GENERAL NEWS
Green initiatives important throughout Business Services
Stocking green products; conserving fuel and laundry chemicals; recycling
waste; carpool matching; promoting online business practices.... the departments in Business
Services work to help reduce the carbon footprint at Iowa.
Paper
The Printing Department and Copy Centers use primarily recycled paper, with more than half of
their stock lists having recycled content. The paper used to print the University's letterhead
and memo pads are made from recycled paper, as well. General Stores sells recycled copy paper
at low prices through a statewide contract. It encourages the use of online directories and
ordered 3,000 fewer herdbooks this year as a result - saving $10,000. Central Mail continually
promotes address cleansing, which can reduce paper waste considerably. It recycles Campus Mail
envelopes by storing empty ones and redistributing them on request to departments.
Fuel
Parking and Transportation has reduced gas consumption and emissions with alternative fuel use
and transportation initiatives, with its bus, commuter, and fleet services (the latter includes
Prius leasing and rentals). It received an "A" on a college sustainability report, the highest
grade of all the UI areas that were surveyed. Related article
Campus Mail eliminated duplication in its routes to cut 25,000 miles a year
without hindering service. Printing, General Stores, and Central Mail have consolidated deliveries,
reducing the number of small packages going out on large delivery trucks as well as the number of
vehicles driven on campus.
Water
The Laundry Service reduces water and energy consumption by reusing heat and recycling water
with a water reclamation system for its wash-rinse process. The system allows for rinse water
from the washing machines to recycle as feed water for the machines' first cycle of the next
wash, and it also returns steam condensate to the boilers as feed water.
Equipment
Nearly everything that Equipment Rental and Surplus supply - electronics from Rental, and that plus
just about everything else from Surplus, including furniture, lab supplies, hospital equipment,
and more - is recycled directly for reuse. In addition to reselling intact equipment, Surplus sells
to "scrappers" who recycle plastic, metal, glass, and wood, including pallets. Only about
10 percent of Surplus material goes to the landfill.
Waste
Printing recycles tons of paper trimmings, cardboard, aluminum printing plates, and film (which
contains silver). General Stores facilitates the campus-wide recycling of used toner cartidges
by picking them up on delivery routes and sending them to a recycling company. It also arranges
for the proper disposal of spent fluorescent bulbs, which contain mercury.
Our departments are keenly aware of their responsiblity to the environment and
have participated in conservation initiatives for years. Their commitment remains strong, as they
keep looking for more ways to be green.
Choose the best medium for your message
Before electronic media came along, there was little need to ask how to send a
message to a large audience. Print was it. Although print remains vital, a listserv or mass email
sometimes can be a better use of resources.
Consider your purpose. If you want to engage readers, giving them something
to think over, keep for reference, or respond to, print is certainly appropriate. If you send a
quick, time-sensitive announcement for immediate consumption, a listserv or email list may be the
best choice. Consider your audience, as well. Is it older, younger, comfortable with technology?
Is there an existing targeted mailing list available?
Print is tactile, portable, and, for many, easier to read than a computer
monitor, but there can be significant costs for production and distribution. It increases clutter,
too. Using email and listservs can reduce paper consumption and deliver your message more quickly.
But for many people, unsolicited emails have become a nuisance so they may go unread. Another
drawback is that when email messages are printed they are more expensive and use more paper than
if they had been delivered as conventional printed material.
The next time you plan to send a message, think about the medium that will
suit it best.
UI, Iowa State, and UNI print, mail managers meet
Gary Anderson and Chris Kula met with their Print, Stores, and Mail colleagues from
Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa in Grinnell in December. The topic of green
initiatives at each school was a priority for discussion, focusing on paper stocked at General Stores
and paper used in the Printing departments, as well as Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification
and green janitorial products. The group meets quarterly to discuss common issues and to share
information.
Gary Anderson
Education, outreach, and training for customers
New staff orientation
Business Services staff participate in Learning and Development's monthly
new faculty and staff orientation.
Contact Linda Noble,
Parking Services, or
Jenean Arnold, other Business
Services departments.
Tours
Groups are welcome to tour Printing, Mail, and General Stores at the Mossman Building.
Contact Jenean Arnold.
[Top of page]
CENTRAL MAIL
Save major time, money with new mail inserter
How many times have you scrambled to pull together enough bodies - staff, students,
temps, passersby - to stuff hundreds of envelopes that should have been mailed days earlier? There's
a better solution: Central Mail's automated inserter.
"Why spend more time and money than you have to, when Central Mail can do it in
minutes, for pennies," says manager Chris Kula. "We have less than twenty-four hours turnaround on
most mail jobs, given the proper paperwork, materials, and address files." The inserter was installed
and tested during the fall, and now is ready for business.
