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
General Stores settles in at new home
Printing Department hosts state printing administrators
UI recycled copy paper use up to 55%
Staff network, keep informed

Central Mail System
National groups address college and university mail issues
There's more to a penny than one cent

Laundry Service
FSG, others key in Laundry's move
Note these changes
Use our forms for best results

Materials Management
This is important!
Use these tips to make your MIGS ordering easier
Phone numbers change
General Stores honors another retiree
Save a forest!
Contact us for MIGS training

Printing Department
Dream in color?
Belin-Blank Center brochure wins design award
Art stock moves up the hill
Character Counts: Meet Dan Leedom

We are . . .

Business Services directory

The building, one story instead of two, allows the administrative staff to be more centrally located, says Anderson. "It's going to help us work more efficiently. We were always calling each other to find out what was going on."

The newly constructed loading dock is a better facility for University Receiving, and the location is better for big trucks than the previous one, near one of the busiest intersections in town, he says. "Another advantage is, we left a leased building and moved into a University-owned facility," he adds.

One challenge was "leaving a facility that has a 29,000-square-foot storage area and moving into one that has about 12,000 square feet," Anderson says.

One solution was to reduce inventory. "In the past three years the value of inventory at General Stores has been reduced from $1,095,844 to $468,672," he says. "We don't stock food any more, and the majority of our office products come from BT [UI's contracted supplier]. We've also set up contracts with our vendors that allow us to buy less than truckload quantities."

Another solution was to carefully plan how to use the space. Delivery supervisor Bill Burch says he tried to get input from all full-time staff members in setting up the warehouse because their perspective is based on years of experience. "We tried to put as much thought into it as possible," he says.

UI student employee Heath Hotle, who helped organize the warehouse, says he enjoyed the work because it involved more planning and thinking than the usual task of "picking," or filling orders. Other student employees helped by filling in on the regular drivers' routes and by loading, transporting, and unloading material.

The entire General Stores operation moved, except for the gas cylinder rental service. It remains at 1225 S. Gilbert St., because moving it would require that a new structure be built to house it. "We aren't prepared to spend the money for a new facility at this time," says Anderson.

To accomplish the move with minimal disruption of service, bulk items such as garbage bags and paper products were moved first. This allowed staff to keep operating from the Gilbert St. building. After that, says Anderson, "We moved the rest as fast as we could."

Anderson spent much of his time making sure the phone and computer systems were functioning properly and setting up new bin locations, which is the system that identifies where items are stored, in the computer database.

Preparation for the move has been under way for more than two years, with plans finalized a year ago.

Participants represented the printing operations that are an extension of the Office of the State Superintendent of Printing in Des Moines. The operations include the Iowa Department of Transportation, Iowa State University, Prison Industries of Iowa, University of Iowa, and University of Northern Iowa printing facilities.

Mary Jane Beach, director of UI Business Services, opened the conference with a welcome address to the participants.

State Superintendent of Printing Bill Bruce highlighted the conference by sharing his office's new strategic plan. The main strategies of the plan are to improve services to customers, provide better communication, and enhance support to its employees. This is needed to reach their target of improving accountability to their customers.

The office's vision, "To strive to become the preferred provider of choice through exemplary performance to assist our customers in accomplishing their mission," and its mission, to act "as a business agent through which state government can easily access quality, timely, reliable, and cost-effective support services and operate within a healthy, safe, and well-maintained work environment," form the core of the strategic plan.

Following the presentation, roundtable discussions were held on topics such as partnering with vendors; state of Iowa printing trends; recycled paper and soybean ink requirements; blanket service contracts; networking for archiving and storing data; personalizing documents; and the state printing office's trend toward imaging as well as printing. The group also toured the Printing Department and the IMU Copy Center.
Lin Hartman

Lou Eichler, Central Mail, attended several meetings in Washington, D.C. (related article follows), and will speak at a National Association of College Auxiliary Services meeting in Carbondale, Illinois, later in September.

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The Mailers' Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) formed a task force last spring to resolve issues surrounding the improper application and use of certain address styles at colleges and universities. At an earlier meeting between the Postal Service and the National Association of College and University Mail Services representatives, the following action items had been identified:

* College and university address data will be compiled.
* The USPS will draft a proposal for its operational guidelines and addressing options.
* The USPS will generate a field survey to determine its current operational policies and services, including information on institutions with unique five-digit zip codes.
* The USPS began data analysis as an ongoing project to identify the types and extent of existing problems.
* MTAC will continue to press for a decision concerning the use of "PO Box." The USPS legal department states the right to the term is limited to Postal Service facilities.
* MTAC will research possible transitional support the USPS can provide for schools that agree to move from a problematic addressing scheme to a workable one.
* The USPS will draft addressing guidelines for college and university mail managers and for its internal use.
* The USPS will clarify policy on its internal bar coding of unique five-digit zip codes.
* The USPS will work with the National Postal Forum, a twice-yearly conference and exposition, to hold college and university addressing workshops.

