Into Print, The University of Iowa Business Services' quarterly newsletter, aims to educate, inform, and entertain its readers, with a goal of fostering positive communication between the department, its staff, and its clients.

TypeStrikes

General news
General Stores, Laundry participate in program that helps hospital save money
Fall semester at Business Services begins with three new employees on board
Classes scheduled

Central Mail System
Correction
Use our new software to simplify your shipping
Recycle Campus Mail envelopes
Campus Mail supervisor Ekwall retires

Laundry Service
Laundry's maintenance unit goes high tech

Materials Management
Rental, Surplus draw interest at conference
Thanks, MIGS users
Copier? Printer? Know your equipment when ordering toner
Recycled paper use hits record high
Materials Management units meet wide range of University needs

Printing Department
Plan, schedule printing for on-time delivery
Help!
It's mid-autumn. Do you know where your holiday cards are coming from?
Printing Department secretary Voss retires
Character Counts: Meet Patti O'Neill

We are . . .

Business Services directory

  Hot off the Press

The new staff, student, and faculty directories (herd books) and area telephone books will again be available through General Stores. Herd books are typically available in mid-October, phone books in late November. Information about ordering will be distributed via e-mail to the General Stores listserv. If you are not on it and would like to be added, contact Gary Anderson and request that your address be added to the General Stores list.

  General Stores, Laundry participate in program that helps hospital save money

Materials Management manager Gary Anderson, Laundry manager Dave Gray, and Business Services program consultant Lee Vasquez participated on teams, organized by Terri Stoner of UIHC, that worked to standardize office supplies and bed linens.

Stoner established and led the teams under the auspices of the hospital's Value Analysis Program, for which she is a facilitator. She says the program "assists the UIHC in reducing costs and improving performance, products, and services."

She is also the hospital's liaison to the University Healthsystem Consortium, an organization whose member hospitals span the country, from UCLA to Georgetown University. She had learned of successful savings at other consortium hospitals, which led to establishment of the teams here.

For Stores, the involvement began when Brenda Schropp, who works in the hospital's internal audit office, observed numerous local office supply purchases using credit cards. She compared prices, found those at Stores to be lower, and wrote a report on the potential savings from purchasing office products through General Stores. The UIHC Performance and Value Management Committee reviewed the report and recommended forming the Standardization of Office Supplies Team.

Standardization meant determining the most commonly used items and encouraging people to use the ones that are purchased on contract at special prices, says Anderson.

"We quickly came to the conclusion that there was money to be saved by ordering from General Stores," he says.

"Then it became a matter of educating." The group used Noon News (the hospital's daily news flyer), e-mail, online ordering training, and a product show to encourage hospital employees to order from General Stores.

"The team has made significant progress toward standardization of purchases for office supplies. The team is hoping to show an expense saving this fiscal year of 20 percent by encouraging the use of General Stores as the UIHC's prime vendor for office supplies," according to an activity report by Stoner.

The benefit to Stores is clear. "We have more business at the hospital. Sales have increased 20 percent," says Anderson. "We've made efforts to retain the business with backup and contingency plans, improved customer service. We also had fun!"

The Laundry Service became involved "because we are an important supplier of clean linen to the hospital," says Gray. He served as a consultant to the team, providing information about laundry processes, procedures, and products.

Stoner's report says, "This team reviewed the current quality of linens, the use per item, and the total mix of linen available for use. It discussed the cost of linen and laundry services and the time required to perform functions related to linen, and it surveyed all nursing areas to gather information on their needs.

Standardizing bed linens meant narrowing down the number of different varieties of the same product, says Vasquez, "so that only a couple are analyzed for use. By doing this in the beginning, you should be able to realize cost savings in the end."

Vasquez says his role on the team was to watch for changes that might have a financial impact on the Laundry and whether those changes would affect current work processes.

The challenge to the team was to reduce costs for UIHC while avoiding a loss of business to the Laundry, says Gray. The introduction of some products, like reusable bed pads, achieved this. "We identified reusable linens that are more cost effective than the disposable products that had been used by the hospital," says Gray.

