GENERAL NEWS
Fiscal year ends soon; time to place orders for current budget items
The fiscal year end is approaching, which means it is time to place orders
that you want billed to your 2005 budget. Please be aware of the following
deadlines:
Central Mail
Mail processed by 3:30 p.m. June 30 will be charged in fiscal year '05. Please
send your mailings to us as early in the day as possible.
Copy Centers
Work performed as of 11:59 p.m. June 30 will be billed in fiscal year '05. Work
performed after that will be billed in fiscal year '06.
General Stores
Orders faxed or mailed and received by 2 p.m. on June 30 and those that are
entered directly by a department on the MIGS and SIGS ordering systems by 4 p.m.
on June 30 will be included in the current fiscal
year.
Printing
Work performed by 4 p.m. June 30 will be charged in fy '05. The balance of charges
for jobs in progress will be made when they are completed and closed. Place orders
that you want charged in fy '05 now. Special Printing Orders (SPOs) issued by 4 p.m.
June 30 will be encumbered in fy '05. The charges will be based on the estimated
invoice from the vendor.
Parking Services
The 2005-2007 Faculty/Staff parking permit renewals will be sent to current permit
holders in early May with a priority return date of June 15, 2005. Departmental
Business, Service Vehicle Zone, and Pentacrest placard renewal forms will be sent
to all departments that currently have them by the end of May.
Purchasing to take over office copier acquisition from Printing
This will bring a change in procedure for the purchase, lease
or rental of copiers. However, the current procedure of working with
the Printing Department should be used for all copier acquisitions prior
to July 1.
As of July 1, 2005, the Printing Department will no longer be involved in
copier acquisitions and record keeping. These functions will be handled by
Purchasing.
This will bring a change in procedure for the purchase, lease or rental
(including maintenance contracts) of copiers for the University. A summary of
the new process follows:
- All requests from campus departments for new copiers will be handled
by Purchasing. An informational web site will be available by July 1 for
users to obtain information and pricing for the various copiers that are
available. This site will be able to answer most questions users will have
regarding the choice of an appropriate copier and accessories, various
acquisition methods, and prices. The web site will also have links to vendors'
web sites and/or email addresses so users can contact vendors directly with
any questions and to arrange trials.
- After a department has decided on the copier and accessories it wishes
to procure and the procurement method, the department must create a requisition
and submit it to Purchasing, not Printing. Purchasing will verify the pricing
and issue a purchase order to the vendor.
- The vendor will install the machine and notify Purchasing of the
installation date and machine serial number. Purchasing will maintain a
database of all copiers currently on campus, their locations, the department
contact person, and the purchase order numbers for the machine acquisition
and any associated maintenance contract.
- Notification of maintenance renewals will be the responsibility of the
vendor. Vendors are to notify the department contact person of the pricing
for the upcoming year, no less than 45 days prior to the expiration date of
the maintenance agreement. Vendors will also be required to send a copy of
the renewal pricing information to Purchasing. Departments will be responsible
for notifying Purchasing if they do not wish to continue a maintenance agreement.
Purchasing will notify the vendor. All agreements that are not cancelled will
be automatically renewed.
-
Rental and lease agreements will not be automatically extended: at
the completion of an agreement, the vendor must notify both the department
and Purchasing no less than 90 days prior to its expiration date. The
department will advise if the agreement is to be continued.
In the near future, vendors will contact departments in regards to any
maintenance, lease, or rental contracts that will be expiring on June 30.
If a contract should not be renewed, notify Anne Sopher in Purchasing as
soon as possible. Please note: If the maintenance contract is not cancelled
prior to its expiration date, it automatically renews. Contact Anne Sopher,
335-0378, anne-sopher@uiowa.edu, with questions.
Anne Sopher
What's new on the web
By all accounts, the General Stores/OfficeMax web ordering system is a
success. "We were hoping for a hundred people to sign up, but we had that
many the first day!" says General Stores manager Gary Anderson. "We now have
385." If you want to sign up to use the system, email gary-anderson@uiowa.edu
and let him know. (Related article below.)
Central Mail's web site is getting a fresh look and a few new pages,
including a form for ordering departmental mail cards. Watch for changes
in the upcoming weeks.
