How should you use this index?
The Production Automation Index is a task-level planning reference for print and sign shops. It distinguishes bounded automation from assisted work and human decisions. Complexity labels are engineering judgments, not measured industry averages. Time recovery must be established from your own jobs; no empirical savings dataset is claimed here.
Which tasks are suitable candidates?
“Yes” means a bounded workflow can be automated after requirements and permissions are defined. “Assist” means prepare evidence or a draft while a person decides. “No release” means the system may prepare the work but cannot execute the consequential action unattended.
| Task | Fit | Complexity | Work to measure | Main caveat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enquiry extraction | Yes | Medium | Manual field capture | Ambiguous quantities |
| Attachment filing | Yes | Low | Download and rename | Malware and duplicates |
| Product profile lookup | Yes | Low | Specification lookup | Unknown SKU |
| Dimension validation | Yes | Medium | Size inspection | Units and scale |
| Effective resolution check | Yes | Medium | Raster inspection | Final output size |
| Font preflight | Yes | Medium | Missing-font checks | Licensing and substitution |
| Spot separation check | Yes | Medium | Plate inspection | RIP naming |
| Raster logo tracing | Assist | High | Repeated draft tracing | Text and curve fidelity |
| Curve cleanup | Assist | High | Node and path repair | Brand geometry |
| Cut contour offsets | Yes | High | Repeated contour setup | Self-intersections |
| Same-color bleed | Assist | High | Edge extension | Ambiguous boundary pixels |
| Nesting | Yes | High | Layout preparation | True contour spacing |
| Registration placement | Yes | High | Mark setup | Device qualification |
| White-ink separation | Assist | High | Plate preparation | Material and print mode |
| Proof rendering | Yes | Medium | Template assembly | Correct revision |
| Proof delivery | Assist | Low | Message preparation | Approval before release |
| Approval capture | Yes | Medium | Decision logging | Identity and stale links |
| Proof reminders | Assist | Low | Status chasing | Recent customer reply |
| Quote calculation | Assist | Medium | Rate-table calculation | Unknown cost |
| Discount decision | No release | Medium | Evidence gathering | Commercial authority |
| Webstore intake | Yes | Medium | Order re-entry | Stale webhooks |
| Job ticket generation | Yes | Medium | Ticket assembly | Superseded files |
| Floor routing | Assist | Medium | Queue assignment | Local capacity |
| Machine release | No release | High | Release checklist | Physical consequences |
| Reprint setup | Assist | Medium | Original job retrieval | Changed materials |
| Dispatch message | Assist | Low | Customer update | Verified dispatch only |
| Stall detection | Yes | Low | Queue inspection | Legitimate holds |
| Monthly reporting | Yes | Medium | Data consolidation | Complete source data |
| Invoice matching | Assist | Medium | Reference matching | Partial payments |
| Refund execution | No release | High | Evidence preparation | Money movement |
How do you calculate recoverable time?
Monthly net hours = (manual minutes per job − automated review minutes per job) × monthly eligible jobs ÷ 60 − monthly exception and maintenance hours. Count only jobs the system can actually handle. Keep negative results: they show that the candidate may not be worth building.
Record the sample size, product mix, dates, operator method, and excluded jobs. Measure waiting time separately. Publish an observed range only after collecting evidence; an estimate from the audit remains an estimate. This index has no measured savings sample and therefore makes no “typical hours saved” claim.
Written for KLYRFOCUS · Updated 2026-09-06 · Estimates are labeled; measured results require source records.