"We helped stabilize the level of business for the Laundry: we did not decrease the total pounds of hospital linen processed by Laundry. It helped avoid a negative impact on the Laundry's income by avoiding a loss of business," he says.

For the hospital, the result of the team's work was reduced expenses, improved products, and more efficient operations, says Stoner. "I'm really pleased with the way these two teams worked out."

Stoner has worked with more than 80 teams through the Value Analysis Program and says she has seen "a team savings of greater than $5 million." The program's focus is on looking at the appropriate use of cost-effective products and services; increased patient satisfaction; and the ability to collect data to analyze cost savings.

Activities are mainly within the hospital, but there are efforts to work with other groups on campus in addition to Stores and Laundry. This includes working with Purchasing to increase the volume of use of the consortium's contracts and looking at maintenance contracts that can include the colleges of Dentistry and Pharmacy, she says.

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  Fall semester at Business Services begins with three new employees on board

Mail Services supervisor brings USPS background to his position
Central Mail is pleased to introduce its new Mail Service supervisor, Chris Kula. He comes to us following a distinguished 18-year career with the U.S. Postal Service, where he served most recently as accounts manager in Eastern Iowa. Contact him at 384-3802 or chris-kula@uiowa.edu if you want to visit with him. Customer service representative Chris Huber remains the primary contact for questions about and help with Mail Service orders. Lou Eichler

Human resources the focus for new project assistant
Business Services' new project assistant, Rhonda Weaver, began work here in September. Her primary responsibility is to fulfill the human resources needs for the three departments at Mossman Business Services Building. She also helps with other administrative tasks on occasion. Weaver came here from ITS, where she had been a secretary for the department chair. Her new phone number is 384-3711; her e-mail is rhonda-weaver@uiowa.edu.

  Classes scheduled

General Stores will offer "Introduction to General Stores" November 7, 10 to 11:30 a.m. Registration is through Staff Development, as above. If you or anyone in your department would like MIGS or SIGS online ordering training before that date, contact Judy Rockafellow, General Stores.

"Printing Plus," a class that provides a comprehensive look at the Printing Department, its services, and how to work effectively with the department, will be offered in the spring. Contact Jenean Arnold, Business Services, for more information.

The Printing Department provides on-site training and assistance for creating, saving, and sending files to be printed by the DocuTech publishing system. Contact Contact Tim Blake, IMU Document Center.

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Correction

The address of the office to which you should write to ask that your name be removed from mailing lists using your home address was incorrect in the last issue of Into Print. The correct address is:

Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
PO Box 9008
Farmingdale NY 11735-9008

  Use our new software to simplify your shipping

The software produces a document on your laser printer that contains the shipper and destination information, mail account code, requested delivery time, and e-mail notification. All pertinent data are captured in a two-dimensional code created from your input. (A two-dimensional code looks like bird droppings bordered by vertical bars. This allows a multitude of data to be displayed in a compact space.)

You no longer need to produce a shipping label for the package. You no longer need to produce the two-part Request for Shipment forms. You will receive e-mail notification that your shipment has been sent. Your addressee will also receive notification that your shipment has been sent if you include his or her e-mail address.

The form is simply attached to the item to be shipped and the item is delivered to the mail center for processing. The mail center operator scans the two-dimensional code to retrieve your information and transfer it into the shipping system.
Lou Eichler

  Recycle Campus Mail envelopes

  Campus Mail supervisor Ekwall retires

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  Laundry's maintenance unit goes high tech

The maintenance module makes the data easy to access and interpret. It lists all machinery in use plus the make, model, serial number, and warranty information for each machine. Specific preventive maintenance procedures and the frequency of maintenance needed for each machine are defined here.

The data entry module contains the data needed when repairs must be made. This module lists all the part names and the corresponding manufacturers' part numbers related to each piece of equipment. This list then links to a supplier's list for fast reference when ordering. A list of maintenance personnel and wages completes this module. Only authorized users can access the data in this secure application.

