REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Inquiry Tracking Log Replacement System
April 20, 2015
This Request for Proposal (RFP) is being sent to pre-qualified providers to act as the Respondent for the Inquiry Tracking Log Replacement System Project (ITL Project). Proposals for providing these services will be received until the close of business (4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time) on Friday, May 8, 2015. Proposals are to be delivered to:
Humberto Sanchez, Information Technology Director Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
3900 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44115-2504 Attn: Donice Bell
Senior Manager of IT Operations and Technology Delivery Late submittals will not be considered.
A pre-proposal meeting with the Respondents will take place on April 27, 2015 at 10:00 a.m., EST, in the First Floor Training Room at the District’s Administration Building, 3900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. Questions regarding this RFP may be directed to the IT Project Manager, Donice Bell, at the pre-proposal meeting. Questions may also be presented via email only at belld@neorsd.org up until end of business Wednesday, April 23, 2015.
The District will attempt to respond to e-mail within one (1) business day. Questions and responses deemed to be of general interest will be distributed to all Respondents.
The RFP is organized as follows:
SECTION I. INTRODUCTION SECTION II. SCOPE OF WORK
SECTION III. TRANSFER OF RECORDS SECTION IV. SCHEDULE
SECTION V. DISTRICT RESPONSIBILITY
SECTION VI. PROPOSAL FORMAT AND REQUIRED INFORMATION SECTION VII. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS
SECTION VIII. SELECTION PROCESS SECTION IX. OTHER INFORMATION
Inquiry Tracking Log Replacement System Project RFP - Figures and Attachments The following figures and attachments are included in this RFP.
Figure 1 NEORSD System Layout and Interface Hierarchy Attachment A Implementation Partner Profile
Attachment B Implementation Plan Attachment C Training Plan
Attachment D Client References Worksheet Attachment E Cost Proposal Worksheets
Attachment F Functionality Requirements Worksheet Attachment G Additional Information – Features Attachment H Consultant Resume Form
Inquiry Tracking Log Replacement System Project RFP - Appendices The appendices are provided for information purposes.
SECTION I – INTRODUCTION
Overview
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) developed an in-house application, ITL (Inquiry Tracking Log) application to support the process of gathering customer inquiries specific to wastewater service, billing inquiries, general maintenance and in preparation for estimated increases in customer call volumes as the Storm Water Management Program (SMP) was deployed. Since its deployment, this application has gathered over 137,000 customer inquiries and documented their resolution and follow-up. In addition, it was anticipated that there would be significant customer interaction for SMP billing and program-related inquiries, and storm water drainage system issues. Prior to ITL, customer service representatives mainly kept manual records of customer calls and issues.
The ITL application supports the process of gathering customer inquiries specific to wastewater service, issues, billing inquiries, and general maintenance among others. The ITL application also manages the actions taken from those inquiries. Over the years, the ITL application has gathered over 137,000 customer inquiries and documented each resolution and follow-up.
The ITL application was originally deployed as an interim solution that has been enhanced over the years to meet the growing functional requirements from its users. The application is now more complex to maintain, and it is reaching its limits to support the current and expected levels of use and functionality. The stakeholders include many NEORSD departments such as Customer Service, Operations & Maintenance, Engineering & Construction, Finance and others. ITL is a web-based application, using an Oracle database, and is reached via a link on NEORSD’s intranet site.
Additionally, over time the focus and business processes surrounding ITL changed. The Stormwater Maintenance Program (SMP) was put on hold pending a Supreme Court ruling and Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) began logging all customer inquiries into the ITL application. ITL has become the de facto system for all customer contacts (NEORSD’s website, phone calls and/or emails). The majority of the inquiries can be resolved by CSRs (“one-and-done”). Others are forwarded along to the appropriate department to be resolved and closed. Typically that department takes over the customer communications, informing customers of the resolution for each ticket.
Because ITL was designed for one purpose in mind, and is now being used for broader and more generic purposes, there are some current difficulties that CSRs and other departments experience in tracking the workflow of open inquiries, and collecting and reporting metrics for both open and closed inquiries.
Business Overview
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is a political subdivision of the State of Ohio created and operating under Chapter 6119 of the Ohio Revised Code. Originally named Cleveland Regional Sewer District, it was created in 1972 to assume ownership, operation and management of wastewater collection, treatment and disposal facilities serving the member communities in the Cleveland metropolitan area.
In addition to the Administrative Offices, located at the George J. McMonagle (GJM) Building, 3900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, the District operates an Environmental and Maintenance Services Center (EMSC) located at 4747 East 49th Street, Cuyahoga Heights, Ohio, and three wastewater treatment facilities:
Westerly Wastewater Treatment Plant, located at 5800 West Memorial Shoreway, Cleveland, 44102 (near Edgewater State Park);
Southerly Wastewater Treatment Center, located at 6000 Canal Road, Cuyahoga Heights, 44125 (near the Interstate 77/Interstate 480 intersection); and
Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant, located at 14021 Lakeshore Boulevard, Cleveland, 44110 (near the Cleveland/Bratenahl border).
The Operations Administration and Engineering departments are located at 3900 Euclid Avenue. EMSC located north of the Southerly Wastewater Treatment Center houses Sewer System Maintenance & Operation, Environmental Services, Vehicle Maintenance, Building Maintenance, and Analytical Services.
