Business Management - In-plant Justification

An in-plant is more than just a supplier of a commodity. Show off your value, as this manager does all the time. by Rosanne Weiman Best Buy works hard to turn on the fun for our consumers and our employees. Still, at Best Buy's Print Solutions Group, we're not immune to the trials every in-plant faces these days: the struggling economy, corporate downsizing and cost-cutting. Recent trends toward a "fear factor" at in-plants are alarming. Fear should not be at the core of life at any in-plant. It's certainly not at Print Solutions Group. Our culture is defined by a get-it-done, we-can-make-it-happen approach

Over the years, In-Plant Graphics has published many articles designed to help managers strengthen their in-plants and stay in business. Here are links to a number of the most useful stories. In-plants that closed and were later restarted: Orlando Magic: An In-plant Victory Story Outsourcing OUT--In-plant Back In Outsourcing: How To Outsource-proof Your In-plant Understanding The FM "Monster" Facilities Management: Be On Guard Defeating Facilities Management That Monday Morning Meeting Running your in-plant like a business: Selling A Chargeback Pays Off Chargeback: Critical To Your Survival Operate Like A Business It's Serious Business; Run It Like One The Power Of Competition

Insourcing has brought in new business for many Top 50 in-plants. Fifty-four percent of the Top 50 are doing it. The benefits are clear. by MIKE LLEWELLYN AS PARENT organizations across the board spend less on printing, some in-plants are looking beyond their primary client. Fifty-four percent of the Top 50 in-plants are insourcing work from customers other than their parent organizations. (See list on page 18.) They are bringing in hundreds of thousands—even millions—of dollars in revenue, even in these tough times. For many, this revenue plays a large part in their success, and helps keep them on the Top 50. At Minnesota

Facilities management firms are still out there, whispering in your upper management's ear. To survive, you've got to get your message to management first.

Customers are the only reason businesses exist. Therefore, a basic customer satisfaction survey can provide a lot of the information you need to run your in-plant. It can identify areas where you are doing well and areas that need improvement.

You can't just sit there waiting for customers to find you. They'll find the local quick printer first. Promote your in-plant. Here's how. By MIKE LLEWELLYN &012; "Upper management has a hard time understanding why we would need a sales staff," says Manager Russell Gayer. It's a busy morning at Tyson Food Corp.'s Printing Services Division, down in Springdale, Ark. But Gayer says it could be busier—a lot busier. "The company loses people over a period of time, whether they retire or find other jobs, or whatever," he says. "A lot of times the [new] person that comes in doesn't know what

Newsletters can be inexpensive revenue generators. These three in-plants have had great success using them as marketing tools. By MIKE LLEWELLYN &012;One self-promotion technique that many in-plant managers have found indispensible has been the newsletter. "It's a cornerstone of our overall marketing strategy," notes Kelly Kellerman, marketing director for the State of Washington, Department of Printing Services. "It's our best way of reaching our customers." At Arizona State University, Bob Lane agrees. "It's an important tool for making sure the administration knows we're here," says Lane, assistant director of Document Production Services. Both managers say the newsletter should not only contain information,

Being cost-effective is great, but in today's outsource-driven environment, in-plants must contribute to their organizations' growth. Here's what one consultant looks for when he analyzes in-plants. by Ed Daniel Since beginning my consulting career in 1987, I have had the privilege of consulting for a variety of in-plants for a number of different reasons. The direction and scope of a consultation is typically driven by the sponsor. For instance, an in-plant manager may wish to validate the addition of a new multi-color press or the introduction of digital equipment. A vice president of facilities, on the other hand, may wish to evaluate

The debate about whether to institute a right of first refusal policy continues, but many in-plants find it does more good than harm. by CAROLINE MILLER Right of first refusal: Benefit or death knell? Critics of the right of first refusal claim it amounts to a monopoly and will only breed bad service; proponents say it makes in-plants even more valuable to their organizations and improves service. "The fact that we don't have right of first refusal does force us to focus on customer service more," remarks Ted Bailey, manager of Boise State University's 15-employee Printing and Graphic Services department. "I think it does

Working in an in-plant can sometimes leave you feeling unappreciated. You spend all your time trying to make your organization look good with quality printing, but at the first sign of fiscal trouble, where does your CEO look to cut expenses? Fortunately there are still a few places an in-plant manager can find respect. You're looking at one of them (this Web site, not your coffee cup). You'll never feel unappreciated after reading an issue of IPG--online or on paper. We know how valuable you are. Your fellow managers know it too, and you can always find support—not to mention good ideas—by getting