From The Editor: Fight for the Right Of First Refusal

WHILE I was touring the University of St. Thomas' in-plant in St. Paul, Minn., last month, Director John Barron revealed some wonderful news. In September, the board of trustees at the private, Catholic liberal arts school granted his in-plant the right of first refusal (RoFR) for all university printing—the holy grail for in-plants everywhere.

This reminded me that just weeks before, Ken Johnson, director of Ball State University Printing Services, announced his in-plant had also gotten the RoFR. A new BSU policy states, "All university printing jobs must be submitted to Printing Services to produce the job in-house."

Wouldn't it be great if every company and organization did it this way? After all, the in-plant has the printing expertise to decide whether it's more cost effective to print a job in-house or send it out. Yet only 28 percent of in-plants have the RoFR, according to IPG data.

It can be argued that in-plants are better off without the RoFR. Competing with local printers for business keeps an in-plant sharp and forces it to provide stellar service. A policy requiring all work to come to the in-plant could make the shop complacent, since it won't have to try so hard to get business. Also, departments forced to use the in-plant might not be the happiest customers.

So Barron, Johnson and those other 28 percent aren't exactly on easy street. They know if customers start complaining, the RoFR can easily be stripped away after the next change in university leadership. One of the key challenges of these managers is to convince employees to never let their smiles slip, even when customers complain; they are all customer service reps.

To sidestep the grumbling of reluctant new customers at the University of St. Thomas' in-plant, Barron agreed to slash the shop's prices in half (and they were already competitive). Understandably, the in-plant has been very busy as a result. Prices will return to reality at the start of the fiscal year, Barron says.

Both managers hail the benefits of having RoFR. Customers save time and money; staffs' knowledge of university logos and colors lets them catch mistakes in time; budget funds stay on campus. Barron was even able to add a full-time designer/operator due to the boost in business. Johnson says seeing all print jobs will help him plan his shop's future equipment and staffing needs.

How did these two in-plants succeed in getting the RoFR? Perseverance and patience, says Johnson. For more than 10 years he has plugged the pros of the RoFR to anyone who would listen. One supporter later became a vice president, and after an administration turnover, the idea found approval. Other in-plants shared their RoFR policies, helping Johnson craft one for BSU. He also created an online FAQ that anticipated department concerns.

At St. Thomas, it was a consultant hired by the university to find cost-cutting measures who recommended that all printing go to the in-plant (though Barron had urged this for years). Getting the RoFR, Barron adds, not only boosted the shop's business but its esteem; it showed how confident the school was in the in-plant's quality and service. And he vows to never let the university down.