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
New paper contract adopted for Regent institutions
Process teams guide planning for Business Services
Student jobs available
General Stores and Printing schedule classes
Business Services staff checks out ITS/FUSion Day

Central Mail System
Make that mail piece cost less, travel fast--by design

Laundry Service
Customer expectations, thoughts of privatization drive Laundry
The teamwork cycle: your part
Character Counts: Meet John Connelly

Materials Management
Recycled copy paper priced less than virgin stock
1997-'98 Herd books in
Obtain approval on requisitions
New staff development class offered by General Stores
Use core list catalog for best prices on office supplies
Staff attend Big Ten conference at Ohio State

Printing Department
Spring course materials: it's time to get started
Conference focus: new technology
You can quote them on this

We are . . .

Business Services directory

If you missed the Printing Department's staff development class on sending files to the DocuTech, or if you haven't seen the new possibilities for color in posters and display materials, stop and see us. The fair will be held November 6 and 7 in the IMU Main Lounge.

The course introduces students to design concepts for desktop publishing using a Macintosh computer. Topics include page layout; text and image manipulation using PhotoShop, Freehand, and PageMaker; and use of scanning hardware and software. Class size is limited. For more information, contact Saturday & Evening Classes, 116 International Center, 335-2575.

Terms of the ontract include firm pricing. However, prices are subject to change quarterly, with a maximum escalation clause that requires any increase be substantiated by the supplying mill. Another clause makes the contract available to other state agencies and political subdivisions, such as cities, schools, and counties. The contract also includes a commitment from the Xerox Corporation to provide performance data on the paper, ongoing customer satisfaction measurement, and a "satisfaction guaranteed" return policy.

The contract, which was awarded in August, will be in effect for three years, with two, 24-month extensions possible. "We want to develop a long-term relationship with a single vendor. Longer term contracts are one result of an effort toward better partnering with our vendors," says UI purchasing agent John Klopp, who chaired the committee that tested the paper and developed the request for proposal.

The contract is designed to encourage a shift in use from virgin to recycled paper. There is a certain level of recycled paper usage we have to reach, which is mandated by the state legislature, says Lee Vasquez of Business Services, who was on the committee. The mandate, the environment, and the cost are reasons to use the paper purchased under the contract, he says. "The more recycled paper we use, the more trees we save, and now the recycled paper is cheaper than virgin paper."

The Printing Department has encouraged its customers to use recycled paper since the law went into effect in 1989, says Lin Hartman, Printing Department manager and also a committee member. The law currently requires 75 percent usage. As the year 2000 approaches, there will be increasing pressure to comply with the law and meet the 90 percent requirement, he says.

The process that led to the contract began in May, 1995. The committee developed a test to find which papers performed best. "We used a 'blind' test-none of the cartons had markings or labeling that indicated what brand was inside," says Klopp.

The tests were conducted by high-volume paper users on the participating campuses. At the UI, the Printing Department and copy centers, internal medicine, dentistry administration, ITS, hospital administration, ADP, and medicine administration performed the tests. They observed and reported on blemishes, dust generated, and the papers' propensity toward jams.

The testing started with eight brands. In two different 4- to 5-month testing periods, the selection was narrowed to two brands, which were then specified in the request for proposal.

Vendors who supply the two brands were asked to submit a proposal. These were evaluated based on the vendor's response to the specifications, expertise in service record, and financial incentives.

"I can't stress enough how much we appreciate the customer involvement in the testing process. They really hung in there," says Klopp. "We've listened to the voice of the customer and this brand [Xerox] best meets the needs of the institution, based on customer feedback."

The teams, formed in December, 1995, to address changes resulting from the formation of the Business Services department, are the administrative, delivery, production, and warehouse/receiving teams. Their reports, issued to the steering committee in March, 1996, listed recommendations to facilitate the creation of the department of Materials Management.

The administrative and warehouse/receiving teams have implemented the first phase of their recommended changes--that of combining the mail and printing operations in one location. With construction work at the Consolidated Business Services Building under way, implementation of the second phase of their recommendations is beginning. This phase includes the relocation of General Stores to CBSB.

The delivery team continues to meet, with representatives involved in the delivery aspects of new buildings and other campus changes that affect the delivery of goods. The production and warehouse teams have completed their tasks and no longer meet.
Gary Anderson

Introduction to General Stores and On-line Ordering provides information about General Stores and the ordering system it uses. The class will be held on December 2.
Last Things First! covers topics affecting output that those who do electronic publishing should consider at the beginning stages of document production. It is scheduled for January 27.
Electronic Publishing, Basically gives beginning information and helpful tips for Printing Department customers who are getting started in electronic publishing. This class is scheduled for January 29.

For more information about content, contact Gary Anderson about General Stores classes or Jenean Arnold about Printing Department classes. For information about registration or class schedules, check the Staff Development web site.

