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Subject: TTW Composing Costs — Test process simplification and study productivity methods

Composition is 40-50% of TTW's total cost, and TTW is uncompetitive on simple work. Manual composition is at capacity: productivity trails the benchmark by 20-50%, overtime exceeds budget by 50%, recent staff losses continue, wages are below local market, and the union is pressing a new claim.

**Recommendation: Test a simplified composition process for inexpensive titles and commission a methods study to improve productivity to competitive levels.**

Two root inefficiencies need addressing: (1) process design treats simple and complex work identically, requiring all titles through the same quality-control stages, and (2) manual composition productivity lags the benchmark by 20-50%. Both can be addressed in parallel:

**Test simplified quality control for simple titles.** Trial inexpensive work with fewer or differently timed quality-control checks to validate cost savings of approximately 10% without degrading quality or customer satisfaction. Roy Walter and Brian Thompson are ready to run this test; results expected within 6–8 weeks.

**Commission a methods study.** George Kennedy is willing to examine which quality-control stages are truly necessary and whether manual composition can be improved or replaced. This work will identify the highest-impact productivity improvements; completion expected within 8–10 weeks.

All named staff have signaled willingness to investigate. The test validates incremental savings at low risk while the study addresses structural improvement. Proceeding in parallel clarifies both paths forward.

**Omitted:** Comparisons with other printers (the analysis already expressed doubt this would resolve the question for TTW); the observation that managers disagree about whether costs are excessive (rendered moot by universal willingness to investigate).