Tag batches without rush

Batches go wrong at the end

A batch of fifty tags usually goes wrong around tag thirty-five: the V-bit dulls, a plate shifts, or the operator loses track of the numbering. Planning the batch properly avoids rework.

Set up for the whole run

Use a fixture that holds several blanks at once, check the V-bit before starting, and split long runs into blocks with a quality check in between. Keep the client list printed beside the engraver and tick off each tag.

Check the spelling

Place names, Afrikaans and isiZulu words, and serial numbers are easy to get wrong in a file. Have a second person read the list before cutting. A wrong tag costs more than the five minutes it takes.

The slip we see most

Running the whole batch in one go because it is quicker, then finding a wrong digit at the end.

How you know it is working

Batches go out complete and correct, and reruns are rare.

Written by Lerato Mokoena, Runbooks Editor. Lerato edits the runbooks and handoff templates so that a night-shift operator can follow them alone.