Group tours Iowa Prison Industries
Gary Anderson and Dan Wyjack from General Stores, Bill Ciha from Facilities
Management, and John Matthews from UIHC joined several people from ISU and
UNI in touring the Iowa Prison Industries Newton Division. They observed
the fabrication of trash can liners and are currently testing some of their
products on campus. ISU already uses many of the Prison Industries can
liners on its campus.
To produce trash can liners, rolls of plastic are fed through a machine
that cuts and seals them, then counts the bags automatically. Employees
fold the bags as they are manufactured and place them into cartons. The
facility produces approximately 75,000 liners a week and sells them to
a variety of customers such as state and federal government agencies, schools,
colleges, churches and nonprofit organizations.
The Newton Correctional Facility consists of the release center, a minimum
security facility, and the main prison, a medium-security institution that
opened in 1997. Prison Industries' facilities are located within the fences
of the medium-security prison.
Gary Anderson
Check out our learning opportunities
Central Mail
"Producing successful mail pieces" staff development class covers mail piece
design, addressing methods, mailing list management. Central Mail also
schedules presentations to provide information and money-saving suggestions
specific to departments' mailing needs. Contact Chris Kula.
General Stores
"Introduction to General Stores and Online Ordering" staff development class
covers General Stores and how to use the MIGS and SIGS systems. MIGS and SIGS
training for using the General Stores ordering systems is available on request.
Contact Judy Rockafellow.
Tours
Classes and small groups are welcome to tour Printing, Mail, and General Stores
at the Mossman Building. Contact Jenean Arnold.
New staff orientation
Business Services staff participate in the monthly new faculty and staff
orientation sessions conducted by Learning and Development. Contact Linda
Noble, Parking and Transportation, and Jenean Arnold, other Business Services
departments.
Web sites
The Business Services departments maintain
web sites
that provide information and resources.
See the Business Services
Directory
for staff contact information. Registration for Introduction to General
Stores and Producing Successful Mail Pieces, as well as information about
orientation, are handled by UI Learning and Development,
www.uiowa.edu/~fusstfdv.
[Top of page]
CENTRAL MAIL SERVICES
Changes coming for mailers
Major postal changes in the months ahead likely will have a significant
impact on many University of Iowa mailers. One of the changes is a rate
increase that will take effect in early 2006. The U.S. Postal Service
plans to raise its rates 5.25 percent across the board. Be sure to plan
for the increase in your fiscal year 2006 budget planning.
The other changes, scheduled to take effect next month - June 1, are
in the rules that determine which mailings qualify for nonprofit bulk
rates (officially termed Nonprofit Standard). They could cause
variable-data items previously mailed at these rates to no longer
be eligible, requiring them to be mailed at First-Class rates.
The changes come as a result of USPS efforts to clarify the rules
governing the types of personalized information that Nonprofit Standard
mail may contain. However, the clarification effectively alters the rules,
according to the Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers.
Until now, the following variable data has been allowed:
-
The name and address of the recipient and the date of the mail piece.
-
Specific information about the recipient, such as his or her
donation history, if the mail piece also contains a solicitation for
an additional donation.
-
Information such as the addressee's account number or congressional
district.
The new rules will allow personal information only if the mail pieces meet
all the following conditions:
-
The mail piece must contain an explicit solicitation for a
product or service for sale or lease, or an explicit solicitation
for a donation.
-
All the personal information is directly related to the
advertising or solicitation.
-
The exclusive reason for including each item of personal
information is to support the advertising or solicitation in the
mail piece.
The problem is that definitions of the terms italicized above are
inadequate or lacking altogether, according to the Alliance.
The USPS has issued rulings on its interpretation of the new rules
in recent weeks. The Alliance claims these rulings "rather than allaying
the concerns of the nonprofit community, have inflamed them further." In
particular, it is concerned the Postal Service may restrict fundraising
material containing such information as an addressee's donation history
and donation acknowledgements that inform the donor to keep the mail
piece as a receipt for tax purposes.
Restrictions may apply also to mailings that are segmented by the
demographics of the recipients; petitions and issue advocacy material
that contain such information as an addressee's congressional
representative or district; and mailings with a reference to the
recipient's community in the body of the message.
