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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.
IN THIS ISSUE
Hot Off the Press
Re: DEO memos
City water, sewer work to change CBSB access temporarily
TypeStrikes
General news
University's recycled paper use increases
Business Services' director named to head FUS quality initiative
Laundry construction progresses
Administrative team plans for General Stores' spring move
Rental Pool joins Business Services
General Stores, Printing classes offered in spring
Central Mail System
The four Ws of mailing
Character Counts: Meet Sandy Gilpin
Free paper clips, rubber bands
Laundry Service
Divide and conquer: Sorting is Laundry's first line of defense
Call to schedule Tuesday, Thursday fittings
Notify Laundry of staff changes
Materials Management
Materials Management web site up
Get copier accessories at General Stores!
Still waiting for our catalogs
Use right product number, delivery address for best service
Gas cylinders: we'll be here, they'll be there
Another class over and out
Surplus Stores hours, address
Printing Department
Order printing, office copiers soon for fiscal '98 billing
Call for courier service
Prices lowered for color copies from electronic files
Laminated products available
Special copying rates, scanning offered for theses, dissertations
We are . . .
The University of Iowa Nondiscrimination Statement
Business Services directory
Hot off the Press
Re: DEO memos
Memos to deans, directors, and departmental executive officers traditionally have been printed, inserted in an envelope, labeled, and distributed via Campus Mail. This March we begin a new era of disseminating this information to the DEO list: the Central Mail System will operate an electronic alternative to paper. It is a listserv with the DEO list as recipients via e-mail. You will no longer be required to print the memo, order labels, and wait for the parts to be assembled and delivered. This alternative is intended to be seamless and same day.
Anyone may subscribe to the list by sending a message to the listserv with the words "subscribe" and "end" as the body of the message. Leave the subject line blank and turn off signature features if your software uses a signature.
City water, sewer work to change CBSB access temporarily
Work on the Iowa City water and sewer system along Old Highway 218 South will mean a minor change in the location of the driveway to Consolidated Business Services Building. The entrance to the north parking lot, primarily used by Printing Department customers, vendors, and some staff, will be rerouted to just south of the present location while the fire hydrant is being moved and the sewer line rerouted.
TypeStrikes
from our typo treasure chest
show any sigh of life
GENERAL NEWS
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The University of Iowa's use of recycled copy paper was 40 percent as of February 1, 1998. Help the University meet the state mandate of 90% overall recycled paper use by 2000: Order Xerox 8-1/2x11 recycled paper from General Stores. The stock number is 58875; the stock number for 8-1/2x11 recycled 3-hole punch is 58885.
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University's recycled paper use increases
The last issue of Into Print reported that The University of Iowa uses 30 to 35 percent recycled copy paper. Since then, the University has increased its use to about 40 percent. Pat yourself on the back.
The rest of the story is that the University must further increase its use of recycled paper. How? Buy recycled paper from General Stores.
The UI has taken a big first step in the recycling process. Of the approximately 8,000 tons of general waste generated by the University last year, about 1,900 tons was a mix of cardboard, plastic, glass, metal, office paper, newsprint, and magazines sent to City Carton Co. for recycling, says Carol Casey, UI waste management coordinator.
The next step is to use recycled products. "The biggest issue that we try to get across is that if you're going to be involved in recycling, you must buy and use products with recycled content. If you don't turn around and buy recycled, then you haven't completed the process," says John Ockenfels, president of City Carton.
Financial and environmental savings are the benefits of using recycled paper. Considering the quantity of paper the UI uses, that could be substantial. The amount of 8-1/2x11 white paper issued by General Stores last year would weigh 1.5 million pounds and form a stack more than 10 miles high. Although paper prices fluctuate constantly, recycled paper is usually less expensive than virgin stock. Order the paper directly from General Stores' inventory, not BT Office Products' catalog, and use the General Stores stock numbers (58875 for 8-1/2x11 recycled; 58885 for 81/2 x 11 recycled 3-hole punch) to ensure the lowest price. The prices, set according to a long-term Board of Regents contract with the paper manufacturer, are considerably less than the BT catalog prices.