The District employs approximately 700 people, and serves 51 suburban communities in addition to the City of Cleveland. In addition, there are District employees stationed at various construction sites throughout the District’s service area.
Strategic Plan
Our vision is to lead the region as the premier environmental organization protecting our waterways. To help us achieve this vision, the Strategic Plan consists of five areas on which we will focus our efforts: Operational Excellence, Fiscal Responsibility, Customer Service,
Community Partnerships, and Organization and Employee Effectiveness.
Operation Excellence:
• Operate and maintain the wastewater system to achieve regulatory compliance.
• Adapt business processes to evolving changes in the industry, the environment and regulations.
• Increase the functionality of regional stormwater assets to resolve and/or reduce the critical consequence of flooding, erosion, and catastrophic failure.
• Identify and strengthen key organizational competencies to run daily business and implement the strategic plan.
Fiscal Responsibility:
• Exercise responsible financial management.
• Utilize funding alternatives to minimize customer financial burden.
Customer Service:
• Provide timely and effective responses to customer concerns and inquiries.
• Connect, respond and incorporate feedback from our customers.
• Establish a commitment to customer service among all District employees.
Community Partnerships:
• Leverage partner resources to broaden benefits.
• Develop new mutually beneficial strategic partnerships.
• Position the District as an effective environmental leader.
Organization and Employee Effectiveness:
• Align, build upon, and sustain key human resources.
• Create an inclusive culture that fosters diversity at all levels of the organization.
• Develop an innovative, flexible and adaptive organizational culture.
Of the District’s areas of focus identified above, the ITL Replacement Project would assist and support the District’s Customer Service goal and vision.
Technology Standards
The District utilizes Novell OES11 for network services such as authorization, file, print, and desktop management. Windows 2003/2008 servers are used for Active Directory and
web/application servers. SuSE SLES11 and Oracle Enterprise Linux servers host Oracle database servers. VMware ESXi 4.x/5.x servers host virtual machines for production, test, and disaster recovery. The majority of physical servers are HP DL380 G7/Gen8.
The District's desktop configuration is typically 4GB RAM with a processor speed of 3 GHz running Windows 7 SP1 32-bit and 64-bit. Standard applications include the Novell Client, MS Office 2010 (including Outlook), Symantec Endpoint Protection and Adobe Reader. The District uses Novell ZCM11 for user and workstation policy management, desktop imaging, desktop management, and application deployment.
Generally, the District’s five main locations are connected via gigabit Ethernet links in a ring topology through the use of AT&T’s Gigaman (See Figure 1 – NEORSD Logical Network Topology). GJM and EMSC are one hop from each other on the ring, and are used as disaster recovery sites for each other.
Overview of Related Projects
The District has one other project currently underway that are relevant to the Customer Inquiry Information System Project. It is important that the Respondents be aware of these projects to ascertain the impact that each of these projects will have on identifying District needs and requirements for ER functionality.
1. WAM – GIS Integration
The District is planning the implementing an integration package that synchronizes the assets in the District’s Geographic Information System (GIS) with those in the Oracle Work and Asset Management (WAM) system. The goal for the integration includes the elimination of the current manual asset entries, to provide the foundation for mobile applications for the WAM system, and to provide assets to WAM asset data to field workers using the GIS system.
Other Relevant Information
Other information that may have some impact to the solution offered: 1. Stormwater Management Program
The District’s program seeks to provide comprehensive services to reduce the flooding, erosion, and pollution problems caused by stormwater runoff. It’s funded by a small fee based on the amount of impervious surface on a property (for a medium-size residential property, the fee is about $5 per month). However, this program is currently suspended pending a court ruling. If the program goes into effect, the number of calls into the District’s Customer Service
Representatives will increase which will have an impact to our current and potentially the new ITL application.
2. Phone System
The District phone system is the Avaya Communication Manager 6.2. The main processor is at the GJM Building, with each of the other four sites using local survivable processors capable of simple call processing if a site loses connection to the main processor. Our EMSC location is configured to take over as the main processor if GJM becomes unavailable. All inbound and outbound calls including for Customer Service use one of the five ISDN PRI circuits at GJM. Customer Service is setup as a hunt group. Customer Service Representatives (CSR) login to their Avaya 6416D+ phones to take inbound calls from a call queue. CSRs have three line appearances for customer calls and one personal line. If all CSRs are on the phone and a call comes in, the call stays in the call queue and the caller can listen to music and recordings until a CSR is available, or opt to leave a message. CSRs can AUX out for lunch or breaks. Customer Service uses Taske for call reporting and real-time statistics, and Uptivity for audio and PC screen capture recording. A call vector is setup for after-hours to send callers to a third party call center.
3. Billing System
The District outsources its billing and collection processes to the City of Cleveland, Department of Public Utilities for the majority of our service area. Sewer bill calculation is based on water consumption. The City of Cleveland issues a sewer bill separately from the water bill. In addition, the District has a billing agreement with three suburban communities – Cleveland Heights, Berea and North Royalton.
The billing agreement with the City of Cleveland includes customer services, specifically billing questions. The District has its own Customer Services department who takes all calls that our billing agents may route to the District. However, with the Stormwater Program, all Customer Service calls associated with this program and its fees will be handled by the District’s Customer Service Department.
