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
Business Services-the process-works for you
Staff involved in trainers' network
Spring packed with activity
Stores reports 69% sales of recycled copy paper
Publication wins national award

Central Mail System
Mail rates and The Law
Bulk mail basics

Laundry Service
Laundry, Business Services, and UIHC staff plan linen use policy
Assistant manager Miller will retire this summer
Road construction to start soon
Laundry online

Materials Management
BT campus reps are ready to help
Printer toner cartridges: an easy reference

Printing Department
When should you not edit and proofread? On a blueline
Character Counts: Meet Francis Fang
PD customer service manager leaving

We are . . .

Business Services directory

General Stores will include any order in the current fiscal year if it is entered directly by a department or by General Stores on the MIGS or SIGS system by 4 p.m. on June 30. All other orders must be submitted by June 18.

The Printing Department will bill only for work performed and state printing orders received by 4 p.m. on June 30. Work performed and SPOs received after that time will be charged to fy '00 budgets. If you are testing office copiers and want to purchase one from your current budget, send your requisition to the Printing Department by Monday, June 21. Specify that the funds should be encumbered for fiscal '99.

More and more often, our staff sees its work as stages in a multidepartment process. "While each department has its own specialty, they all blend together as one process," says Materials Management manager Gary Anderson. That was one reason for the consolidation in the first place, he says.

Among other things, General Stores supplies paper. Printing and Document services print on it. Mail Service prepares it for distribution, and Campus Mail or General Stores delivers it.

Business Services enters the picture because different configurations create workflows that cross departmental lines.

In one scenario, the Printing Department's new wide-media service prints architectural and construction plans, which are taken to Campus Mail for delivery.

In another, Printing produces journals and carts them back to Publications Order Service, which later takes them next door to Mail Service for labeling. After that, mail staff members take them to Stores for delivery to the Post Office.

Other work involves Printing Department customer service representatives checking with Mail Service when they receive new orders, to find out if layouts and grades of paper will work with mail requirements and equipment. This helps to avert potential problems, says Chris Huber, Mail Service customer service representative.

Another configuration creates a Stores-to-Mail- to-Stores workflow. As they drive their regular routes, General Stores drivers pick up bulk mailings and deliver them to Mail Service to be processed, and then transport the mailings to the Post Office. "It's been done with a lot of cooperation from Stores' delivery operation," says Mail Service supervisor Roger Janssen. "They're always busy, but they always get it done."

Previously, the areas operated under different administrative units and were located some distance from one another, which often meant inefficient workflows, wasteful cross-town travel, and longer production schedules. For example, finished printed material had to be boxed, loaded onto a truck, and delivered, unloaded, and unpacked at the mail facility. This could add a day or more to the delivery date.

Now, the workflow can proceed without interruption. Not every job needs to move at lightning speed, but for those that do, consolidation makes a big difference. A recent campus-wide mailing on an extremely tight schedule moved from Printing to Mailing in parts: as soon as there were enough printed and folded pieces to load the inserting and labeling machine, off they went. This would not have been possible before.

"It's much better," says Hal Miller, Printing Department bindery supervisor. "We can run jobs right over there as soon as they're done." He would like to see the University further improve efficiency by combining more like services and functions. "It just makes sense," he says.

Contact Beth Hochstedler, 335-4303, for directions. Contact Nikole Mac, 335-2260, for more information.

Gary Anderson attended the National Association of Educational Buyers annual meeting in Lexington, Kentucky. Materials management workshops and sessions on the Web, Internet commerce, and consortium purchasing were of special interest, he says.

Lou Eichler, Central Mail, gave presentations at the National Postal Forum in San Antonio; the National Association of College and University Mail Services in Scottsdale; and the National Association of College and University Business Officers in San Diego. He also published articles on mail room planning in Mailing Systems Technology and Total Quality Management in The Excelsior Guide to Mail Communication.

Business Services' Lee Vasquez published an article on Open Book Management in College Services Administration, the journal for the National Association of College Auxiliary Services.

Printing Department manager Lin Hartman was profiled in the International Publishing Management Association Des Moines chapter's monthly newsletter. The organization's national publication, In-Plant Graphics, referred to the department in two separate issues this spring. One article, on disaster recovery, described the department's work following the 1993 flood. The other used the department's Web site as an example of successful Web development by in-plant printers.

Some departments are reluctant to use recycled paper because of the perception that it's inferior. However, the paper stocked by General Stores proved equal in quality to virgin paper in tests conducted by the Regents' institutions.

For the last two years Stores has worked closely with Purchasing to promote recycled paper use on campus. Contact Gary Anderson, gary-anderson@uiowa.edu, 384-3917, or Purchasing director John Klopp, 335-0382, if you have questions about recycled paper or the state mandate.

