Managing Your Production Pipeline

A well-managed pipeline is the difference between a profitable shop and a chaotic one. Here is how to keep work flowing.

Pipeline Stages in MountChief:

Intake - Specimen received, documented, and stored

In Progress - Active prep work (fleshing, measuring, form selection)

Tanning - Hide shipped to tannery and awaiting return

Mounting - Form work, sculpting, and cape fitting

Finishing - Detail painting, eye setting, habitat work

Completed - Final quality check done

Ready for Pickup - Client notified, awaiting collection

Tips for Keeping the Pipeline Moving:

Work in batches when possible - do all fleshing for the week at once

Never let specimens sit idle between stages

Ship to the tannery weekly rather than waiting to accumulate a large batch

Set realistic estimated completion dates and communicate proactively

Use MountChief dashboard to identify bottlenecks at a glance

Capacity Planning:

Know your throughput: how many mounts can you complete per month?

Factor in tannery wait times when setting intake expectations

Consider seasonal surges - most intake happens October through January