REPORT ON UNMANNED COPY CENTER OPERATED BY THE RECORDS ADMINISTRATION BRANCH

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-05054A000100070006-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 28, 2002
• Sequence Number: 6
• Content Type: REPORT

? Approved For Release 2002/09/03 : CIA-RDP78-05054A000100070006-5
REPORT ON UNMANNED COPY CENTER
OPERATED BY THE RECORDS ADMINISTRATION BRANCH
1. After a lengthy search for space and much negotiating, an
unmanned Copy Center was finally opened in Room 2E37 in March 1974 using
a Xerox 4000, a plain-paper copier, and an SCM 412, a coated-paper
copier. In addition to ISAS, seven other components agreed to assist us
in evaluating the Center concept. These included the Offices of the
Inspector General, Director of Central Reference, DDO/FR Support Staff,
Director of Joint Computer Services, DDA Regulations Control Staff,
OTR/OPS Training Program, and Headquarters Engineering Branch/OL. These
two machines replaced a Xerox 2400 in OJCS, a Xerox 4000 in RCS and a
Xerox 3100 in ISAS. Although D/CRS retained a purchased Xerox 813 and
I Iretained a Savin 220, the majority of their copying is now done in
the enter. As a means of determining the number of copies made on the
SCM 412 by each of the users, we installed an Auditizer, a device requiring
the use of a "credit card" to activate the machine. The number of
copies made by each user is recorded on a separate meter. This system
began on 1 April 1974. Because of the high cost of installing this
system on the Xerox 4000, we opted for the Auditron, a device which
activates the machine by inserting a cartridge-type control into a
receptacle. Unfortunately, we were not able to secure and install this
device until l June 1974. With control devices on both copiers in the
Center, the June volume decreased by 11,040 copies or 24 percent over
previous months. The July volume increased slightly over June but was
still less than earlier months. We are not naive enough to believe that
this reflects a net reduction in copying by the users, but are convinced
that control devices do reduce the number of copies made.
2. During Fiscal Year 1975 the type and model of the copiers in
the Copy Center were changed as the requirements changed and to give RAB
an opportunity to test different copiers. When the SALT Staff joined .
the Copy Center users, a sorter was needed. To satisfy this requirement,
a Xerox Model 4500 was rented to replace the Model 4000. In addition to
providing the needed sorter capability, this action gave RAB an oppor-
tunity to evaluate the Model 4500. The Model 4500 was not reliable nor
cost effective. This,plus the increase in the volume copied in the
Center, caused RAB to replace the Model 4500 with a Model 36001. The
SCM Model 412 was replaced by 3M Model VQC in October 1974 due to service
problems.
3. As mentioned earlier, the test Center is unmanned. Since the
equipment is operated by the customer, a variety of problems have been
Approved For Release 2002/09/03 : CIA-RDP78-05054A000100070006-5
 Approved For Release 2002/09/03 : CIA-RDP78-05054A000100070006-5
identified. Machine breakdown, while not excessive, occurs frequently
because of the number of operators each doing their own thing. Some
supplies are being wasted, the proper machine isn't always used for the
copying needed and -the ability of the Xerox 4000 to do two-sided copy was
frequently overlooked. In addition, the need for much of what is being
copied is questionable. All of the operators have been trained in
proper machine usage by the vendor and/or representatives of this Staff
and periodic meetings are held to receive their comments and provide
suggestions on improving the use of the Center. Another problem encoun-
tered is the reluctance of users to copy on the coated-paper copier. We
believe this stems, not from the people actually operating the equipment
but to a great extent from supervisors with a built-in reluctance to use
coated-paper. Although the percentage of coated-paper copying has been
increasing, emphasis from senior management throughout the Agency is
essential to break with custom. This is a very real concern since
coated-paper copy can be produced at one-half to one-third less than
plain paper copy, depending upon the volume.
. 4. The success of this unmanned Copy Center is due to the fact
that it is managed by RAB personnel. In any unmanned Center, someone
has to be responsible for budgeting for the copiers, ordering supplies,
keeping the room clean and orderly, and calling for the service tech-
nicians when the copiers malfunction. For this reason, unmanned Copy
Centers would probably be more successful if all of the users were from
the same office or division. The other alternative would.be for the
Office of Logistics to man and operate Copy Centers.
5. The concept of manned Copy Centers has been investigated with
several possibilities available. One alternative would be to acquire a
staff position for each Center and assign a full-time staff employee to
operate the equipment. With current ceiling problems, this alternative
seems remote. Another possibility would be to contract with a company
to provide the services of a machine operator. This could be prohibit-
ively expensive unless the Copy Center volume was very high. For instance,
Dennison quotes a per-copy cost of $.025 for 1-100,000 copies with a
minimum charge of $2,500 per month. Xerox charges are less specific
since they prefer to tailor a program to the customers' needs and then
quote a price. However, an estimate of $3,000 to $3,500 per month was
quoted for a volume of 50,000 copies. Additionally, these firms are
either reluctant to or refuse to use equipment in the Center other than
their own which obviously limits the mixture of plain- and coated-paper
copiers. Since the operators provided receive a small salary (approxi-
mately GS-04), turnover could be a problem with resulting additional
expense to clear a replacement. A third possibility, and the one we
think most reasonable, would be to hire part-time employees who would
not count against ceiling to share the Center operation. This option
Approved For Release 2002/09/03 : CIA-RDP78-05054A000100070006-5
 Approved For Release 2002/09/03 : CIA-RDP78-05054A000100070006-5
would provide personnel fully controlled by the Agency, operating equip-
ment selected by the responsible Agency component. (This might be a
way to use handicapped employees.)
6. The cost effectiveness of the Copy Center is difficult to
evaluate because some of the users changed during the year, volumes
increased dramatically these last six months as a result of FOIA and
Investigation Task Force activity, and there was a several month
delay in securing the new Auditron for the Xerox 3600. To simplify
these calculations, we have assumed that during FY 75, each component
copied the same percentage of the total fiscal year volume as copied in
the month of June. Three tables have been prepared using these statistics
and are attached.
Attachment A FY 75 Copy Center Volumes & Expenditures b
Month and Copier.
Attachment B Copy Center Cost Analysis for June 1975 by
Component and Copier.
The actual costs are pro-rated among using
components and are compared to costs which
would have been incurred had each component
used its own Xerox copier which was best
suited to the volume copied by that component.
Attachment C FY 75 Copy Center Analysis by Component.
The actual FY 75 volumes are pro-rated among
the users based upon their percentage of
total June usage. Actual fiscal year usage
by component is unknown since the Auditron
was not in use for several months.
Those components who used the Copy Center for a part of the fiscal-year
are included in Attachments B and C as "Other."
7. Both Attachments.B and C show costs in the Copy Center to be
less expensive that other arrangements. This is due primarily to the
copier pricing structure. The minimum cost per copy on Xerox copiers
averages about $.04 and decreases as the volume increases. For example,
the Model 3600-I starts at $.0315 per copy and gradually decreases to
$.006 for all copies over 50,000. This can further be illustrated by
the fact that two Model 4000's at 25,000 copies each per month will cost
$1,482, while the total 50,000 copies can be made on one Model 3600-I
for $1,101.
Attachments:
A, B, & C
Approved For Release 2002/09/033 CIA-RDP78-05054A000100070006-5