Let's Confront Reality --Dickeson

"The buck stops here," as President Harry Truman put it. Responsibility starts at the top —with the Chief Executive Officer of every printing company—every company, in fact. The CEO sets the policy for the company, sometimes consciously, most often unconsciously, by his or her demands and actions.

Take the question of when a job can be billed. Is it with the first product delivery, mailing, or shipping? Or is it when the final delivery or shipment is made? It's up to the CEO to say, isn't it? What's the policy in your shop? Is it different for different customers? Do you even have an articulated policy on when a job can be billed? Is it important?