The City of Cleveland uses the Oracle Customer Care & Billing (CC&B) application, version 2.1.0. The District has approximately 350,000 customer accounts. Customer Service
representatives has online access to the CC&B system for view only. Actions impacting account data (bill amount, consumption. Action items) are created as To-Do actions for the City of Cleveland staff to handle. A software update is planned for 2016. For internal analytics, the District receives a quarterly data file with all billing and collection activity for all sewer accounts.
4. Oracle WAM
The District uses the Oracle Work Order Management (WAM) system, version 1.9.2, to plan, manage and report all work orders associated with asset maintenance, both plant and collection assets. The District’s Asset Management Program relies on WAM for the collection of asset condition to assess asset replacement or renewal. Work orders are initiated through the creation of a work request, which upon review and approval becomes a work order. A Service Request functionality of the system (not currently deployed at the District) was explored once as an alternative to the ITL application and it was concluded that the based approach of the asset-based structure of the system and workflows was limiting for a customer-asset-based business process. Oracle has announced the release of WAM version 2.0 in 2015, which will have significant changes in the underlying platform and data structure. The District is anticipating an upgrade, but additional information is needed regarding the new version and the migration process to 2.0. 5. GIS System
The District has a well-developed GIS system based on the ESRI platform, version 10.2.2. In conjunction with a tool from GeoCortex, the District has developed a full-featured GIS viewer for the desktop through a browser. This viewer is currently available to District Customer Representatives to support their customer interactions. For remote users, the District uses ESRI’s ArcGIS Online, a cloud-based system that interacts with our internal map servers to deliver content-specific maps online, including tablet devices.
The District is presently completing an upload of all of our updated collection system assets, such as pipes, regulators, manholes, etc. The implementation of a WAM-GIS integration package is intended to automate the process of synchronization of asset information between these systems.
SECTION II – SCOPE OF WORK
The scope of this effort is to select and implement an Inquiry Tracking solution that complements and improves the business system and solutions within the District.
NEORSD is searching for a Customer Inquiry Information System that is: I. User Friendly
II. Cost Effective
III. Capable of providing consolidated reports
IV. Capable of providing extensive import/export functions V. Of Current Technology
Project Description
The ITL Replacement Project has specific goals with the evaluation and selection of a replacement Inquiry Tracking Log. The major tasks the selected Respondent would need to provided are:
1. Implementation – Installation of software and configuration for District deployment, 2. Data Migration – Transfer of District data from the current ITL System, into the
replacement system as well as clean-up of current data. This is to include data validation after data migration has been completed,
3. Workflow Rules – Based on Best Practices, 4. Standard and Ad Hoc Reporting Capabilities,
5. Training – For users of the application and programmers database maintenance, 6. Maintenance and Support Agreement.
From an earlier assessment to define the goals of the implementation of the ITL replacement system, it was for that the majority of ITL’s existing features are required for the future state application. Additionally, District stakeholders identified over fifty one (51) business and technical requirements areas of desire for the replacement Customer Inquiry Tracking solution. Each of these reported requirements can be categorized into one of the following focused areas of improvement:
• Data Validation / Data Integrity Rules
o Validation against external parties’ customer master data records o Visibility into a comprehensive customer history
o Ability to log each inquiry as an individual transaction record without updating the previous inquiry records for a given customer or updating the master data o Validation of required fields per category and type
• Robust Table Configuration
o Ability to distinguish between standard tasks and longer term projects per category and type
o Ability to define automatic routing of a ticket per category and type o Override and reassignment capabilities for management or group leads
• Enhanced UI Features/Functionality
o Ability to link a ticket to a “parent” ticket for emergencies or multi-customer issues
o Optional field for issue location in addition to customer address
o Ability to export data related to a record into Excel or a CSV file -- option to include all details or a summary version
o Sort capabilities – display latest action item first
• Dashboard
o Visibility into inquiries at a dashboard level
• General Search
o Ability to search by/for any data field in the system
• Reporting
o Ability to track metrics on the overall inquiry record and/or individual stage of workflow
o Alert functionality – reminders of deadlines o Ability to run statistical reports
o Ability to create additional reports after initial implementation as needed
• Integration with WAM (Work Asset Management), or
o Logic defining that if a related work order exists, the ticket cannot be closed without attaching the relevant WAM report document
• Integration with GIS (Geographic Information System)
o Push/Pull capabilities and data sharing with the Customer
• Additional or Updated Workflows
• Enhanced Security or Permission Settings
A prioritization workshop was attended by key project stakeholders and representatives. The purpose of this workshop was first and foremost to prioritize the requested new functionality into one of the following three categories:
• Must Have
o Required to meet current and future business needs/objectives
• Desired
o Feature(s) could be leveraged but aren’t required for day-to-day operations
• Wish List
The following summarizes the current functions, features and interfaces and those anticipated for the future:
I. Call Management
a. Provide and improve the call management functionalities by providing the capabilities for managing service inquiries, providing database support in call management, and allowing for softphone features pertaining to queuing, call selection and call transfers
II. Interaction Management
a. Enhance and provide inquiry management and creation capabilities including other functions and features that will assist with creating and managing inquiries. In addition, the system shall provide the following capabilities such as automatic customer data entry, predefined data entry procedures, user follow-up and accountability tracking, data view capabilities, status change execution and review capabilities, customizing and defining data types or ranges, channel specific capabilities, basic call center agent interface features supporting services, call-center service script, customer service calendar management and scheduling, transaction/department codes, extraordinary event tracking, and forms
