MODIFICATION
72 -- This modification is to post industry-submitted questions received to date and the Government's answers to those questions.
- Notice Date
- 2/13/2012
- Notice Type
- Modification/Amendment
- NAICS
- 811412
— Appliance Repair and Maintenance
- Contracting Office
- TCC-Kaiserslautern (PARC Europe, 409th CSB), KO DIRECTORATE OF CONTRACTING, UNIT 23156, APO, AE 09227
- ZIP Code
- 09227
- Solicitation Number
- W564KV12R0006
- Response Due
- 2/25/2012
- Archive Date
- 4/25/2012
- Point of Contact
- Richard Van De Linde, III, 0496314115170
- E-Mail Address
-
TCC-Kaiserslautern (PARC Europe, 409th CSB)
(richard.vandelinde@eur.army.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Pre-solicitation W564KV-12-R-0006 Questions and Answers: 1.QUESTION: Para. 5.1.2) Customer Not At Home: The last sentence is confusing. Clarify that the intent is to compensate the contractor at 0.3 hr for AFH (CLIN XXX3) and UPH (CLIN XXX4) hourly rates (to cover the wait time and other required tasks at the customer location) in addition to the applicable primary or basic FFP rate for On- or Off-Post premises. ANSWER: For a Customer Not at Home service call, the contractor(s) will ONLY be reimbursed at the Basic Work Order/Service Call Rate, and will bill under the appropriate CLIN/ELIN (AFH/UPH, ON-POST/OFF-POST). 2.QUESTION : Para. 5.2.1, Work Order Control Log, Item (5), calls for Manufacturer and MLFB. Since the MLFB, which is printed on the inventory label, can be provided by the customer to the SPOC, the Manufacturer (as a separate item from the customer in the Log) is redundant, since the MLFB list shows the manufacturer. ANSWER: The Manufacturer and MLFB data do appear redundant, but are required for Government purposes. The Work Order Control Log and its required information will be provided to the contractor(s) as specified in paragraph 5.2.2. 3.QUESTION: Para. 5.2.2, Processing Work Orders, and Para. 6.7 both refer to the contractor working on US holidays, which conflicts with p.160, CCE 204.4000, which states no contractor work on US holidays that fall during the work week. Thanksgiving, which is historically a higher than normal service day for appliance repair, is an example of this. ANSWER: The contractor(s) may work on US holidays as shown in paragraphs 5.2.2. and 6.7. Clause CCE 204-4000 will be corrected to reflect this requirement. 4.QUESTION: Para. 4.3 and Para. 7.3 require the contractor to use DARMS, a Gov't-provided software, for all duties or tasks, including inputting the Work Order data provided by the SPOC and data annotated during execution (Para 5.2.3.3), for ordering GF parts (Para. 5.4.2), and presumably three of the reports required by Para. 7.2 (GFP parts On-Hand; Common Standard Item Consumption; and Repeat Service Calls), and Para. 7.3 even refers to preparing Invoices using DARMS. But nowhere is there a concept description of the DARMS software, or input masks, or operating system requirements, whether working over a secured internet site or off-line. Will DARMs simply be a software package provided to contractor that can be loaded into some Windows operating system? Will input masks be provided in advance of the contract performance start date (or by Attachments left blank in this pre-solicitation) so that contractor personnel can become familiar with the system before having to use it? Are the three reports in Para. 7.2 standard formatted reports with fitters or are they more complicated software queries? Will the repair contractor have visibility in DARMS for the central parts inventory at Spinelli, so that he can see if parts are on-hand or backorder (for decision making for exchange or repair when parts are not available at the repair contractor's facility)? ANSWER: DARMS is a Microsoft Access-based system hosted on an Army SharePoint system to which the successful contractor(s) will be given direct access. Access and visibility will be granted immediately following contract award and prior to contract start date. The contractor(s) will be provided visibility of all on-hand and on-order spare parts. 