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 opens the books
Quality Report--Open book management: By the numbers
Ray B. Mossman honored with building dedication

Central Mail System
A mail class for nearly every size, shape and purpose
USPS address guidelines
Eichler elected to national office

Laundry Service
Uniquely your department: personalized uniforms
The steamy side of the Laundry
Business leaders tour facility

Materials Management
Online order totals show substantial MIGS use by UI staff
Character Counts: Meet Gerry Miller
BT campus rep moves on
Surplus now open twice a week

Printing Department
Allow time for bidding process when planning printing orders
Office copiers are for convenience, not economy
Creature Feature! (True stories from the front lines)

We are . . .

Business Services directory

Vasquez's articles outline the process from the standpoint of an administrator introducing these new ideas to employees. To add a different perspective, we talked with some of the staff who have found themselves participating in the business in new and exciting ways.

The primary tenet of the Open Book Management philosophy is that information must not be hoarded. "Don't use information to intimidate, control, or manipulate people," says Jack Stack in his book The Great Game of Business. "You will always be more successful in business by sharing information with the people you work with than by keeping them in the dark." Specifically, he is referring to financial information.

Traditionally in business, this is not a common view. A company's numbers are tightly guarded; budgets are top-secret and written behind closed doors. That's why Judy Rockafellow, Stores' program assistant who has worked for the department for 19 years, was taken aback when managers first shared financial information with her. "It was very surprising because all the years I worked here I never saw this data."

She admits to being intimidated--she had no idea how income statements and balance sheets worked--but credits Vasquez with taking the time to teach her the essentials one-on-one. She has since become confident in her knowledge and eager to contribute ideas. It is that idea sharing that makes Open Book Management a morale-booster for staff. When people see the numbers month to month, they start to spot trends and see how the things they do affect the bottom line.

"It made me feel more involved and also gave me some focus on how I should operate my aspect of the business," says Bill Burch, the delivery supervisor.

Margaret Brorby, an account clerk, refers to it as "ownership of your job." "People feel more a part of the unit rather than someone who just walks in at 8:00 and goes home at 5:00," she says.

The staff has become so involved, in fact, that they helped write General Stores' 2000 budget. Manager Gary Anderson says he projected an Excel spreadsheet on the wall and each group member "threw out numbers" based on his or her individual expertise.They saw how each revision affected the department's bottom line. Together they created a budget that was informed by the ideas of the people who had to operate within its constraints. That's a far cry from having a budget merely imposed upon you, Anderson points out.

The staff say they'd recommend the process to other UI departments-or anyone else, for that matter. "If I owned a company it's the way I'd want to do business," notes Burch. He and the others at General Stores look forward to each month's Open Book meetings. "It's something serious but Lee makes it fun," says Rockafellow. And as Vasquez points out in his series, making it fun is one of the goals. It is, after all, the great game of business. Nic Arp

The financial information I receive each month is a cumbersome, one- to two-inch-thick pile of reports. Several years ago, I had taken the step necessary to extract the needed information from these reports when I assisted in developing a one-page income and expense statement that is now the focus of our monthly meetings. I wanted something meaningful yet concise and easy to read. Basically, the statement has our fiscal-year budget, where we stand on a monthly basis in regard to our budget, and where we are year to date.

After our initial meetings, I began teaching the financial reports to the group. Since there were a few who did not have a financial background, I began at a very basic level: What is a financial statement? What does it tell us? Why is it important?

Once we got past that, we learned what profit is, where it comes from, and how we use it. This then led into how we, as an educational institution, differ from a private business in this respect, but that it is important as a recharge center to cover our costs.

The first three to four meetings were devoted to the income side of the statement. The statement we use has ten different categories of goods that generate revenue. Each category was analyzed to see what products make up that category. It was very important for everyone to know the sources of our income and to know that this is the critical number.

Every organization has a critical number, one that will have the biggest impact on what you are doing and where you want to go. The critical number may not be the same for every organization. Also, there can be more than one. The critical number within our department is sales. Without sales, we go nowhere. Lee Vasquez

Vasquez, a Business Services program consultant, implemented open book management, the practice of including employees in financial planning, at General Stores. This article was first published in College Services Administration, the journal of the National Association of College Auxiliary Services. Next: "By the numbers"-teaching the basics of the department's finances.

Ray B. Mossman's 62 years of distinguished service to The University of Iowa, from 1936 to 1998, encompassed his rise from student offset pressman to business manager and treasurer, interrupted only by overseas service in World War II and the Korean War.

