QANTAS gags comment on $10m print tender
Print management company, TMA, is not allowed to give details of its winning bid as QANTAS insists all print under the new tender will be sourced in Australia.
The original tender included supposed mandatory conditions to maintain offshore supplier panels. It also required the successful bidder to provide direction on logistics for the sourcing of print offshore.
In a document sighted by Print21, the conditions for the controversial tender manifestly confirm QANTAS’s original intention to explore offshore printing. Bidders were asked to supply details of offshore-low cost country sourcing including the printing capabilities and capacity of the various printing companies they would use.
Case studies were sought demonstrating the types of printing to be sourced in low cost countries and the impact distance would have on product lead times. Low cost country sourcing in this context refers to sourcing print from places with lower labour and production costs.
The tender created furore in the printing industry with Steven Anstice of incumbent print supplier, IPMG, saying the company refused to comply with the requirement to have print sourced from offshore.
In a statement to the ASX, Anthony Karam, managing director of TMA, said the company’s bid would deliver 25 per cent savings for the airline over the two-year contract. When contacted by Print21 to comment on the offshore component he said that all further comment on the tender had to come from QANTAS.
The airline issued a statement saying "… We can confirm that the package of work awarded to TMA involves 100 per cent on shore produced printing."
