The $74,495 Solutions
by John Perfette
Up, down, up, down--regardless of what happens to newsprint prices, waste
reduction is always a priority. The Tribune Chronicle in Warren, Ohio (evening,
circulation 38,975), used a multi-pronged plan in 1995 to earn newsprint savings
of $74,495.
In the Pressroom:
- Manufacturing Waste: Pressroom staff members receive $25
each month when newsprint waste is 3.3 percent or less.
- Roll Handling: Take a physical inventory every day during
the last seven days of each month. Compare with accounting records to assure
accuracy.
- Rewinding: Rewind half rolls and sell.
- Color Placement: Communicate cost with editorial and
advertising and explore options that will ensure reasonable press configuration.
- Inventory Control: Emphasize accuracy of roll labels that
are stripped in pressroom and the importance of data entry in the business
office. Check manifest.
- Newsprint Quality Control: Ensure webs are in order,
ink-control switches are on and units are purged to avoid light pages and
unnecessary stops. Ensure compensators are set correctly, conveyor is monitored
at folder to avoid jam on start-up. Ensure black tape is placed on roll that
will activate roll change.
Proof paper rather than make adjustments while
papers are being printed. Check page numbers, ink settings, color registration
and any other visible problems prior to printing good newspapers.
Ensure
unit positions are purged when previously running fractional roll and then
changing to three-quarter or full roll.
Pursue credit when newsprint is
damaged in transit. Take photos of damage; driver must sign manifest noting
damage.
Refuse to accept severely damaged rolls.
Retrain staff members
in tow-motor procedures to prevent roll damage.
Continue to remove only
damaged area of 3/8 inch or less on end of roll. Do not strip roll to remove
damage; a cut out of damaged area need only be removed.
When roll has severe
damage, continue to remove the damaged portion and run part of the roll as a
three-quarter and remaining as full roll. Damaged three-quarter and half rolls
are to be treated the same way.
In Circulation
- Draw Accuracy: Use computer-generated draw figures to
assure accuracy. Monitor down routes to avoid one zone being short papers and
another zone having extras.
- Returns: Reduce daily returns (for us, from 19.4 to 16
percent).
- Service Copies: Reduce service copies.
- House Ads: Reduce house ads (for us, 3,734 inches, or
28.3 pages).
- N.I.E.: Avoid selling N.I.E. newspapers when page count
exceeds 36 pages.
- Samples: Ensure accurate numbers are ordered, printed and
delivered. All sampling must show follow-up and results.
In the Mailroom
- Equipment Maintenance: Adhere to maintenance accuracy.
- Counts: Emphasize accuracy.
- Monitor Waste Percent: Reduce spoilage on comics, TV book
and jacket from 2.5 percent to 2.0 percent.
In Editorial
- Newshole: Measure and report news/paid-ad ratio. Continue
tracking daily, measuring weekly and reviewing monthly.
- Jumps: Monitor to avoid.
- Replates: Monitor, minimize.
- Schedule: Adhere to deadlines.
Continue to track
percent late press starts, percent pages last hour and which pages were late.
Establish impact of returns and press waste.
- Other Content Cutbacks: Reduce stock quotes.
In Advertising
- Replates: Monitor, minimize.
- Schedule Adherence: Adhere to established deadlines.
- Make Good Use of Space: Track, minimize.
John Perfette is vice president of operations for Thomson Newspapers'
Penn-Ohio Strategic Marketing Group. Phone, (330) 841-1660; fax, (330) 841-1721.
TechNews Volume 2, Number 6: November/December 1996
©1997 Newspaper Association of America. All rights reserved.