Known for his consistent success in executing capital projects on time and under budget, Mossman oversaw the entrance of University business operations into the electronic age and also was instrumental in securing major trusts and endowments.

On November 18, 1998, with the approval of the Iowa Board of Regents, the University of Iowa expressed its appreciation for Mossman's exemplary leadership, devotion, and commitment to service by renaming the Consolidated Business Services Building in his honor.

First-Class mail
All mailable matter can be designated First-Class. Some mail, though, must be designated First-Class. This includes personal mail, or mail that is specific to one person or household. Letters, cards, most bills and account statements, checks, and personalized forms fall under this category, as does any business reply mail. Computer printouts may or may not be considered First-Class, depending on the content. If you're not sure whether the content of a piece of mail requires it to be sent First-Class, give us a call.

First-Class mail is protected against postal inspection while en route.

Priority mail A form of First-Class mail. You can use Priority mail any time two-to-three day service is desired. However, First-Class material weighing more than 11 ounces must be sent Priority mail. We recommend you use priority envelopes, available at no charge from the Mail Center or the Post Office, when you send Priority mail.

Express mail Also a form of First-Class mail, with delivery to most destinations by noon the next day, 365 days a year.

Standard mail
Mail other than First-Class or periodicals. Bulk mail like circulars, catalogs, booklets, and newsletters fall within this classification. Reduced rates are available for mailing 200 or more like pieces, and special nonprofit rates may apply.

Parcel Post Any Standard mail matter weighing 16 ounces or more can be sent at the lower Parcel Post rate.

Bound printed matter Standard mail matter (typically catalogs, books, and other printed material) that weighs between one and 15 pounds. Specific eligibility requirements apply.

Library mail A more specialized form of Standard mail used by institutions like universities, museums, and libraries to ship books, recordings, and educational materials.

Special Standard mail Generally used for books (at least 8 pages), film (16 mm or narrower), printed music, printed test materials, sound recordings, play scripts, printed educational charts, loose-leaf pages and binders consisting of medical information, and computer-readable media.

Periodicals
Used for publications with a regular list of subscribers or requesters. The publication must be issued regularly (at least four times a year) from a known office of publication.

Choosing the proper class designation can help cut costs. E-mail Central Mail System manager Lou Eichler or call him at 384-3809 with questions about which designation is most appropriate for your mailing job. Check the Central Mail website for more information.

Emblems are the most durable, but they must be sewn onto the garments. This adds an extra step to production, so it takes longer to receive the garments after your initial order. Emblems may be added or removed as desired.

Screen printing applies your design directly onto the garment. Washable inks that last the life of the garment are used. You will receive screen-printed orders sooner, but the design can never be removed.

Embroidered logos are sewn into the fabric. Designs have a distinctive raised appearance enhanced with lustrous thread. You will receive embroidered garments quickly, but the design cannot be removed.

For more information, call or e-mail Karen Lorence in our uniform shop.
Jo Anne Worley

Pressurized steam is water vapor, contained within a boiler and pipes, that can be released as needed via steam release valves. This enclosed vapor is heated to 350 degrees to operate our linen- and garment-pressing equipment. Two 125-horsepower boilers provide steam to operate this equipment. Steam pressing enhances the appearance of garments and linens, giving them a professional finish.

Good steam leaves linens and pipes stain- and residue-free. Bad steam may stain linen so it appears to be soiled, and it leaves residue and scale deposits inside steam equipment. That is why certified water care specialist Paul Stachewicz, of Ecolab Company, meets with our maintenance staff monthly.

"Boiler care is easy if tests for proper application of your chemical program are run daily," says Stachewicz. Questions, system changes, or additions to the steam load are checked, discussed, and adjusted as needed.

Laundry maintenance staff John Connelly, Terry Roberts, and Richard Bollinger run daily tests on alkalinity, sulfite, dissolved solids, pH, and hardness. The chemical density of the boiler water fluctuates daily and could cause scale buildup as the condensed steam evaporates. Daily corrective action keeps the boiler, steam lines, and steam traps free of corrosion and working efficiently.

"An eighth-inch of scale on the boiler tubes from improperly treated boiler water will add 20 percent to your fuel cost, and a half-inch of scale on your boiler tubes could add up to 70 percent of your fuel costs to run the boiler," says Stachewicz.

