questions about why good people become bad leaders. She says that poor bosses are
typically good people and may even be properly trained to manage but this can be overshadowed
by high levels of stress (Annie McKee Discusses Toxic Bosses). Many managers encourage
daily crisis and increased pressures from the work force causing them to become trapped in a
level of sacrifice. Even if the managers can create resonance in the workplace, many times they
will forget how to keep this because they become too focused on what they need to do and forget
to manage. The reason that Mark Sr. may have been resisting change is because he feels that he
is being pushed into change and the benefits may not seem clear. We took this in mind as we
continued our research and took time to clearly explain how this software would tremendously
help Graphics In Print improve.
Software Recommendation: InkSoft

Estavillo 45

After many software demos from the manufacturers, the team outlined all of the
perks that would deliver solutions to the current problems. We told them that InkSoft would be
the perfect fit for Graphics In Print because of all of the following features:
Production Management: Proper production management is fundamental to operating a
profitable printing business. InkSoft provides all the features that Graphics In Print was
desperately lacking such as job task and scheduling, customer management, real-time alerts,
packing slips and work orders. Everything would have to be run through InkSoft and they would
not have to install any new software because it is able to be accessed through any computer with
internet access. Not to mention there is a built in production calendar that Mark Jr. can use and
arrange as he pleases to ensure that deadlines are met for completing customer orders.
Online Stores: The greatest opportunity available to printing business today is competing
and selling online. InkSoft will provide Graphics In Print with multiple online stores so that they
can create custom stores for customers who want their own storefront to order from. Not to
mention, these stores offer online checkout and payment to eliminate the problem of collecting a
50% deposit when the customer places the order. Now the customer will be able to pay in full
when they place the order guaranteeing that Graphics In Print will not have large outstanding
accounts receivable.
Quotes and Art Approvals: Quickly and easy to create, send and manage professional
quotes and invoices using InkSoft. Instead of sending unprofessional looking quotes through
email, InkSoft will provide professional looking quotes and invoices that is fully integrated. Now
the artwork can be approved online and Mark Sr. will no longer have to wait to receive an email
back from the customer to determine whether or not they will approve the artwork.

Estavillo 46

Professional Graphics: Mark Sr. can trust the 10,000 pre-made artwork designs for
customers to use and to create their own custom artwork through the website. This will free up
his time so he no longer has to separate the colors on the images to prepare for the screen
printing. It offers customers a diverse range of styles with pre-loaded categories to entice new
customers to place orders with Graphics In Print.
Marketing Tools: InkSoft provides them with email marketing tools to send out
promotions to current customers and to utilize promotional codes for discounts if running a
social media campaign. No other software provider offered robust marketing tools to help
Graphics In Print thrive in todays new economy.
After presenting all these positive benefits that InkSoft has to offer, we discussed
the competitive price that they offer their service for. InkSoft was running a promotion for the
Professional Software package that was 50% off of the onetime fee that was normally $1,999.
Monthly, Graphics In Print was looking to pay $199 for access to all of the features and to have
unlimited telephone support to live InkSoft technical support included with this price.
Accounting Software Recommendations: QuickBooks Online
After sifting through multiple accounting software packages, the team determined that
QuickBooks online would exceed the needs of Graphics In Print. It is backwards compatible
with CustomInk and would sync all activity, such as new orders or payments received, to the
general ledger. QuickBooks is accessible through any web browser and it costs a low monthly
fee of $19.99. The accountant would also have limited access to the necessary information
through QuickBooks online and would not have to wait to receive information at the end of the
month via email to update the general journal. This software would give the owners financial

