Just like cruising well over the speed limit stops being exciting when red lights appear behind you, rush orders in the display industry can quickly go from killer (“I’m giving top-notch service!”) to kicker (“Hey, why is my client yelling at me about extra shipping?!”).

Rethink how you do business and how your clients and vendors do business and you could cut your rush orders considerably. Sure, you might be able to impress a client with the responsiveness and agility of your rush to please, but it is often more likely that you will impress him with the speed at which you can plant your face on the floor.

Rush orders, while impressive when pulled off without a hitch, usually mean that somewhere along the line, people haven’t been doing their jobs right. Sometimes circumstances are beyond anyone’s control, but often rush orders can be a sign of dysfunction at the client, vendor, or—please don’t say it’s so—within your own organization.