Fall 2009

Into Print aims to educate, inform, and entertain its readers, with a goal of fostering positive communication between its participating departments, their staffs, and their clients.

In this issue

News briefs

Large laminator on order
Time to order 2010 calendars
McCollister Boulevard open
Design rates reduced
Order safety shoes through departments, not Stores
Surplus to take sealed bids on holiday display
Printing, Mailing departments merge

TypeStrikes

General news

Storefront project moving along
Requisitions must have two signatures
Printing, Parking and Transportation welcome new staff
Early retirements begin

General Stores

New ordering systems in place for General Stores
New OfficeMax rep on campus
Paper ordering info
Preq training completed for General Stores customers
SIGS and MIGS worth their file weight

Mailing Services

New tabbing requirements may result in mailpiece changes
Campus Mail adjusts routes for flood-related relocations
Mailing software improvements made
Mailing smarter: Plan ahead for address placement

Parking and Transportation

Bus fleet gets long-needed upgrade
Parking offices now accept credit cards
Cambus orders new shelters
Another late-night route added to Cambus schedule

Printing Services

Printing upgrades digital color press
Character Counts: Meet Steve Wilson

Surplus

Hawk heaven opens at University Surplus

We like feedback

Send story ideas, address corrections, additions, e-mail
We are . . .
Directories
The University of Iowa Nondiscrimination Statement

---

NEWS BRIEFS

Large laminator on order

Printing and Mailing Services will soon offer another new service: large-format laminating. It has ordered a roll-type laminator that will cover materials up to 40 inches wide and 1/4-inch thick, with up to a 10-mil film thickness. The service should be available in early November. We'll keep you posted!

Time to order 2010 calendars

Printing and Mailing Services is taking orders for its 2010 calendars. There is no charge, but there is a limited supply. Order online or send a request to Calendars, 126C MBSB. Provide your name, department, and campus mailing address, and specify the number of calendars you want in each size (20x28, 4.5x11, and 14x1.5 inches).

McCollister Boulevard open

McCollister Boulevard, which passes west and south of the Mossman Business Services Building, opened on October 2. This new road provides a southern bypass around Iowa City and includes a new bridge over the Iowa River. We expect increased traffic in the area around the Mossman Building, so please use extra caution when visiting us. —Gary Anderson

Design rates reduced

The rate for design work at Printing Services has been reduced to $50 per hour. Contact Leigh Bradford for more information.

Order safety shoes through departments, not Stores

General Stores no longer processes requisitions for safety shoes. Each department is responsible for procuring them for its employees. Shoes may be paid for with a departmental Pcard or purchase order, or departments may reimburse employees for direct purchases. Safety glasses are purchased through UI Optical with an interdepartmental requisition. For more information, see the University's Operations Manual and the Environmental Health and Safety websites.

Surplus to take sealed bids on holiday display

Surplus will sell a large holiday display and its case by sealed bid auction later this month. The display is a hollow sphere which resembles an ornament, with three viewing windows cut into it. A diorama inside depicts a winter village with a train, houses, skiiers, and reindeer pulling a sleigh. The sphere is about three feet in diameter; the glass-and-wood case is about four feet square and six feet tall. Bidding will begin October 29 and end at 3 p.m. November 5. It will be on display at Surplus until then.

Printing, Mailing departments merge

To better serve you, the Printing Department and Central Mail have combined to become Printing and Mailing Services. Visit our website at www.uiowa.edu/printmail.

---

TYPESTRIKES

from our typo treasure chest

State Form Insurance

---

GENERAL NEWS

Storefront project moving along

Printing Services has moved into phase two of its Storefront project, which is a new, online ordering process for print orders. An article about phase one was published in the Spring 2009 issue of Into Print.

In the second phase, Business Services staff are working with Information Technology Services to integrate some of its data bases with the Storefront system. This will allow the system to prefill most of the order forms' fields (i.e., name, department, and campus address) for any individual who logs in.

