Business Services
Winter 2007
Business Services
Winter 2007
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Central Mail | Equipment Rental | General Stores | Laundry | Parking & Transportation | Printing | Surplus 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 departments, their staffs, and their clients. IN THIS ISSUE
General news Central Mail Services General Stores Parking and Transportation Printing Department Surplus View PDF version of this issue
NEWS BRIEFS |
TypeStrikesfrom our typo treasure chestBurger Hall |
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GENERAL NEWS Gary Anderson A series of classes is scheduled for Wednesday, February 21: "Producing Successful Mail Pieces," "Using Business Reply Mail to Your Advantage," and "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Central Mail." Another Spring class is "2007 Postal Changes: The good, the bad, and the ugly…" It will inform mailers of Postal Service changes that will occur this spring. This class will be held March 14, April 17, and May 23. UI Learning and Development, www.uiowa.edu/~fusstfdv, handles registration for the classes. Central Mail makes presentations to provide information and money-saving suggestions that are tailored to each department's mailing needs. Contact Chris Kula.
Tours
New staff orientation
Historical Printing Studio Beavers range from about two to three feet in length, weigh around 60 pounds, are herbivores, and are among the largest of rodents, according to the National Geographic website. Those neighboring the Mossman Building have built two small dams on the creek and appear to live in burrows along the bank, their preferred habitat. CENTRAL MAIL SERVICES The changes will affect many UI departments that rely on the Postal Service for external communications. Current prices do not distinguish between some letters, flats, and parcels. In the proposal, flats up to 6 ounces and parcels would see greater increases than letters because their handling costs are higher. If the contents of a flat can be folded and placed into a letter-size envelope or if a parcel is reconfigured as a flat, the mailer will be able to save money. The shape of things to come: proposed changes Letters The maximum weight for all First-Class Mail letters and automation-compatible Standard Mail pieces will be reduced, from 13 ounces to 3.5 ounces. Mail pieces that weigh more than 3.5 ounces, are rigid, or exceed one or more of the dimensions for a letter will not be eligible for letter rates. They will be reclassified as flats. Nonmachinable Standard Mail letters weighing more than 3.3 ounces will be classified either as flats or as Not Flat-Machinable (NFM) mail - a proposed new category. FlatsThe standards for flat-shaped mail pieces will become tighter: all flats except custom marketing material must be rectangular, flexible, and uniformly thick. The dimensions of the envelope, wrapper, or sleeve must remain constant. CDs mailed in jewel cases or cardboard mailers will cost more, as much as 62 to 115 percent for some mailers. Items bound by plastic comb, coil, "pro-click," and other methods that result in a non-uniformly thick mail piece will cost substantially more to mail. The weight limit for First-Class Mail flats and parcels will remain at 13 ounces. Non-rectangular, non-uniform, or rigid Standard Mail pieces will ship at either parcel or NFM rates, both higher. Not Flat-Machinable mailThis category comprises Standard Mail pieces
with parcel-like characteristics and includes flat but rigid mail pieces. The rates will be higher than
for flats but lower than for parcels. NFM pieces are defined as
Preparation for nonmachinable letters will not change, and mailers of nonmachinable letters will continue to pay higher prices that reflect their more costly manual handling. Regardless of weight, letters that do not meet aspect ratio, that have any other nonmachinable characteristics, or that may be too rigid, will not be eligible for letter rates. These changes are part of the same proposal that calls for a three-cent increase in the price of a First-Class stamp and a new "forever stamp" for one-ounce, single-piece, First-Class Mail letters. For more information on the proposal, visit the USPS website at www.usps.com/ratecase/welcome.htm. Contact Chris Kula, 384-3809, chris-kula@uiowa.edu, with questions or for help with planning your mail pieces. Both companies now use parcel dimension and weight to determine rates, as the Postal Service will begin doing in May. See the above article for more information about this. GENERAL STORES Gary Anderson The Itasca facility houses the OfficeMax corporate headquarters and one of its 35 distribution centers in the United States. Approximately 23,000 line items comprising about 7,500 orders are shipped daily from the 330,000 square-foot warehouse. It takes 140 employees to pack and 80 to deliver this kind of volume with a short turnaround: UI