Texas Roundup for NGPA
Using Focus Groups
Rick Wise, director of Printing Services at the University of Missouri-Columbia, described the fine points of using focus groups to gather input from customers. Wise suggested that managers should have a clear purpose for setting up a focus group. The group should be led by someone with decision-making authority, should contain a balance of large and small customers plus administrators, and should have clear boundaries. And most importantly, Wise advised the audience not to ask a question if they can’t live with any answer the group provides.
Ray Chambers, CGCM, MBA, has invested over 30 years managing and directing printing plants, copy centers, mail centers and award-winning document management facilities in higher education and government.
Most recently, Chambers served as vice president and chief information officer at Juniata College. Chambers is currently a doctoral candidate studying Higher Education Administration at the Pennsylvania State University (PSU). His research interests include outsourcing in higher education and its impact on support services in higher education and managing support services. He also consults (Chambers Management Group) with leaders in both the public and private sectors to help them understand and improve in-plant printing and document services operations.
