Fairfield University: Squarely at the Roundtable

Standing in front of the bronze stag statue on the Fairfield University campus are (from left) Document Services Manager Joann Ference, Senior Director of Design and Digital Print Curtis Ebdon, and Production Manager Maureen Reynolds.

Less than 10 years ago, Fairfield University’s Printing & Graphics operation was getting by, serving the Catholic (Jesuit) institution of higher education competently and faithfully, but still operating in the red. The in-plant reported a deficit of more than $52,000 in Fiscal Year 2009.

Today, rebranded as Design & Digital Print Services (DDPS), the in-plant is thriving as an integral part of the overarching Marketing and Communications Division supporting the Fairfield, Conn.-based university. In FY 2016, the operation recorded chargeback savings in excess of $185,000 based on a $2 million budget.

The fundamental spark for the turnaround came a little more than six years ago when the Marketing and Communications Division directed the implementation of a centralized marketing agency model that encompasses design and printing, communications and public relations, Web and digital marketing, and video/digital media working collaboratively and cohesively under one umbrella.

Previously, the in-plant depended heavily on word of mouth to solicit business from departments and colleges within the university, which enrolls more than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Now, client partners such as Alumni, Advancement, Athletics and Admissions contact an assigned account manager — called an integrated marketing manager (IMM) — with their needs and the IMM pulls DDPS into the process from the get-go. As a result, rather than just taking jobs, the in-plant is a partner in creating communications that best serve its constituents.

The Design Group sets out digital proofs for review. From left: Senior Graphic Designer Ed Ross, Graphic Designers Kim Szabo and Roberta Reynolds, and Production Manager Maureen Reynolds.

“We’re now there sitting at the table at the start,” says Curtis Ebdon, senior director of Design & Digital Print. “If someone comes in asking for a three-part mailer, we might recommend a bi-part mailer instead as more effective and cost-efficient. … Or we’ll look for cost savings through design, such as making a slight design tweak on a piece in order to print two-up instead of one-up.”

‘Design Drives Print’

Ebdon joined the Fairfield team in November 2010. “I was brought in as a creative director with a business background,” he says. “In our current model, design drives our print, whereas we had been a print-driven shop.” He notes proudly that within six months of his arrival, the in-plant was already $68,000 in the black.

By prioritizing in-house design, DDPS increased internal design volume by 26%, according to Ebdon, who adds that the true savings has been in the reduction of $100-$150 per hour charged to Fairfield for design services.

Digital Print Specialist Paul Villacres (left) checks a proof printed on the Xerox Color 1000 while Document Services Manager Joann Ference selects the next ream of paper.

“We increased our internal design with a cost savings to the university of $40,000 to $60,000 per year,” he says.

Within that timeframe, the in-plant also reported a volume increase of internal print work of about 30%, including a great deal of work that had been outsourced previously. “We used to send out pretty simple jobs such as a two-part mailing, A7 format, 1,500 count, but have brought work like that in-house,” says Ebdon.

“We saved about $9,000 annually just by bringing the Freshman First Year Student Guide — which is about 48 pages with tabs, pockets and envelope forms — internally,” he continues. “We saved another $8,500 on the Quick Center for the Arts brochure by bringing design in-house, although it is still printed externally.”

Centralization has increased the in-plant’s overall control, whether it does the work internally or outsources it. “We eliminated the cost of external agency markup and implemented our three-vendor bid process to further drive down external cost,” he says. “If it has to be outsourced now, we deal with vendors directly using a bidding process for all jobs over $2,500 to ensure best price, quality and service.”

More Ways to Save

Checking a poster printed on the in-plant’s Canon imagePROGRAF IPF8400S is Michael Slimak, assistant manager for Print Services.

Ebdon has found additional ways to save money on both outsourced and in-house jobs.

“We spend $90,000 on paper just for our viewbooks, which we send out for printing,” he says. “By buying our own paper to be used for the job rather than using paper supplied by the print vendor — with a mark-up — we can pass along huge savings to the university.”

Internally, he adds, “Human Resources told us we saved them ‘tens of thousands of dollars’ by collaborating with them on a project that required helping them to populate 1095c forms themselves with sensitive data for printing and mailing.”

In five years, gross chargebacks rose from $407,000 to $459,000 for internal print and from $378,000 to $613,000 for external print, but Ebdon points to the efficiency in the cost savings given back to the university as the real story. He attributes those savings in large part to recurring paper savings through direct purchasing, as well as the success of a new equipment lease and the utilization of more efficient equipment.