orders placed by 4 p.m. are delivered to customers the following business day. "It really helped me understand and appreciate what happens after our orders are placed on MIGS or the web," says Anderson. The 2007 General Stores/OfficeMax catalogs are now in stock. Some numbers and vendors have changed, so it is important to use a new catalog. Email your name, department, campus delivery address, and the number of catalogs you need to genstores@uiowa.edu. Hospital staff can pick up catalogs at the Shipping and Receiving dock. University Directory Qwest Dex directory Gary Anderson After work, Brian heads for his part-time job at Ruzika's meat locker in Solon, where he trims and debones beef for hamburger meat, cuts up deer that hunters bring in, and delivers and sets up food for catering jobs. He's especially busy during deer season, from early October through late January. "We did more than 800 deer this year," he says. Customers bring them to Solon from as far away as Des Moines and Dubuque because they like the signature seasoning the locker uses for the meat. And it's not just deer meat that draws fans. "People who used to live here, when they come back for a visit, stop and pick up a package of hot dogs to take home with them, or maybe they buy some bratwurst to send to a friend who lives out of state," he says. Brian fishes for trout in northeast Iowa and for panfish in lakes around the state. He says he and a fishing buddy like to "load up, take off, and make a day of it. That's fun." He also hunts near New Hartford, a small town west of Cedar Falls, on property owned by an uncle. He says summers are especially nice, when he and his daughter, Haley, 11, and son, Cody, 14, spend their days there fishing and wading in the shallow West Fork river. Sometimes the family strings a volleyball net across the river for all-day games. If the water is a little higher, they'll go tubing. An enthusiastic cook, Brian claims to make good stuffed mushrooms, chicken noodle soup, and burrito meat. "I like using different seasonings and experimenting. It's fun to see what you can create," he says. To see how that approach works, find him when his venison jerky is coming out of the dryer. Still warm, slightly crisp on the surface but soft and tender inside, it's the best you'll ever taste. PARKING & TRANSPORTATION The permit provides access during designated hours to Hospital Ramps 1, 2, 3, 4; the Newton Road, North Campus, and IMU ramps; the Field House and Library lots; lots 13 (north and south sections), 14, 21 (in the Pappajohn Business Building); and posted 24-hour reserved areas, including portions of lots 2, 27, and 29. The permit costs $8 per month and is available to University employees and students who qualify. Payment options for faculty and staff are payroll deduction on a pre-tax basis, if eligible, or prepaid annually. Students' permits are billed to their University accounts. Eligibility The permit is available to
Daytime permits include Student Day, Student Storage, Myrtle Law, Mayflower,
Parklawn, Hancher, Finkbine, and Hawkeye Permits. For more information about the permit and
eligibility requirements, visit the Parking and Transportation website at
www.uiowa.edu/~parking/NW_information.html.
Emergency Ride Home program a good solution In ERH, participants can take a taxi home and be reimbursed for the cost of the
ride. Prearranged appointments, meetings, weather emergencies, and work-related travel are not eligible
for rides under the program. Parking and Transportation will reimburse the participant for the cab fare,
not including the tip. ERH can be used up to three times per year and may not exceed a cumulative total
of $100 in reimbursements. Specific details concerning eligibility, procedures, limitations, and policies
can be found at
www.uiowa.edu/~commprog/erh_program.html.
The exposition included more than 100 exhibits of wind, solar, and renewable fuel designs and devices. One of those was an affordable wind turbine appropriate for farms and residences, on public display for the first time. The Parking and Transportation exhibit featured the benefits of alternative modes of transportation, the fuel savings from the Van Pool and Bus Pass programs, and the energy savings from Cambus and Fleet Services. In addition, the exhibit showed how biodiesel and ethanol are made. More than 40 workshops and presentations were held throughout the day. Topics included Iowa's renewable energy resources, notably biofuels and wind; river cleanup; climate change; and green building supplies. The Expo was supported by a grant from the Iowa Energy Center; UI business partners; the UI Energy Conservation Advisory Council; and UI Facilities Management. Dawn had many passions: as a gifted musician she loved music, and enjoyed her plants
and her dogs, May Whisper and Buddy. She will be missed by her coworkers. She is survived by her husband,
Ed, and two sisters and their families.