The reports module has two functions. The first is to generate scheduled and unscheduled work orders. The second is to analyze data for a specific purpose. Tracking the cost of parts, labor, downtime, and frequency of repairs are done here.

The Laundry's systems programmer, Linda Hurst, implemented the new software. This included installing hardware and software, entering data, testing the system, and training staff to use the program. According to Hurst, the entire project took six months to implement. It runs well now, she says. She can log on, troubleshoot, and run reports as needed. Hurst gives WIN CAMP a 'thumbs up', foreseeing just a little fine tuning for the future.

...and the mechanics'.
Our facilities maintenance staff gives WIN CAMP a 'thumbs up' too. Supervisor John Connelly and facilities mechanics Richard Bollinger and Terry Roberts perform preventive maintenance on the equipment. This is the first time for them to use a computer as part of the process. Now, after an initial training period, WIN CAMP is an important part of their workday for several reasons.

By scheduling preventive maintenance, the mechanics can forecast the workflow and plan time for special projects. They can tell if the same repair was repeated and how often. They know if parts were installed. They can check if the part is a stock item or needs to be ordered. Any maintenance performed is documented daily, so reports are current. Tracking downtime, labor time, materials used, materials costs, and labor costs is greatly simplified.

Bollinger likes the time-saving way he can schedule his workday. Roberts likes the capability of custom fitting the software to the Laundry's needs. Both agree they wouldn't stop using WIN CAMP. It has great value to them.
Jo Anne Worley

WIN CAMP was developed by Great Plains Solutions, a software development company started by former University of Iowa Laundry and ITS employees, and Phillips & Associates, a national laundry consulting firm.

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  Rental, Surplus draw interest at conference

  Thanks, MIGS users

The top departmental MIGS users, with each placing more than 200 orders, were Rose Weldon, Nursing; Melody Scott, Physiology; Cinda Pierce, Internal Medicine; Robert Schaaf, Anatomy; Karen Hinkhouse, Neurology; Debra Routh, Nursing Services; Terri Spahn, Surgery; and Martin Welch, Printing.

Watch your Campus Mail deliveries for a special gift. Thank you for using MIGS!
Gary Anderson

  Copier? Printer? There is a difference.
Know your equipment when ordering toner

Some newer machines can be adapted to function as both copier and printer, and they use one toner for both functions. Unless you have one of these machines, you need to order copier toner for copiers and printer toner for printers.

The major difference between the toners is particle size: copier toner particles are a different range of sizes than printer toner particles. There is also the issue of how the toner is packaged. Copiers generally use a dual component system, in which the toner and drum are separate. Printers, on the other hand, generally use a mono component system, in which the toner and drum are contained in one cartridge.

When you need copier toner or other copier supplies, check with General Stores. We stock toners, imaging units, bottles, and staples for many Canon, Kodak, Lanier, Mita, Ricoh, and Xerox copy machines. If you need accessories, check the SIGS online ordering system or call us at 384-3900.

Some of the items may also be available from Corporate Express, but pricing is better through our inventory because General Stores purchases them directly from the manufacturer or distributor using contract pricing.

If you need toner or an ink cartridge for your printer, check the Corporate Express catalog or call the company's representative at 384-3908. General Stores does stock a few printer toner cartridges for emergency situations. If you have an immediate need for printer toner, call Gary Anderson at 384-3917.

  Recycled paper use hits record high

Please continue to use Xerox recycled paper, General Stores stock number 58875. Remember: keep a tree alive, order 58875.
Gary Anderson

  Materials Management units meet wide range of University needs

Maintenance Stores
Maintenance Stores stocks more than 8,000 maintenance and repair items for Facilities Services and other maintenance units around campus. This division of Materials Management is located in the Facilities Services Shops Building on the southwest corner of Madison and Burlington streets. If you are looking for hand tools or any other maintenance items, or want additional information, contact Pat Mellecker, 335-5164.

Surplus
University Surplus hours for sales to the general public are Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for computers and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for general equipment.

University departments may purchase items by appointment. Call 335-5001 for information about general equipment sales and 353-2961 for computer sales.

