Mike Lincoln Shares Four Ways Workflow is Like a Road Trip on Print 18 In-plant Panel

Introducing Mike Lincoln, State of Colorado

Mike Lincoln is State Printer, State of Colorado, operating within the state’s Department of Personnel and Administration, Division of Central Services, Integrated Document Solutions (IDS) group. Lincoln oversees the IDS team with responsibility for graphic design, printing, mail, delivery and dispatch operations for the State of Colorado. Well known in the in-plant community, his extensive experience spans from technical to support areas in and outside of the printing industry. Lincoln has served on the advisory boards of several peer organizations, most recently as IPMA’s President through 2016. State of Colorado

produces over 120 million impressions annually with 58 employees and operating on a $11.4 million budget. One of the largest government in-plants, the State of Colorado has won numerous awards and was the first state in-plant to add a color inkjet platform. The operation’s primary print focus is large volume transactional print, quick prints, and wide format, and also offers mailing, distribution and fulfillment, courier/delivery services, document storage and copier fleet management.

Four Ways Workflow is Like a Road Trip

When I asked Mike about his thoughts on workflow for the session, he had a great analogy. “If you think about workflow in terms of a road trip, the analogy fits perfectly! Whether it’s a trip you have been planning for a long time or an ad-hoc trip.” He feels that there are four ways that workflow is like a field trip:

Know where you are going. It’s not a trip unless you know the destination, and in print workflow, it’s not a job until you know the final product. Usually, with a trip you will at least glance at a map. In workflow, you should have a roadmap for the shop.