Performance Based Management

Self-Assessment Report

October 2002

Printing & production

Introduction/Background

Date of last assessment: October 2001

Departmental Overview

Laboratory Mission

The Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) is dedicated to experimental and theoretical research in elementary particle physics and in those fields that make use of its synchrotron radiation facilities, including biology, chemistry, geology, material science and electrical engineering. This includes the development of new techniques in 1) particle acceleration and detection and 2) synchrotron radiation sources and associated instrumentation. The center is operated as a national user facility for the Department of Energy by Stanford University.

Organizational Mission

The Printing and Reproduction functional area self-assessment is based on, and measured against, performance objectives and standards as reflected in Performance Based Management measures that were jointly defined by SLAC managers and their DOE/OAK counterparts in order to address customer satisfaction, cost efficiency, and contract compliance.

 Identification of Self-Assessment Report Staff

Names, titles, affiliations of participants

Douglas Kreitz, Assistant Director for Business Services, BSD

Dianne Morris, Supervisor of the Reproduction Facility, Mechanical Design

Discussion of Individual Performance Objectives

Performance Objective/Measure:

The Laboratory manages information as a corporate resource to improve the quality of its products, to add value to scientific programs and customer services, and as a tool to improve its work processes.  Information will be made available rapidly and cost effectively and will be distributed to the public, industrial partners and stakeholders, as appropriate.Assumptions:

For purposes of this performance objective, the "information management" elements include Printing and Reproduction.

Process used to meet objective/measure:

Three representative measures have been chosen that reflect the performance of the SLAC Reproduction facility, an area where measurements are readily available. 

1. Percentage of double-sided duplication
2. Cost per copy
3. Customer satisfaction

Details of these measures are summarized in this document.

Findings:

1. The percentage total “impressions” of double-sided copying in the Reproduction Facility has increased to 93% of total volume which is, once again, an improvement from the two previous years (88% in FY 2001, and 53.6% in FY 2000).  This reverses a 3-year downward trend we had seen in the past.

2. Our cost per copy has increased slightly (~ 9%) from the figure for last fiscal year.  Our costs averaged $0.6176 this year compared with $0.0568 per copy in FY 2001.  Our costs were $0.0608 per copy in FY 2000.  Our goal is to keep our cost-per-copy within 10% each year.  Therefore, this result is within the acceptable range and is consistent with past performance.

3. Customer satisfaction remains very high as indicated in the on-going customer satisfaction survey. This is an Outstanding result.  Documentation on customer satisfaction is available on request.

 Discussion:

The Duplicating Facility volume comprises slightly less than 20% of the copying done at SLAC overall.  We do not record data on other copy volumes in the “convenience copiers” distributed throughout the laboratory.

The cost-per-copy figure for the Duplicating Facility has returned a value similar to those seen in previous years.  Since the Duplicating Facility has generally fixed operating costs for labor and equipment, cost-per-copy depends almost entirely on volume. 

Customer satisfaction with the Duplicating Facility is extremely high and we intend to continue to maintain that high satisfaction.

Overall Performance

Customer Satisfaction:

Treating each of the divisional components of this functional area independently:

1. In the area of convenience copying, customer satisfaction appears to be satisfactory. No complaints have been reported by Purchasing; new copiers are performing adequately.  In this area, we would rate ourselves as Good.

2. Customers of the SLAC Reproduction facility indicated a very high satisfaction in their surveys.  This deserves a rating of Outstanding.

3. The Technical Publications department has received many complements regarding their progress in Web availability of SLAC publications.  This, again, is Outstanding performance.

Cost/Efficiency

1. For convenience copiers, costs and efficiency are well served with the current mix of vendors.
2. For the Reproduction Facility costs, efficiency, and customer satisfaction remain excellent as indicated in the performance measures.
3. As indicated, Technical Publications now makes SLAC publications available almost exclusively via the Web. This is an efficient distribution system for both Laboratory staff and the entire High Energy Physics community, and especially for SLAC collaborators at other institutions. It also puts the burden of printing costs (i.e., paper and printer maintenance) directly onto the user requesting documents.

Contract compliance:

SLAC is in compliance with all DOE Orders dealing with Printing and Reproduction.

SLAC | BIS  |BSD

For Questions or comments, Please contact Ziba Mahdavi, Last Updated 10/30/02