The Postal Rate Commission has to agree on new domestic rates. There are hearings. There are delays. The Board of Governors has to agree, and the media have something to address for a couple of days. New stamps are printed with something like "series H" printed in the place of numeric amounts.

H.R. 22, a bill sitting before Congress today, would have similar effects, if passed, to the rules for international rate setting, in that the Postal Service would have the freedom to price some of its services competitively. This proposed legislation splits current and future services between competitive and noncompetitive categories. The regulatory powers of the Commission and the Board would change, and the consumer price index would come into play with some rate cases.

I spoke recently with the postmaster general and found him fully supportive of the legislation and the amendments. This bill is somewhat of a departure from previous legislative attempts to corral the Postal Service and change the way it does business. Many of the previous congressional forays into the world of matters postal have been constrictive in nature, but H.R. 22 stands to loosen the reins and constraints on certain services.

There are two schools of thought about furthering the freedom of rate-making and product manipulation without the strong oversight of the Commission and the Board. The current system hinders the ability of the USPS to make rapid changes in service and price, thereby limiting its ability to compete with private industry. Some consider this a good thing; others believe a more competitive USPS is appealing.

The quasigovernmental nature of the USPS means public funds are not used to defray operational costs while a modicum of control is maintained. This shot called H.R. 22 is a move toward making the USPS more like a private business and less like it looks today.

The pricing recommendations in H.R. 22 have the potential to dramatically affect the cost of nonprofit and other bulk mail services used by many University departments. The postmaster general likes it, but I don't-I foresee the day when our nonprofit mailing rate will result in only a token reduction in cost. The bill may be viewed on the web at http://thomas.loc.gov. Enter bill number HR22.
Lou Eichler

Permit 45: This bulk mail permit, held by UI Mail Service, is available to University departments that meet USPS criteria. Departments must apply to Mail Service for permission to use it.

Regular or nonprofit: Bulk mail can be regular or nonprofit. Nonprofit, the lower rate, must not contain advertising or mention of any promotion for travel, insurance, or credit cards. There are letter weight limits for both types of bulk mail.

Criteria: Only U.S. addresses qualify, and there must be a minimum of 200 identical pieces.

Design specs: Brilliant-colored envelopes and reverse printing are not permitted. The shape must be rectangular. Postcard size must be a minimum of 31/2x5 inches; a maximum of 41/4x6 inches; and at least .007 inches thick. Letter size must be a minimum of 31/2x5 inches and a maximum of 61/8x111/2 inches.

Required information: Each piece must have a block of printed information, called an indicia, stating that postage has been paid; a return address; an endorsement such as address service requested, forwarding service requested, or return service requested; and a zip code for every address. Enclosed letter-size reply cards and envelopes must bear a facing identification mark and delivery-point bar code for the address to which the mail piece is to be returned.

Final preparation: Sort pieces in ascending zip code order. Mark boxes or trays indicating the order (e.g., "1 of 5" if you have five boxes of mail). Deliver bulk mailings to Mail Service, which will transport the mail to the Post Office. Central Mail pays the postage and then bills the sending department.

Call Mail Service before producing bulk mail items to find out which options and regulations apply to your project. For more detailed information, check the Central Mail website.

Key nursing, housekeeping, materials services, and UIHC administrative staff comprise the team. Its charge is to draft a list of standard bed supplies; evaluate linen quality; determine if product use is appropriate; recommend different products; and revise the current bed linen change policy. The team's goal is to present final recommendations to hospital administrators in July.

Once the recommendations are approved, the Laundry will establish processing procedures for all new linen products and adjust its operations to any change in volume of soiled laundry. This includes creating wash formulas, developing handling procedures, scheduling staff, and packaging and shipping linens.
Dave Gray

When Miller began working at the UI in 1981, laundry operations were vastly different. Notable changes in which he was involved are implementation of the uniform rental program, development of the first bar-code tracking software in the country, and the planning of the new Oakdale Campus laundry facility.

Miller was honored twice as laundry manager of the year by the National Association of Institutional Laundry Managers, Iowa chapter. As an Iowa chapter board officer from 1978 to 1997, he set up numerous educational conferences for midwest chapters. He was also a district director for the national association from 1991 through 1997.

Never one to sit still, Miller plans to fill his retirement time with family activities, golf, and Hawkeye sports. And just to keep from getting bored, he plans to work with a software company.
Jo Anne Worley

Staff and visitors to the Laundry can reach the building through the Holiday Court entrance. From Highway 965, turn east on Holiday Road to reach Holiday Court.

The work is scheduled to begin late in June. Call our office at 335-4940 to find out which route is currently open.

