Delta Dental of Michigan Named ‘Print Center of the Year’

At the recent In-plant Printing and Mailing Association conference, Delta Dental of Michigan’s print center was honored as IPMA’s 2016 Print Center of the Year. This award recognizes an in-plant printing operation that has excelled not only in managing its operation efficiently, but has also furthered the objectives of its parent organization.

“The department is honored to be selected for this year’s Print Center Award,” says Supervisor Todd Graham, who accepted the award at IPMA’s awards ceremony in Boulder, Colo., in June. “Winning this award is a tribute to all the hard-working individuals that were involved in making our print center one of the best in the country.”

Supervisor Todd Graham (left) accepts the Print Center of the Year award from IPMA awards chairman Chris Donlon.

The print center has transformed itself from a liability to an asset for its parent company. In 2010, it served the printing and mailing needs for Delta Dental of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and New Mexico, with minimal graphics printing capabilities. Over the next five years, the print center began serving affiliated Delta Dental companies in three additional states. All of this was accomplished with a 2015 operating budget that was 21% less than the 2010 budget.

This success is sustained by the culture of continuous improvement and the strong team environment that has evolved between staff and management. The print center team has instituted best practices in management and fostered a culture of innovation that benefits the parent company.

The in-plant has focused on improving staff skills and securing better equipment and software. Staff-driven initiatives have included ISO brand color verification and lean manufacturing improvements. As a result of its improvements, the in-plant has become the print vendor of choice for high-profile print projects and is seen as a value-added partner.

“Our department mission is to support corporate strategic objectives by providing innovative, high-quality printing, mailing and other services by utilizing people, technology and continuously improving our processes,” says Graham. “Receiving the IPMA Print Center award this year helps demonstrate and reinforce our mission as we continually change and innovate for the future.”