Harold Rapp

Computer management systems offer in-plants a way to track costs, boost customer service and justify themselves. Find out what else they can do for you. Two years ago, Iowa State University Printing Services was paying the administrative data processing department about $8,000 per month for the use of its estimating and inventory tracking system. But that system tracked materials only—there was no way for the in-plant to factor in time and labor costs. "We really didn't know what our true costs were," admits Gary Boyd, manager of printing services. He decided to take action. He researched many different computer management systems for his

Ditch that peg board. Computer management systems are the best way to track and schedule jobs—as well as collect data to justify your in-plant. Up until a few years ago, Mike Kalstein took a very hands-on approach to managing. "We tracked jobs manually using a production board, moving pegs around," admits Kalstein, in-plant manager for the California State University at Sacramento. That peg board has gone the way of the slide rule, replaced by a modern computer management system, which the shop uses to track its approximately 1,000 jobs per year. And Kalstein wouldn't go back for the world. Computer management