Good Service, Good Deals

According to in-plant managers, quality service from their paper vendors is as important as a quality product.

How paper vendors service their customers is just as important as the grade, stock and quality of the paper they sell. At least that's what managers told In-Plant Graphics during several recent interviews.

Morton McGovern, supervisor of printing and office machines at Allendale Insurance in Johnston, R.I., says his vendor is so flexible that he can call anytime and get what he needs.

"If I need a sample really quick they'll send it to me without a problem," he says.

But not all managers are thrilled with their vendor's services.

Paul Kurzynowski, manager of Reprographics at University of Nevada-Las Vegas, says that even though he's satisfied with his four vendors, lack of human communication can make order-taking difficult.

"When I call, I constantly get shuffled around and sometimes never get my questions answered," he says. "I want to be able to call one number and talk with a real person."

Our conversations with managers about their paper-buying practices and experiences were quite revealing—and pertinent, since managers are not going to stop buying paper any time soon. In fact, according to the 1997 IPG paper buying survey, nearly 40 percent of respondents are buying more paper than they were five years ago.

Read on to find out what goes into in-plant paper-buying decisions.

Doris Walker,

Mailroom Manager,

Duckwall Alco Stores

Paying a fair price for paper is job one in most in-plants because of restrictive budgets.

"I try to get the best price possible, and there's enough competition out there to get the best for your shop," explains Walker about the Abilene, Kan.-based Duckwall Alco Stores.

She deals with three vendors, tells them what she wants and obtains bids. It's that simple. To make paper buying even more convenient—and cheaper—her shop uses one multi-purpose paper that can run in both the offset presses and copiers.

To get even bigger discounts, Walker purchases paper by the truckload and stores it in a non-climate-controlled warehouse. The employees keep the stock covered, only taking out enough for each job. There's no waste, and inventory is relatively easy to manage.

"We recycle our paper; we don't waste a lot," she says. "We try to find a use for extra paper, and we run as much stuff front and back as possible."

White, 20-lb. 81⁄2x11˝ paper dominates the stock of the 10-employee in-plant. For special items like gift certificates, a 24-lb. sheet is used.

Penny Gault,

Printing Supervisor,

Scottsdale Insurance

"We get whatever is on sale," Gault reveals about her paper purchasing techniques.

The Scottsdale, Ariz., shop has a set of designers who pick out the paper, and then the bidding war begins between four chosen vendors. Her picks are a 60-lb. bond smooth and a 20-lb. bond for the copier.

For the presses, Husky and Springhill papers are used and Hammermill is used for the copier. Her favorite pick for the copiers is a selection from Unisource (Dual Purpose 20-lb.) which she says has more consistency in color and weight than others. NCR stocks and multiple-part invoices are difficult to run, says Gault, because of static electricity and double sheeting.

Lacking warehouse facilities, the in-plant does the next best thing: it stores paper outside.

"Believe it or not, we don't have any problems," says Gault. To save money and space, the shop buys only large sheets, brings in the amount to be used for a job and cuts the sheets down the night before.

Morton McGovern,

Supervisor of Printing and Office Machines,

Allendale Insurance

The customers rule in McGovern's in-plant when it comes to choosing paper. He says that their needs and wants goes into his buying decision, and he takes it from there.

"We go through a catalog to select sheets, and if we can't come across exactly what they want, then we find something as close as possible," he explains.

While naming Boise 20-lb. bond as his favorite for consistency and affordability, McGovern also uses a 70-lb. text and a Strathmore paper for his organization's letterhead.

When asked which paper gives him the most problems he, along with other managers, says that running carbonless paper is difficult.

"Because it curls, and with the infrared heating systems we have, it makes the problem worse," he says.

Sending out for quotes and bids is the usual method for managers seeking to obtain competitive prices. Some do it on an as-needed basis; others bid annually to update their lists and vendors. McGovern, who buys from four vendors, says that bidding annually not only helps revise his lists but also keeps him current on what specific vendors are offering.

"One vendor who didn't carry a specific line last year may carry it now at a better price than the one I previously ordered from," he explains.

Though satisfied with his current vendors, McGovern does have one concern. "When I call to order or to find something out, I would like it if I could be transferred to other people who are familiar with my account instead of being put on hold."

In the near future, he would like to see vendors using the Internet to let viewers see products on the Web.

"Instead of always going through a catalog, I would like to view colors and other information on-screen," he says. "That would save a lot of time."

Since the in-plant has no warehouse, it has worked out an arrangement.

"Instead of tying up shelving space, we work with our vendors to hold the stock for us," he says. "We save a lot more money that way."

Paul Kurzynowski,

Reproduction Manager,

University of Nevada-Las Vegas

Like McGovern, Kurzynowski also utilizes his vendor to store his paper.

"We basically have on-demand inventory," he says. "We don't waste as much and don't have to carry as much inventory."

Kurzynowski's shop carries mostly house sheets that are selected by the graphic artists and client. "By the time it gets to me, the paper has already been selected, and I seek out the best price or a comparable sheet," he says.

In order to get the best price, calls are made and faxes are sent out. When three bids are completed, the selection begins based on quality, price and runnability. For offset presses, Springhill grades 3 and 1 (for higher-quality jobs) are used; for copiers, a plain 20-lb. bond does the trick.

Because of the dry Nevada climate, paper can get brittle at a faster rate, which interferes with runnability. The little paper they do have on-site is stored in a climatized, air-conditioned warehouse.

Kurzynowski's main complaint about recycled paper is that his operators have had problems with picking paper fibers from the rollers.

Though he says his shop gets adequate support from vendors, and he's satisfied with the paper, Kurzynowski does have one gripe about the industry—the lack of consistent pricing.

"The price [of paper] fluctuates so much that you never know if what you get this year will cost twice as much next year," he says.

Loyd Clifton, Central Services

Supervisor, City of Santa Ana, Calif.

Clifton has a whole municipality of clients to please.

"I order a majority of what the customer requires, and I select what they want," says Clifton, who supervises 50 high-speed copiers throughout the city. He uses a 20-lb. or 50-lb. bond plain white paper for most jobs, and he orders on a weekly basis because he simply doesn't have the storage space.

Quality can vary among different paper stocks, says Clifton.

"Sometimes the lower-priced and the higher-priced [stocks] may be the same," he says. "What it really depends on is where it comes off the roll."

He says he doesn't use recycled paper very often because of the moisture content and curl. He considers it a step down as a paper.

To help with runnability, Clifton makes sure there is air between sheets so the paper can "breathe" and run through the copier with fewer mishaps. IPG

"Instead of tying up shelving space, we work with our vendors to hold the stock for us. We save a lot more money that way."

—Morton McGovern