Estavillo 47

reports, including an income statement, balance sheet, and a statement of cash flows. By paying
the monthly fee, this will include automatic updates to the software and will also provide support
24/7 from the representatives at QuickBooks.
Marketing Campaign Recommendations
The team developed a strategy to reach new potential customers by focusing on social
media marketing. We would help Graphics In Print discuss tactics that can be used on Twitter,
Instagram, and Pinterest, but most of all focused on how to utilize Facebook. According to a joint
study by Netbase and Edison Research found that Facebook influences 30% of American women
when deciding what to buy, whereas Pinterest influences 22% (Webster). By promoting the
business online, especially to students who attend Franciscan University and Wheeling Jesuit
University, there is a greater chance they order through Graphics In Print in the future.
To ensure that Graphics In Print avoided looking clueless, the team created list of
practical things that marketing guru Guy Kawasaki says to avoid (Kawasaki 131-33):
1) Dont tell people what to share on the company social media sites.
2) Dont buy followers, likes, or +1s, rather win over likes organically.
3) Dont ask people to follow your business and maintain your dignity.
By avoiding these common errors that companies fall into, the marketing campaign higher
success rate for positively promoting the business.
Decision and Action: Training and Implementation

Estavillo 48

Graphics In Print collectively decided to move forward with InkSoft, QuickBooks online,
and to start focusing on a marketing campaign focused on outreach through Facebook.
Implementation of InkSoft would require training and learning how to navigate the backend of
the website. InkSoft software engineers brilliantly created interactive training videos that were
organized into a category called InkSoft University. It included step-by-step instructions to walk
new users through every step from receiving the customer order all the way to shipping the
completed order to the customer. Here was the basic outline that was created and given to each
employee so that they may understand the order management system better:
InkSoft has a centralized order management tool. Here, you can manage all orders from all stores. InkSoft
uses a standard five step order process:
1: Approve Order > 2: Order Product > 3: Receive Product > 4: Print Product > 5:Ship Order
Employees are required to approve an order before advancing it in the process. Once approved, the
employees can skip steps in the sequence.

Next, we assigned each employee various training videos to watch depending on their job
responsibilities and access that they will have while operating InkSoft. After watching the
videos, the employees were given test orders to input into the system by the consulting team. We
wanted to be sure that all of the employees were competent and more importantly, comfortable
while using InkSoft.
It was Mark Sr. and Mark Jr.s duties to run QuickBooks and we helped them get set up
with login information. Mark Jr. was familiar with navigating QuickBooks since he was the
treasurer for a youth sports league that had a few hundred children. There was a specific video

Estavillo 49

that InkSoft had showing how to integrate QuickBooks into InkSoft fully. The team was able to
do this and it was left up to the employees to enter in all of the accounts and expenses as they
were incurred.
Finally, we helped Graphics In Print setup the social media accounts and gave the login
information with corresponding passwords to Cathie. We began by helping post to the official
Facebook page and we taught Cathie how to post content that received positive feedback.
Graphics In Print now had a plan in place to search for potential students to hire on as interns
that would bring fresh ideas to the marketing campaign. By August 5th, the team had been at
work for over three months, the changes were made and it was now time for our consulting team
to withdrawal. The team was confident that Graphics In Print would succeed with the new
software and support hotlines that were in place for the owners to fall back on if needed. We
would follow up with the owners periodically to determine how much the changes actually
benefited the company.
Evaluation of Changes: December 2015
The team was able to contact the owners and ask how using InkSoft has helped improve
business. Cathie was enthusiastic and told us that the communication throughout the company
has improved. Graphics In Print was able to secure a few large orders because of the custom
website they made for the customer. These large orders averaged $4,000 in total products sold
and in the past, there was normally many errors in sizes when the orders were taken by hand.
Through the backend of InkSoft, we viewed the total invoices sent out to customers from August
until the end of December and were astonished. In a little more than four months, Graphics In

Estavillo 50

Print already had sales totaling $225,000! With the slow months of June, July, and August
accounted for, the total annual sales is on pace to surpass $500,000. We were thrilled to hear this
and to know that our suggestions had improved not only the operating efficiency, but the overall
profitability.
With the conclusion of this project, it is clear how necessary all of the various subjects
taken in undergrad were to achieving success. It was a unique experience to be empowered by
Graphics In Print enabling us to have the authority to suggest changes to management. By
referencing consulting professionals and lecture material from courses taken at Franciscan
University, the team was able to critically problem solve issues. More so, by working as a
consultant, it showed me how meaningful this type of work was to others and it gave me a career
path to follow post graduation.

Estavillo 51

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