The Postal Service has said it will make decisions about the
eligibility of such mailings on a case-by-case basis, on submission
of a sample of the mail piece. It will base its decisions on the context
of the personalization and its relationship to the solicitation, it says.
The Alliance is encouraging those who question whether their mailing
qualifies as Nonprofit Standard mail under the new rules to send a sample
to the USPS office assigned to making these decisions. The address is on
the Alliance for Nonprofit Mailers website at
www.nonprofitmailers.org/urgentalert.html. Contact UI Central Mail
manager Chris Kula, 384-3809, chris-kula@uiowa.edu, for more information.
Central Mail now processes outgoing hospital mail
"It is better service for the hospital, better use of time for the mail room,
job security for us,"
says Campus Mail driver Alex Pop, who stops at the UIHC mail room three times
a day.
View photos
Central Mail Services and University Hospital's Mail Room began a partnership
in April that promises increased savings for UI and improved mail service for
the hospital. It involves metering outgoing UI and UIHC mail together. This
gives the hospital mail staff more time for pickups and deliveries, and the
increased collective volume of outgoing mail allows for greater postal
discounts.
When Central Mail began using the presort service which the hospital
has used the since the early 1990s, the benefits of combining the mail
became clear. Central Mail has already reduced its presort vendor fee
as a result.
"Overall, I think it has gone very well," says Patty McGillin, UIHC
Mail Room supervisor. Each day, her staff sorts an average 11,500 pieces
of mail for the hospital's employees and patients. The mail includes
everything from preappointment letters, correspondence with home-town
physicians, and billings to greeting cards and church bulletins.
"We're hoping to expand some of our services, adding on-call pickups, for
example," says McGillin. She expects the mail volume to grow with the opening
of a hospital addition currently under construction.
"They can use the time saved on metering to do ever-expanding deliveries,"
says Bill Burch, Central Mail supervisor. He and McGillin worked together with
the UIHC mail staff on schedules, processes, and training. Burch nearly doubled
the number of hospital stops on the Central Mail drivers' schedules.
"I believe the coordination and cooperation between the UIHC Mail Room and
Central Mail has been exceptional," says Milton Exline, director of UIHC
Material Services. "It's been almost seamless." He says Burch and Central Mail
clerk Patrick McDonald did an outstanding job working with the hospital.
McDonald worked with UIHC staff to produce the bar-coded mail cards Central
Mail uses for accounting - more than 7,000 to date. Hospital staff played a
part as well, Exline says.
"The high level of cooperation we received from the staff in the hospital
departments was a major factor in the smooth transition. Without their
willingness to accept this change we would not have been successful."
Planning and communication also were key. Central Mail and hospital
staff met several times to hammer out the details. "We were able to show
that we could save them a considerable amount of money and time," says
Central Mail manager Chris Kula. When everything was set, Kula made eight
presentations to hospital staff. "We had over 240 people attend. The purpose
was to inform them of such changes as using mail cards and preparing mail
earlier in the day."
"It was an opportunity that was always there," says Kula. "We've got the
resources, the flexibility to make it work."
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PARKING & TRANSPORTATION
Free parking meters?
[oxymoron? ]
Yes, it's true. There are parking meters on campus that are free. They're
called Timed Loading Zones and are easy to use: When you need to load or
unload your vehicle, park in a loading zone. Then, instead of putting money
in the meter, simply push the button on the meter and it gives you the
maximum time for that particular loading space - for FREE! The meter digitally
shows how much time you have and begins to count down your time.
The idea of free meters came from discussions to improve the use of
loading zones. These areas were starting to be used as long-term parking,
and the time Field Services officers were spending on rechecking the loading
zones was increasing as well. With traditional loading zones, officers chalk
the tires of a vehicle and indicate the time it was parked. Then, after the
time limit expires, the officer returns to see if the same vehicle is there.
This is time consuming and isn't the most effective way of keeping loading
spaces available for others to use.
Timed loading zones have been very successful and are more efficient for
users and officers. The meters help people be accountable by showing them how
much time is left before they need to relocate. The officers like the change,
saying it has made their jobs easier since they do not have to keep checking
on loading zones and fewer vehicles are camping out in those spaces. Now when
an officer is at a loading zone and the meter has expired, a ticket can be
issued immediately instead of chalking and returning.
