SOURCES SOUGHT
70 -- Web?Based Job Management Workflow Solution
- Notice Date
- 1/31/2006
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 518210
— Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services
- Contracting Office
- Defense Logistics Agency, Logistics Operations, DAPS - Mechanicsburg, 5450 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg, PA, 17055
- ZIP Code
- 17055
- Solicitation Number
- SA4705-05-0012
- Response Due
- 2/28/2006
- Archive Date
- 3/15/2006
- Description
- Request for Information for a Web?Based Job Management Workflow Solution in support of the Document Automation and Production Service Mission. 1. PURPOSE Document Automation and Production Service (DAPS) is the print and document automation service provider to Federal and Defense Agencies. DAPS is seeking information from industry relating to its need for a next-generation web based order management and job workflow solution. The solution is designated DAPS Online. The request for information is part of a market research effort to assess innovative solutions and industry capabilities that will best address the DAPS IT needs. This RFI will provide a general description of the existing DAPS Online Solution, the As-Is state and a general outline of requirements for the Desired State, which include all the functionality of the AS-IS and additional capabilities. DAPS is seeking an innovative, cost effective, reliable, state of the art solution to satisfy the requirements in the desired state. DAPS has a preference of using COTS products/solutions but remains open to alternatives ranging from ASP to contractor developed. The resulting contract will be performance based with incentives/disincentives. The purpose of this RFI is to describe the general nature of the DAPS need, the information desired of industry and to provide instructions for submission of industry responses. 2. INSTRUCTION AND RESPONSE GUIDELINES The following is a suggested outline and page counts for a response to this RFI. This outline is intended to minimize the effort of the respondent and structure the responses for ease of analysis by the government. Responses are limited to 16 pages and must be completed in Microsoft Word and/or Microsoft PowerPoint. Page size must be 8.5 x 11 and font must be 12 point or larger. Margins must be at least 1?. Both sides of the paper may be used. Each side is counted unless blank. Pages must be numbered and companies name must be on all pages. 2.1. SECTION 1- ABOUT YOUR COMPANY Briefly describe your company, your services, history, ownership, financial information, business size, any attributes that ease contractual access, i.e. GSA contract #, HUB ZONE, Small business set aside. Provide a list of customers (Similar in concept to this RFI) and other information you deem relevant. Supplemental product sheets, marketing material, brochures may be submitted and will not count in the overall page count limits. Provide points of contact, including name, address, phone/fax numbers and email. (2 pages) 2.2. SECTION 2 ? SOLUTION The solution shall perform all the functionality presently in the AS-IS state, section 5.1 ? 5.8, in addition to the Desired State and Vision of the Future (all of section 6). Provide a description of how each of the requirements will be satisfied. (1 page per requirement ? total of 12 pages) 2.3. SECTION 3 - COST AND SCHEUDLE ESTIMATES This is not a request for quote however, you may provide cost estimates and delivery schedule estimates for your solution provided in section 2. Cost estimates should be separated and labeled into individual COTS products, integration, development, maintenance, and other costs as necessary, labeled appropriately. Also discuss cost drivers, cost tradeoffs and schedule considerations. (2 pages) We appreciate your response. It will be used solely by DAPS as market research. We will not divulge individual responses to the RFI outside the DAPS requirements team for this effort. 3. CONTACT INFORMATION Responses must be submitted to the Contracting Officer within 30 calendar days after issuance of the RFI or no later than 3:00 pm on February 28th, 2006. Clarification questions must be received in writing within 5 working days after issuance of the RFI. Answers to the clarification questions will be provided at the Information Exchange Meeting, see that section for details. Clarification questions in response to the RFI and final responses to the RFI may be emailed to gary.walls@dla.mil or faxed to the attention of Gary Walls at 717-605-3999. Submit 3 copies each of each supplemental hardcopy material or electronic material on hard media (CD, Diskette) to: Document Automation and Production Service Attn: Gary Walls 5450 Carlisle Pike P.O. Box 2020 Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 4. BACKGROUND The Document Automation and Production Service (DAPS) is a world wide enterprise. DAPS provides document automation and print services for all Federal Departments and Defense Agencies. We are a Service Level organization under the Defense Logistics Agency. The DAPS headquarters office is located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. There are 157 DAPS field activities located throughout the continental US and overseas. DAPS has $383 million in annual sales and 750,000 in-house orders annually. DAPS performs conversion, document management, mainframe printing, duplicating, copier management, graphics design, digital printing and various other document automation services. DAPS Online is the primary online tool for customer?s to access DAPS services. This tool has evolved over the past 10 years and was developed using a government contractor. It originated as a client/server configuration and was migrated to a web application as internet use became common place. The intent of the original tool was to provided a means by which customer?s anywhere could submit their print documents electronically to a DAP facility anywhere. Additional functionality was added as needed and the DAPS Online business model changed and expanded into new business areas. The simple job submission tool now offers new services to customers such as ?soft proofing? while expanding utilization on the production plant for workflow. Print-Industry consulting companies forecast the use of web tools to continue to expand offering additional value added features for customers while offering streamlined production efficiencies for the production plant. The current DOL system has reached modification limits and without a total rework it is expected to have stability and performance issues. It is for this reason DAPS has begun its search for a robust, leading-edge, next generation tool to replace the present DOL. 5. AS-IS STATE 5.1. Current Configuration DAPS Online is a web-based, e-commerce print solution consisting of a customer order, accounting, plant workflow, and reports/management modules. The enterprise configuration includes 11 independent web servers located at the following DAPS Sites: Pearl Harbor, HI; Jacksonville, FL; Norfolk, VA; Philadelphia, PA; Oklahoma City, OK; San Diego, CA; Great Lakes, IL; Pensacola, FL; Bangor, WA; and Wiesbaden, GE. Each of these servers supports 3000 to 4000 customers within their geographical area. Each server supports 12-20 subordinate print plants who access the order through the internet. DAPS Online is built on Microsoft Windows 2000/2003 Advanced Server, Apache/Tomcat, MS SQL and Java technology. 