AICC Boxscore 2013

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“A View From the Floor”: Measuring Creativity
continued from page 27
box plants design department is
possible, necessary and beneficial.
The first method uses a
questionnaire that provides a review
of the capabilities and methods,
performance measurement, and the
process and procedure for every
job performed in a box plant. It is
called an “Operational Audit.” The
following are examples of some
of the questions from the Design
Department Questionnaire.
• What are the roles and
responsibilities of the design
department? Describe!
• What performance measures
does the design department
review each day?
• Is there a design schedule?
Please describe how it works.
• Is there a “New Item Review”
meeting? Please describe how it
works.
• Is there a set of written
procedures for the design
department? Briefly describe.
• What are the top opportunities
for improving the design
department?
Another method for measuring
and improving creativity is
a review of a formal written
design process. Having written
procedures is important so that
every person in the organization
knows and understands their roles,
responsibilities and the daily tasks
they must perform to make the
company successful. A written
design request procedure describes
the processes that are required to
provide the customer a structural or
graphic project.
The final important method looks
at a sample list of Key Performance
Indicators (KPI) for the design
department. There is a saying, “If
you can’t measure it, you can’t
manage it.” An partial list of design
performance measurements that
are important to the creative and
innovative process include:
• On Time design project by
percentage
o By total
o By designer
• Number of revisions by project
o By sales person
o By customer
• Order to design ratio
o By designer
o By sales person
“The View From the Floor” asks if it
is important to measure the design
process to make certain that it is
efficient, productive and capable of
providing the customer innovation
and value? Do we, managers
and owners view Creativity and
Innovation as tools for successfully
competing in both the domestic and
global markets?
In the arts, the successful opera,
theatre performance and art
exhibition will sellout, the patrons
willing to pay the ticket price
and return again and again. The
successful box plant’s design
department turns the design project
into an order and customers that
return again and again.
A few nights ago I had dinner with
a retired advertising exec from
a major New York agency and a
recently retired art curator from the
Denver Art Museum. I asked them
the question “Can you measure
creativity.” Their position was you
cannot measure creativity but you
can and should measure the results
of creativity. What do you think?
What will you do?
Please email Dean Mitchell at
if you are interested
in a copy of The Design Department
Operational Audit Questionnaire,
Design Request Process and List of
Key Performance Indicators. 
Dean Mitchell is a graduate of
North Park College with a degree
in Business and Economics and
has over 40 years of experience in
the corrugated industry. Corporate
responsibilities included assistant
to the Division Production Manager
and the assistant to the Container
Division Vice President. He was also
a General Manager at various Boise
Cascade box plants. The past 15
years Dean has provided consulting
services for corrugated companies
and developed training courses for the
AICC and ACCCSA. Dean and his wife
Joan spend time living in Bangkok,
Thailand, San Miguel de Allende,
Mexico and Denver, Colorado.
BOXSCORE 28
AICC 2013
Spring Meeting &
Sales Leaders’
Conference
Hilton Bonnet Creek Resort
Orlando, Florida
“Dynamic Leadership:
Cultivate and Develop
Leaders in Your Company”
To register, visit
and click on the ‘orange’
April 24–26, 2013