The environmental savings are far reaching. "Unquestionably we save environmental resources when we recycle," says Ockenfels. In addition to water, power, chemicals, and energy, "it absolutely saves a huge amount of landfill space," he says.
Business Services' director to head FUS quality initiative
Director of Business Services Mary Jane Beach, who also serves as assistant vice president for Finance and University Services, has been appointed to head the Continuous Quality Improvement initiative operating in Finance and University Services. The appointment is in addition to her existing responsibilities and takes effect at the end of June.
Through the CQI initiative, nearly all of the 1,200 UI employees in Finance and University Services were trained in the CQI principles of working together, customer focus, and process improvement. Staff members volunteer to be CQI facilitators, so most of the design and implementation of training programs, teams, and reorganization has been completed internally.
The CQI office also provides training programs and materials through print, web, audio, and video media, speakers, discussion groups, and networking opportunities. Plans include developing team assessment tools; providing retreat planning; and offering team facilitators and trainers a chance to network and solve problems.
According to information on the CQI web site, Finance and University Services "is principally responsible for the stewardship of the University's financial, physical, and human resources." Its areas and departments strive for excellence in providing services, creating systems, building and maintaining facilities, and in human relations and cost effectiveness.
The CQI initiative began in 1993 as "a response to the changing educational environment requiring the University to meet the expectations of those we serve while remaining competitive with other educational alternatives." For more information on Continuous Quality Improvement at the UI, contact CQI quality consultant Pat Kenner, 335-0505.
Laundry construction progresses
Work on the new laundry building at Oakdale continues. In the photo below, workers from AAA Mechanical Contractors Inc. prepare to install a roof-mounted heater in what will be the sorting area, where incoming laundry will arrive. The building is fully enclosed; the underground plumbing is finished; much of the concrete has been poured; and windows have been cut.
"There has been a very positive collaboration between the contractor and the University to reach cost-effective solutions regarding structural issues," says Laundry manager Dave Gray. Mid America Construction is the general contractor for the project.
Administrative team plans for General Stores' spring move
Business Services' administrative team meets regularly to plan the General Stores move to the Consolidated Business Services Building and the eventual consolidation of administrative functions.
The team met at CBSB in February and viewed the new construction and remodeling. It is currently concentrating on the immediate requirements of General Stores' move. This includes allocating office space, determining paperwork flow, choosing computer and printer locations, and attending to the many other details associated with moving. The immediate goal is to see that the move is made with as little disruption as possible for our customers and employees.
Rental Pool joins Business Services
Rental Pool will soon join Business Services as a division of Materials Management and will move this summer to the Consolidated Business Services Building. As a service unit, Rental Pool rents equipment-primarily computers and accessories-to departments, using standard UI requisitions. Manager Gerry Miller is working with Business Services staff to plan the move. Rental Pool is now located at 624 S. Madison.
General Stores, Printing classes offered in spring
General Stores and Printing are both offering introductory staff development classes this spring. Introduction to General Stores and On-line Ordering covers information about General Stores and includes training for use of its ordering system. The dates are to be announced. Introduction to the Printing Department provides information about the Printing Department, the copy centers, ordering procedures, and how orders move through and where customers fit into the printing process. It includes a plant tour. The class will be held April 14, 10 to noon.
Register via the Staff Development office's web site. You will receive confirmation from Staff Development approximately six days before the date of the class.
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CENTRAL MAIL SYSTEM
The four Ws of mailing
What do I do to get this brochure mailed? How can I get these invitations sent for an open house? The answer begins with a series of questions to properly qualify and identify who, where, what, and when. The who are the folks you wish to receive the mail; the where is whether you want campus or U.S. mail distribution; the what is a description of the item to be mailed; and the when is the desired delivery date.
