Big Plant On Campus

Already one of the country's largest in-plants, Louisiana State University's Graphic and Mailing Services just got bigger, with a new facility and expanded capabilities.

Louisiana State University's Graphic and Mailing Services never need worry about a shortage of customers. The Baton Rouge-based in-plant exists on a campus full of faculty and staff who are obligated to use its copying, printing and mailing services.

Still, Michael K. Loyd, director, is not content with a captive customer base. He wants to be the university's preferred—not mandatory—printer.

"Although departments must come to us, we would like to be their printer of choice," he says. "We want to serve our university."

Serving the university has meant looking for new ways to implement graphic arts and mailing services. Loyd has strived to pinpoint, then satisfy, untapped demands.

Unfortunately, cramped quarters had put boundaries on Loyd's vision. Until very recently, campus mailing services shared a building with the Student Union, leaving little room for growth, while bulk mailing services took up space at the main printing plant. Likewise, Graphic Services' copying centers were confined to three small offices.

When the Student Union announced expansion plans, Loyd was happy to remove campus mailing services from the premises. In fact, he even closed down the copy centers and combined them with bulk and campus mailing in a new location: a vacated two-story building. The new facility, which opened last month, is now known as The Copy and Mail Center.

Thus far, the center only occupies the downstairs—or 10,000 of the building's total 20,000 square feet. Even so, Graphic and Mailing Services now has more room than ever. Previously, campus mailing was squeezed into a 1,500-square-foot office, while the main copy center had to get by with 2,500 square feet.

"There was no room to expand in the old facilities," Loyd points out. "Before, it was like, 'This is what we do, period.' Now we have excess space, so we can move into new services."

The center is located 15 blocks from the university's printing facility, another building that falls under Graphic Services' jurisdiction. One of the largest university printing plants in the nation, the operation boasts sheetfed presses ranging from one-color to six-color, as well as a four-unit web press.

More Than Just University Work

The printing plant runs two shifts, outputting brochures, posters, manuals and other color products for the university—and for other state institutions. Approximately 30 percent of the in-plant's work comes from outside LSU, Loyd says.

The in-plant lands many of the jobs that the Louisiana state printing office cannot handle. LSU's Graphic Services has printed promotional material for state parks, quality manuals for the Louisiana Department of the Environment and recruiting pieces for other state universities.

"We specialize in four-color printing," Loyd says. "The state printing office doesn't have our color capabilities."

Despite the multicolor presses, sometimes Graphic Services receives a job that must be outsourced. When such occasions arise, the in-plant does everything possible to ensure the best possible quality at the best possible price for its customers.

"We take our responsibility very, very, very seriously," Loyd emphasizes. "We are focused on doing the best job we can."

The new center proves this proclamation—as does the in-plant's new equipment, all added for the benefit of customers. Recent investments include:

• A Kodak IS-110 that can output 8x11˝ and 8x14˝ sheets with spot colors at speeds of 110 copies per minute.

• A Savin color copier with RIP.

• A Hewlett-Packard wide-format ink-jet plotter.

• A Baum air-feed folder.

• A GBC AP-2 automatic punch.

Graphic and Mailing Services has an annual budget of $7.6 million; the in-plant's latest installations cost $100,000. Nevertheless, Loyd had no trouble justifying the expense to the powers-that-be, who, knowing that Loyd's investments are always for the greater good of the university, granted him the funds necessary to pursue his passion: to be the university's printer of choice.

"They were very supportive in our efforts," Loyd notes.

In addition to making room for new services, The Copy and Mail Center has granted Loyd the freedom to streamline existing offerings. By merging three copy centers that ran one shift, he created one highly efficient center than runs two. And by consolidating bulk and campus mail into a single facility, The Copy and Mail Center gives the customers the convenience of one-stop shopping while giving the center a potentially profitable service.

"Graphic Services had been supporting campus mail," Loyd explains. "We're losing money on the deal."

Graphic and Mailing Services has always charged back bulk mailings. In the future, it hopes to make money off all mailings.

"We have a plan within five years to move everything to auxiliary status," Loyd continues. "We would charge back everything—including campus mail."

Customers got a glimpse of the future for mail and copying services last month when the center kicked things off with an open house. Faculty and staff took tours to get a taste of what the center can do for them. The center also opened its doors to students—a positive step for an in-plant that had spent the past concentrating primarily on the university's employees.

More Student Contact

Other than printing the student newspaper, the in-plant interacts infrequently with the student body. Loyd hopes to change all that. He points out that the center has added a T-shirt press, and printing T-shirts could be big business with students. In fact, any of the center's services could suit a student's needs.

