Performing Under Pressure

At investment banking firms like U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray, confidentiality is a major concern—surpassed only by deadline pressure.

IN THE world of high finance, you often have to move quickly to secure the best rate or make the smartest investment for your clients. For in-plants at these power brokerage firms, the pressure is on to get the documents customers need into their hands quickly and confidentially.

At U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray, an investment banking firm dealing in stocks, securities and mutual funds, confidentiality is a major concern for the in-plant. Convenience copiers have been put in all departments to avoid intermingling of reports between employees.

"Confidentiality is very big—not only from the public but internally, as well," says Dave Schleuter, vice president of printing services for the Brooklyn Center, Minn., in-plant. Schleuter reveals he has built a "wall" of privacy to ensure that no information is leaked from his shop.

While the in-plant must keep the information confidential, it must also get the information out quickly. Much of the material the shop produces is time-sensitive. The research reports it prints for its market analysts, for example, have a 24-hour turnaround time.

Schleuter says the shop also produces high numbers of brochures, advertising materials, corporate forms and sales memos. Much of this is done as two-color work produced on offset presses. He points out that about 60 percent of the work the in-plant does is in color.

The in-plant brought in a Risograph duplicator in March, taking its first steps into the digital realm. Schleuter says he wants to move closer to a digital workflow in the months to come, especially with the recent growth of his parent company and the growing number of internal customers.

Regional Roots

U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray began as a regional company, with most of the in-plant's customers located in the Minneapolis area. As the company has grown, though, Schleuter has seen his in-plant gain responsibility for customers as far away as the Pacific Northwest and California. Jobs from these distant areas are often sent to the in-plant via Zip disk. Since there is no mandate to use the in-plant, Schleuter has initiated a marketing campaign so new members of the corporate family know of the services the shop provides.

On top of printing, Schleuter manages 39 convenience copier contracts, which include service and supplies. He heads up the 4,000-square-foot print shop and 2,000-square-foot copy center. The in-plant has nine full-time employees, and a budget of $1.1 million. The shop relies on a full chargeback system for all jobs.

All in-plant employees at U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray are cross-trained to be able to handle any part of a job. This has given the shop a good amount of flexibility.

"Our press operators take jobs from camera to finishing," boasts Schleuter. "I hire press/bindery operators so they can go wherever I need them to go." This will no doubt be helpful in the future, since Schleuter plans on bringing in new equipment.

"I plan to continue to play up the two-color offset work," he explains. "But I also want to bring in more digital equipment. All our copiers are now digital." Schleuter says he is now looking for a new one-color press and is going through the research and justification process.

Quick Look

U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray

Brooklyn Center, Minn.

• Employees: Nine

• Annual Budget: $1.1 million

• Size: 4,000 square feet, plus a 2,000-square-foot copy center

• Main Equipment

• Hamada 600 offset duplicator

• Hamada 775 offset duplicator

• Hamada E47 offset duplicator

• Risograph GR3770

• Xerox 5390 high-speed copier