Who begins with a list of names and addresses. Faculty, staff, and student addresses are stored in the University mainframe computer system, and are ordered by requisition from ITS. Suppose you have the list in your computer, or someone is sending the list to you. The question then becomes how you want the address applied to the mailer. ITS can create labels that Mail Service can apply by machine directly to a mailer or envelope. Some obvious and some not-so-obvious alternatives are also available.
Where may have some special requirements. For campus distribution, mail needs to be in building order. Bulk U.S. mail needs to be in ZIP-code order. Foreign addresses do not qualify for bulk mail classification.
What you wish to mail may determine your eligibility to use Campus Mail or classes of U.S. mail. Campus Mail is restricted to the "official business" of the University. These restrictions are part of the Federal Code. Certain content may not be eligible for nonprofit mail, which is the least expensive postage rate we have. I'll do a column later on nonprofit eligibility. Mail of a personal nature like bills, statements, receipts, and so forth, may only be sent as First-Class mail. A bulk mailing must be the same content for each addressee in the mailing.
When you want it to get there may be determined by how long it takes to prepare the various pieces, how the mail will be addressed, the class of mail being used, and the time of month the mailing is ready. The first of the month is busy for Mail Service, as that is when it processes payroll, accounts receivable, and other bills. It's also a higher volume time for the Postal Service. First-Class mail is faster for mail going out of state. Plan ahead or ask about your mailing well before the event for best results.
Lou Eichler
Remember . . .Place your return address on
ALL OUTGOING MAIL!
Character Counts: Meet Sandy Gilpin
At first, you might think she has moved around a lot. Sandy Gilpin started working at UI in data processing, then worked for ITS, physical plant, Facilities Services Group, and Business Services. In reality, she has worked at the same Mail Service job for the past 16 1/2 years. Only the department name has changed.
Like all her colleagues in Mail Service, Sandy operates mail processing machines, does accounting work and customer service, and helps in Campus Mail as needed. "We all do the same things," she says. "I like the people I work with. I like the flexibility, too. There are no rules where I can't step over the line and learn something new."
Sandy worked on an environmental quality team in Facilities Services during one of the departmental transitions. "It was a wonderful learning experience. Every single team member gave their all. It was a strong, well-bonded team," she says. It also was "an eye-opener as far as how other departments work. It was so interesting, learning about other departments at the University."
When not at Mail Service, Sandy works part time keeping books at the paint and glass store her husband, Pat, owns with his brother. She also works part time at the clothing store her sisters-in-law own. In the rest of her free time, she and Pat get together with friends, attend concerts and theater performances, and spend time with their puppy, a golden retriever named Belle.
"My husband and I love to cook and entertain. We'll try any new recipe," says Sandy. She has a reputation for making great cheesecakes and donates some for fundraisers. She says she gets bored easily, but there seems to be little time for that. "My husband and I have a great time together! Our calendar is filled."
Free!
Central Mail System accumulates THOUSANDS of paper clips and rubber bands.
They are available to all UI takers, free of charge or obligation!
First come, first served. Call or stop in at our office in CBSB.
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LAUNDRY SERVICE
Divide and conquer: Sorting is Laundry's first line of defense
Bleachable whites, hot water. Polyester-cotton blends, warm water. Dish towels washed with black socks resemble rags used to clean your car tires.
Laundry is a straightforward task, if you presort by color, type of fabric, and special care.
At the Laundry Service, a quality wash begins with sorting. Initially, linens are separated by color-coded bags and department. Then they are weighed, and routed to one of three sorting paths in separate areas of the laundry. The type of sorting, appropriate wash formula, and mechanical action needed determine the sorting path. Each path is designed to meet OSHA employee safety guidelines and Center for Disease Control regulations to produce hygienically clean linen. "Hygienically clean" means free of contaminants, but not sterile, according to the CDC.
The first, and shortest, path is for specialty linens-those that require minimal handling. Premarked specialty linen is sent directly to the wash area.
The next sorting path is for uniforms and dust-control items. Although handled separately, their sorting processes are similar, and both go to the same wash area. There are six employees who hand sort every item that is processed in this area. They sort mops and mats by product type and size, and uniforms by product type and department. Uniforms are also sorted by color and fiber type before being turned right-side out and having their pockets checked.
