Business Services
Fall 2007
Business Services
Fall 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 Equipment Rental General Stores Laundry Service Parking and Transportation Printing Department Surplus View PDF version of this issue
NEWS BRIEFS |
TypeStrikesfrom our typo treasure chestCarl Sandbug |
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GENERAL NEWS 1989 Some Aldus Freehand or Aldus PageMaker files can take as much as an hour a page to typeset, especially those using graphics and graduated screens. 1990 We're offering a service unique to the area - you can use our laser printer from a remote location. 1991 We learned there is an academic journal on typography named Fine Print. We decided to rename our newsletter Into Print.1992 Offset printing refers to the modern method of printing, as opposed to letterpress.... Our network is now hooked up to the Internet, a campus network which connects many departmental networks. 1993 We are now able to print color copies not only from Macintosh disks but also from IBM disks. 1994 PageMaker 5.0a improvements include the ability for TIFF images to print to all imagesetters in the correct tonal values.1995 The Printing Department's color copier service was moved to [MBSB] from the Old Public Library in April. This brings all our staff and services together under one roof for the first time since the summer of 1993, when our previous building was flooded. 1996 The Printing Department welcomes its new neighbor, Central Mail. We appreciate the proximity. Where once we would box, load, deliver and unload orders, we can now walk them to the next room.... General Stores is implementing a new online ordering and billing system, called MIGS. The database contains the more than 10,000 items that are in the catalog provided by the University's office products supplier. 1997 The Board of Regents approved a remodeling and construction project that is needed for General Stores to move to the Consolidated Business Services Building.... We are progressing well on Laundry Service's new building at Oakdale, where our laundry staff will soon be enjoying a facility with state-of-the-art equipment.We plan include more snapshots of the past in future issues of Into Print. The University created the award in 1985 to recognize staff for "outstanding accomplishments and contributions that significantly benefited or brought honor or recognition to the university." Jerry's positive and helpful interaction with everyone he meets is evident when
spending just a few minutes with him. He has an endless supply of jokes and one-liners that he shares
with his customers to help brighten their day. But he also quickly and accurately completes the cash
transactions and gets his customers on their way - skills that are especially valued because the lot
is a very busy place. Jerry is extremely good at his job and an asset to our department. Congratulations
to Jerry on receiving this award. It is well deserved and we appreciate all that he does.
Chris was cited for promoting a respectful and professional work environment; improving efficiencies in Campus Mail delivery routes; supervising the renovation of the IMU CopyHawk; and effecting changes in the Copy Centers that will save over $200,000 during the next fiscal year. He works closely with the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, the UI Foundation, the Alumni Association, several smaller departments, and the University of Northern Iowa to help them save money on mailings. The award was established in 1993 to provide a statewide forum to recognize staff members in the Board of Regents institutions. Each winner receives a commemorative gift, and the University grants a $1,000 prize to the winner's department to be used for his or her benefit. Producing Successful Mailpieces introduces participants to mail piece design and discusses addressing methods and database management. The course will be especially helpful for those involved in mail piece design or address file management. It is scheduled for Thursday, November 1, from 10 to 11 a.m. Register for the class through UI Learning and Development, www.uiowa.edu/~fusstfdv. Also, Central Mail makes presentations tailored to each department's mailing needs, to provide information and money-saving suggestions. Contact Chris Kula. New staff orientation Tours CENTRAL MAIL First class mail....December 20 Priority mail....December 20 Express mail....December 22 Parcel post....December 15 DBMC drop ship....December 20 DDU drop ship....December 21 Stay away from a square mail piece. You may incur a surcharge for mail being out of ratio for postal equipment. Central Mail is your best friend when it comes to saving your money. The earlier you consult with us in the design process, the more impact we can have in helping reduce your postage costs and speeding your mail through the postal system. Chris Kula Mike, Ron, David, Tom, Alex, Larry, Flo, Carol, and Roger "I enjoy it here, especially the hours," says Cindy. "And I always have my weekends... and sick leave." In her previous two jobs covering more than thirty years at mailing businesses, 65-hour work weeks and little sick leave were typical. Another draw, she says, is the UI van pool program. "That's one reason I left the other place. When you figure the cost of driving - tires, oil, gas, and the rest - it saves a lot of money." Cindy and her husband, Craig, live in Crawfordsville, about 37 miles south of Iowa City. They were married in February this year. It's the first for both of them. "For being single all our lives, we've done really well," she says. Every evening they enjoy a walk through town with their blended family: Thelma, a Shih Tzu, and black labs Samson and Zacchias. Eddie the cat stays home. As a San Diego area native, "I didn't see snow until I was twenty-four years old. I love it," Cindy says. Sometimes she misses the ocean, but "I wouldn't go back to California. My roots are in Iowa now." Cindy enjoys her church activities, "They've got me teaching the teenagers;" writing poetry, "That comes easily to me;" and embroidery, "mostly tablecloths and quilts." She began taking piano lessons about a year and half ago and discovered the blues - her favorite genre. "Old dogs can learn new tricks!" says Cindy. "I'm pretty upbeat; I just enjoy everything I do. You see, my blood type is B-positive, so I have 'be positive' continually running through my body!" EQUIPMENT RENTAL GENERAL STORES High-capacity cartridges end with X; dual packs with D. If you use an A-toner, order
an X-toner if it is available, for example. The capacity is larger so you will use fewer cartridges,
recycle fewer boxes, spend less time changing cartridges - and save money. If you can use the double pack,
you will order less often, creating fewer deliveries - and save money.