5.QUESTION: Para. 5.2.3.3 (Sub-item 2) requires the contractor to input the Manufacturer's serial number, and Para. 5.5 (sub-item 3) states that it is not used for day-to-day business. Nowhere in the solicitation is the purpose of the manufacturer's serial number made clear. Indeed, it's only useful and unique to the manufacturer, as it is coded to give him information on the date and point of manufacture. In the current appliance contract it was made a requirement for the potential use of the Government in jawboning with appliance manufacturers or appliance vendors (from whom they purchased appliances) regarding appliances with a history of serial or latent defects (attempting to get the vendor to provide replacement parts at no cost to the Gov't); however, the serial numbers collected have never been used for that or any other purpose. Since it is time-intensive for the technician to search for and record the serial number per Para. 5.5(2), we believe it's in the cost-savings interest of the Government to drop this general serial number requirement. ANSWER: The serial number is not used at this time, but will be used by the Government in future tracking processes and the Government will require the contractor(s) to confirm/collect this data. Paragraph 5.5(3) will be updated to state "The contractor shall not use serial numbers in place of the MLFB for day-to-day business." 6.QUESTION: Para. 5.2.3.6 requires contractor to archive copies of Work Orders for 6 years and two months, but does not state from what point - from the completion date of each work order, from the closeout date of each contract year, or from the closeout of the entire contract? ANSWER: The work orders shall be kept for six years and two months beginning from the time the task order (on which the work orders were issued) was closed. 7.QUESTION: Para. 5.3.1.2 AFH/UPH Appliance Repairs: a.Sub-item (2) requires an appliance exchange notification, if for a return visit, a work order cannot be executed at the customer within 3 work days for a part needed for the appliance to function. Comment: If the needed part is not on the service vehicle, but on-hand in the contractor's facility, the repeat visit will most likely be successful and an exchange avoided; however, if the part is not available at the contractor's facility, but in stock at Spinelli, it will most probably not be available to the contractor in time for an appointment to be scheduled with the customer within the 3-work days allowed. The reason is that the part can first be ordered through DARMS on the work day following the first customer visit, and even if processed the same day at Spinelli and packed for parcel delivery to the FMO, it will not likely be received by the repair contractor and an appointment scheduled with the customer until, at best. the 4th work day after the initial repair attempt. This would mean that either the 3-day requirement needs to be rethought, or some other arrangement made to expedite parts delivery for this case. ANSWER: If the contractor(s) determines at the customer's house that he doesn't have the needed part in his van nor at his facility he shall do the following: a.For ranges, refrigerators and freezers, he should contact the SPOC immediately, so an exchange of those appliances can be made the next day (by the drayage contractor) b.For washers, dryers and dishwashers, we can extend the waiting time for the needed parts from 3 working days to 5 working days. b.Sub-item (3), regarding "repeat visit" ("Return Visit" in Price Schedule), is unclear. What is the meaning of... "the contractor will be compensated for the second visit at the repeat vist rate and total labor hours."? Is the intent of the two FFP Return Visit CLI Ns (XXX? and XXX8) to cover travel expenses, including all work units at the customer? Or does it mean that these two FFP CLINs are intended to cover travel expenses, including up to 5 work units at the customer, and that work beyond 5 work units can be charged at the hourly rates under CLINs XXX3 or XXX4? Also, the last sentence is contradictory in itself and needs to be clarified: "If the contractor is unable to complete the work due to not having the part on-hand", then how can he be compensated for labor hours expended "to complete the repair"? Does this mean "compensated for labor hours expended in the attempted repair during the return visit"? ANSWER: Explanation for 5.3.1.2 (3) Return visits: a.If the Government didn't purchase the needed part or the part is on back order, the contractor will get paid for the first visit the "Basic Work Order Call Rate" (6 AW). For the necessary return visit he will get paid the "Return visit for repairs" (FFP) plus the total labor hours (CLIN "Appliance Repair Labor Rate for On-Call repairs"). b.In case the contractor has the part on stock, but not on his van and therefore will not be able to perform the repair at the customer's house, he will get paid the "Basic Work Order Call Rate" (6 AW) for the first visit. For the return visit he will only get paid for the labor hours ("Appliance Repair Labor Rate for On-Call repairs"). 