The third sorting path truly accommodates high-volume washing. Each day, thousands of pounds of soiled hospital linens are hand sorted by six employees. They sort the linen, piece by piece, into 14 distinct classes. For example, sheets, pillowcases, and towels are each considered a distinct class. Classifying linen is necessary, as wash formulas must meet specific criteria for each class.
Sorting laundry is not high tech-yet. It will be, with the computerized tracking system in our new laundry building. However, sheer volume is the real challenge to the laundry wash process. And high-volume laundry can only be simplified when the sorting process is completed.
Jo Anne Worley
Call to schedule Tuesday, Thursday fittings
All uniform fittings are done on Tuesdays and Thursdays by appointment only. Employees should ask their supervisor to call 335-5045 to arrange an appointment. In addition to new employee fittings, this includes refitting for a new garment or style, because, if a uniform is purchased from a different vendor, the cut may vary.
Notify Laundry of staff changes
To notify the Laundry Service when employees who use our uniform service are moving to another work location, transferring to a different department, or terminating their employment, fill out a "gold uniform card" indicating the changes and mail it to the Laundry Service. This will expedite any changes that need to be made in service or processing. Call 335-5045 to obtain the cards.
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MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
Materials Management web site up
Materials Management is pleased to announce the completion of its web site. General Stores, Maintenance Stores, Central Receiving and Shipping, and Surplus Stores are each described in some detail. The site contains a "What's New" page, MIGS ordering instructions, a directory, and links to the Surplus and Finance and University Services home pages.
Plans include adding General Stores and Maintenance Stores price lists, plus CD-rom style catalogs that contain pictures, descriptions, and the potential for ordering via the web using PeopleSoft Inventory software. Although it will be some time before all this is available, development of the site has given us the potential for great things.
Thanks to the staffs at Financial Systems Support Team and Audiovisual Graphics for their help developing the site. We will expand and improve it as we combine efforts with the other departments at CBSB.
Gary Anderson
Get copier accessories at General Stores!
If you have a copier and wish to order replacement cartridges and other accessories from General Stores, call Dan Wyjack at 353-2914 for information on availability.
Still waiting for our catalogs
The new General Stores catalog has been delayed by BT Office Products. We will begin distribution of the catalogs as soon as they are available. We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience caused by the delay.
Use right product number, delivery address for best service
When ordering office products from General Stores, either on MIGS or on a requisition, be sure to include the complete product number exactly as it appears in the catalog. For example, BER-372-1 is acceptable, BER3721 is not. Also, use the correct BT catalog numbers, not the old General Stores numbers.
It is also important that the correct delivery address be indicated on General Stores orders. Many times the room number of the person ordering the material is listed, but this is not always the delivery address.
Contact Gary Anderson if you need a cross reference on product numbers or other ordering information.
Call Gary Anderson, 3-2917, or Judy Rockafellow, 3-2906,
for information about on-line ordering with the MIGS or SIGS systems.
Gas cylinders: we'll be here, they'll be there
The gas cylinder part of General Stores' operations will remain at 1225 South Gilbert St. when Stores moves to CBSB. For prompt delivery of cylinder orders, send a fax directly to Steve Poggenpohl at 335-6100. Use of the General Stores fax number for cylinders will delay your order considerably. Call 353-2916 with questions about cylinders.
Another class over and out
General Stores' second staff development class was an informative session with lots of two-way communication. This is an excellent way for us to get the word out to our customers, and for our customers to address their concerns and make suggestions to the staff at General Stores.
Thanks to those who attended, and to the staff from the College of Business for assistance in setting up the room and making the technology work. Judy [Rockafellow] and I have enjoyed the classes, and look forward to doing more in the future. We plan to schedule two more training classes in April that will coincide with a General Stores/BT Office Products marketing campaign designed to better inform you about General Stores, BT Office Products, and our processes and procedures, and to distribute the long-awaited new catalog.
