The Association of College and University Printers (ACUP) conference drew 125 in-plant managers to Clearwater, Fla.

By Bob Neubauer

A Peek Across the Pond

To give U.S. in-plants a global perspective, three in-plant managers from the U.K. offered their observations from abroad. One of them, Duncan Hurst, of Heriot-Watt University, in Edinburgh, Scotland, discussed an initiative to implement best practices at a handful of university in-plants and assess the results.

He described the characteristics of a hypothetical school he called The Utopian University. This would be one that understands its requirements for all printing; knows what equipment is on campus; ensures that all output goes to the machine offering the most cost effective, environmentally friendly service; and keeps the customer happy with price, quality, convenience and service.

To move towards this model, in-plants would need to ensure they are doing what is right for the university; take a print service approach that combines in-house and outsourced printing; work as a team with IT, procurement, design and marketing; and ensure that service is straightforward, transparent in pricing and customer-focussed.

Hurst offered other advice too: in-plants must act commercially, understanding costs, staff flexibility, business processes, collection and delivery, and efficient workflow. Service must change over time and not stagnate, he said. Customers should drive the service and not the staff and equipment.

“We have to decide what is right for the university, even if the in-plant has to change,” he declared.

Hurst also offered the results of some rigorous benchmarking of costs between six in-plants and 14 commercial printers. He found that in-plants provided much greater savings than he had anticipated.

WHEN YOU combine a vibrant, amiable group like the Association of College and University Printers (ACUP) with a beautiful setting like Clearwater Beach, Fla., you have the recipe for an excellent event. Last month’s ACUP conference was exactly that. It brought together 130 in-plant managers from all over the world for four days of discussions, educational sessions and fun in the Florida sun.

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Bob Neubauer Author's page

Bob has served as editor of In-plant Impressions since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited more than 180 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, co-sponsored by IPMA and In-plant Impressions.

ACUP in the Sunshine State