Tough decisions can be made easier next year

Employment costs are up 7.2 per cent this year (DW 9 October). This expands the ever widening gap between staff getting more expensive while computers get cheaper.

Your commentators say design groups must start ‘digging margin out of the boring stuff like process control’ and ‘smarter clients want quality design done faster and cheaper’. As business picks up, groups will naturally be wary of taking back the 12 per cent headcount they painfully cut last year.

The industry needs to remove outdated practices and get a handle on productivity and service improvements such as automated workflows, efficient file management, electronic integration and remote access.

Investment in proven technology is the answer to freeing your remaining staff to be more creative, productive and profitable.

Andrew Wakelin

Managing director

Automatrix

London N5