Blue Star Wins 3-Year Contract with Eight Govt Agencies

30 May 2011

Blue Star Wins 3-Year Contract with Eight Govt Agencies

Blue Star Group New Zealand has won an innovative new contract to provide print management, streamlined communications, marketing and mailing services to eight government agencies led by the Ministry of Social Development. The agreement allows for other interested government departments to join the contract, which is expected to result in cost savings in the millions of dollars over its term.

The $10.8 million contract represents a major buying group comprising the New Zealand Police, the New Zealand Defence Force, StatisticsNZ, the Department of Building and Housing, Land Information New Zealand, Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs and Te Puni Kōkiri (Ministry of Māori Development). Each agency is expected to recognise significant savings in printing costs over the initial three-year period while leveraging additional value add services.

“This is a major contract for Blue Star and allows us to bring the best of what we can offer in document creation, effective use of information and other transformative business tools to these agencies, for the ultimate benefit of the taxpayers of New Zealand,” says David Jupe, chief executive officer of Blue Star Group NZ.

“We envisage this agreement will be transformational for both Blue Star and the government agencies; it represents a beginning of a true collaborative relationship where we can share ideas and collectively solve problems for these disparate agencies.

“We would, at any time, welcome the widening of this collective purchasing pool within government.”

Blue Star had previously held a five-year contract to supply print management, information technologies and mailing services to the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). This new contract, which was awarded following a competitive tender process, came into effect in February, and has an option to renew for an additional two years, allows the government agencies access to a full online ordering, asset management and reporting tool.

For an organisation such as the MSD, printed material is a user-friendly way of explaining the types of help the department can offer New Zealanders. From application forms, to information brochures, the MSD produces several thousand items in print every year.

Mr Jupe says that, in recognition of the increased significance of the wider print services’ collective, Blue Star will employ two graduates in a management cadetship programme. In addition, Blue Star will take on an additional two apprentices, in its digital production areas.

“The expansion of our apprenticeship programmes recognises our mutual investment in, and advancement of, technology and the role it plays in New Zealand today and into the future”.

The government agencies had typically had several contracts in place with print services. Now, with print services consolidated to one supplier, savings in areas such as electronic invoice processing are possible. A single supplier also gives the agencies better visibility of their total print services expenditure, making it easier to seek further improvements.

With Blue Star, the agencies get the following:

* One single supplier who could manage the end-to-end supply chain
* The opportunity to identify further cost reduction opportunities across the group via ongoing reduction in printing services, with improved online systems and tools
* Access to excellent account management that will add value and provide a seamless service across a range of printed products

* Access to the latest print technology, including digital asset management

* Monthly consolidated invoicing
* Supplier-owned stock
* Online proofing and ordering
* Visibility across the print supply chain including: viewing quotes, stock, work in progress and completed orders online.

ENDS

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