Linda Hurst, a programmer analyst at Laundry Service, has designed a Power Point presentation to show how useful computers are in our business. She has included information about products and services we offer, for an informative demonstration. Stop at our exhibit during Staff Celebration Day to see her handiwork.
Jo Anne Worley

Martens, a former General Stores student employee, is the on-campus customer service representative for BT Office Products. The UI has a contract with BT, which General Stores administers, for office supplies. Martens wants everyone on campus to know that he can help with product information, returns, back orders, and any questions that might arise.

There are two frequent points of confusion when customers use requisition forms or the online MIGS and SIGS systems to order from BT and General Stores, Martens says: unit of measure and order numbers.

An example Martens gives of unit of measure problems is when a department orders legal pads. The pads come in packs of 12. If the customer simply asks for 12 on a requisition, he or she is likely to end up with 12 packs of pads-a whopping 144 legal pads! This adds up to higher costs and delays for everyone, not to mention headaches. Martens encourages everyone to call with questions about the units of measure used by BT and General Stores.

Martens also points out that product order numbers change frequently. He notes that it's much easier to simply give him a call to check on changes than to experience delays caused by outdated product numbers.

Chris LaPree, BT's UI account executive, is on campus each Tuesday and can be reached at his Des Moines office at other times. If you have office supply needs outside of BT's basic product line, LaPree can help. He often meets with customers to make sure their needs are being met.

Martens says it's unique for an office supply company to have on-site customer service representatives when dealing with a university. To take advantage of this opportunity, call 384-3908.

"Which number do I use to place my order?"

"This is so confusing."

We get calls like this often at General Stores. Toner cartridges are confusing, with many manufacturers, product numbers, and types of printers.

The top-volume toner cartridges issued by General Stores are all Hewlett Packard items. For your convenience, we have provided ordering information, in an easy-to-reference format listing printer, toner, and order numbers. Use the order number on your requisition or when you use the MIGS online ordering system. Call General Stores or use the MICM screen in MIGS for pricing information.
Gary Anderson

Here's an example. A customer asks the Printing Department to prepare a one-color, 81/2x11-inch, eight-page newsletter such as this one. At the current rates, a type correction on one page of the laser proof will cost about $6. Most of the charge is for our staff's time. The same type correction at the blueline stage will cost about $19 in time and materials.

More than 50 percent of blueline proofs return to us marked for changes, and at least half of those are avoidable, says prepress supervisor Chris Swart. The solution? Show laser proofs to the individuals responsible for final approval of publications, particularly administrators and committee members. Most times, there should be no reason for them to see a blueline, because the laser proofs show everything the blueline shows except page order.

It may take substantial changes to shift away from the notion of blueline as proof. Your Printing Department contact person must plan and organize publications to the extent that laser proofs, which are often treated as drafts, become seen as final proofs. Decide where to place articles, photos, and graphic elements using the laser proof. Check facts-names, dates, spelling-on the laser proof. Determine what style-Chicago Manual, AP, MLA Handbook-your department uses, and check punctuation and usage, according to that style, on the laser proof. Read the laser proofs, don't just look at them. Tell the committee and the administrators to do the same.

Historically, bluelines have been used for printers to check their own work and are made from the same film that is used to make the printing plates. That's still their primary purpose. The film and the time it takes to assemble it are expensive, so a blueline should only be used to correct mistakes that a laser proof does not show.

If you are responsible for your department's publications, use a blueline to check photo placement if we replace low-resolution with identical high-resolution scans. Look around the edges of each page to see that all type is visible and none has been obscured in building the flats. Read the page numbers to make sure the order is correct. Inspect the spots where colors are supposed to change to see if they actually do. Identify any marks that should not be there. Any other use of bluelines means your department spends more than it should on printing costs.

His real love outside of cyberspace, though, is "anything to do with water," he says.

Fang is an expert sailor who has raced in regattas, and his family keeps a 12-meter sailboat in California. He loves the beaches there and admits to a bit of California dreaming here in the cornfields of Iowa.

"You can't really surf out here," he notes dryly. "I do miss the ocean."

While he manages to get back to California regularly to visit his grandparents, he satisfies his thirst for water sports here in the heartland by being active in the UI Sailing Club. He encourages anyone to join the club and mentions that they give free sailing lessons.

Because his father was in the military, Fang took a circuitous route to Iowa. He was born in Singapore, where his mother lives now, but California has always been his family's home base. He lived in Australia as a child, spent his high school years in England, and attended Cambridge University for one year before getting his B.S. in computer science here at the UI in 1992.

Fang has a lot of fun in his job at Business Services-he grins when he says he "gets to play with a lot of toys." His work involves some projects that aren't normally part of a computer consultant's job, like the imaging initiative and the computerized equipment in the laundry and mail services, and he says the variety keeps it interesting.

So while he might at times like to do some surfing-other than on the Internet-Fang is happy to scan the horizon for troubled waters, and ensure smooth sailing for the folks who work at and use Business Services.

We are . . .

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.