III. Information Management
a. Optimize the searching capabilities of the new system by implementing a knowledge-base engine, data tracking of specified data within a database, various search mechanisms, and sorting functions and capabilities
IV. Web Self-Service
a. Provide web self-service capabilities for rate payers where they can enter service requests, review service requests, review a history of their service requests, troubleshooting guide/knowledge base, and other functionality and features
V. Contact Center Management
a. Provide alerts and notifications, escalation capabilities, workflow assignment, quality assurance/view/search/sort capabilities (workload review capabilities) VI. Work Order Management
a. Improve and enhance the management of the work orders initiated through the customer inquiries from initiation through completion, including closing the loop with the customer. Provide functionality and features that are convenient, increases productivity, increases efficiency, customizable, improve workflow efficiency, schedule and track work orders, and improve reporting capabilities as well other features. In addition, provide the ability for customers to access self-service portal that allows them to obtain information like FAQs, knowledge base, documentation, instant messaging capability, and other features
VII. GIS interface
a. Provide the ability for the system to have push/pull integration with NEOSRD’s GIS system. The District utilizes Esri’s ArcGIS platform to provide a geocoded database of asset information that can be integrated within applications. The system must allow the user to use a GIS map to create inquiries (pull) as well as submit updates to the GIS database as needed (push).
VIII. Analysis and Reporting
a. Provide analysis and reporting capabilities such as creating and modifying reports as well as other report needs. This includes the ability to support service activity reports, service inquiry statistics on call-center performance reports, functionality for data collection and output support for analyzing call-center activities, and provide a customer support library
IX. Issue Management
a. Allow the system to be able to provide the capabilities to conduct general incident and/or service request creation including the support for incident and resolution aids and customer support automation
X. System Administration
a. Allow the system to allow and provide for general administration functionalities. The selected application will be able to gather and share information from multiple input devices.
The Respondent shall provide details as to the method of accomplishing the Scope of Work for these objectives. The Respondents' proposals shall address all of the objectives for each objective as outlined in the Scope of Work by completion of the Features and Functionality Requirement Spreadsheet, Attachment F. The Respondents are encouraged to recommend alternatives and additional objectives to the defined Scope of Work in their proposals.
Requirement Tables
Attachment F has cells that may contain data that describes your products and services. For the purpose of this RFP, the functional requirements are meant to highlight specific data needs including and beyond base levels. Respondents are encouraged to focus their responses on their unique abilities and market differentiators within the application being offered. Those features, functionalities, or enhancements listed should be considered of highest priority and therefore categorized as “Must Have” in regards to functionality needed to meet current and future business objectives.
Please answer each question by one of the five choices available from the drop down box. You may add any comments that might help to differentiate your offering, and you must add comments with further information for all “third party”, “custom”, and “future” selections. It is acceptable to include more elaborate descriptions of products and services in a separate document; please indicate if you are doing so in the appropriate response box. It should be understood the tabs found on the requirement worksheet should not be
construed as modules found in the application, but functional areas within your Inquiry Tracking System.
In addition, Respondents are advised that the awarded Respondent’s proposal will be attached to, and made part of any software licensing agreement that the District executes. All Respondents, therefore, should exercise care to ensure that all answers are those that the Respondent is willing to attach to a contract as being proper representations of their system’s capabilities.
Project Administration
Each Respondent must agree to the terms set forth in the NEORSD Standard Clauses for Professional Services Agreement, Attachment F. Any deviation from those terms must be explicitly negotiated and expressly agreed to by separate writing.
The application Respondent shall coordinate the District and any sub-Respondents selected to carry out project tasks. The application Respondent shall be responsible for the overall quality of task work, including tasks performed by sub-Respondents. The application Respondent is expected to maintain a strong and responsive local presence to assure effective sub-Respondent management and prompt response to District questions and concerns. The following outlines specific subtasks for Project Administration:
Project Communications
The application Respondent shall develop a communications protocol between the sub-Respondents and the District staff assigned to this project, including but not limited to the Project Manager and other participating teams. This protocol shall include verbal and written communications, meetings, presentations and communications between the application Respondent, sub-Respondents and other District staff.
Project Schedule
The application Respondent shall develop and maintain a detailed Master Project Schedule for the ITL Replacement Project in a standard project management format identifying milestones, deliverables, and key coordination meetings. The master schedule shall be regularly updated and forwarded to the District. A preliminary project schedule shall be submitted with the application Respondent’s technical proposal.
Project Staffing
The application Respondent and sub-Respondents, if any, shall maintain the project staff as stated in its proposal. Any changes in project staffing shall be communicated to the District in advance, and the Respondents shall maintain an equivalent level of expertise as with the originally proposed staff. The application Respondent shall also identify project staff authorized to incur reimbursable expenses such as travel expenses.
Project Billing
The application Respondent shall prepare and promptly submit monthly master invoices for the project. The application Respondent and any sub-Respondents are responsible for assuring and
certifying that invoices are correct and meet project invoicing standards for format and allowable costs.