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  Plan, schedule printing for on-time delivery

Meet with your committee to do some planning. Decide what to include in your document; its length; who will do the research (including requirements for addressing, bar coding, metering, and mailing) and writing; who will prepare the copy; the deadline for submitting it to Printing; and how the material will be presented to the printer--on paper or electronically, using keystrokes (on disk) or page-layout software.

Once you have done the initial planning, you can begin writing. This will include researching, interviewing, obtaining photos, writing; revising; and securing final approval of the copy.

When you meet with your customer service representative, take a requisition complete with the following information: quantity needed, specific delivery date (not ASAP or RUSH); where to deliver the proofs and the final job--indicate if they are different places; MFK number; signature; and a sample, mock-up, or brief description of the job. If this is a reprint or revision of a previous job, bring the old job number. If you are using a logo or other graphics from a different job, bring that number, too. Any missing or incomplete information can delay your order.

Other things that can hold up your order are software that is not compatible with that supported by Printing; poor quality photos that must be retaken; and an incomplete proof form where boxes are not checked or the form isn't signed. If you find yourself running short on time, Printing offers proofreading and editing services.

How long will it take to put your document in final form or to print it? As a rule, if you provide camera-ready copy it can be finished in 10 working days. It will take about 15 days if work such as adding graphics is done. Letterhead, memo, and envelope reprints can be ready in about five working days; new ones in about ten.

Other things, such as special-order papers, can add time to your finished job. If your document is printed on an offset press, drying time for the ink will be included in the printing schedule. There is also the matter of finishing: trimming, collating, folding, stapling or binding, 3-hole punching, and hand bindery work such as inserts.

To create a scheduling worksheet, list the following tasks with a target date for completion for each of them:
Planning meeting __________
Research __________
Interviewing, writing __________
Editing __________
Rewriting __________
Printing __________
(includes design, layout, proofing, platemaking, printing, binding, finishing, delivery)
Mailing/distribution__________

Pamela Young

Young, a secretary in the Department of Psychology, is contributing to Into Print this fall through an internship program administered by Staff Development.

  Help!

  It's mid-autumn
Do you know where your holiday cards are coming from?

The Printing Department's designers can create unique cards for your department. If you want to order any, and particularly if you want them printed in full color, contact your customer service representative at Printing to schedule a meeting. This should be done about six to eight weeks before you intend to mail.

  Printing Department secretary Voss retires

  Character Counts: Meet Patti O'Neill

Among the eight jobs she is designing now are the department's annual wall calendar; a brochure that is followup to a national conference on workplace violence; and the University's annual report. This is the third year she's designed the report, a project that stretches from April to November.

Design first involves "meeting with the client, asking lots of questions, and listening to what they need," she says. "It's communicating visually the message the client needs to get out, through paper, colors, images, typefaces, and layout. We organize the copy to make it flow, make it readable. A lot of what we do is organization."

What she most likes about her job is working with images, in particular, experimenting with photographs. "I love imagery and I love color," she says.

"I also like how the jobs change around here. There's a huge variety of jobs-a logo, then something for the sciences, then maybe an art client," she says. "There's a big variety, not only in the kind of publication but in the client."

Patti has worked at Printing for 12 years; during the past 9 of them she has taken on such administrative duties as distributing the work, keeping track of jobs in progress, conducting weekly staff meetings, and preparing monthly billings.

Her interests provide a rich life outside work. She enjoys gardening and culinary exploration. Her interest in botany led to taking classes; herbal medicines to herb workshops; reading to a book club; and crafts to selling inlaid tile items and lamps.

Travel has taken her to Italy and Turkey; throughout Europe; for an extended stay in Ireland; on several trips to Mexico, and around the U.S. Her photography includes "shows in everything from beauty rituals to religious themes in Mexico," she says. "Right now I'm doing black-and-white infrared nature shots."

Patti says she and her partner, Tom Langdon, "share a lot of interests. He's a photography instructor. We go on a lot of nature walks. We cook a lot, travel a lot. He's a good gardener. We have a lot of fun together."

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We are . . .