We're trying to implement cost-saving solutions, says Terrell Hunter, Business Services systems administrator. "Take business cards. We're turning a complex ordering process into a simple one. Now, the customer provides information, the customer service rep processes it, and someone determines which template to use (between the standard University, UIHC, and UI Children's Hospital, there are 14 possible templates). Someone types the infomation and puts it into the template, someone proofs it, someone makes corrections if needed, and finally it's printed."

"In Storefront, the customer enters the information on line, with most of the fields automatically filled by the system. The system merges the data with the appropriate template and simultaneously produces a press-ready proof that is in the correct collegiate style and meets the University's identity standards. When the client submits the order it is press ready and needs only to be routed by a Printing employee," says Hunter. "Potentially, envelopes, letterhead, forms, and brochures could be done this way."

Variable data technology is used in the Storefront software, he says. "We started by doing letters that have a database such as names, addresses, departments, positions, etc., that we insert. It was pretty simple, straightforward. From there, we moved into more complicated things.

Phase three will incorporate Workflow to bring the accounting and billing functions into the Storefront system. Some departments are already using Storefront to order business cards, postcards, brochures, and letters. Contact Kathy Battin if your department has a project it would like to try using with Storefront during the development stages.

Requisitions must have two signatures

Always include two authorized signatures on every requisition you send to Printing, Copy Centers, Mailing, Surplus, Equipment Rental, and General Stores. The University of Iowa requires this: "All service requisitions initiated through Workflow require two signatures: an initiator and an approver." (University of Iowa Operations Manual V.11.18)

Printing, Parking and Transportation welcome new staff

Alan Becker has begun working as a press operator in Printing and Mailing Services. He runs the new Komori four-color press, printing such jobs such as the recent Graduate College annual report, At Iowa recruitment catalog, and football schedule cards. He comes to the department with 22 years of printing experience, at Cedar Graphics and Wagner Printing. He attended Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, and currently lives in Center Point.

Greg Meyer has joined Parking and Transportation as manager of capital projects. He is responsible for projects involving parking lots and structures, and for planning and executing maintenance projects related to parking lots and structures. During his more than 30 years of experience, he has designed, built, owned, operated, and maintained steam plants and emergency power generation facilities; managed design and construction projects regarding upgrades to coal burning power plants; and developed alternative energy projects. He worked for ten years as a senior project manager and project engineer at Alliant Energy before coming to UI. He holds an MS in civil and environmental engineering from UI and resides in Solon.

Early retirements begin

Several employees at MBSB have been approved for early retirement. Printing plant manager Steve Wilson and delivery drivers Gene Newmire and Rich Robbins all will retire by the end of 2009. Congratulations, best wishes, and thanks for your years of service!

Top of page

---

GENERAL STORES

New ordering systems in place for General Stores

If you order from General Stores you have seen many changes in the past few months. On May 18, the eBuy ordering system for OfficeMax and other vendors was unveiled. eBuy replaced the General Stores MIGS ordering system. On August 24, a new Preqs application replaced the General Stores SIGS ordering system. The new systems provide an easy way for our customers to place orders with General Stores.

If you have not completed the PReqs Access form to let us know you need access to the General Stores Catalog for online ordering, please fill it out at www.uiowa.edu/~eforms/prch/prch.htm and email a scanned copy to JoAnn Dolezal, joann-dolezal@uiowa.edu, or Chris Leichty, chris-leichty@uiowa.edu, or send a copy to Purchasing (202 PCO) via Campus Mail.

Please keep in mind that General Stores no longer accepts orders by fax. Also, the Preq application does not apply to gas cylinder orders. If you order gas cylinders, continue to use the current process until notified otherwise.   — Gary Anderson

New OfficeMax rep on campus

Renee Monson, a 2006 graduate of the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has joined OfficeMax as its on-campus representative for the University. In her new role she "helps UI customers with questions and returns, and makes campus visits to make sure they know we're here and that they're comfortable with the new eBuy system," she says. She previously worked as a supervisor at Best Buy. OfficeMax is the vendor selected by the state of Iowa to provide office supplies at specially contracted prices.