"We never really pursued the student market on campus," Loyd says, "but we can do a lot of good for students."

Loyd knows quite a bit about being a student at LSU. He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the university. After graduation, he initially pursued a career in writing, not printing.

"I wrote sports for a couple of years, but I liked the production end, so decided to move into commercial printing," he says.

After spending the '80s in commercial printing, Loyd returned to the university in August of 1990 to work in Graphic Services. He became director in March of 1995.

Not only is Loyd an employee at the university, he is also a graduate student. This May, he will receive a master's degree in public administration with a concentration in higher education. In August, he enters the Ph.D. program in higher education administration.

As a doctoral student, Loyd may learn the law of survival that so many Ph.D.s know so well: publish or perish. Fortunately, Graphic and Mailing Services' new networked color copying center is designed to keep professors alive and well.

"We offer the possibility of doing self-publishing," Loyd notes. "If a professor wants to publish but can't find a publisher, we can do it."

Loyd came up with the idea after visiting the University of Pittsburgh's custom publishing department. "I'm emulating them," he says.

Here's how it works. The professor transfers electronic files to Graphic Services' server via an FTP site. Employees preflight the files, then send them to the Savin color copier, outputting as many or as few copies as the professor desires. It's true short-run printing at an inexpensive price.

Custom publishing, while impressive, only touches upon the network's potential. Networked color copying is also perfect for printing course materials and bringing out-of-print books back into circulation.

While The Copy and Mail Center officially opened in February, Graphic and Mailing Services is still refurbishing the second floor. If all goes according to plan, the facility's 20,000 square feet should house 35 to 40 of Graphic and Mailing Services' 98 full-time employees by summer.

Once completed, the remodeled center should include a conference room and, quite possibly, the university's highly successful copier management program (see sidebar). The center will also offer digital services, such as Web design.

LSU's Office of Publications performs the bulk of Web design on campus, but the center stands poised to handle the overflow. The demand is definitely there. "We already have customers waiting in line," Loyd notes.

Other possibilities loom on the horizon. Graphic and Mailing Services is looking into CTP—although, in all honesty, the in-plant has no intention of going computer-to-plate anytime soon. More likely, you'll see CD publishing at the center before you see a CTP platesetter at the printing plant. In fact, just recently, the in-plant sent out a survey to see if customers are interested in CD publishing. Soon, Loyd will evaluate the results.

Seeking this type of feedback has contributed greatly to Graphic and Mailing Services' success. Even during the open house, the in-plant made it quite clear that it is interested in what customers have to say.

"When giving the tours, we explained what we do, what we planned to do, and asked for input," Loyd says.

And when Loyd and his employees ask for input, they really want input. Through listening, Graphic and Mailing Services has learned what customers truly require and, as a result, has made—and can continue to make—the acquisitions and expansions necessary to grow. The numbers prove that the in-plant is on the right track.

"We're on the verge of increasing our revenues by 20 percent per year," Loyd says, "because of the new capacity and capabilities."

Carbon Dating: Centralized Copier Management

Through its centralized copier maintenance program, Graphic Services oversees 400 convenience copiers and 80 coin/card-operated copiers at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

"It is an excellent way of doing things," declares Michael K. Loyd, director of Graphic and Mailing Services.

While Loyd acknowledges the convenience and cost-effectiveness of LSU's centralized copier maintenance program, he cannot take credit for it; he inherited it.

In 1986, Curtis Simmons, then-director of Graphic Services, was asked to take over the copiers in the main library. Not only was he up for the challenge, he decided to go one step further. He went to various conferences and learned how he could centralize maintenance for all of the university's copiers.

"He then approached the vice chancellor and showed him how the program could save the university money," Loyd says.

And save the university money it has. According to Loyd, the average customer spends two and half cents per copy, thanks to the program. "If we use the 1986 pricing as a benchmark, we are saving the university $2 million a year," Loyd calculates.

And that's not all. As a state institution, LSU has the right to rely on state contracts for copier maintenance. However, the university's program is much more cost-effective than anything the state of Louisiana can offer.

"We're still saving $300,000 over the state contracts," Loyd adds.

Currently, seven vendors service the university's 480 copiers. That could change. At press time, Graphic Services was bidding to see if one vendor could handle everything at a lower cost.

"We're testing the market," Loyd says.

Quick Look

Louisiana State University

Graphic and Mailing Services

Baton Rouge, La.

Manager: Michael K. Loyd

Employees: 98

Annual Budget: $7.6 million

Main Equipment:

• Scitex Dolev 26

• Six-color, 20x28˝ Mitsubishi

• Two-color, 26x40˝ Heidelberg