SOURCES SOUGHT
75 -- JPL EBUSINESS PURCHASING SUPPORT FOR OFFICE SUPPLIES
- Notice Date
- 7/26/2005
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- Contracting Office
- NASA Management Office, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109
- ZIP Code
- 91109
- Solicitation Number
- KR-05-10
- Response Due
- 8/2/2005
- Archive Date
- 7/26/2006
- Description
- The California Institute of Technology/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Caltech/JPL), operating under a prime contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), seek responses to this Request for Information (RFI) for industry interest in a partnership for providing various commodities to JPL using eBusiness purchasing practices, specifically focusing on Oracle Module ?iProcurement.? Contracts with JPL are funded by NASA and are subcontracted under a NASA prime contract with Caltech. The Laboratory will consider making this effort a small business set-aside. BACKGROUND: The Laboratory?s current Just-In-Time (JIT) eBusiness system provides a mechanism for the expedited acquisition of frequently purchased commodities at JPL. Just-In-Time was developed to satisfy the business operational needs associated with planning, purchasing, receiving, delivering and paying for commodities, as well as facilitate a faster requisition-to-delivery-turnaround. When initially implemented, JIT had a limited user base of employees; however with the enhancement of the application to allow for web-base order entry its user-base increased to include the entire JPL population. JPL currently has a JIT ordering system that includes the following commodities: (1) Software; (2) Office supplies and paper; (3) Chemicals; (4) Critical environmental products; (5) Laboratory supplies; (6) Cryogenics and gases; (7) Seating; and (8) Unix hardware. It is now approximately six (6) years since JPL implemented Oracle as its institutional business system. Both JPL?s business process and the original system architecture have changed significantly during that period. Oracle?s relational database and associated financial application suites have provided new opportunities for enhanced reporting and business process improvement. iProcurement is an Oracle COTS product that provides similar functionality to the current JIT business processes. Like JIT, iProcurement provides an intuitive, web-shopping interface that allows users to quickly find and purchase various commodities and provides the complete catalog and content management capabilities. The iProcurement system better enables Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) processing of orders, cancel and return data transmission. The Laboratory is interested in establishing an Indefinite Delivery Subcontract (IDS) with suppliers that can provide eBusiness system support for the purchase of frequently purchased commodities at JPL. The Laboratory is planning on eventually transitioning these commodities to iProcurement in the future. Also, of particular interest is solicitation of electronic parts and components using this electronic ordering approach. JPL is open to consideration of other commodities that are being provided to customers using eBusiness. Your company is requested to present your capabilities in response to this RFI by providing the following: (a) Name and address of company; (b) Name of contact person, phone, email and fax number; (c) Commodity and list of core product lines that your company provides; (d) Your affirmative interest in future procurement opportunities; and (e) A short description of your eBusiness system and your ability to communicate with Oracle iProcurement. In addition, please address the following to assist in JPL?s implementation: CONTENT MANAGEMENT 1. Describe your company?s ability to conduct business with Oracle iProcurement customers (please list customers and provide Oracle release if known). Specifically, provide a current contact person and phone number for two of these customers. 2. Does your company currently conduct any business through Oracle Exchange? If so, describe your process. 3. Does your company maintain catalog data in an exportable format (tab-delimited, XML, CIF, or cXML) a. If so, describe how these files are properly formatted for bulk load onto Oracle iProcurement or Oracle Exchange. 4. Does your company provide a website for searching through an online catalog, order placement and checkout? Please provide the website URL, if so. a. Is the website SSL certified? b. Does your company maintain a test website that customers could connect to for testing purposes? c. How often has your production website been down in the last twelve (12) months and for how long each time? d. Will you maintain a customer specific catalog on your website for online order placement and checkout? If so, describe your ability to restrict items from displaying within online catalogs for your customers. Also, describe your standard process for updating customer specific online catalogs as it pertains to items being added or removed and price changes. e. Describe how you provide an estimated delivery date for each item ordered. 5. Does your company support punchout a. If so, describe which formats (Oracle XML, cXML, or via Oracle Exchange). b. Describe the kind of customizations you can provide. Example: JPL specific list of items with JPL negotiated delivery dates or bringing back JPL specific item attribute data such as recycled content percentage. c. Discuss how many buying customers you conduct business with through punchout. 6. Describe your company?s ability to support transparent punchout. a. Discuss how many buying customers you conduct business with through transparent punchout. PURCHASE ORDER DELIVERY 1. Describe your company?s ability to support receiving of generic PO EDIs sent by iProcurement, PO EDIs with customized mappings, or both. 2. Can your company download EDI files through a VAN, such as Inovis (formerly Harbinger)? a. If so, discuss the translation software you use (e.g., ProEDI). 3. Describe your company?s ability to support XML transaction delivery through either OTA/OXTA or OSN. a. Discuss the translation software you use (e.g., ProEDI). 4. Describe your company?s ability to support any additional communication methods (WebMethods, Email, etc.). 5. Describe your company?s use or plan on using Oracle iSupplier Portal (iSP). 6. Discuss your standard policy for the return or cancellation of an order. 7. Describe your standard turnaround time for a delivery. 8. Discuss your company?s ability to provide desktop delivery. 9. Discuss whether your company currently bar-code packages for your customers. Items to cover include: a. Describe the format that the machine-readable code is in. b. Describe how it is bar-coded, by package or item ordered. c. Describe if the bar code is in a custom format that is customer specific, a standard company format, or a UPS/FedEx bar code. If it is custom or company format, what information is contained in the bar code? d. Describe other customization that is available and if you can include the PO #, Line # and Quantity in the bar code. 10. Describe your company?s ability to provide Advanced Shipment Notices (ASNs). a. Discuss the electronic delivery format. b. Discuss the content that is provided in the ASN. 11. Discuss if your system can handle an invoice-less process with a 10-day payment terms, and only receive a remittance advice with payment. Example: Subcontract is setup in JPL?s system with an evaluated receipt settlement process that creates an invoice at the time of receipt and processes that invoice for payment within ten (10) days. RESPONSES DUE: Please submit your expression of interest and any applicable information by August 2, 2005 to: JPL, Attention: Business Opportunities Office, Mail Stop 190-205, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109-8099; Phone: (818) 354-7532. DISCLAIMER: It is emphasized that the requested information is for preliminary planning purposes only and does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that JPL will solicit you for such procurement in the future. Neither JPL nor the Government will be responsible for any costs incurred by you in furnishing this information. Be advised that any information provided shall be deemed to be furnished with unlimited rights to JPL, with JPL assuming no liability for the disclosure, use, or reproduction of such data.
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