Gary Anderson LAUNDRY SERVICE The driver got up at 4:45 a.m. and clocked in an hour later. Thankfully, I did not have to report so early. When I do meet him, the man is smiling cheerfully, ready to get moving. His truck is loaded - with the second run of the day. As we head toward campus, I start asking questions. Why do you make such early deliveries? Does it take long? Is anyone else moving about at that hour? He smiles slowly, then begins to speak. Many trucks make deliveries all over campus. A few, like the milk and bread trucks, make early deliveries too. Later in the day it can be slow going because most of the buildings' docks accommodate only one truck at a time. An early start means less down time waiting in line. The bright sun, cool air, and lumbering pace are soporific. Approaching our first stop, I am thinking this ride is a bit.... boring? That soon changes as my cabmate suddenly morphs into the Energizer bunny. He leaps out, dashes to the opposite side of the truck, bolts up the steps, grabs armfuls of uniforms, and heads inside to the delivery site. In the blink of an eye he returns, leaps into the truck, changes gear, and we're off to the dormitories. This pattern is repeated at each stop, but with some disconcerting variations. One is a steeply inclined dock, barely wide enough for the truck to fit. Another requires backing down an inclined dock off a busy highway. The common denominator is students, swarming everywhere. They wander in front, behind, and alongside the truck, blissfully unaware of potential danger. After our last stop, my questions start again. What is the best part of your job? "The people, you meet so many interesting people," he replies. What is the most difficult part of your job? The driver raises an eyebrow and says, "The job is not hard. Avoiding pedestrians and bikers is the hard part." What is the worst part? "Getting behind schedule when equipment breaks down. You really have to rush to keep up." As we lumber and thump back to Laundry, I silently agree. The job does not look
difficult - if you can drive a humongous truck, back into awkwardly configured docks with pinpoint
precision, and avoid squishing pedestrians, all while maintaining a strict schedule. But in my
opinion, the job requires a person with enormous patience. Without it, a driver would be missing
the key tool to success.
PARKING & TRANSPORTATION Frequently asked questions
If I drive to your facility, where should I park my car? Where do I leave the Fleet Services vehicle when I return from my trip? Where do I return the vehicle keys if I return after business hours? We lease a vehicle from Fleet Services. Where do we get fuel? PRINTING DEPARTMENT The document should be in Microsoft Word, any version between 1997 and 2003. "If you use a newer version, save it as Word '03," says Copy Center operator Gary Sammons. The mailing list must be set up in Excel. And, it's important to make sure the addresses are valid before merging the files. "I highly recommend getting address files cleansed at Central Mail," says Sammons. "It saves money to not have bad addresses. If you're spending 40 cents to mail the piece and it doesn't go anywhere, the money is wasted." The Center has seen many uses for mail merge, such as letters, surveys, booklets, numbered tickets, 6x9-inch post cards, and items going through Campus Mail. Mail pieces can be designed as self mailers or inserted into window envelopes. For the latter, the Center needs a sample envelope in order to properly position the type. It's also possible to do mail merge on items that will go to Central Mail for inserting and addressing. Check with the CopyHawk staff if you have ideas for mail merge. They can let you know what will work and how to set up files, and will be happy to print proofs to make sure you get just what you want. When you're ready to send a file, go to printing.uiowa.edu, click on "Send to Color Center," fill out the form, attach your file, and send it. The cost is $2.50 per linear inch and turnaround is 24 hours, provided the file works. For payment, we accept m-numbers, and blue requisitions with a valid MFK number and two authorized signatures. Call Prepress/Color Center at 384-3716 with questions. The IMU CopyHawk shipping service is open to faculty, staff, students, and visitors. Come on down! SURPLUS
For more information about document destruction call Jason Garrett at Iron Mountain, 515-331-3516,
extension 200. If you have questions about records retention, contact Susan Klatt, director of
financial management and University secretary, 335-5084. Please take the steps necessary to make
sure confidential information does not leave your department.
The lab received a National Institutes of Health grant, explained graduate research assistant T.J. Cradick. "We needed to have data in order to apply for a grant, so had to get our lab up and running. It was set up with quite a bit of Surplus equipment - you can get it used for a tiny fraction of what it costs new," he says. A critical piece of equipment which came from Surplus is a shaking incubator for growing bacteria, he added. "Other labs even come over to use it." "We've bought refrigerators and miscellaneous equipment and supplies," says research assistant Kathy Keck. "It helped save the budget to get equipment at low cost." The lab staff also looks to Surplus for computer supplies such as cables and equipment. "We were able to transfer data from an antiquated piece of equipment once we got an old floppy disk drive," says Cradick. "When we saw a department getting rid of some old floppy disks, we thought, 'We don't need those for coasters; we can use them!'" Visit the Surplus website, www.uiowa.edu/~fusmm/surplus.html, for information and photos of current stock. 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; Jo Anne Worley, Laundry. Editor/web administrator: Jenean Arnold, phone 384-3723, jenean-arnold@uiowa.edu, 126C MBSB. |