Business Management - In-plant Justification

After outsourcing its printing, the University of Central Florida endured a nightmare of inefficiency and expense. Now the in-plant's back and customers are happy again. Back in 1993, the higher-ups at the University of Central Florida, in Orlando, looked at the books one day and were shocked to discover their in-plant was running a deficit of more than $100,000. Even though they subsequently learned the print shop manager was pilfering funds—and driving up the negative numbers—upper management decided to bring in outside help. "The print shop's account was so far in the hole that outsourcing was the only way they saw of

When someone asked, "Why do we have an in-plant?" this manager had 10 good answers. WHEN THE space Boys Town Print Shop was occupying became the spot another department needed to complete an office consolidation plan, a question came up: "What do we do with the print shop?" Then another question was asked, "Why do we have a print shop anyway?" I was given the opportunity to answer those questions and more. If you feel you are in a comfortable position with plenty of security, lots of work and great customer relations, I am happy for you. However, I still urge you to

by Bob Neubauer As an industry, in-plants are strong and getting stronger. I find myself making this statement, on average, once every few months. It usually happens at a trade show after a manufacturer or analyst learns my magazine's name and blurts out, "Aren't in-plants a shrinking market?" Despite the raised eyebrows and veiled surprise that often greets my proclamation, I support it 100 percent—and so does the data. According to our 2000 Market Data Report (published in our May issue), nearly 70 percent of in-plants predict their workloads will increase this year. An impressive 47.5 percent say they plan to spend

If you make no attempt to accurately charge back and reconcile your expenses, you will never know whether your costs are in line. And if you don't know how accurate your costs are, you're setting yourself up for a Monday morning meeting you'll never forget — your last one.

To work effectively with commercial printers, partner with them. This means putting aside your fears of outsourcing and trying to educate one another. No in-plant can print everything. Some items simply must get sent to outside commercial printers. Even the country's largest in-plants outsource work. Boeing, Allstate and USAA, which ranked at the top of our recent Top 50 list, outsource 22 percent, 30 percent and 39 percent of their work, respectively. By outsourcing jobs that you can't print well in-house, you will get the best quality possible for your customers. Working with commercial printers, however, can be a tricky business. To get

Even the most efficient in-plant may be questioned after a corporate merger. Learn how to prepare. You keep your in-plant well tuned, giving it regular maintenance, changing the machines' belts as needed and adding fluid regularly. But no matter how well your in-plant handles the curves and bumps of the day-to-day operations, you still can't be sure how it's going to fare when a corporate merger approaches. And with new mergers being announced almost daily, you don't have the luxury of just closing your eyes and hoping for the best. Don't worry, though. You can take steps to protect and prepare yourself so that

What's that you say? Your customer service program has been in place for years and everything is great. Glad to hear it. You keep up the good work. There is no need for you worry about anything. Don't you sometimes wonder what those FM (facility management) groups think about your established and unchanging customer service philosophies? Well, they love them!

Merging with other departments in your parent organization is an excellent way to improve efficiency, increase business and save money.

In-plants that emphasize employee training report increased quality, productivity and customer satisfaction. Find out how they do it. KEEPING YOUR in-plant employees' skills up to date in these days of rapidly changing technology can often be a struggle. It is an on-going process that requires information from many sources. "These days it seems like you're always training," admits Gilbert Sosa, director of printing services for the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, who oversees a staff of 28 employees. "Just as you finish learning an operating system or software program, another version or upgrade hits the market. The printing industry appears

The in-plant at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Colorado and Nevada used to be run by a facilities management firm. No more. The FM was kicked out, and now the in-plant is thriving. by BOB NEUBAUER Like most companies, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Colorado and Nevada looks for ways to cut unnecessary expenses. So when an outsourcing firm proposed taking over the insurance company's in-house printing and mailing operations in 1991—with promised efficiency increases and reduced costs—upper management took the bait. Two years later, with print quality plunging, costs soaring and service withering, the company made a bold but ultimately wise move. It