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12 time-saving tips as the Holidays approach

Once upon a time, you had more time on your hands. That time was summertime. But November is here, and things are rapidly picking up. The sand is trickling through the hourglass more quickly than ever, and your time grows more precious by the day. To help slow the clock and make time for the things that matter most, we’ve reach out to a group of Stuller experts and compiled a list of twelve time-saving tips—one for each hour of your increasingly busy day.

 

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1. Strengthen Your Core

“Make sure that you have all of your core components on hand before the holidays hit, especially standbys like posts and backs, basic stud earrings and pendants, peg heads and cup settings in popular sizes, lobster clasps, and jump rings (lots of jump rings). That way you don’t have to delay before starting jobs.”

Nate Button, Director of Findings

 

2. Don’t Forget the Five S’s

“Promote speed and efficiency by using the 5S System for your shop: Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. This Japanese efficiency system is something I use to keep things running quick and smooth. Start by sorting out the things you need and removing unnecessary items, then Straighten out the items that remain. When everything has a place, give everything a Shine by cleaning the entire area. Next, Standardize a routine for Sorting, Straightening, and Shining. And finally, Sustain it by doing it every day until it become a habit.”

Shane Guidry, Director of Quality Management

 

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 3. Make it Automagical

“Automate where possible. If you’re a Stuller First® member, you can use the Auto-Reorder function in your account settings to automate the reordering of the products you use most frequently—things such as solder, classic four-prong heads, batteries, or earring backs.”

Coby Blanchard, Chief Supply Chain Officer

 

brooke-hoover4. Have Stuller Play Matchmaker

“We’ve taken the time to assemble matched pairs so you don’t have to. They are stocked and readily available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and qualities. Whether you need a perfectly matched pair for studs or for side stones, Stuller has it and we can get it to you fast.”

Brooke Hoover, Diamond Buyer

 

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5. Let Us Sweat the Small Stones

“If you use CounterSketch® and normally do your own stone setting, free up your time for more projects by letting Stuller set all of the accent diamonds for you. Stuller can set your center diamond as well, so you essentially never have to touch the job.”

Alicia Hebert, Director of CAM Operations

 

6angela-busby. Keep Burs Organized and Well Oiled

“Get your burs, drills, and tools organized by using a bur caddy. Remember to use a lubricant like Bur Lube on your burs, drills, and even saw blades. This will make drilling or cutting a lot smoother and quicker and will help add life to both the drills and the burs.”

Angela Busby, Technical Trainer for Manufacturing

 

jason-lemaire7. Optimize Your Workshop Layout

“Make sure your shop is laid out in the most efficient way possible. Set things up in a way that mirrors the processes you have to do over and over again. This will save footsteps and save time. If you need some outside expertise, use our Shop Setup Service to get the most out of your space.”

Jason LeMaire, Director of Tools

 

8. Demand Perfect Baguettes

vivek-mishra“To help save you time and money and peace of mind, we offer calibrated Baguettes and Tapered Baguettes in two different assortments of VS and SI quality. Stuller is the only diamond provider that checks the tapered end of the Tapered Baguette to give precise fit for your needs—so you don’t have to waste time backtracking.”

Vivek Mishra, Director of Diamond Buying

 

shawn-albert9. Be Laser-Focused

“My top time-saving tip would be to get a Rofin® Laser Welder. It will shorten your repair time and allow you to take in repairs that you would normally not be able to repair with a torch, making you more money in a fraction of the time.”

Shawn Albert, Tools Product Manager

 

10. cedric-garrettQuicker Quick Orders

“If you like to use a catalog to find things, wait to make all of your Quick Orders on Stuller.com all at once. Many customers will jot down SKUs they want to purchase on a notepad and input them all before the cutoff time. That way they aren’t going back and forth between the bench and computer and getting off track.”

Cedric Garrett, Digital Operations Director

 

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11. In a Pinch, Let Us Do the Stringing

“Save time by letting us string and/or restring your customers’ pearl strands here at Stuller. We have experienced knotters ready to work for you. We can have your strand ready to go in just five days.”

Ashley Corley, Gemstone Product Manager

 

12. Don’t Forget On-Screen Organizers

andrew-zavala“The holiday push can get crazy and between the extra hours and lack of sleep, project management with your CAD software can become an afterthought. Protect yourself from unfortunate errors by being organized with customer information and project details. In CounterSketch®, rely on the Design Manager and Portfolios to keep track of everything. And in Matrix™, use Job Bags and Project Manager to save every possible stage and component of a design.”

Andrew Zavala, Gemvision Technical Support

 

With the Holidays quickly approaching and not a moment to spare, how do you save time in your store? Share with us your time-saving tips!

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