Spread Roots and Be Indispensable

"WE DON'T tell upper management everything that the machine can do. If they knew, well… (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) then there would be more work for us."

A colleague of mine spoke these words to me while I was researching a rotary engraving machine. I'm still amazed that he actually said that to me—out loud. I refrained from commenting, but on the way out the door I whispered to a staff member of mine, "If I ever say anything that resembles that comment, please remind me of this day, and I will gladly resign."

The biggest problem with my colleague's statement is that this attitude will run through your in-plant like the H1N1 virus with the same calamitous results. However, the opposite of this "say no first" attitude can be equally contagious. Say "yes" to your customers and provide them with every service and solution that you possibly can. Go the extra mile on every job, every time, and up-sell, up-sell, up-sell. If you set the example, your employees will follow.

Perhaps the most famous up-sell ever, and we've all heard it, is "Would you like fries with that?" Always give your customer the option for "fries."

We recently had a customer order 20 certificates that were going to be given to attendees upon completion of a particular conference. This was certainly not the kind of job that would help me justify new equipment or staff.

The customer told me that they just "hand them out at the end." I suggested that they would look better framed, and the customer agreed. We bought pre-matted frames that looked more expensive than they were, and delivered 20 framed certificates. The best part of this story is since that day we have completed more than 400 framed certificates for that customer and have received orders from others. Even the customer's language changed; whereas they used to "give them away," they now "present them to attendees." In this scenario those frames were the fries.

Sprouting Roots

So what was I doing researching a rotary engraving machine anyway? A machine that is capable of creating interior and exterior, ADA-compliant signage complete with Braille? After all wasn't I the manager of print and mail services at a small university? The answer to the latter is yes; and to the former… sprouting roots; big ubiquitous roots of indispensability; roots that, if plentiful enough, will be impossible to deracinate.

In Saxon White Kessinger's poem, "Indispensable Man," she equates one's indispensability with the difficulty of filling the hole left behind when you remove your hand from a bucket of water. We can't be arrogant about it, but we can strive for it. Especially in a time when listservs and trade journals inform us about in-plants being downsized, right-sized, outsourced or simply closed, it is our responsibility to prepare for a future wrought with change by regularly questioning our product and service offerings and diversifying when possible and where needed.

A New Service Takes Shape

It was about six months ago when a university committee decided that my entire campus required new signage. The purpose was to further embrace ADA compliance, to provide better directional support and to simply make aesthetic improvements. The committee authored an invitation to bid and sent it to a number of sign shops. The committee examined the bids, and I am certain that the collective shriek can still be heard echoing around campus. They were not prepared for what this would cost.

They then discussed whether it would be possible for this type of signage to be produced in-house and, if so, what department would handle this. It seemed that this would be a good fit for the facilities department, but one of the vice presidents wanted to see if the print shop was interested. He probably tripped over a root.

The committee and I began investigating machines capable of producing this work and the costs associated with it. It began to make sense financially, and after discussing the challenges that this would create with my staff, and thoroughly researching the equipment and the vendor, I jumped at the opportunity. In January of 2010 we will be installing a Gravograph IS8000XP rotary engraver.

This is a big container of fries.

Some years ago—more than I would like to admit—when I was contemplating returning to school to complete my bachelor's degree, I proclaimed to my father that if I started right now I wouldn't graduate until I was thirty. (I know.)

My dad looked at his still naïve boy and said, "Son, you're going to turn 30 with the degree or you're going to turn 30 without it."

The logic was so simple and so powerful. As the years unwind, our in-plants will either remain stagnant or diversify and grow. I understand that the fate of in-plants is often dependent on complex issues, perceptions and personalities. I also know that it is the job of in-plants to be open to all ideas and to continually provide creative solutions to their parent organizations.

Some of the print-related solutions we are now able to provide include mailing services, promotional items, warehousing, product sourcing and, soon, ADA-compliant signage (and anything else that I can get out of the engraver). In short, if it contains a message, we will do our best to provide it.

We are now also exploring the possibility of apparel printing, possibly a student-run operation housed in printing services. I am going to continue my research on this topic as soon as I adjust the diploma on my wall (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).

Spread roots and be indispensable. IPG

Jim Sabulski is manager of Print and Mail Services at Misericordia University, in Dallas, Pa. You can reach Jim at: jsabulsk@misericordia.edu