Employees from Central Mail, Laundry, and Materials Management participated. Most went as guests, to enjoy the food, entertainment, information booths, and speakers. Central Mail staff also distributed copies of its printed guidebook. Manager Lou Eichler worked on the cleanup crew.

The later starting time of the event encouraged higher attendance, says Dave Gray, Laundry Service manager. Many staff members were able to stop there after leaving work and take advantage of the full range of activities, and were encouraged to do so. "Business Services units made it possible for their staff to attend," he says.

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Self mailers: Single- or multiple-sheet mail pieces that you aren't sending in an envelope (self mailers) should be planned so the fold is on the bottom and the loose page(s) at the top. The paper can vary some, but 60-pound paper works best as a minimum weight for self mailers. Cards, such as postcards, should be made of at least a 75-pound offset paper.

Make it readable: Use a light-colored paper and a type style or font that has a clear space between letters so the scanners can read the address. Script or decorative type may not be readable. Overlapping letters are not readable and require human intervention, thereby delaying the mail.

Smooth closures help: Closures can be tape, tabs, glue, stickers, or any smooth substitute. Don't use staples or clasps. The U.S. Postal Service uses high-speed sorting machines that can jam and destroy the mail piece if it has loose flaps or mechanical closures. Staples also catch on equipment and cut fingers.

The sorting machines run at 32,000 to 37,000 pieces per hour. This means during each second of operation, eight or more items flash past the scanner's lights. Any jam has the potential not only to destroy the piece first in line, but also to chew up as many as 10 or more of the items immediately following the jammed piece.

Envelopes are best: The best idea is to put your mail piece in an envelope. Envelopes should be made of a minimum 16-pound paper. Addresses must be completely readable, even when the contents shift inside window envelopes. The machines can't read hidden information.

Dimensions count: The minimum size for a mailer is 5" wide by 3-1/2" high. Anything larger than 11-1/2"x6-1/8" does not qualify as letter size and may be subject to a surcharge. A mailer always is wider than it is tall.

Clear space required: Keep the 2-3/4" distance from the bottom of envelopes or self mailers clear except for the address. Extraneous print or return address information in this zone can result in your mail being improperly bar coded and headed to parts unknown until a person intervenes.

Remember the return address: Regardless of your intended format--self mailer or envelope--it is imperative to use a proper return address on your mail. Next is to decide what you want the Postal Service to do with your mailer if it is undeliverable as addressed.

Use current address list: Please be sure to keep your address list clean. Last year, the USPS processed 41 million address changes. A bad address can be very expensive when you consider the print cost, the mail processing cost, the postage cost, the return or address correction cost, and the cumulative cost of repeating the mistake with each additional mailing.

Designate a mail class: Last but not least is the question of what class of mail to use. First Class carries certain protection under law and may not be opened for inspection by the Postal Service. Standard Mail (formerly Third Class) is less costly, and nonprofit Standard Mail is cheapest of all. Nonprofit mail has specific requirements for acceptance by the Postal Service. Advertising could disqualify the piece for nonprofit status. Any mention of travel, finance or debit cards, or insurance will surely mean the nonprofit rate will be denied.

This information is intended to help you best use the funds available for your project. Part of your fund is time. Poorly designed mail takes longer to be delivered and increases operating costs for the Postal Service. The increased costs will come back to us in the form of higher rates. Call us if you have questions.
Lou Eichler

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The UI Laundry faced many challenges during the 1980s, not the least of which was maintaining a cost competitive charge rate structure compared to the private sector. Costs for energy, supplies and materials, compliance with federal and state regulations, environmental protection issues, and higher wages and benefits affected the operation of the department and challenged the staff to be more efficient and guard against the threat of privatization.

The issue of privatization would prove to be a window into the future regarding justification of services and revenues generated from customer service charge rates. Development of PLIMS, a tracking software, would prove to be the difference in operational cost containment for a major service program and its value to the campus. The increased use of computer technology at the UI Laundry would provide a solid foundation for operational improvements and cost competitiveness in the 1990s.

By 1989 it was apparent that the existing facility, built in 1957, was no longer adequate to meet the processing needs of the Laundry and the service needs of the University, in particular the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. The UIHC today represents the Laundry's largest customer. Expansion in outpatient services there continues to place more importance on turnaround time of textiles received for processing and returned for use at the hospital.

Budgetary constraints affecting all campus departments place more pressure on the Laundry to provide a top-quality service at a cost below the private sector. The new state-of-the-art facility under construction will provide the resources necessary to upgrade services and maintain the cost competitive posture the Laundry has enjoyed over many years.
Dave Gray

 

The teamwork cycle: your part

* Bag items to be laundered. Mark and securely attach a Laundry checklist, with your department's name and location, to the bag.
* Have the soiled linens at the pickup location before the scheduled pickup time.
* Call if there will be a change in the usual routine.
* Call when you have linens requiring special care.

