How do you save files you receive from your digitizers?

You are running a successful distributorship that helps provide digitizing and embroidery solutions to your clients.  You have learned through working with several different digitizing and embroidery companies the strengths of each.  This enables you to provide the best quality of embroidery to your clients.  The embroiderer and digitizer that are better in headwear get that type of business from you.  Those that excel with shirts have earned those types of apparel orders, etc.  You understand and believe in the notion that not all service providers are equal and that the good ones are probably not great in all applications.

Over time you are accumulating many embroidery digitizing files, how are you saving these files?  Have you come up with a standardized run sheet that you use for all your embroidery orders?  Are you keeping a sample of each for future reference?   How are you storing the run sheets and sewn swatches that correspond with each file’s application?  Are you keeping track of things like what year the file was created, for what product is was originally meant to be sewn on, who did the digitizing, who did the embroidery and are they maintaining a copy in case you lose or damage yours? Do you allow them to keep a copy or are they doing it anyway?  Lastly are you keeping a duplicate of this information in a place other than where you are keeping the originals?

Now I don’t suggest that I have the answers for the best ways to cover all these issues, only that each is important for you to consider and come up with your own solutions.  Having done business with distributors for over 20 years now I have come to see some common denominators concerning how these are handled by those that stay in business versus those that did not.  The main difference being that those that didn’t think these were important seem not to be around any more.  Not that these particular issues were that vital in themselves, but that not caring about them probably was indicative of how they ran and organized other aspects of their operations that collectively were extremely important to the long term health of their companies.

It is common for clients to begin by saving embroidery files by the name of the logo that is represented, adding a number to the end of that name for each time another variation of the design is used.   (Dell, Dell2, Dell3, etc)  This works fine until you end up with more than a few of a particular logo or when you have more than one person naming files.  At that point it becomes increasingly difficult to find a design to use for a reorder, or when a design is found the chances of using the wrong version increase.  Eventually most tend to gravitate to a numerical system that is not attached to a client or to a PO, but a stand-alone numbering system.  If you link your designs to a PO or client then you will need to resave for each new reorder or for any other client that may use the same design, eventually ending with the same nightmare of multiple designs for the same logo and a greater potential for using the wrong one.

Something that tends to really help organize and simplify the embroidery process is to create your own run sheet that shows everything that an embroiderer needs to successfully complete your order.  Preferably this sheet will be electronic so you will be as paperless as possible.  When you receive your sewn sample, scan it in and attach it to the run sheet.  With the right form you will have the ability to put in color sequences and thread numbers for as many color combinations of garments as you need.  Saving this information as well as a picture of the actual embroidery digitally will enable you grow your collection of designs throughout the years without taking up valuable real estate in your office. You might not think that this matters, but let’s say your office does only 2 designs per day combined, that would amount to over 5000 designs in a ten year period.   Do you want to have to maintain that many folders or pages to record the information you need in your office?

Each time you receive an order, simply email the correct sheet and the file to your embroiderer.  This should save you time as well as help avert many errors that happen if you allow your embroiderer to keep your files in storage for future use.   They would only use the current version that you are sending with this order at this time, not something they saved from last year that may or may not be correct.

Finally, by going digital it is much easier to cross reference designs and save copies off site.  This is an extremely important thing to do in case something happens to your computer or to your office itself.  Multiple backups that are maintained at least once a month are the standard now, more often the more designs you process.  Better safe than sorry as the old adage goes.  So, how do you save the files you receive from your digitizers?  Please put some thought into it and come up with a system that works for you and that will grow with your organization.