Fines for loading zone violations are $15. The intent of loading zones is
for people to load or unload and then relocate. They are not intended to be
parking spaces. If the same vehicle is parked in a loading zone and the time
has been reset on the meter, an officer will keep an eye on the situation and
issue a ticket if necessary.
The first timed loading zones were installed at the Iowa Memorial Union in
August 2001. Three, fifteen-minute meters were installed in the three loading
zones and their impact was felt almost immediately. The loading zones started
to have more turnover, allowing more people to load and unload in those spaces.
Since then, eleven of the forty-three east-side loading zones have been
converted, as well as nineteen of the seventy-nine west-side ones. Maybe
someday all the loading zones on campus will be converted, but not all areas
are practical at this time. Several factors are considered when an area is
reviewed, including the number of spaces, the access to them, construction
projects in the area, and the physical characteristics of the space (is there
room to install a meter, is it practical to permanently install meters, and so
forth).
There are plans to convert from twelve to twenty-one more loading zones
in the future. For now, those scheduled to be converted are at the Seamans Center
dock, ERF south side dock, Pharmacy dock, Fine Arts campus, Carver Hawkeye Arena
dock, IATL, and south of the Law College.
For some people, a free meter is hard to believe. We still, on occasion, find
coins stuck in the crevices of the meter heads.
Michelle Ribble
Changes made in Emergency Treatment Center area traffic, bicycle parking
The hospital's project to expand its Emergency Treatment Center has led to the
addition of a temporary control booth to manage the traffic in the area. The
booth, located on the access road north of the Field House, will be staffed by
Hospital Security. It will be a screening point for vehicular entry to the ETC.
The bicycle parking in the area has also been upgraded and expanded with new
permanent racks. Previously, there were 48 spaces on the north side of the Field
House. Now there are 102 spaces on the north and west sides.
Michelle Ribble
Parking and Transportation project updates
Current projects on track
The Parking Ramp 4 expansion on Melrose Avenue south of the Field House is on
target for completion in May 2006. The expansion will provide 504 spaces.
The road widening of South Grand Avenue will also take place during the ramp
expansion construction. Dedicated ramp access lanes and a right-turn lane onto
Melrose Avenue are to be added. The widening of the road is part of a larger
project to make portions of Melrose Avenue one-way in the future.
At Lot 43, in the stadium area, Parking and Transportation will resurface and
reconfigure the lots to the south and west this summer. This project will add
approximately 80 spaces, for a total of 1,246. This part of the project was moved
up a year because next spring 180 spaces will be lost in the temporary lot north
of Hospital Ramp 3 for the Chilled Water Plant project.
New projects will add 300 parking spaces for commuters
The Hawkeye Commuter lot will be expanded, adding 250 spaces. Another project
involves adding fifty spaces to the Finkbine Commuter lot, plus redoing the
curbs and gutters there. Both projects begin in mid-May, with completion
expected in August.
Michelle Ribble
[Top of page]
PRINTING DEPARTMENT
Historical Printing Studio events draw interested students, bibliophiles
The Historical Printing Studio was busy in March with a visit from a UNI book
studies class, a two-day Historical Printing Expo for UI students, and a meeting
of the UI Bibliophiles.
The visitors saw three historical machines in action: A Reliance iron press
representing the early centuries of letterpress printing, a Star Kelsey jobber
recalling the work of small-town tradespeople who printed everything from flour
sacks to wedding annuncements, and a Linotype typesetting machine representing
twentieth-century technology and the operators who produced daily newspapers
and popular books at lightning speed.
Instructor for the tutorials was Larry J. Raid, director of
Linotype University
in Denmark, Iowa. The events were organized by Gary Frost, curator for the UI
Libraries, and sponsored by
the Center for the Book
and the Printing Department.
Printing Department employee Diane Bird retires after 37-1/2 years at Iowa
Printing Department employee Diane Bird retired on April 1 from her position at
the UI Printing Department. She had worked in the accounting office since 1990,
helping customers with their office copier acquisitions and working on Business
Services accounting. She and Sabrina, her Shih Tzu, are pictured at left during
a farewell get-together with her coworkers at MBSB.