Paper ordering info

Confused about ordering paper? Maybe this will help: Paper can be ordered from General Stores or from OfficeMax. The paper from General Stores is less expensive. The paper from OfficeMax may be more convenient to order, as it can be ordered with your other office supplies. Here's the scoop.

General Stores paper is ordered through Preqs and the General Stores catalog.
Virgin paper: stock number 1000375, $3.23 per ream.
Recycled paper: stock number 1000371, $3.43 per ream.

OfficeMax paper is ordered through Ebuy or with your Pcard at www.officemaxsolutions.com.
Virgin paper: stock number P1OM98029, $3.39 per ream.
Recycled paper: stock number P1054901, $3.67 per ream.

Please be aware that these prices were accurate at the time this article was written, but they will fluctuate.   — Gary Anderson

Preq training completed for General Stores customers

Gary Anderson from General Stores and Chris Leichty from Purchasing and Accounts Payable have completed sixteen training sessions for the new Preq application, training more than 450 UI staff. We hope the sessions were fun and informative‚Äîwe really enjoyed providing the training.   — Gary Anderson

SIGS and MIGS worth their file weight

SIGS and MIGS have provided General Stores customers and staff a method to place orders and track inventory for many years. One of the first projects I worked on when I came to General Stores was the inception and implementation of MIGS. Since 1996 more than 310,000 individual MIGS orders have been issued. Judy Williams, administrative assistant at General Stores, placed 77,500 of those orders for our campus customers.

We estimate that more than a half million SIGS orders were placed over the years. As we mark the end of an era for our two ordering systems, I would like to thank the staff at ITS for assisting our customers and for keeping those systems running over the years, specifically Bob Manders, Cindy Dayton, Neil Bennett, and Theresa Foulkes.   — Gary Anderson

Top of page

---

MAILING SERVICES

New tabbing requirements may result in mailpiece changes

The U.S. Postal Service has changed tabbing requirements for booklets and self mailers, effective September 8. Each mailpiece now must be sealed with three, 1.5-inch, non-perforated tabs (see illustration for positioning). The previous requirement was two, one-inch tabs. Non-compliant mailpieces will be charged higher postage rates. To keep costs down, it may be necessary to use envelopes or redesign the mailpiece.

"It makes us look completely differently at the way we do booklets and self mailers. No machine we're aware of can do three tabs in one pass," says Chris Kula, assistant director in Business Services. "We'll have to make two passes through the tabber instead of one."

"This adds time and expense to processing a mailpiece, so we are looking at comparing costs between tabbing, versus placing the item inside an envelope. We're also looking at designing the item as a flat. It may cost less. Mailing Services will offer the best, most cost-effective way to produce the mailpiece. We're looking out for our mailing customers," says Kula. Contact Kathy Battin in Mailing Services with questions. She will be happy to call on your department to provide individual consultation.

Campus Mail adjusts routes for flood-related relocations

If you send campus mail to individuals who were moved due to flooding, please use their new address. We are adjusting routes as departments and offices become settled in new locations. The most recent additions to the routes are 108 River Street (RIV8), the music offices in the University Capitol Center (UCC) and Communications Center (CC), and Hospital Ramp 2 (HPR2), Hospital Ramp 3 (HPR3), and Iowa Ortho Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (IOSMR). Also, Temporary Arts Facility (TAF) is now Music West Interim Building (MBWIB).

Mailing software improvements made

Customers who review their mailing charges on line will find a new option that may speed up their searches: it is now possible to search by financial period as an alternative to the begin and end dates.

For those unfamiliar with the service, customers log in using their Mailing Services account number to find their charges for a given period of time. The report includes what type of service was provided, how many pieces were processed, what the charges were, and the MFK number that was charged.