According to John, his supervisory role has turned him into a perpetual student. It may be techniques in handling controversy between employees that he learns. Or it might be adapting work routines to accommodate changes in customer service. Even knowing the mechanical and electrical makeup of machinery become part of his on-the-job education. For John, learning is something he enjoys.

John and his wife, Phyllis, Solon residents, are proud of daughters Becky, a UI graduate student in Spanish, and Megan, a freshman at Solon High School. Family oriented, they actively support their girls by going to all extracurricular activities.

John, always punctual, wakes his family daily. One morning he was a little too punctual. At a convenience store on his way to work, John realized he had read the clock hastily. He was two hours early! Rather than face an irate family, he opted to snooze atop a cart of clean linen until opening time at the Laundry.

An ardent deer hunter and fisherman, John especially enjoys an annual group hunt in southeast Iowa during shotgun and black-powder seasons. He modestly acknowledges bagging his limit each year. His largest was an eight-point buck. Not bad!

John says the most rewarding part of his job is also the most challenging--keeping the linen flowing at an even pace. (And the boss happy.) When the linen cleaning process runs well, so does the entire plant. And ultimately, the Laundry's goal of service to its customers is met.
Jo Anne Worley

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The contract is designed to increase the use of recycled paper to comply with state law. Currently, state agencies must use recycled paper for 75 percent of their paper needs. By January 1, 2000, that level increases to 90 percent. The General Stores stock numbers for recycled copy paper are #58875 for 8-1/2"x11" and #58885 for 8-1/2"x11", 3-hole punch. Contact Gary Anderson at General Stores, 353-2917, for quotes on current prices.

The class will cover information about what we stock, how to place orders, how to check on orders, delivery schedules, whom to call with questions, and what's next at General Stores. We hope this will be the first of many classes offered by General Stores about our products, process, and procedures. It should also be an excellent opportunity to share information with our customers.

Call us at General Stores, 353-2917, for more infomation about the content of the class. Use the Staff Development web site, to register for it.
Gary Anderson

Call the BT sales representative, 353-2918, if you have any questions. General Stores will be featuring a new catalog that will combine the current catalogs into a single publication later this year.

Representatives from most of the Big Ten schools, as well as Iowa State University and the universities of Kentucky and Maryland, attended the conference. "It's always valuable to renew old acquaintances and to exchange information with colleagues," says Gary Anderson. However, a highlight for him was a luncheon held in the press box of Ohio Stadium. "I was pretty excited when they flashed my name on the Ohio State scoreboard," he says.

Tours were conducted of The Limited distribution center and warehouse, the Ohio State campus, and the Stores distribution center and warehouse. Next year's conference will be held at the University of Minnesota.

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Right now is not too soon to place orders for spring course materials, or U*PACS, at University Book Store, which works directly with the copy centers to produce them.

Fall semester classes began on August 25. Between August 15 and August 28 (11 working days), Copy Center 7 received 116 orders for U*PACS. Most were long runs, in some cases consuming an entire two-shift workday just to produce the copies. All required finishing, such as binding and shrink wrapping, after that. And all had to be completed within a few days.

For the most part, materials were ready when they were needed. Orders were redirected throughout the centers to balance the work load, and all copy center employees put in overtime and worked at top speed to meet the deadlines. Twelve-hour workdays were not unusual.

Under these circumstances, fatigue is inevitable and oversights can happen. "We can't do as good a job for you as we want to," says Marge Kline, copy centers' manager. And, while the copy center system runs two of the fastest printers available, even this equipment has limitations.

If your course materials contain any copyrighted material, it is especially important to place the order early. Permission must be obtained each time copyrighted material is used, even if there are no changes from the previous time the course material was printed. Much of the lead time the Book Store requests is spent waiting for publishers to grant such permission; this often takes as long as six weeks.

Spring semester classes begin Tuesday, January 20. Mid-November orders will most likely beat the rush. Orders placed with the Book Store by December 1 should meet its time frame. Orders that arrive at the copy centers after December 29 will allow three weeks or less for production. Because the beginning of classes is so near, there are so many large orders coming in, and variables such as copyright clearance are beyond our control, it is difficult to predict completion dates after that.

"We will continue to take orders and do our best to meet the requested deadlines," says Kline. "We want to do everything we can to satisfy our customers."

Dynamic documents, direct-to-plate, educating your customers, on-demand finishing, color digital printing, and leadership tools were the big topics at the 31st Annual Big Ten Printing Conference, hosted by the Printing Department in October. The topics reflect the substantial changes occurring in all aspects of the printing industry. For our customers, these changes translate into such benefits as reduced inventory of printed material, faster turnaround, customized documents, and increasing use of color.

The conference provides "a chance to learn from each other, to get together with others who have the same problems," says Printing Department Manager Lin Hartman. "If someone else has already solved the problem, it stops us from reinventing the wheel 15 different times."

Representatives from all the Big Ten schools, Iowa State University, the Iowa Department of Transportation, and schools in Kentucky, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Virginia attended the conference.

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