Six address formats were identified as potential candidates for resolution of the addressing issue. They are: a single institutional address with mail stops; street and city style addresses for existing city streets where appropriate; street and city style addresses where the institution names its own streets; vanity addresses; single high-rise type addresses; and Post Office box, provided it passes USPS legal issues.

Following a review of these action items, the MTAC task force identified a three-step plan.

First, the USPS will identify what's currently in its address data base. It has already identified 218 unique zip codes that belong to colleges and universities. There are many more. The address formats will be identified and the USPS will determine which ones work with its "parsing," or sorting, routines and available software.

Next, it will begin the educational process.

Finally, the USPS will educate software providers on the address formatting anomalies within higher education.

We on MTAC anticipate this will take until July, 1999, to complete. The next task force meeting coincides with the next MTAC meeting on September 15 and 16, 1998, with the possibility of a meeting earlier in the month.
Lou Eichler

There are greater increases behind the scenes that most Americans don't see firsthand. The average cost of Standard A mail (formerly third class) increases more than 18 percent. Fees for business reply permits increase from $290 to $400--not quite the same as a penny. The general public doesn't see these fees, but pays for them through the increased cost of goods as mailers pass their costs on.

Some folks believe the Postal Service should not raise rates at this time because it has shown a profit or net gain in income for the last three years. A graph of historical gains and losses coupled with rate increases shows the USPS with periods of net gains after each rate increase. The gains decrease until they become net losses. The next rate increases come after periods of loss, when the cycle begins anew. This time the rate increase is intended as a preemptive move to eliminate the periods of loss.

Richard Porras, USPS vice president and controller, says expenses are rising at 8.3 percent while revenues are increasing at 4.6 percent. Because of major cost increases in fiscal year 1998 for transportation, labor, and program investments, he expects the fy '98 profit to be in the range of $400 to $500 million rather than the more than $1 billion for each of the last three years. Overall volume is in excess of last year. A wage increase this year will impact the net gain to date.
Lou Eichler

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Support from several divisions of Facilities Services Group has been vital. The Oakdale water plant supplies water. They are working with the management team and private vendors as each piece of new equipment is tested. Their expertise is needed as equipment is moved from the old building to the new one.

Other areas of FSG have also been involved. Design and Construction Services helped in the planning stages; its interior and design staff handled floor coverings and wall and ceiling color selection. A Campus Shop crew upgraded Crosspark Road next to the building. It is now helping prepare the site for landscaping. The Oakdale Area Maintenance crew put the finishing touches on supervisory offices, and Custodial Service put protective finishes on floors. Computer links are vital. Microprocessors not only automatically operate the equipment, they also feed a continuous stream of data that monitors water temperature and volume, amounts of cleaning chemicals, length of processing time, drying temperature, and drying time. Information Technology Service installed the communication links. These links include much more than phones, so cable is needed throughout the plant.

Our move began in mid-August, when the new equipment was ready for testing the steam, water, and electrical systems. We expect it to be complete by mid-September. Coordinated efforts from campus departments and off-campus vendors made "all systems go." It may seem superfluous to mention our campus resources, but we couldn't have made the move without their support.
Jo Anne Worley

Please make note of the following address and telephone changes for Laundry Service:

Postal address
Laundry Service
100 Laundry
Oakdale Campus
The University of Iowa
Iowa City IA 52242-5002

Parcel, express deliveries
Laundry Service
2000 Crosspark Road
Oakdale Campus
Coralville IA 52241

Campus Mail
100 Laundry


Information and Main Office
Phone 335-4940, fax 335-4945
Manager: David M. Gray 335-4951
Assistant Manager: Jerry Miller 335-4950

Laundry Checking List
This is a narrow, three-part NCR form which customers use to list items being sent in for cleaning. To use it, enter the department name, the name and phone number of a contact person, your ID number assigned by Laundry, your MFK number, and a list of items to be cleaned. Keep the pink copy and secure the white and yellow copies to the soiled linen ready for pickup. Our staff verifies the number of garments or pounds cleaned, then returns the yellow copy with your clean linen. You can easily tell at a glance whether all items were delivered.

Blue mending tags
These are 3 x 5-inch card tags for garments needing repair. Fill out the department name and the service needed, then securely attach it to the soiled uniform ready for pickup.