We will also offer this class through Staff Development in May. Check that office's newsletter or web site for dates and times of the May class, titled Introduction to General Stores and On-Line Ordering. Contact Judy or me if you would like more information concerning these classes.
Gary Anderson
Surplus Stores is open
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays for sales to the general public
107 1/2 Second Ave, Coralville, right behind the Hunan Restaurant; 335-5001.
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PRINTING DEPARTMENT
Order printing, office copiers soon for fiscal '98 billing
Once again, it is time to plan for Printing Department orders that you wish to be paid from your current budget. This includes office copiers as well as printed material.
Office copiers
If you expect to purchase a new copier on this year's budget, start the process now. This allows time for research and machine trials so you can find the copier that best meets your needs. The process can take several weeks.
Submit a written request to the Printing Department. Our staff will review it and identify copiers that fit your criteria. There could be as few as one copier, as many as six, and possibly more. You will be given an opportunity to conduct a trial on each one. Plan one week per copier for trials.
Send your request to the Printing Department by the end of April. We will honor later ones, but you may run short of time for machine trials. After you make a decision, send a requisition to the Printing Department by June 19. This gives us time to process it and send it to Purchasing in time for the deadline there. Specify whether the purchase is from your fiscal year '98 or '99 budget.
Printing
Only the work performed as of 4:00 p.m. June 30 will be charged in this fiscal year. The balance of charges for any job in progress will be made when the job is completed and closed. If you want all the charges applied to fiscal '98, place orders as soon as possible so they can move through the entire printing process.
SPOs
State printing order (SPO) charges will be billed in the present fiscal year only if we receive the order by 4:00 p.m. on June 30. The charges will be based on the estimated invoice from the vendor.
Call 384-3700
to request Printing Department courier pickup of disks and proofs
Prices lowered for color copies from electronic files
New, reduced prices for electronic files printed on the Printing Department's color copier are in effect. They are:
8-1/2"x11" (letter)........$1.50 for the first copy; additional copy of same file: $0.75 each
8-1/2"x14" (legal) or 11"x17" (tabloid)........$3.00 for the first copy; additional copy of same file: $1.50 each
Call the color imaging center, 384-3738, or check our web site for a complete price list for color copies.
Laminated products available
The Printing Department has increased its lamination offerings to include 6-1/4"x 4-1/8" index cards and assorted paper sizes priced by the piece; luggage tags; and large-format laminating up to 36 inches wide and any length, priced by the linear inch. Call 384-3738 for prices.
Special copying rates, scanning offered for theses, dissertations
The copy centers offer a special copying rate of $.04 per page to UI students producing theses and dissertations. A white, 20-pound, 8-1/2"x11", acid-free bond, which is the archival paper required by the Graduate College for copies deposited there, is available for an additional $.03 per page.
Scanning and printing from disks or from electronic files sent through the internet are available for students who wish to use the DocuTech publishing system. The copy centers also offer binding services. Contact a staff member at any of the copy centers or Marge Kline, copy centers' manager, for more information.
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We are . . .
Business Services: Central Mail System, Laundry Service, Materials Management, and the Printing Department, serving The University of Iowa. Into Print is distributed free and on request to UI faculty, staff, and students.
Contributors: Central Mail: Lou Eichler; Laundry: Jo Anne Worley; Materials Management: Gary Anderson; Printing Department: Lin Hartman
Editor: Jenean Arnold, jenean-arnold@uiowa.edu, 384-3723, 101 CBSB
The University of Iowa Nondiscrimination Statement
The University of Iowa prohibits discrimination in employment and in its educational programs and activities on the basis of race, national origin, color, creed, religion, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or associational preference. The University also affirms its commitment to providing equal opportunities and equal access to University facilities. For additional information on nondiscrimination policies, contact the Coordinator of Title IX, Section 504, and the ADA in the Office of Affirmative Action; phone 319/335-0705 (voice), or 319/335-0697 (text); The University of Iowa, 202 Jessup Hall, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1316.
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