Typically, chemicals to correct alkalinity, sulfites, color, and dissolved solids are added. Minute chemical adjustments are made using a 'neat feed system,' which means that just a click of the feed dial makes any one change that is needed. This minimizes contact with boiler chemicals.

'Good steam' is about more than steam. Good steam means the boiler and feed lines are free of deposits and operate at maximum efficiency. Good steam means your uniforms and linens are clean, pressed, and looking good.
Jo Anne Worley

The MIGS system was developed in 1996 by Information Technology Services and General Stores staff. The first orders were placed in January, 1997; since then more than 67,000 orders have been placed for office supplies using MIGS. The orders are subsequently transferred electronically to the UI's contracted supplier, BT Office Products.

The staff at General Stores would like to thank all our customers who use the MIGS online system to order office supplies and for using General Stores for their office supply needs.

If you or your department would like training on the MIGS and SIGS online ordering systems, contact Judy Rockafellow, judy-rockafellow@uiowa.edu, at General Stores. MIGS information and SIGS information are also available on the Web.
Gary Anderson

He proclaims a fascination with things Irish. The culture. The history. Yeats and Joyce. Harp Lager and Guinness Stout. Bailey's Irish Cream. And most of all, the music. "Bagpipes get in your head and stay there," he notes.

Music isn't just a passing fancy for Miller. A baritone, he has for years sung with vocal groups in the area. Presently, he's a member of Fifth Accord, a Muscatine-based a cappella group, and The Old Capitol Chorus, an Iowa City barbershop chorus for whom he sometimes also writes show scripts.

Perhaps the best gig for Miller, though, was when he sang with the UI's Old Gold Singers as he was acquiring his B.A. in French here in the late 60s. As he sang his heart out, he must have also worn it on his sleeve, because he met his wife Sue, who works in the Cashier's Office, in the group. Now, 33 years, two daughters, and one granddaughter later, they're still on key.

Miller says it's dealing with the people around campus and helping them find solutions to their needs that's most rewarding about his work. That eagerness to help and his easy manner and friendly demeanor clearly haven't been lost on his customers along the way.

He says that many of them called to wish him well and express their dismay that he wouldn't be there to help them any more when longtime Laundry Service assistant manager Jerry Miller announced his retirement recently.

"I must have gotten one or two calls a day for a week or two," he says with a chuckle. "It was kind of like Tom Sawyer going back to his own funeral-you get to see what people thought about you without actually dying." But no, we needn't worry. Miller's still here, making sure the UI's short-term equipment needs are covered.
Nic Arp

If you choose to work with designers outside the Printing Department, you should do the same, so that the bidding process is finished by the time your order is ready to be printed. "Many of the jobs done by outside designers need to be printed by outside vendors. What this means for us in customer service is, specs need to be written and bids taken," says Diane Thomas, Printing Department customer service representative.

Writing "specs" means to write all the specifications needed to produce the job. Thomas says that for us to do this, the customer or designer must provide "a good mock-up of the project and include specifications about size, quantity, paper choices, and, most important, a delivery date." The customer service rep also needs finishing information-how the job will be trimmed, bound, and packaged, and to whom it should be delivered.

"The bid process can take from five to eight working days. Either the customer or the designer needs to alert us about these jobs so we can request bids," says Thomas.

But first establish some guidelines for use. Ask yourself, "When does my department benefit from using it? When is my department better off using a document center?" Your answers should involve balancing cost and convenience.

The cost of using your office copier includes the expense of buying the machine; depreciation; maintenance; paper; toner; and the salaries of those who make the copies, replace the toner cartridges, fix the jams, and stand in line waiting to use it. Additionally, continually pushing a copier to maximum performance increases depreciation by reducing its life, and untrained operators can unintentionally drive up maintenance expenses.

These expenses can be totaled to calculate a per-copy cost of running the machine, which will nearly always be higher than the per-copy cost offered by Document Services.

Generally, we recommend you use office copiers only to produce small quantities (1 to 10 copies) from no more than 15 originals. Larger and longer runs should be taken to the document centers, where high-speed, special-feature duplicators are used. These machines produce better quality copies at up to six times the speed of office copiers.

Each time you use your copier, consider these questions. What is the cost of convenience? Is it worth it?

The process
A customer-provided electronic file went directly to film.

The proof
Blueline.

The problem
The customer asked for two type corrections of an editorial nature and a second blueline to verify that they had been made. Correcting, refilming, restripping, and producing another blueline increased the total cost by 12.37 percent.

The solution
Edit laser copies before sending electronic files to Printing.

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