All invoices must be submitted within two (2) months of the services being billed unless the District has authorized an extension in writing prior to the expiration of the said period.
The application Respondent shall be responsible for identifying and addressing potential project budget, management and schedule issues. If District action is required, the application Respondent shall recommend a suggested course of action.
Questions regarding invoicing procedures may be addressed to Donice Bell at (216) 881-6600 extension 6856.
Project Cost Management
Application Respondents and any sub-Respondents shall monitor their budgets closely. The application Respondent shall be responsible for identifying and resolving all invoicing issues, including sub-Respondent billing summaries affected by the issues, as soon as possible, before inclusion of costs in the project master invoice. Application Respondent and sub-Respondent budget issues shall be described in detail and the application Respondent shall recommend corrective actions before these issues affect invoicing.
No compensation shall be made beyond that set forth in the Respondent’s proposal for a task unless the Respondent has justified such overrun in advance of such additional services in writing and that justification has been accepted by the Information Technology Director.
Any additional work proposed by the Respondent awarded this engagement must be first presented in writing to the ITL Replacement Project Manager, Donice Bell. The Board of Trustees must approve all such additional work prior to its performance. The District will reject any requests for additional fees and/or expenses if not so approved.
Project Management Documentation
The application Respondent shall be responsible for maintaining a complete project library and master files of all contract and subcontract actions and reports. The application Respondent shall develop a District-approved, PC-based master spreadsheet on which all contract and subcontract budgets, billings, contract modifications and invoice actions will be tracked through the project. A hard copy of the most current spreadsheet is to be submitted with proposals for budget revisions or contract modifications. The master spreadsheet shall provide, at a minimum, detail to the subtask level (i.e., Subtask A-1, A-2, etc.). The application Respondent shall provide summary reports and analyses of contract, subcontract and budget issues upon request of the District. A chronological report of contract and subcontract actions, including fund transfers within contracts, is to be submitted to the District as part of contract closeout procedures. All lower-tiered subcontracts must be closed out prior to close out of the lead contract and higher-tiered subcontracts. Interim contract action summaries are to be prepared at the District's request.
Progress Meetings and Reports
Progress meetings between the District and the application Respondent shall be held, in general, on a monthly basis, unless the Respondent is directed otherwise by the District. The application Respondent shall prepare monthly status reports to be submitted to the District at least two (2) working days prior to the meeting. The project status reports shall set forth the following information, for both the application Respondent and any sub-Respondents:
• Current scope of work completion status versus anticipated status; • Updated project schedule;
• Current contract cost status versus anticipated status;
• Project information and decision needs including the anticipated source, expected response time and any issues or problems that could delay the expected response;
• Anticipated tasks and accomplishments for the coming month; • Questions, comments, problematic issues and suggestions; • Identification of out of scope task work, and;
• Invoicing issues and proposals to address such issues.
The application Respondent shall prepare agendas for progress meetings to be submitted with the monthly progress report. In addition, the application Respondent shall prepare meeting minutes to be submitted to the District for review within two (2) working days following the meeting. Once they are reviewed and approved by the District, the minutes shall be distributed to the project team.
In addition to the monthly progress meetings, the application Respondent shall conduct periodic coordination meetings with District staff and sub-Respondents. The application Respondent shall conduct a minimum of three (3) such presentations for District management to explain and receive input on project issues. Up to three (3) progress reports/presentations shall be prepared for presentation to District Management, Project Teams, Senior Staff or the District's Board of Trustees, as directed by the District.
Prior to payment of the final invoice, the application Respondent shall deliver to the District all plans, sketches, drawings, documents, reports, memoranda and reproducibles related to the project and as required by the District's representative, as well as all non-expendable personal property purchased and approved by the District.
SECTION III - TRANSFER OF RECORDS
It is the intent of the District that the ITL Replacement Project be conducted in a manner that maximizes the District's flexibility regarding the engagement of other District projects. Data shall be collected and formatted in a manner consistent with data from past efforts, standards and/or guidelines established by the District. Software that would be necessary to conduct additional studies, design or implementation efforts shall be made available to the District. Prior approval shall be obtained in writing from the District before commencing any project efforts that utilize proprietary software.
All records generated during the ITL Replacement Project, including but not limited to data collected, project reports, data files, meeting notes, project data, graphics originals shall be the property of the District and shall be turned over to the District upon completion or as directed.
SECTION IV – SCHEDULE
Project Schedule – ITL Replacement
The ITL Replacement Project is envisioned as a three- to six-month effort. A tentative detailed schedule for the RFP evaluation and selection process is as follows:
• Issue ITL Replacement RFP to Respondent Short-List April 20, 2015
• Pre-Proposal Meeting April 27, 2015
• Submittal of ITL Replacement Proposals May 8, 2015
• Respondent Interviews (Exact times to be determined) May 26 – 29, 2015 • Respondent Selection Authorization to Negotiate June 2, 2015 • Respondent Contract Award – Notice to Proceed June 18, 2015
(Meeting of the Board of Trustees)
• Perform ITL Replacement Scope of Work to Begin June 29, 2015
Application Respondents are to include a detailed preliminary project schedule in their technical proposal. The tentative project schedule shall include anticipated completion dates for key task items. Application Respondents are encouraged to include discussion of any recommended schedule modifications, citing reasons for any recommended schedule modifications. The above schedule is subject to change and the District reserves the right to modify this schedule.
