WASHINGTON, DC—The printing industry continues to see new personnel enter this exciting field. Some are in sales, others are in customer services, or involved with management and production.
Whatever your role, part of the job description (written or unwritten) is to assist in gaining work for your company and producing profits. This means no stone should be left unturned in finding jobs that can be run on your plant's equipment.
This influx of new talent is why, every once in a while, it is important to educate printers about the federal Government Printing Office (GPO) and its potential as a customer to your business. The following should succinctly address the who, what, where and how of GPO.
What is the GPO?
The GPO is not as old as Ben Franklin. However, it is a very established office of the federal government created nearly 140 years ago. It was established in the mid-1800s to satisfy the printing needs of the U.S. Congress, which continues to have oversight and control.
At the same time, the Executive Branch has its input in GPO by appointing The Public Printer. The person in this position, held by Michael DiMario since 1993, serves as GPO's chief officer and is nominated by the President
Today, the GPO is more than just 'ink on paper.' While its moniker would suggest that it is dedicated to printing and binding of printed materials, GPO also deals with information dissemination in many formats, including printing, microfiche, CD-ROM and online technology for the entire federal community. This includes the maintenance, sale and dissemination of the largest volume of U.S. government publications and information in the world. In all, 9,000 titles are available for sale at any given time, with many ordered through GPO's online bookstore.
It is the availability of hundreds of millions of dollars in outsourced work to private sector printers, which constitutes more than two-thirds of GPO's printing revenues, that is of importance to commercial printers. More than 100 federal departments and agencies utilize GPO's services.
How does GPO bid and award printing jobs?
There are two basic manners in which printers bid for GPO work: by providing a price for an invitation for bid (IFB) for a single job, otherwise known as a jacket, or bidding for a term contract, or program. Single job purchases account for 52 percent of all procurements by dollars. In all, there may be approximately 50,000 jackets bid out in a year to GPO vendors.
Printers that actively participate in GPO business choose to bid on single purchases with schedules that match known unsold capacity, thus minimizing downtime and adding bottom-line dollars. Inserting these jobs into production schedules is accomplished easily because the jacket informs the printer of the guaranteed date they will have the job materials.
The remaining 48 percent of GPO procurement dollars are spent by placing orders with vendors under programs. At the same time the number of orders under programs is twice the amount of the jacket purchases. Thus, a printer that can obtain the award of a few programs may receive a great deal of steady orders during the course of the contract (normally for one year).
What type of printing is awarded?
The type of printed work from the GPO closely reflects any other market. Federal agencies are, for the most part, businesses that require stationery, business cards, envelopes, marketing materials, business forms, newsletters, conference materials, signage, decals, etc.
In addition to these items, GPO also is responsible for initial printing or reprinting of many pamphlets and books. More and more, some of these titles also require a CD-ROM version, thus opening up a whole new need for vendors.
Along with the diverse type of work, orders also carry a range of quality requirements, from museum pieces to photocopying. The vast majority of work falls somewhere in the middle, which allows printers to find jobs that match their equipment (and operator) capabilities.
Who is getting the work?
Somewhere around 2,000 GPO vendors will receive at least one order during the federal fiscal year (October through September). Of those, there are a handful of businesses in the United States that use the GPO market as their largest source for work.
The vast majority, however, are businesses ranging from 'mom-and-pop' print shops to much larger corporations—all of which see GPO work as a secondary market that helps even out production and avoids costly sales lulls.
How do I become a vendor?
GPO has a very simple procedure that requires the filling out of a multi-page form and mailing the completed form. This form requests some financial information to gauge your stability and an equipment list that determines in-house capabilities. Upon acceptance, you are given an eight-digit number, which identifies your business with any of the 21 GPO procurement locations.
You will also be asked to set up a payment account for Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT). This is the method used by GPO to pay you for finished work. Under its regulations, GPO offers a payment schedule of 20 days from job delivery.
William A. Gindlesperger is founder and president of ABC Advisors, a national print consulting firm specializing in print procurement. For more information on how to obtain GPO work, call (800) 288-8250 or visit abcadvisors.com.
- People:
- Ben Franklin
- Places:
- United States
- Washington, DC