[Top of page]
STORES AND RENTAL SERVICES
General Stores implements new office supply contract
I have been really pleased with how easy it is to order...even returns are
easy. The ability to browse the catalog is really helpful. It's great not
to have everyday items on backorder!!
Linda Langenberg, Office of the State Archaeologist
Last fall, with assistance from Purchasing and UIHC Procurement Services,
General Stores' office supply contract was reviewed and compared to the Iowa
Biotechnology Association's contract. This included a detailed evaluation of
pricing and services. In January, the decision was made to change contracts,
with OfficeMax, holder of the Iowa Biotech contract, receiving the contract
to become General Stores' new office supply vendor on March 1.
Between late January and the end of February all the details for this
transition were worked out. The implementation process involved staff from
General Stores, Purchasing, ITS, UIHC, and OfficeMax. This was truly a joint
effort operating under extreme time constraints.
The existing on-line ordering system was revised to accommodate new OfficeMax
stock numbers and a new pricing structure. The OfficeMax web-based Pcard ordering
system was customized to handle the University's specific needs. A custom cover
for the catalog was designed and printed. Customers were notified of the changes
and the new catalogs were distributed. Training was held. Schedules were met.
The implementation was a success.
It works very well. I like that it transfers most of the old Corporate Express
catalog numbers. I can then change my log to reflect their numbers.
Karen Hinkhouse, Neurology
The single thing I most like is the ability to see what exactly I'm ordering
(i.e. pictures). Very helpful! It's more work to reconcile my Pcard and this
means I have to keep all receipts, but it's worth it.
Jenny McLandsborough, Pediatrics
The new contract, based on the one used by Iowa Biotech, is also used by
the State of Iowa and Iowa State University, which began using it late last year.
Our combined volumes will result in additional discounts. We worked very closely
with Norman Hill, manager of Iowa State University's Central Stores, as we
implemented the contract. The contract has the potential to save The University
of Iowa more than $1,000,000 over the life of the contract.
Customers may now order with their Pcards via a web-based ordering system.
Custom reporting is now available. General Stores hopes to move its mainframe MIGS
system to the web, both saving money and providing a superior ordering process to
our customers. More than 360 customers are already signed up for Pcard ordering,
and on the first day of operation General Stores received more than 150 orders for
office supplies on the new contract. Other improvements and offerings are planned.
...the system is working great! The advantage of using the Pcard system is
that you can create 'shopping lists' of items you routinely order. When you
need to replenish your stock, you need only pull up your shopping list and
enter the quantity - no more looking up the item number each time.
Sonya Housholder, Medicine Administration
To order catalogs, email genstores@uiowa.edu with your name,
department name, campus delivery address, and the number of catalogs you need.
To sign up for p-card ordering, email gary-anderson@uiowa.edu
and request a user name and password for access to the OfficeMax ordering system.
To keep up on all the changes, email Gary Anderson at
gary-anderson@uiowa.edu and sign up for the General Stores listserv.
To place orders using your p-card, go to
www.officemaxsolutions.com.
UI staff who teamed up to work on the transition to our new contract are
Gary Anderson, Judy Rockafellow, and Joel Tresslar, General Stores; Cindy
Dayton and Bob Manders, ITS; Anne Sopher and Deborah Zumbach, Purchasing; and,
from UIHC, Lee Ann Williams, Creative Services; Sharma Kroeger and Sue
Miller, Procurement Services; and Terri Stoner, Value Analysis Program. Thanks
to all of our customers for their patience in changing contracts. We appreciate
your business and value your comments.
Gary Anderson
We are so pleased to be partnering with General Stores on this initiative.
This opportunity provides you direct access to over 20,000 products, including
technology and furniture. We encourage you to contact your dedicated customer
service team at 800-678-0882. In addition, you can reach us live on campus at
319-384-3908. Janet Rich is your OfficeMax representative.
Paul Dolynchuk, manager, OfficeMax
Consider furniture, office design consultation
Did you know an office designer and furniture specialist, Jennifer Morgan,
is available to University of Iowa staff as a service through the General
Stores-OfficeMax partnership? She meets with clients at UI on Wednesdays.
Send her an email at jennifermorgan@omworkspace.com to schedule a meeting.