Mailing smarter: Plan ahead for address placement

Top of page

---

PARKING & TRANSPORTATION

Bus fleet gets long-needed upgrade

The Cambus fleet has been undergoing a much-needed upgrade. Fifteen new replacement buses have been received in the course of about a year: twelve in July 2008, three in July 2009. In addition, five more new buses are on order, funded by an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act transit grant, and should arrive in late 2010. These new buses have and will replace ones that are more than 20 years old.

In addition to replacing aged buses that have been operated well beyond their programmed useful life, the new buses provide many improvements and upgrades. They include low-floor ramp access, lower emission engines, improved seating, security systems, multiplex electrical, electronic destination signs, LED lights, stainless steel frames, and more.

All of the buses have been funded by Federal Transit Administration grants, which cover about 80 percent of the cost. The buses ranged in cost from approximately $330,000 to $350,000 each and have a minimum programmed life of 12 years. In addition to improving service delivery, the new equipment will limit increases in operating costs, and will have greatly reduced emissions.   — Brian McClatchey

Parking offices now accept credit cards

As mentioned in the Spring 2009 issue of Into Print, customers can use credit cards to pay for their parking fees in all University parking facilities. Now, credit cards can also be used in the University's parking offices. In August, staff received training and began accepting MasterCard and Visa to pay for various items, including parking tickets, permits, and bus passes. Customers paying by credit card can also pay over the telephone, making it even more convenient. However, in order to receive pre-tax benefits on parking permits and bus passes, faculty and staff need to pay for these items by payroll deduction.   — Michelle Ribble

Cambus orders new shelters

Cambus has ordered four new shelters with funds from an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act transit grant. The shelters should arrive by November. One will be placed immediately at the Main Library. This is a heavily used bus stop, and the addition of a shelter should be a welcome improvement. Cambus is currently evaluating and prioritizing other locations for potential placement of the shelters.   — Brian McClatchey

Another late-night route added to Cambus schedule

Last spring, The University of Iowa Student Government (UISG) approached Cambus about running a late-night service, available to both male and female students, to the heavily student-populated, near-east side of campus. Cambus agreed to add a route to its existing SafeRide service. It will be a one-year trial sponsored and funded by UISG.

The new Eastside Loop SafeRide Route operates from 11 p.m. to 2:13 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. It begins and ends at Schaeffer Hall, with stops at IMU, Macbride, and the intersections of Jefferson-Van Buren, Jefferson-Dodge, Dodge-College, Dodge-Burlington, Burlington-Johnson, and Burlington-Gilbert streets.

The route supplements Cambus' SafeRide service, which provides late-night Red Route and Blue Route service on Friday and Saturday nights during the academic year, and the UI Department of Public Safety's Nite Ride. The new route provides another transportation option for students on Friday and Saturday nights. For more information on the route go to http://transportation.uiowa.edu/saferide-service-0 link.   — Brian McClatchey

Top of page

---

PRINTING SERVICES

Printing upgrades digital color press

Printing Services has replaced its digital color press with a new, Hewlett-Packard Indigo 5500 press. The technology, particularly for color, has improved considerably since the previous press was leased three years ago.

One advantage of the new press is that the paper will cost less: it is a standard 12.5x19 inches, whereas the other press required custom-made paper. Another is that it has more data processing capability, which is particularly useful for variable data projects.

Several departments are using this feature for high-volume print runs in which each piece is customized for the person to whom it is mailed. An example is a brochure that informs new students of their housing assignments. The student's name, room number, roommates' names, meal plan, a photo of his or her residence hall, and more are incorporated into the brochure. Tickets for UI athletic events are printed this way, too.

The new press will be used for many of the Storefront projects in development (see related story, above). Some business cards, postcards, and brochures are now available for participating departments. Contact Kim Burda, 384-3724, for more information.

Character Counts: Meet Steve Wilson

Steve Wilson began working at Printing in 1999 as customer service manager. His job included serving as the University's printing buyer, "which meant bidding out the work that we could not produce in house, because of our capabilities or time constraints, to local printers," he says. Three years ago he began overseeing the production area in addition to his other responsibilities.