Pre-Proposal Meeting
A pre-proposal meeting will be available to all bidders on Monday, April 27, 2015 at 10:00 a.m., EST, in the George J. McMonagle (GJM) Administration Building, First Floor Training Room, 3900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. Questions regarding this RFP shall be directed to the Project Manager, Donice Bell, at the proposal meeting or at other times prior to the pre-proposal meeting via email at belld@neorsd.org. The District requires that District management and other employees not be contacted during the selection process.
DIRECTIONS TO GEORGE J. MCMONAGLE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING The George J. McMonagle (GJM) Administration Building is located at the intersection of East 40th Street and Euclid Avenue (RT. 6).
From Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport:
Take OH-237N towards I-71/Cleveland/I-480
Merge onto I-71N
I-71N become I-90E
Exit 173B Chester Avenue
Turn left onto Euclid Avenue/US-20
3900 Euclid Avenue is on the right. A map is provided below.
SECTION V – DISTRICT
The District has provided several documents for the Respondents' use in preparing proposals. Any other relevant documents desired by the Respondent may be examined by making an appointment with Donice Bell at (216) 881-6600 extension 6856 or at belld@neorsd.org.
The District shall, at the application Respondent's request, provide any information and material on file that is pertinent to the completion of the project. This may include project reports, project data documentation, established database standards, and other applicable information that is not already included in ITL Replacement Project RFP.
SECTION VI – PROPOSAL FORMAT AND REQUIRED INFORMATION
In order to facilitate the analysis of responses to this RFP, Respondents are required to prepare their proposals in accordance with the instructions outlined in this section. Each Respondent is required to submit the proposal in a sealed package. Respondents whose proposals deviate from these instructions may be considered non-responsive and may be disqualified at the discretion of the District. Respondents are encouraged to submit clear, concise, and complete responses to the RFP. Responses of excessive length are discouraged. Respondents are cautioned against submitting excessive and extraneous materials not directly responsive to the issues raised in the RFP. All parts, pages, figures, and tables should be numbered and clearly labeled.
Responses to the RFP must be in both hard copy and electronic formats as outlined in Section VI – Proposal Format and Required Information. The responses must follow the additional format requirements defined below. Proposals that do not conform to these requirements are subject to disqualification. Any additional information such as brochures and data sheets must be directly referenced as described in Attachment G. The Selection Committee will not consider the submission of brochures and/or other marketing material as a substitute for written responses to the response worksheets.
The proposal should be organized into the following major sections. Respondents must ensure that their completed proposal packages use the Response Section Number references listed below in organizing their responses.
REQUIRED PROPOSAL SECTIONS Response
Section
Number Title
1 Executive Summary
2 Implementation Partner Profile – Statement of Interest and Qualifications (Attachment A)
3 Implementation Plan (Attachment B) 4 Training Plan (Attachment C)
5 Client References Worksheet (Attachment D) 6 Cost Proposal Worksheets (Attachment E)
7 Functionality Requirements Worksheet (Attachment F)
8 Additional Information (Attachment G) (Note: Brochures or other marketing material should be included in this Response Section.)
9 Consultant Resume Form (Attachment H)
10 Documentation Samples (No Attachment Reference - To be submitted under separate, sealed and labeled cover)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (Response Section 1)
This element of the response to the RFP should be limited to a brief narrative summarizing the key aspects of the Respondent's proposal and a statement of the Respondent’s understanding of the system needs of the District. This section should contain as little technical jargon as possible, and should be oriented toward non-technical personnel. The Executive Summary should
designate the individual authorized to represent the Respondent with respect to the proposal. This section should not include cost proposals.
IMPLEMENTATION PARTNER PROFILE – STATEMENT OF INTEREST AND QUALIFICATIONS (Response Section 2)
This worksheet will provide information about the Respondent’s company and third-party business partners so that the District may evaluate the Respondent’s stability and its ability to support the commitments set forth in the proposal. The District, at its option, may require a Respondent to provide additional documentation to support and/or clarify requested information. Responses in this section are critical to determine the viability of a future relationship with the Respondent. The questions for this element of the RFP are outlined in Attachment A. Please provide as much detail as possible to ensure the Selection Committee has enough information to conduct a thorough analysis.
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (Response Section 3)
Attachment B solicits the complete Implementation plan recommendation of the
Respondent based on the materials included in this RFP. Guidelines and recommended issues to be addressed in the proposed plan are outlined in this attachment. The Implementation Plan must be authored in a manner that can be easily documented. The detail and thoughtfulness of this proposed plan will weigh heavily in the selection.
TRAINING PLAN (Response Section 4)
In Attachment C, the District presents its general guidelines for the development of an overall training strategy.
The District has provided questions at the end of the attachment for use in formulating the response. Clearly designate which Services can be provided directly by the Respondent, or where the Respondent would assign a third-party Implementation firm. In addition, please focus on the specific training needs of public sector clients like the District.
CLIENT REFERENCES WORKSHEET (Response Section 5)
This worksheet (template included in Attachment D) will provide information about the Respondent’s client references, as well as those of third-party business partners.