"The ramp-up period is ending, and we are looking for more volume. We hope to use
it to run tax forms, for those who still choose the paper mailing," says Kula. The fee ranges from two
cents per piece for one insert to four cents per piece for six inserts.
[Help the University save money: sign up to receive your W-2 or 1042-S tax form
electronically. The forms will be available on the web about a week before they are mailed. For more
information, go to the the Human Resources self-service website,
hris.uiowa.edu/selfservice.]
Bundle mail pieces to face same direction
When boxing or bundling your mail for metering, be sure to keep the mail pieces
facing the same direction. Upside-down or backwards mail pieces can slip through the metering machine
unnoticed, resulting in the postage being printed on the back or bottom of the envelope. When this
happens, the mail pieces will be either returned to you or mailed to the recipient with postage due.
This can slow your communications and cause extra charges for you or your recipient, neither of which
is good for business.
Mailing smarter: Paper matters
Time- and money-wise, it is a good idea to think about the kind of paper to use before
printing a flyer or mailer. Here's why.
- A glossy stock will not hold meter ink well. Please consider this when designing your mail piece.
You may want to discuss options, such as printing an indicia, on glossy stock.
- Heavier weights of paper may cost more to mail. Send a mock-up of your mail piece to Central Mail
before it's printed, to find out whether you should use a lighter weight paper to qualify for postal
discounts.
- Colored papers can be nonmachinable, resulting in higher rates, if there is too little contrast
between the paper and the address.
- Central Mail is your best friend for saving your money. The earlier you consult with them in
the design process, the more they can help your mail speed through the postal system and save you
postage.
Central Mail unit review completed
A Central Mail unit review to evaluate its operations has been completed. The report
concluded that "the role of Central Mail is an essential relationship to the University and its functions."
Recommendations included working more closely with UI Purchasing; bringing jobs printed by outside vendors
back to be mailed by Central Mail; and increasing marketing initiatives.
A review of Equipment Rental is in progress, and Surplus will be reviewed after that.
The reviews, required for every Finance and Operations department and unit, take place every five years.
[Top of page]
GENERAL STORES
Office product show on January 17 at hospital
The 2008 General Stores/OfficeMax Office Products Show will be held Thursday,
January 17, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the hospital's East Room, 8008 RCP. The show will
feature representatives from many different office supply vendors. Please make plans to attend.
Gary Anderson
2008 office supply catalogs in stock
The 2008 General Stores/OfficeMax catalogs are now available. Some catalog
numbers and primary vendors have changed, so it is important to use a new catalog when you
order office supplies. Our UIHC customers may pick up new catalogs and recycle their old ones
at the hospital's Shipping and Receiving Facility. Customers in other locations should email
their name, department name, campus delivery address, and the number of catalogs needed to
genstores@uiowa.edu.
The staff at General Stores thanks you for your support. Our OfficeMax
contract has saved our campus customers over $1,180,000 in the past three years. Please
contact me if you have
any questions or comments.
Gary Anderson
General Stores' October sales second highest ever
October 2007 was the second-best month ever for General Stores, with more
than $296,000 in purchases through the OfficeMax contract. Sales this year are 12 percent
higher than sales last year. Thanks to everyone for making this contract so successful and
thanks to all of the new customers who have recently signed up for online Pcard ordering.
If you would like to be set up for online ordering or have any questions about the contract
or office supplies in general, please contact Gary Anderson, gary-anderson@uiowa.edu.
Fluorescent team receives IOWA award
Gary Anderson and Joel Tresslar, representing Materials Management, along
with employees from Facilities Management, Health Protection, and Environmental Compliance,
have received an Improving Our Workplace Award award for their work on the University's
Waste Fluorescent Lamp Management Team.
The team researched and corrected possible compliance deficiencies
regarding the proper handling, tracking, and disposal of universal wastes. It also developed
labeling for bulbs, batteries, and mercury-containing equipment. An employee training program
for universal waste management, and the associated record keeping, was another outcome. As a
result, the Environmental Protection Agency found no violations and issued no fines or warnings
during a compliance inspection in September. In fact, the inspectors said this was the first
time they found no violations while inspecting a universal waste generator in the state of Iowa.
The IOWA program recognizes staff for efforts that have had positive results
in their workplace. For more information go to
www.uiowa.edu/hr/oe/worklife/IOWA/currentWinners.shtml.
[Top of page]
LAUNDRY SERVICE
River of linens flowing between Laundry, hospital
A partnership in efficiency between UI Laundry Service and the hospital
is producing notable results as endless yards of cloth flow smoothly, like a river, between
the two.