Special Attention tags
These are yellow 3 x 5-inch card tags used to alert Laundry personnel of linens needing special processing. Fill out the department name and the reason it is being tagged, then securely attach it to the soiled linen ready for pickup.
Jo Anne Worley

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* If an item with an AMB prefix is not accepted, substitute the prefix OXF and try again, using the same suffix.
* If an item with an IBM prefix is not accepted, substitute the prefix LXM and try again, using the same suffix.
* If an item with a KEI prefix is not accepted, substitute the prefix AAG and replace the last digit--it may be a 6, 7, or 8--with a 9. These items are calendars and planners, and the "9" indicates 1999.
* If an item with an MMM prefix is not accepted, substitute the prefix IMN and try again, using the same suffix.
* If an item with a PTB prefix is not accepted, substitute the prefix PNT and try again, using the same suffix.

For these commonly used items, the following substitutions should be made:
No. 2 pencils: for BTM00044, substitute FAB12132
No. 3 pencils: for BTM00046, substitute BER02099
UI imprinted pencils: for GS 60390, substitute Z712132
Pens: for SAN60101, substitute FAB60101
Paper towels: for WEI1482, substitute WEI01482
Tissue: for WEI03651, substitute WEI03131

If you do a lot of MIGS ordering, here's a tip to help speed things up by using an old requisition to create a new one. Key in the requisition number of a previous order on the MIRS screen. (It must be an order that you originally placed.) This will bring up the previous order on your screen. Then hit key PF9 or F9, depending on your keyboard. This will bring up a requisition on your screen, with the header information copied from the old order. Change the header information if necessary, or just enter the items to be ordered.

If the MIGS system is not working, call the ITS help desk at 5-6363. If you have problems with or questions about processes or procedures, call Judy Rockafellow or me at General Stores. During the past year 168 departmental users placed 6,102 orders using MIGS, with 20 users placing more than 100 orders each. Including the orders entered by General Stores personnel, 23,439 MIGS orders were placed. Thanks to all of you who use MIGS. We appreciate your support and welcome any comments or suggestions.
Gary Anderson

 

Phone numbers change

New phone numbers came with our new location when General Stores moved to the Consolidated Business Services Building. Please make note of the following changes:

Information Merlene Hruby, 384-3900
Fax 384-3918
Accounting Margaret Brorby, 384-3902
BT Office Products Brandon Martens, 384-3908
Data entry, billing records 384-3901
Delivery supervisor Bill Burch, 384-3905
Lamps, stock items Dan Wyjack, 384-3914
Manager Gary Anderson, 384-3917
Office supervisor Judy Rockafellow, 384-3906
Business Services Lee Vasquez, 384-3904
Shipping and receiving Wilbur Erhart, 384-3907

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Contact Eileen Wallace, 384-8738, for more information. And check out our color posters on Cambus during the month of September!

Cover
Hammermill white, 65-lb--20x26--$0.1690
Hammermill white, 65-lb --23x35--$0.2600
Hammermill ivory, 65-lb--23x35--$0.2600
Text
Offset white R/C, 60-lb--25x38--$0.0950
Wausau tan opaque, 60-lb--23x35--$0.1244
Miami vellum (cream white), 60-lb--23x35--$0.0720
Index
White, 110-lb--22x35--$0.1477
White, 110-lb--25x30--$0.1589
Newsprint, 30-lb--24x36--$0.0460

For more information, contact the PBAB Copy Center staff or Marge Kline at the Printing Department.

Hunting, usually deer and turkey, is Dan's hobby. He began turkey hunting in 1981. "You can find them in pretty much every little bit of timber you can possibly hunt," he says. The turkey population in Iowa had dwindled because of overhunting, but in the 1970s the Department of Natural Resources began stocking them. They have since spread throughout the state and now number about 150,000.

The limit on turkey is one each season, spring and fall. It takes Dan an average of two or three days to bag a turkey, he says, but "I scout a lot. I enjoy going out early in the morning and listening to them. I've been known to get up on weekdays at 4 a.m. and go out before work. It makes for a long day!" Before the hunting season, "they're very vocal, they gobble a lot. After they're hunted a few days, they quiet down."

"Their tail feathers are beautiful. The toms--their tail feathers fan out and puff up in a huge ball; it makes them look like they're about 40 pounds but they're only about 20. They glimmer in the sun; they're just beautiful." He says he may "hunt with a camera" when he's older.

Dan processes and cooks the game himself. Game must be watched carefully on the grill because it contains very little fat, he says." If you leave it on the grill too long, it'll get dried up, and it's like eating a piece of rawhide. The best way to cook it is in a Crockpot."

Dan and his wife, Cindy, who works at University Hospitals in the mammography unit, grew up in this area. Their daughter, Danielle, attends cosmetology school and son Scott works at a local sodding company.

Grandson Trent started kindergarten this year at Coralville Central, which Dan attended. "Boy, he's proud of that," says Dan. "I took him out for a haircut; he's really excited."

"He's going to be my duck-hunting buddy--that's what he says." Dan has taken Trent out turkey scouting, but not hunting yet. They're both looking forward to that.

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We are . . .