The in-plant offers both color and black-and-white digital printing via Xerox equipment. “We have been all digital since I’ve been here,” Ebdon says, noting that his predecessor made the transition about two years before Ebdon arrived. Monochrome work is produced on Xerox Nuvera units and variable data on Xerox DocuTechs. Recently, the operation expanded its color capabilities with the acquisition of a Xerox 1000i press and moved into 42˝ wide-format printing with a Canon imagePROGRAF IPF8400S. To manage its workflow, the shop invested in a WebCRD Web-to-print system from Rochester Software Associates.

Digital Print Specialist Paul Villacres operates the Neopost Mach 5 digital color envelope printer.

Justifying New Equipment

When the in-plant makes requests for new equipment and technology, the university has typically funded acquisitions “because we’ve showed them the numbers.” For example, when seeking the Canon imagePROGRAF IPF8400S wide-format printer, Ebdon made the case that “if we purchase it, we’ll pay [it] off in six months and it will be a profit center. We’ll charge you half of what it would cost on the outside and still turn a profit. Labor costs won’t go up; we’ll just increase productivity.”

DDPS produced 638 jobs on the printer in its first year of operation. Chargeback was nearly $30,000 with a cost savings of $14,900 compared to outsourcing.

The company is adding a Neopost DS200 folder/inserter next month. Ebdon considers it a long-term investment that will allow the in-plant to increase its direct-mail capacity and save money in the long run. He expects an ROI of about two years. “We won’t bring in everything — some of our Advancement appeals can be in the 10,000-40,000 run range — but we will take on many jobs up to 10,000,” he says. “And we’ll be able to increase the size of a mailing up to a 9x12˝ envelope.”

Design & Digital Print Services still handles plenty of typical work, including a viewbook, appeals, postcards, brochures, forms and classroom materials. Less typically, it has done graphics for: large posters embedded into 36x72˝ Plexiglas locker-room doors that can be changed each year; a basketball team timeline; a large ceiling dome; campus and building banners; and the new $22 million RecPlex recreational center. Additionally, DDPS will be working on wall graphics for the Barone campus center and designing for non-print projects, including digital boards and screens located on campus.

Joann Ference, Document Services manager, runs the Xerox Nuvera 120 EA.

“We’re also into e-publications — formatting our print materials to responsive digital communications for online viewing,” Ebdon says. “We’re neither increasing nor decreasing print volume, but we’re enhancing communications with prospective and current students, increasing awareness of the university, and demonstrating that we’re on the leading edge.”

Close Outsourcing Call

Even with all that DDPS has accomplished, the in-plant had to fight for its life just two years ago when an outside digital print vendor known for taking over in-plants in higher education tried to mount an attack at Fairfield.

“They came in with numbers, and I countered with numbers that proved we are self-sustaining,” Ebdon says. “I went apples to apples in terms of costs, and also demonstrated what we offer that they can’t, including branding aspects and the ability to print on-demand with same-day turnaround. And I asked, ‘Can you guarantee your numbers from year to year?’ They couldn’t.

“Honestly, I hadn’t even realized that we were totally self-sustaining at that point, but when we crunched the numbers, there we were, and the university realized they really have something good with us,” he adds. “It was a great accomplishment.

“Now, we don’t want to get complacent. We look at all of our numbers every single year to see how we can get better, decreasing costs, developing our partners’ trust.”

Developing Trust

Mutual trust has been a huge part of the organization’s success. “Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jenn Anderson is a great leader,” Ebdon says. “We’ve developed a trust in her, and she stands behind and supports all of us. We know she believes in us. When you’re left alone to do your work, you know you’re doing a good job.”

DDPS has eight full-time employees, including three graphic designers, and also engages as many as four freelancers on a regular basis. The staff operates harmoniously in 6,500 square feet in a building on the north side of campus overlooking the athletic fields. The building’s other residents are ITS and Human Resources. Anderson and the IMMs are located in a different building but meet regularly in DDPS’ space.

Design and production are divided only by a wall, which Ebdon views as a plus. “When there’s an approval, we just walk through the door to get a sign-off, and we can make changes on the fly,” he says.

Ebdon makes a point of acknowledging his DDPS staff: Production Coordinator Maureen Reynolds, Document Services Manager Joann Ference, Assistant Manager for Print Services Michael Slimak, Digital Print Specialist Paul Villacres, Senior Graphic Designer Ed Ross, and Graphic Designers Kim Szabo and Roberta Reynolds.

“We work very well with one another and count on quick daily meetings [of no more than 15 minutes] to get everyone to the table and make sure we’re on the same page,” he says. “And I need and rely on all of them. I can’t do what my digital print group and production coordinator do.”