Gary Anderson
Character counts: Meet Gary Anderson
For Gary Anderson, associate director of Business Services, what began nearly
twenty years ago as a job at Physical Plant Stores developed into a position
managing two service departments: General Stores and Printing, and overseeing
four others: Central Mail, Equipment Rental, Maintenance Stores, and Surplus.
He's been instrumental in their ongoing consolidation.
He says he's enjoyed "...bringing the departments together to share
resources - accounting, computer, marketing, human resources, and deliveries.
It has helped each become stronger and save money."
"The thing I enjoy most is when one department gets busy, people in other
departments help out. Mail employees help the Wide Media Center when it gets
busy, for example. Surplus borrows the General Stores truck if they get busy,"
says Gary. "Getting the new General Stores office supply contract in place has
been fun. I have seen people I haven't seen for a while, from around campus,
he hospital, purchasing, ITS, and Stores."
"It feels good when you can bring people from different departments
together and do something good. You help the University, save money, provide
better service."
His goals? "I would like to upgrade the equipment in the Printing Department.
Get groups on campus together to build a University-owned warehouse. Again, it
involves people from all over campus working together for the common good,"
he says.
An Iowa City native, Gary graduated from City High and the University of Iowa.
He likes to read, attend Iowa football games, and (if you're one of his doctors,
stop reading here) "I still play racquetball - even after my hip replacement."
"I've got an old dog and a young cat," he says of twelve-year-old Ginger, a
Sheltie, and newcomer Maggie May. Gary's wife, Nancy, teaches at Hoover
elementary in Iowa City. Their son, Christopher, is an accountant in Chicago.
"He still likes to go on vacation with us. Evidently we're still fun," says
Gary. His parents live in Coralville. His father retired from the UI Physical
Plant the same year Gary started working for the University.
"I've enjoyed my career and plan on working here a few more years. It's
given me lots of opportunity," says Gary. "I've had good bosses and supervisors.
They've been very supportive."
[Top of page]
WE LIKE FEEDBACK!
Story ideas:
Are there topics we haven't covered that you would like to see in our newsletter?
Do you have questions you would like us to address? Send an e-mail to
jenean-arnold@uiowa.edu or a memo to Into Print,126C MBSB.
Address corrections and additions:
If you wish to be added to the Into Print mailing list, fill out and send our
form or e-mail the following
information [University of Iowa campus addresses and @uiowa.edu e-mail suffixes only]
to jenean-arnold@uiowa.edu:
- Your name
- Department
- Campus Mail address
- whether you want the print version, e-mail notification of Web posting, or both.
E-mail us:
Send questions and comments about departmental topics to:
Bionic Bus . . . bionic-bus@uiowa.edu
Cambus information . . . cambus-dispatching@uiowa.edu
Central Mail . . . central-mail@uiowa.edu
Commuter programs . . . commuter-programs@uiowa.edu
General Stores . . . genstores@uiowa.edu
Motor Pool . . . motor-pool@uiowa.edu
Parking facilities operations . . . facilities-dispatch@uiowa.edu
Parking services . . . parking-office@uiowa.edu
Wide Media Center . . . widemedia-printing@uiowa.edu
Copy Centers:
Boyd Law . . . dcblb-printing@uiowa.edu
Hardin Library . . . dchlhs-printing@uiowa.edu
Iowa Memorial Union . . . dcimu-printing@uiowa.edu
Med Labs . . . dcml-printing@uiowa.edu
Mossman Building . . . dcmbsb-printing@uiowa.edu
Pappajohn Bldg . . . dcpbb-printing@uiowa.edu
UPACS and Copyright Service . . . upacs-printing@uiowa.edu
We are . . .
Business Services: Central Mail Services, Equipment Rental, General
Stores, Laundry Service, Maintenance Stores, Parking and Transportation, Printing
Department, and Surplus, serving The University of Iowa. The print version of
Into Print is distributed free and on request to UI faculty, staff,
and students.
Contributors to this issue:
Gary Anderson/Business Services, Printing; Chris Kula/Central Mail;
Michelle Ribble/Parking & Transportation; Anne Sopher/Purchasing.
Editor/web administrator: Jenean Arnold, phone 384-3723,
jenean-arnold@uiowa.edu, 126C MBSB.
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