5.2. Customer Module Customers use their browser to self-register, submit job orders, set up funding accounts, view job status, run account reports, upload files and view soft proofing. Customers can be identified as job approval officials or funds approval officials and therefore must approve job submission. 5.3. Accounting Module The accounting module includes submission of funding (government purchase orders and credit cards), verification of funds, changing of funds total, job estimating and billing. Both customers and plant users have access to portions of the accounting module. 5.4. Plant Workflow Module Plant users receive emails to notify them a job has been received for their plant and needs processing. Using their browser, plant users view all the jobs in all phases. Jobs can be opened and print requirements reviewed and, if files have been attached by the customer, plant users can open the attached files. Jobs are estimated using a online pricing sheet, produced and processed for final billing all through the plant workflow module. 5.5. Management Module Plant Managers can view all jobs for all plants on their DOL Server through their browser. They can re-distribute jobs to other plants within their group to manage workload balancing. 5.6. Reports Various redefined reports are generated on demand. Types of reports include, on time delivery, turn around time, Work-in-Progress, and Jobs submitted by customer. 5.7. Administration Super Users can access the application through their web browser. The Administrative module permits super users to add new users, add new plants, change users profiles, and change application settings. 5.8. Interfaces Each DOL Server sends funding and billing information to a middleware server. The purpose of this connection is to validate funds availability and balance, hold inventory and funds during the estimate process, and deplete inventory and funding during the billing process. The connection occurs every minute and files are sent in batch mode to the middleware via https. Pricing files are received through the middleware interface. Pricing files update the pricing tables in DOL with the up-to-date unit pricing and pricing codes. Price code to inventory code files are received through the middleware interface. Price code to inventory code files updates the inventory price tables in DOL. This information is used to identify and associate price codes with inventory codes. A single price code may have many inventory codes associated. There are no accounting or inventory balances maintained in DAPS Online. All inventory and account balances are maintained in the DAPS Accounting System. 5.9. Federal Guidelines As a U.S. Government entity, DAPS and its technology systems are required to conform with federal guidelines, where applicable. Examples include, but are not limited to: Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d) DODI 8500 DLA Standard Web Coding SCM-STA.CD.6000 DAL Standard Web Database SCM-STA.DA.6000 DLA Standard Web Design SCM-STA.DE.6000 DISA Application Security Developers Guide 6. DESIRED STATE AND VISION OF THE FUTURE 6.1 Goal The primary goals of the envisioned DAPS On line system are: To provide a single site server for all customers and all plant locations to access through their browser; To implement as many Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) products as feasible; To increase customer document automation features and services available, offering up-to-date web services in a timely manner; and To take advantage of the digital document and digital order, implementing a digital workflow for the plant operations. 6.2 Customer Document Automation Features and Services To increase the number of value-added features and services available to the customer, the DAPS Online system is envisioned to have the following features : Cataloging Template variable document capability Shopping Cart Immediate cost estimate On line help/Assistant Distribute and output at destination 6.3 Automated Plant Workflow To automate the entire production process from point of order receipt to customer pickup and validation, the DAPS Online system is envisioned to have the following plant side automated features: Redistribute jobs based on workload and work balancing Redistribute jobs for output at point of need Drive digital printers using electronic job ticket technology Provide status back to update customer?s job ticket 6.4 Desired Business Outcome and Capabilities The DAPS business outcomes or desired end results are based on DAPS goals and objectives, as well as being driven by government directives and environmental market factors. DAPS has identified three core business outcomes. Goals and Objectives: Implement COTS Offer leading technology state of the art web services for document automation Implement Information Technology Systems that meet Federal and Defense Security Requirements Business Outcome: Increase customer satisfaction Increase customer usage Increase plant efficiency through technology utilization and responsiveness 7. INFORMATION EXCHANGE MEETING DAPS will hold an information exchange meeting to discuss the RFI with interested potential respondents. Details about this meeting will be made available at a later date. If you wish to attend this meeting please respond to the contact provided in section 3 above. Answers to any clarification questions will be provided at the information exchange meeting. 8. DEMONSTRATIONS Any potential respondent interested in giving a demonstration of their product as it pertains to responding to the requirements in sections 5 and 6 above, can schedule this with the point of contact found in section 3 above. Demonstrations may not last longer than 1 hour. 9. DISCLAIMER This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. In accordance with FAR 15.202(e), responses to this notice are not an offer and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.
- Place of Performance
- Address: Document Automation and Production Service (DAPS), 5450 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg, PA
- Zip Code: 17055
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: 17055
- Record
- SN00976505-W 20060202/060131211647 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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