Before June 2007, Material Services personnel at the hospital unpacked,
fluffed, and bagged their new linens and loaded them onto Laundry Service trucks. After
arriving at the Laundry, the items were classified, sorted, and bagged for washing. Each
piece was individually handled five or six times before being washed, which was too much
handling - plus too much storage space used and too much time involved.
Now, new shipments of health-care linens are immediately trucked from
the hospital to the Laundry. Each hefty shipment holds numerous cartons and weighs more
than 1,200 pounds per skid. Laundry workers unpack, fluff, and process three or more of
these shipments a week. There is no need for hospital staff to handle new linen until it
is time to dispense it, because the Laundry staff now processes it and adds it to the
inventory system. This leaves hospital staff more time for other duties. Valuable space
is also freed up for other uses.
At the Laundry, piles of snowy linens wait their turn to be washed.
Top sheets are here, bottom sheets, blankets, and pillowcases over there, followed by
colorful piles of surgical linens, all neatly sorted. Larger quantities of one type of
health-care linen can be washed and integrated into the linen rotation system at one time.
There are fewer piecemeal loads, and the linen can be prepped faster for delivery. This
means more product, more efficient washing and drying, and faster turnaround time.
This one change to the linen-handling process has produced multiple
benefits. While the manner has not changed, the location of the process has.
"Reduced handling, more efficient use of Laundry resources, better
allocation of storage space, and faster input of new linens into inventory makes this
change a win-win for UIHC and Laundry Service," says Laundry Manager Dave Gray.
Jo Anne Worley
Character Counts: Meet Jeff Nehring
Laundry production worker Jeff Nehring started working at the University
in 1988, in the hospital's dietary department, then nine years ago transferred to UI Laundry
Service. A native of Iowa, he's never wanted to live anywhere else.
Every day Jeff is busy getting clean laundry ready for delivery. He
"sorts clean linen, folds it, organizes it, and presses the linen on a gigantic iron,"
he says. "The iron is so big I don't know how to describe it!" What he really appreciates
though, are the overhead conveyor slings because, "They eliminate a lot of pushing."
Not only does Jeff like his job, he likes the hours - 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. -
because they enable him to meet his children at the bus after school. But what he likes most
is the people, he says. "The people are wonderful. They are supportive, and there is such a
sense of teamwork."
Jeff's hobby is boxing. He started the sport at the young age of six, on
a team coached by his father. "I have a picture of me in boxing gloves and a diaper to prove
how young I was," he laughs. Although he no longer competes, Jeff coaches young boxers on the
amateur circuit.
"The great thing about boxing is that it's based on you," he says. "There
is no team. It teaches you that the importance of a situation is in what it teaches you about
yourself, not winning or losing."
Jeff was raised in Tipton and now lives in North Liberty with his family,
eight-year old Breanna, six-year old Daniel, and their dog Bailey, a Lhasa Apso. Some of their
favorite activities together include going to the playground, museums, and the dog park.
"I think it is important that the kids have fun. I want them to have an
adventure every day. I want to impart a sense of strength in my kids by pushing them to be
themselves," Jeff says. "My kids are my top priority."
Jo Anne Worley
[Top of page]
PARKING & TRANSPORTATION
P&T earns "A" in sustainability
The UI Parking and Transportation department scored an "A" on the College
Sustainability Report Card 2008, released in October. The report card assessed the 200 U.S.
public and private colleges and universities with the largest endowments, ranging from $230
million to nearly $35 billion.
The report cited P&T for its use of flex-fuel vehicles, biodiesel,
and hybrids; free Cambus service; commuter van program; discounted bus passes for students
and staff; and University funding for campus bike programs.
The University of Iowa received a cumulative grade of "B-", up from a
"C+" last year. Only 3 percent of the schools received an overall "A" and 28 percent a "B."
The categories assessed were Administration, Climate Change and Energy, Food and Recycling,
Green Building, Transportation, Endowment Transparency, Investment Priorities, and Shareholder
Engagement. Grinnell College and Iowa State University are the other Iowa schools that
were assessed.
The report card is published by the Sustainable Endowments Institute,
a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based nonprofit organization. The full report is available at
www.endowmentinstitute.org/sustainability.
Have a parking permit? Working during a home basketball game? Here's where to park.
When thousands of people pour onto campus for home basketball games, parking
can be problematic for UI employees who have to work. To alleviate this, Parking Services has
set alternate parking arrangements for those who hold permits and work during men's home games.
Ramp and surface lot permits
Ramp permits, lots 10, 30, 50, 70, 80, 90, and Surface lot permits 13, 14:
Employees may use their assigned lot when parking for work.
Lots 40, 43, 44: Monday through Friday after 4:30 p.m. and all day
on Saturday and Sunday, use the hospital or Newton Road ramp and show your hang-tag permit to
the cashier upon exit.
