SOS Print snatches major govt contract from Blue Star

SOS Print & Media Group will print and distribute almost eight million ballots in just a fortnight after winning a NSW government contract out of the hands of Blue Star.

SOS will start printing the ballots for the 8 September local government elections on 8 August. All ballots will have to reach destinations throughout NSW by 22 August.

Director Michael Schultz gave ProPrint an insight into the planning minefield; the number and size of the ballot papers will only be determined after nominations close on 31 July.

"It's a tricky print job because we have to be very flexible until the last minute," he said.

"The printing is really not that tricky, but having something like 700 different print jobs going through the factory in such a short time is the tricky bit.

"You have so many jobs going through the factory and you don't know the volume and the exact number of jobs until the data is released to you."

Schultz said the key to managing the project would be an excellent front-end system that would allow the company to track the job from the factory to the delivery truck to destinations as distant as Broken Hill.

For security reasons, SOS is handling the distribution, while this level of control will ensure high standards of quality and efficiency are met, added Schultz.

The 125-staff operation has printed electoral rolls before, but never ballots, he said.

The job will be produced on SOS's 10-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster, two-colour Speedmaster and 10-colour Akiyama JPrint.

Blue Star could not be reached for comment.