COST PROPOSAL WORKSHEETS (Response Section 6)
The Respondent must provide detailed costs for the scope of work as defined in the RFP. The Respondent’s cost proposal must be itemized and include all costs (e.g. Implementation and training) associated with the scope of this project.
Complete all applicable cost components as detailed in Attachment E. (Note: Tab #1 is used to summarize all other cost worksheets and must not be modified by the Respondent.) Following is an explanation of each of the Cost Proposal Worksheet elements:
Worksheet Tab Number Description
Implementation Services Tab #2 Project Management
Tab #3 System Implementation
Tab #4 Utilities Work and Asset Management Integration Pack Tab #5 GIS Integration Pack
Technical Support Tab #6 Backup and Recovery Tab #7 Technical Support
Supporting Details Tab #8 Post Implementation Services Tab #9 Customizations
Tab #10 Training Plan
FUNCTIONALITY REQUIREMENTS WORKSHEET (Response Section 7)
In assessing whether the Respondent is knowledgeable of the Customer Service applications to be implemented, Attachment F, Functionality Requirements Worksheet, should be completed with the Respondent’s understanding of the system and its capabilities. As the District desires to become more effective and efficient in the current business process, the Respondent should identify any of the desired functionality outlined in Attachment F that is not included by the base configuration of the acquired modules
The District desires to implement the new Customer Service system with minimal to no customizations. The Respondent shall identify any customizations required to meet the desired functionality described within. These customizations should be listed separately in Attachment
F, Functionality Requirements Worksheet, and alternatives rather than customization should be proposed, if possible. For the purposes of this information, customization is defined as any extension to the Customer Service system that would not be supported by Support Services. The Respondent will identify specifically any additional functionality, not listed in the narrative, which is included in the proposal that should be considered by the selection team.
An entry should be made in only one of the following five options of the Functionality Response. The options are:
o Out-of-the-box (Vanilla)
Specify the module/applications that satisfy this requirement. Provide a legend for module abbreviations.
o Not Available
This feature is not available, and there are no plans to provide it in the near future. o Future
This feature is not currently available, but will be in the future. o Customization Required
This feature is not a standard feature, but customizing the system can create it. Either the Respondent or the user can do this.
o Third-Party Required
This feature is not a feature of the Respondent system but is available by third-party software. If so, provide the name of the supplier/module.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Response Section 8)
This is a free-form section (see Attachment G) in which Respondents may provide any
additional information that might distinguish their proposal from other Respondents with respect to service to the District.If there are any assumptions a Respondent has made in the preparation of its response not indicated previously, any contingencies on which a Respondent has based the response, or any additional constraints on a Respondents ability to meet the Specifications set forth in this RFP, please indicate the complete list of any such assumptions, contingencies, or constraints in Attachment G.
PROPOSED CONSULTANT RESUME FORM (Response Section 9)
The Respondent will identify the specific consultants proposed to implement the new system. The District understands that the Respondents may not be able to commit the identified
consultants due to competition with other projects. However, the Respondent should make every practical effort to propose the specific consultants that would be assigned to District assuming a
The District reserves the right to interview and reject any proposed consultant. The District will not finalize the selection of Implementation service partners or execute a contract until each consultant has been identified, agreed upon and committed to the project. Consultant
substitutions must have equal or greater qualifications than the consultants included in the proposal. All consultants proposed, with the exception of database administrators and other technical consultants must have previous implementation experience. Resumes of proposed consultants shall be included in Attachment H.
DOCUMENTATION SAMPLES (Response Section 10 - Include Under Separate, Sealed and Labeled Cover)
Proposals should contain one (1) copy of current Documentation samples for Implementations surrounding the services proposed. If desired, Documentation samples shall be returned no later than the date a contract is awarded.
SECTION VII - EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS
The District Selection Committee utilizing the following criteria shall evaluate proposals submitted to the District for the ITL Replacement Project.
Pass/Fail Screening Criteria
Proposals not in compliance with the following pass/fail criteria will not receive additional consideration:
1. Avoidance of personnel and organizational conflicts of interest as prohibited by State and local law.
2. Respondents are required to prepare their proposals in accordance with the instructions outlined in Section VI – Proposal Format and Required Information. Respondents whose proposals deviate from these instructions may be considered non-responsive and may be disqualified at the discretion of the District.
Proposals complying with the above will be scored further against the criteria presented below: Scoring Criterion I
Functionality
30% of the total score
Scoring will be based on the capability of the proposed application to track, manage, and report information in a timely, flexible, and proactive manner.
Scoring Criterion II Technical Architecture 20% of the total score
This score will be based on the overall design of the application suite and the means by which the components of the business application both integrate and interact with each other, including third-party hardware and software systems.
Scoring Criterion III Visibility
5% of the total score
Scoring will be based on the careful examination of the Respondent’s stated and realized
development plans of the proposed software product in order to better understand the strategic fit between a potential Respondent and the long-term objectives of the District.
Scoring Criterion IV Viability
5% of the total score
Scoring will be based on the financial health and market position of the Respondents to be considered in the evaluation process.
Scoring Criterion V Investment
10% of the total score
Scoring will be based on the proposed costs associated with purchasing, implementing and integrating the Respondent’s application within the District, as well as ongoing license maintenance and support costs after the proposed system is rolled out.