8.QUESTION: Para. 5.3.1.5, Repair Price Limitation. The text is unclear. It needs to be stated that based on troubleshooting an appliance, and before proceeding with a repair, a price estimate must be made, entered in the work order, and compared to the MEL table limit (also entered in the work order). The word "estimate" or "price estimate" is not used anywhere in the text. Also, in sub-item (2), the "repair price limit" is not a "calculated" value by the contractor - only the repair price estimate is calculated as described (based on estimates for labor and materials) -- and the repair price limit is given in the MEL table provided by the Gov't or waived to some higher value per Sub-item (4). Nowhere in the pre-solicitation are the parts lists for appliances mentioned. Parts lists from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), which include explosion diagrams, either in printed or electronic form, are critical for the repair contractor to know which part to order. The OEM part number is linked to a unique US 6-digit part number by the central parts warehouse, where the 6-digit US Part is added to the parts list. Parts list for existing appliance models are currently available (as Govt parts for each MLFB). When new models are introduced into the appliance inventory, a parts list must be immediately ordered by the central parts warehouse and made available to the repair contractor in some form, including any part number changes made later. Thus, it is imperative for the central parts warehouse to know when a new model is introduced after delivery to an FMO or HNLFOA (who made the purchase), so that an MLFB can be as- signed (assuming that the Gov't will perform this MLFB assignment function), the MLFB shared with all concerned, and a parts list ordered and distributed. ANSWER: Paragraphs 5.3.1.5., (1) and (2) will be changed to read: (1)The MEL, which will be a drop down field in the DARMS system, will be added to the WO before printing it out. After the contractor(s) completes troubleshooting of an appliance at the customer's home and determines that the repair will exceed the Maintenance Expenditure Limit (MEL) found in attachment # 2, he shall notify the SPOC immediately, who will confirm that the appliance is non-economically repairable and will schedule the replacement of this appliance. This repair action shall always be validated by the SPOC to ensure that the MEL is in fact exceeded. The Government will update the prices for Government furnished Parts in the DARMS system and send out an updated price list to the contractor(s) as changes occur. The Government will immediately notify the contractor(s) whenever new appliance models are added to the appliance inventory and will provide the new MLFB numbers as assigned by the Government. (2)For calculation of the price estimate of the repair, the contractor(s) shall use the appropriate labor rates as stated in the CLIN and ELIN exhibits. The total estimated price of labor and material, to include Contractor furnished and Government furnished parts as listed in attachments # 11 and # 13, shall not exceed the Maintenance Expenditure Limit (MEL), which is shown at attachment # 2. 9.QUESTION: Para. 13.2, Definition: "Common Standard Items" are stated here as GFP, but they are contractor-furnished in competition (these items are in the Price Schedule). Please clarify. ANSWER: Paragraph 13.2 will be updated to read: Common Standard Items: Are common standard parts such as plugs, clamps and hose and shall be purchased and supplied by the contractor. Upon consumption, the contractor will be reimbursed at the prices listed in the appropriate Price Exhibit. 10.QUESTION: In the new appliance repair contract, will you be able to accept invoices directly from two separate contractors in the same area? Example scenario- One company submits a single offer on an area in partnership with another company. The 'mother' company will service one specific sub area or community, a 'child' company will service another, and each will invoice separately. ANSWER: Award will be made by area- we will accept only offers that include all parts of the Area for which the offer is given, so we would not accept an offer that splits an Area into sections with multiple awardees. We would accept an offer from one company for the entire area with such a business arrangement as you suggest. However, we will only accept invoices from the primary company.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/490a3c973e41e1c2be4ca55c76a214ed)
- Place of Performance
- Address: TCC-Kaiserslautern (PARC Europe, 409th CSB) KO DIRECTORATE OF CONTRACTING, UNIT 23156 APO AE
- Zip Code: 09227
- Zip Code: 09227
- Record
- SN02674455-W 20120215/120214000142-490a3c973e41e1c2be4ca55c76a214ed (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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