"Integrity is so vitally important in this present day," says Steve. "The word 'quality' is also important to me, and I try extremely hard to instill this in myself and all those who work with or for me, whether it be our character, work habits, products, or action taken when a problem arises—and, yes, there are a few of them that come up in our business."

Steve has worked in the printing industry for more than 40 years and has served on the boards of directors of Emmaeus Bible College and ECS Ministries, in Dubuque, for nearly 25 years. His wife, Barb, works as a nurse at Marengo Memorial Hospital. His son and family live in Cedar Falls; his daughter and her family in New Hampshire.

When the early retirement package was announced, it didn't take long to decide to take advantage of it, Steve says. His request has been approved, so he will retire at the end of December. "What am I going to do after I retire? Still thinking that one through, but I do have a real estate license and will probably use that to some degree," he says.

"My real passion, however, is helping missionaries around the world fufill building projects by sending in a team of qualified workers for a short term, so the missionaries can continue their work. This summer I got a nice taste of this by working for two weeks on installing new bathroom facilities at a Christian camp in the mountains of Colombia. I hope to be a part of similar trips around the world in the years to come."

"Some of the things I have accomplished here have been to help bring in a new digital color press in 2006‚ which was a tremendous addition for our customers, a full-color offset printing press a year ago, and a number of machines in the prepress department to go along with the new offset press."

"I will certainly miss many of the close friends I have worked side-by-side with here at the University, as they have really become family to me," says Steve.

Top of page

---

SURPLUS

Hawk heaven opens at University Surplus

The new Hawk Room at Surplus, filled with Athletic Department surplus items, has been a resounding hit. Hawkeye apparel in stock includes football jerseys, baseball jerseys and jackets, track shoes, sweatshirts, tennis and other t-shirts, polos, turtlenecks, and more. There also are a few Alamo and Capital One Bowl shirts, jackets, and hats.

The football jerseys, worn during last year's Hawkeye games, sell for $100 each through eBay and at Surplus. A roster is kept on hand so buyers can choose whose jersey to buy. There are a few duffel bags and lots of canvas briefcases produced for football clinics.

"The vast majority of the things here are new," says Adam Kinney, a student employee who is majoring in management information systems in the Tippie College of Business. Brand-new track shoes are priced at $20 a pair—a drastic reduction from their original prices of $100 to $150.

"The t-shirts and turtlenecks are from $5 to $15 each; the sweatshirts are a little more," says Kinney. The Hawk Room opened this past summer. Before that the Athletics Department would conduct annual sales, but storage became a problem. Now, when they need to clear things out, they call Surplus for a pickup. "It's an ongoing thing," says Greg Morris, athletic equipment manager. "It's worked out better than we ever thought."

The Hawk Room is open for public sales every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discovery, and cash for payment.

Top of page

---

WE LIKE FEEDBACK!

Story ideas

Are there topics we haven't covered that you would like to see in our newsletter? Do you have questions you would like us to address? Send an e-mail to the editor or a memo to Into Print, 129 MBSB.

Address corrections and additions

If you wish to be added to the Into Print mailing list, fill out and send our form. Use only University of Iowa campus addresses and @uiowa.edu e-mail suffixes.

E-mail us

Send questions and comments about departmental topics to:
Bionic Bus
Cambus information
Central Mail
Commuter Programs
Fleet Services
General Stores
Parking Facilities Operations
Parking Services
Copy Center #2, 100 Mossman Building
Copy Center #3, C102 Pappajohn Business Building
Copy Center #10, 180 Boyd Law Building
UPACS and Copyright Service

We are . . .

Business Services: Equipment Rental, General Stores, Laundry, Parking & Transportation, Printing and Mailing Services, and Surplus, serving The University of Iowa community. The print version of Into Print is distributed free and on request to UI faculty, staff, and students.

Contributors to this issue

Gary Anderson/Business Services, General Stores; Brian McClatchey, Michelle Ribble/Parking and Transportation.

Editor and web administrator: Jenean Arnold, phone 319-384-3723, 129 Mossman Building.

Top of page