Lot 46: Monday through Friday after 4:30 p.m., use the Newton Road
Ramp when parking for work. On Saturday and Sunday you may use the Newton Road Ramp or a hospital
ramp. In both cases you must show your hang-tag permit to the cashier upon exit.
Commuter lot permits
Arena, Finkbine: Monday through Friday after 4:30 p.m., use a hospital ramp. On Saturday
and Sunday you may use Lot 14 or a hospital ramp when parking for work. In all cases you must show
your hang-tag permit to the cashier upon exit.
Night permits
Ramp Night: Monday through Friday use the ramps according to Ramp Night permit guidelines.
Night and Weekend: Use the facilities according to Night and Weekend permit guidelines.
Surface Night: Use your assigned lot.
No permit
Monday through Friday, after 4:30 p.m., use the cashiered facilities and pay the fee. On Saturday
and Sunday, use Lot 43 two hours prior to the start of the game and after the start time. During
other periods, use cashiered facilities or meters and pay the necessary fee.
Fleet Services offers free gas, cleaning
If your department's leased vehicle sits idle on occasion, consider loaning
it back to Fleet Services for short-term rentals - in exchange for a tank of free gas and a free
cleaning. Sometimes there is a shortage of rental vehicles, so Fleet Services is offering this
incentive to maximize use of the University's fleet.
When you loan your vehicle, a Fleet Services staff member will pick it up
and return it to you after it has been cleaned and filled with a full tank of gas. Contact
John Knoll, 384-0564 to take advantage of this offer or for more information.
Cambus runs free shuttle for men's basketball games
If you plan to attend a men's home basketball game, try using a Cambus shuttle
to get there. The buses, sponsored by the Athletic Department, are available to the general public
free of charge.
Pregame shuttle service begins at the Hancher Auditorium and Hawkeye Commuter
parking lots about one-and-one-half hours before game time, with limited service available during
the games. Postgame shuttles operate for about a half hour after each game ends. For specific times,
go to
www.uiowa.edu/~cambus/bktballshuttle.html.
Call the Cambus Office, 335-8633, for more information.
Fleet Services makes changes in requisition
Fleet Services has improved its online requisition with the following changes:
an option to reserve a GPS navigational device; an ability to cancel a reservation that has been
approved through Workflow; and a field to provide additional information if towing a trailer. Staff
in Human Resources Information Service worked with Fleet Services on the new requisition, which is
now in use. Contact John Knoll, john-knoll@uiowa.edu, if you have questions about the upgrades or
need more information about the form.
Hawkeye cruiser buses sell at auction
Fleet Services retired a bit of history this fall: two 1988 buses that, in their
prime, hauled Iowa athletic teams and visiting teams, and provided tours for Admissions office
visitors and conference attendees. The passenger volume had declined, so the buses went on the
Surplus auction block in December. Each had a 47-passenger capacity, bathroom, and video system.
One will be remodeled as a mobile home for tailgating. The other was bought as an investment and
has already been resold.
[Top of page]
PRINTING DEPARTMENT
Printing Department digital color press offers easy, achievable upgrade for dull documents
The digital color press at the Printing Department can brighten your brochures,
post cards, posters, flyers, signs, booklets, and even course packs with full color, even if
you're not printing a gazillion of them. Quantities less than than 3,000 are cost effective;
orders of 200 to 500 pieces are common. Average turnaround is less than a week. The press
prints crisp, high-definition images onto 12-1/2x 18-1/2-inch sheets of gloss and matte stock,
in both text and cover weights. For more information contact Mike Cash at 384-3724, Kim Burda
at 384-3755, or email printing-dig@uiowa.edu.
Blake called back to active duty
Surplus comanager Tim Blake returned to active duty with the Army Reserves in
November, after having served in Iraq for 18 months in 2005 and 2006. He's now at Fort Jackson,
South Carolina, but will return to Iowa in February. "I will be at Fort Des Moines doing all of
my military occupation specialties, which include supply, medical, and retention," he says. His
colleagues say they look forward to his quick return to active duty at UI.
Don't miss Tap Dance Day: order your 2008 wall calendar now!
How was your Spaghetti Day this year? Didn't know there is one? Well, it's on
January 4. Be sure to not miss any other big holidays - order your 2008 Printing Department wall
calendar at
www.uiowa.edu/~printsvc/forms/cal-ordr.html.
You'll be on target to celebrate Single Tasking Day, Be a Dork Day, Deviled Egg Day, Cliche Day, and
more! The free calendars are available on request to UI faculty, staff, and students.
[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 . . . dccbsb-printing@uiowa.edu
Pappajohn Bldg . . . dcpbb-printing@uiowa.edu
UPACS and Copyright Service . . . upacs-printing@uiowa.edu
We are . . .
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.
|
