Head Of Its Class

University of Washington Publications Services

Seattle, Wash.

As the largest university in-plant on the IPG Top 50 list, University of Washington Publications Services has an impressive operation. Not only does it fill a three-story, 48,000-square-foot building on the edge of the Seattle campus, but it includes 16 copy centers, two of which are located off campus.

In addition to printing and copying, the mega-in-plant handles all of the university's incoming and outgoing mail—a massive undertaking, and part of the reason that Publications Services employs a staggering 160 full-time employees and 112 part-timers.

But why? Why does a university need such a huge in-plant?

According to Frank Davis, associate director and 25-year university veteran, the in-plant's size is dictated by the size of the university, which currently has 36,000 students and 18,000 staff members. There are also two medical centers and two other campuses. Additionally, the university is a major research institution, so the in-plant produces lots of grant and research material.

Publications Services consists of Printing Services, Copy Services and Client & Creative Services. These units have 117 permanent staff and 98 student/hourly employees. Mailing Services has 43 permanent staff and 14 part-time students. The reason for such a huge staff in the mailing area, Davis says, is because the school has its own zip code. As a result, the in-plant must handle all incoming and outgoing USPS and inter-campus mail.

"We have such a huge volume of mail because of the size of the university," Davis says.

Because of this, Davis and Director Eric Mosher were able to justify funding three years ago for $750,000 worth of updated mailroom equipment. This enabled the automation of address verification, bar coding and sorting by zip code. Mailing Services now processes 75,000 pieces of mail daily.

"We're saving thousands of dollars in postage every month with the new equipment," reveals Davis. "We're passing on a great deal of those savings to our clients."

Mailing isn't the only area that receives the university's support. The in-plant recently added a 30˝ Agfa Avantra 30 imagesetter, and Mosher and Davis have their eyes on new digital printing equipment, as well.

"We've always been extremely well supported for our equipment acquisitions," Davis says.

The in-plant uses a Logic computer management system to track its productivity and gather data that can be used to justify new equipment.

Some other in-plant facts:

• The 16 copy centers use over 1 million sheets of 81⁄2x11˝ paper weekly.

• Copy Services runs a Copyright Permissions Center with four employees.

• Copy Services has over 225 self-service departmental copiers and 75 coin/card/currency-operated copiers.

Perhaps the toughest part of running such a sizable operation, Davis notes, is communicating with its many employees.

"Since we're so spread out," he says, "we use a lot of e-mail."

Despite its size, Davis says, the in-plant actually has fewer employees than it had five years ago, even though the number of copy centers has increased. This is part of an ongoing effort to keep the operation as streamlined and efficient as possible.

—by Bob Neubauer

Key Equipment

• Agfa Avantra 30 large-format imagesetter with in-line processor

• 28x41˝ MAN-Miller TP-104

• 20x29˝ MAN-Miller TP-74

• 14x20˝ Shinohara

• Heidelberg flatbed letterpress

• Two networked Xerox DocuTechs

• Xerox DocuColor 40

• Two Canon CLC 550 digital color copiers

• 25 assorted high-speed Xerox copiers

• 52˝ Heidelberg computerized cutter