The State of Oregon’s in-plant has saved millions for its customers, while enhancing document security.

By Erik Cagle

DAS Takes  Security Seriously

Accuracy and security walk hand in hand as far as Oregon’s state agencies are concerned; having one without the other is akin to having neither. The task of providing that peace of mind for the printed materials of more than 1,500 clients rests on the shoulders of DAS Publishing & Distribution.

For jobs done in-house, there are various options centered around security, all of which are dictated by the client. Many customers take advantage of the PacTrac secure delivery system. Jobs that take this route are assigned a security level (one through four), tracked as they’re being processed and shuttled to cages. Customers have the option of getting product returned via shuttle, as a secure document such as a PDF, or mailed via USPS or UPS.

Jobs assigned level one or two security (only the client determines the security level) may be general “addressee” correspondence. Levels three and four represent the highest security and require handlers to have requisite access clearance.

“We look at our customers’ wants and needs, where they’re going to get their best value and what’s going to help them get it out to their clients in the most timely manner,” explains Kevin Beck, production manager. “It’s really a closed-loop system, in terms of taking care of the customer.”

Security is of utmost concern at DAS Publishing & Distribution, given state privacy laws, chain of custody and fraud protection edicts, says Tim Hendrix, program manager for DAS Publishing & Distribution. A badge is required to access the office as well as two upper security printing levels, and printed jobs are transferred to the Pitney Bowes inserters via locked cages. The higher levels (three and four) are likely to be jobs that include variable data such as name/address and social security/license number. Such a job is likely to be delivered to a secure room within a secure building that requires badge clearance at each level.

The level three and four designations are almost exclusively variable data jobs, which run a rich gamut including boater education cards from the state marine board, checks for the department of human services, property tax statements, safety certification for off-road vehicles (4x4/quad/ATV) and fish/wildlife hunter education cards.

IN A CLASSIC "Peanuts" comic strip, Schroeder confronts Charlie Brown with scores of numbers to illustrate the ineptitude of their eternally winless baseball team. He builds quite a case, and when he finally finishes recounting the team's blundering exploits, Charlie Brown offers a curt reply.

"Tell your statistics to shut up," he says.