PRINTING DEPARTMENT "There are a lot of runs of 200 to 500 - customers who could never have affordably done color before in that quantity," says area manager Mike Cash. "There's a lot of interest, once they get out here and see what the press can do. Somebody will see what we're doing, mention a project idea, and off we go." "We've printed business cards to books and everything in between. Lots of short-run brochures, post cards, greeting cards." Other applications include posters, flyers, signs, appointment cards, prototypes, promotions, press proofs, and test runs for larger jobs. The press prints crisp, high-definition images onto 12-1/2x 18-1/2-inch sheets. Laser technology reapplies the image to the printing plate for every impression, so each sheet is a high-quality, first-generation print with consistent color and image quality throughout a run. The patented liquid ink produces reliable color for proofing, and the spot color, approved by the Pantone Matching System, simulates most PMS colors. The standard papers the department uses are gloss and matte stock in text and cover weights. Contact Cash or your Printing Department customer service representative if you're interested in this short-run color option. The two new printers are running well, says Copy Center operator Gary Sammons. They produce at an overall faster speed than the DocuTech, which they replaced. The color capabilities have improved, too. "We can now do three-hole punch on the fly, staple, and make booklets," he says. "Our customers are very happy with their color jobs." A regular pick-up and delivery schedule offers convenience for busy hospital staff. The route comprises one stop per day at each of thirty-three areas. Customers can expect delivery at about the same time the following day, but this can be affected by the size and complexity of their orders. Contact Jill Sterner, 335-8788, dcml-printing@uiowa.edu, for more information. Why do I have to send fonts with my files? What is Acrobat? How do I make a pdf? Where do I go to send a file on the web? Next time you call Printing or a Copy Center for information technology help, you may be hooked up with Steve Fulwider, a guy who loves his job. "If I were ever to retire, I would do this for free," he is known to have said. He's been providing IT support in Equipment Rental and now covers other areas as needed. Count on getting good advice when you call. See the Spring 2004 issue of Into Print for a Character Counts feature on Steve. Add some life to your communications with products that use the University's graphic identity system. The Copy Centers stock preprinted trifold shells, note cards with matching envelopes, report covers, and binders. All are designed for customers to add their own information. One style of brochure and the report covers are printed in gold and black, the note cards have an embossed gold dome, and the other items are printed in black ink only. The Copy Centers can print your information or you may do it yourself with an office printer. The brochures are sold in packages of 100 for $28 and the note cards and envelopes in packages of 25 for $9.50 and $6.50, respectively. The binders and report covers are sold by the piece, with prices broken out for front cover, back cover, binder, binding charge, and zipper opener. Check the Printing Department website at www.uiowa.edu/~printsvc/prices/uidprice.html, or contact any Copy Center for more information. SURPLUS If your department wants help disposing of surplus items contact Joe Hennager
at 335-5001. Surplus can provide the expertise to facilitate the process for you. Items can be sold
in the Surplus Store, auctioned, or listed on eBay. Surplus has the know-how and contacts to help you
get the most money for your department's surplus goods.
Visit the Surplus website www.uiowa.edu/~fusmm/surplus.htmlfor information about upcoming auctions.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:
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Business Services: Central Mail, Equipment Rental, General Stores, Laundry, Parking & Transportation, Printing, and Surplus, serving The University of Iowa community. 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, Stores, Surplus; Chris Kula/Central Mail, Copy Centers; Michelle Ribble/Parking and Transportation. Editor/web administrator: Jenean Arnold, phone 384-3723, jenean-arnold@uiowa.edu, 126C MBSB. |