Working in Multiple Departments

Hello Again!

A key feature of the My Father's World employee experience is the diverse range of departments available. In the past, we've had the opportunity to shadow various departments and see firsthand how they operate. In special cases, we've been able to step up and lend a hand when needed. Our maintenance crew primarily works on construction and upkeep at our various locations, while our customer service representatives respond to phone calls and emails, assisting parents who have questions about where to start. There is a wide variety of jobs to fit each person's skill set and preferences.

While I primarily work at our main warehouse, I have spent significant time assisting the team at the print shop when needed. For those who may not be aware, we print a substantial portion of our curriculum. This helps us monitor it more effectively, align it with our company values, and reduce reliance on supply chain issues, especially during busy seasons. Working in the print shop comes with its challenges, particularly during sales and peak times when the workload increases. Machines often experience breakdowns because they are used for eight, sometimes nine hours a day, five days a week. Breakdowns can be unpredictable, but Jon and Tina regularly service the machines. If an issue arises that's beyond their skills, we have a service technician available on call. When machines go down, work must continue to meet demands, which is what happened to me most recently at the print shop.

Our large black-and-white printer was down for servicing, so we had to make do with what had already been printed. My task included operating the hole puncher. It’s pretty straightforward: you load the pages inwards where the coils will go, and the machine lifts them into the chute, punching each page one by one. This process saves considerable time, transforming what could be an all-day job into mere seconds. Once the pages are punched, they go into a jogger machine, which aligns the paper as if you were tapping a stack of paper on your desk. After hole-punching and jogging all the stacks, I moved on to the coiler, which is the last step for our orange and blue teacher's manuals.

First, you ensure you are using the correct coil for the book; in this case, we use a 12mm coil. Then, you take the stack of hole-punched papers from your cart, split it in half, and place one portion on each side of the coil railing. Make sure the papers are straight, and then tap a foot pedal to send the coil racing through the holes that connect the two sides. A trapdoor opens to release the coiled teacher's manual, which falls and is caught by a pair of hands equipped with blades that cut and cinch the ends. Finally, the finished book is ready to be packed and shelved!

I may have oversimplified the process, so if there's more to it, you might be seeing a blog post from Jon D. correcting me, haha!