Scoring Criterion VI Service and Support 25% of the total score
Scoring will be based on the available capabilities of a Respondent and its associated partner in providing both professional services as well as a general infrastructure support to assist its installed base in implementing and using its products.
Scoring Criterion VII Performance
5% of the total score
Scoring will be based on the necessary skill set of the Respondent’s technical staff to execute the major tasks outlined for the project.
SECTION VIII – SELECTION PROCESS
Once all proposals have been received, the following steps will be followed to select the Respondent:
1. The ITL Replacement Selection Committee will review each technical proposal. Additionally, a phone survey may be conducted to evaluate the past performance of the participating Respondents on similar jobs. This survey will not be limited to the contacts provided in the proposal as required in Section VI, Item 2.
2. Interviews will be held with all Respondents submitting technical proposals who also meet the pass/fail criterion. These interviews will allow each Respondent to make a presentation on their qualifications, elaborate on or emphasize important parts of their technical proposal, and provide any supplemental information relevant to this project. Key project personnel will be expected to take the lead in presenting and answering questions regarding the technical proposal. The interviews will also enable the Selection Committee to ask questions about the technical proposals and project approach. Interviews shall be limited to two (3) hours in length – two (2) hours for the Respondent’s presentations and one (1) hour for a question and answer session.
3. Each member of the Selection Committee will rank the Respondent based upon the predetermined selection criteria. The Selection Committee will then meet to conduct its formal selection process based upon the predetermined selection criterion.
4. The results of the selection process will be presented to the District’s Board of Trustees and permission will be requested to conduct contract negotiations with the highest ranked Respondent.
5. Negotiations will be conducted with the highest ranked Respondent to agree upon a final Scope of Work and the fees for those services as proposed in the Master Copy Cost Proposal. The District intends to negotiate a not-to-exceed price for this project. After the final Scope of Work and fees have been negotiated, the District shall not increase the not-to-exceed price of the contract without written authorization. Upon satisfactory completion of the contract, the District shall retain all remaining unused funds. Negotiations shall adhere to the following guidelines:
• One completed Cost Proposal Worksheets (Attachment E) shall be submitted with the Proposal. The total cost given on the form shall cover costs for all work described in the RFP. All proposed sub-Respondents with an estimated cost of $10,000 or more should also complete a Cost Proposal Worksheet for inclusion in the price negotiations. An electronic spreadsheet file in Excel™ format of the Cost Proposal Worksheet accompanies this RFP.
• The Cost Summary shall contain a complete breakdown of man-hours for as many classifications as may be required, i.e., Principal, Project Manager, Project Associate,
• No overtime will be incurred during the project without consent of the District. The District will pay any authorized overtime at straight time rates.
6. Assuming successful negotiations, the ITL Replacement Selection Committee will report to the Board of Trustees and make a recommendation to enter into a contract based on the outcome of the negotiations. If negotiations cannot be concluded successfully, permission will be requested to negotiate with the next highest ranked Respondent following the same procedure.
SECTION IX – OTHER INFORMATION
• The District reserves the right to waive any informality in the proposals submitted and other areas for procurement.
• The selected Respondent shall indemnify, keep and save harmless the District and its respective officers, Trustees, agents and employees against all suits or claims that may be based upon any injury to persons or property that may arise out of any alleged error, omission or negligent act of the Respondent, its employees, agents, sub-Respondents or other representatives of the Respondent. At its own expense, the Respondent shall satisfy and cause to be discharged such judgments as may be obtained against the District or any of its officers, Trustees, agents or employees.
• The District requires public liability insurance and liability insurance for each automobile used on the project with limits in each case not less than $500,000 for injury or death of one person, not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence on account of injury or death of two or more persons, and property damage not less than $200,000.
• The District reserves the right to request professional liability insurance of $1,000,000 during the performance of this project. Respondents shall include in their proposal a statement of how much professional liability insurance they carry. Project specific liability coverage will be accepted to supplement a smaller amount of existing coverage, but the policy must be effective for a five (5) year period beginning on the date of the contract, and the District’s General Counsel must approve the policy form. Project specific insurance, in addition to professional liability insurance, may include all other coverage required by the District, including comprehensive general liability, auto and property in the required amounts, with not less than a five (5) year trail.
• The Respondent shall be solely responsible for correcting errors, omissions and ambiguities of and for providing clarification regarding technical aspects of their work at no cost to the District. The selected Respondent shall be required to adhere to all of its clauses.
• The District reserves the right to specifically negotiate the price for the Scope of Work with any application Respondent. The District also reserves the right to require that an application Respondent be removed or replaced for reasons including, but not limited to, inability to negotiate price and scope or past unsatisfactory performance.
SECTION X – SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
Ten (10) hard copies of the technical proposals plus one (1) sealed Master Copy are to be delivered to:
Humberto Sanchez, Information Technology Director Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
3900 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2504 Attn: Donice Bell,
Senior Manager of IT Operations and Technology Delivery Deadline for submission of proposals is 4:30 p.m., EST, on May 8, 2015
Late submittals will not be considered.
All questions regarding this RFP shall be directed to the Project Manager, Donice Bell, via e-mail only at belld@neorsd.org prior to April 24, 2015.
END OF RFP
