"only about 40% of the work was handled in-house"

Today about 90% of the company's printing, folding/inserting, inkjet addressing, cutting and tabbing is handled internally. But just a few years ago, only about 40% of the work was handled in-house. 

In-Plant Manager Shari Carter confides that initially it was a little unsettling when NORCAL, an insurance organization located in California, Rhode Island, Texas and Alaska, became their parent company because it had outsourced all of its printing and mailing. It wasn't long before the digital copy shop started competing against these external vendors with presses and began winning. 

"really liked the quality and the turnaround time"

"(Our company) really liked the quality and the turnaround time.  Because there are no overages, there is less waste," says Carter.  "If they need more printed or changes made, it is not a problem. The big picture is quality, time savings, cost savings, less waste, and of course we are a high spirited and dedicated team."

Thanks to some new upgrades, the 3-person team hopes to bring all of the company's printing in-house in the next couple of years. Upgrades include: 

·         Sharp M850 black and white copier as a back up for their aging Sharp M1100 which still runs great even though it has been worked hard.

·         Konica/Minolta Bizhub Color Press C8000 with 360 multi-function tabber. "It's not only faster, but offers more functions and a better print quality. I really enjoy the booklet maker and the quality trimming ... no more taking the books to the cutter to trim the edge; it's done in one step. The tabber can put three tabs on in one sweep for post office regulations."

·         Pitney Bowes DI 950 - folder/inserter was one of the biggest improvements to their shop besides the printers. "We do two to three times more work and offer a faster turnaround when processing our billings.  We yet have to reach its capacity."

·         DP40s color printer can do envelopes, letterhead, banners, addressing and more. "The advantage is we never run out of letterhead and envelopes."

·         Pitney Bowes Addressright DA95F has proven to be 100% better than their old inkjet.  "Better quality, thicker material can be run through it, drying unit is great for glossy materials, and the increased speed allows us to get mailings done before deadlines hit. Plus the barcode has passed the Merlin test with flying colors."

·         Two Pitney Bowes Connect + 3000 mail machines have also proven to be real assets. "We like the logos that can be printed in color and we can print our return address, logo and postage all in color in one pass."

"all cross trained ... all benefit from the flexibility"

 Like so many other in-plants, her team is being asked to shoulder additional functions beyond traditional printing and mailing.  For example, they scan checks in for Accounting, set up meeting rooms and even cover the switchboard when needed.  "We are all crossed trained for all the various jobs performed each day. We all benefit from the flexibility." The group has found cross-training to be a real win for everyone involved by:

·         Creating learning opportunities for growth and advancement; 

·         Increasing a sense of control;

·         Involving all team members in decision making; 

·         And of course reducing costs for the company.

"Only you and your team make for a good working environment which equals better customer service."

"Customer service is a given in this field," Carter notes. "Communication and understanding the needs of customers, as well as my staff are very important to our success. If my employees are happy and have a positive attitude, the work just flows back to satisfied customers."  While equipment can make a huge difference for in-plants, she believes, "Only you and your team make for a good work environment which equals better customer service."