Project Aurora

Timeline

1. 15 Jul

   Halstead was the preferred printer at renewal on cost and familiarity; late arrivals were logged as a watch item, not a blocker.

2. 15 Jul

   Stay with Halstead for now, Cost advantage and low changeover risk; late arrivals treated as a watch item.

3. 17 Jul

   Aurora began as a measurement exercise: no printer judgement until the full press to doorstep timeline was measured.

4. 17 Jul

   Measure the full press to doorstep timeline before judging the printer, Opinion was outrunning evidence; no printer decision without measurement.

5. 21 Jul

   Tom Blake acknowledged the late arrivals and promised a Leeds folding line fix, the third such promise in 2026.

6. 3 Aug

   The printer position shifted from watch item to active problem when average arrival moved from 10.8 to 12.1 days while awaiting their fix.

7. 6 Aug

   Calder Print offered a full trial print run of the September issue with no commitment.

8. 10 Aug

   Marcus will approve a printer change only with measured evidence and a one page rationale.

9. 10 Aug

   No printer change without a one page rationale for Marcus, Publisher approval requires a concise, evidence backed case.

10. 20 Aug

    Print quality: Halstead had four runs this year with cover colour drift; Calder had none across the trial.

11. 20 Aug

    Trial result: Halstead averaged 12.4 days to the doorstep against Calder's 8.2, roughly four days in Calder's favour.

12. 20 Aug

    Sarah asked whether a single trial issue is representative enough to sign against.

13. 21 Aug

    Cost model: Calder is 3 per cent higher on list price but roughly neutral once carriage and proofing rounds are included.

14. 24 Aug

    Changeover sequenced across three issues, supplements first, with a fallback to Halstead at each stage, about six weeks of production attention.

15. 24 Aug

    Change over across three issues, supplements first, Each stage keeps a fallback to Halstead, limiting the risk to any one issue.

16. 26 Aug

    The trial numbers held on the second run, removing the main objection to the decision.

17. 27 Aug

    Team agreed to print Aurora with Calder, subject to cost model sign off and a contractual delivery clause.

18. 27 Aug

    Printer position over time: Halstead preferred in July, late arrivals escalate in early August, Calder trialled on 20 August, Calder selected on 27 August.

19. 27 Aug

    John is the brake on changing printer: he moved only once the commercial gap closed to near neutral.

20. 27 Aug

    Print Aurora with Calder Print, Roughly four days faster to the doorstep across two independent runs, no colour drift against Halstead's four flagged runs, and commercially near neutral once carriage is included.

21. 28 Aug

    Open question: can the supplements move to Calder before the contract is countersigned?

22. 28 Aug

    Sarah owes you updated copy deadlines for the three changeover issues.

23. 28 Aug

    You committed to sending Sarah the revised relaunch plan with the new dates by Friday.

24. 28 Aug

    Recurring topics with Sarah: the printer changeover, delivery times, contract timing and editorial capacity.

25. 28 Aug

    Sarah consistently reasons from measurement and reacts badly to timeline promises without numbers behind them.

Conversations

• 28 Aug, Relaunch planning discussion
• 27 Aug, Aurora decision review
• 26 Aug, Delivery catch-up
• 24 Aug, Changeover sequencing
• 21 Aug, Cost per copy review
• 20 Aug, Calder trial run results
• 10 Aug, Aurora risk review
• 6 Aug, Calder Print introduction
• 3 Aug, Late issues escalate
• 28 Jul, Weekly Aurora sync
• 21 Jul, Halstead quarterly review
• 17 Jul, Project Aurora kickoff
• 15 Jul, Print partner review