1-25-138 Phase 1 FINAL.pdf

Software System-Request for Proposal (SS-RFP)

– Phase 1

#25-138 Vendor Management System (for Accounts Payable Vendors) For: Finance

Schedule of Events

Issued: February 26, 2026 Questions Due: March 9, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.

Final Addendum Issued: March 10, 2026 Responses Due (Closing Time): March 17, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.

This schedule is in local time and is provided for your information and planning purposes. Although every effort will be made to follow this schedule, we reserve the right to modify the dates as necessary.

Contact

Purchasing Agent: Vanessa Mann, Purchasing Manager Address: Walworth County Purchasing

100 W. Walworth Street Elkhorn, WI 53121

I. POSTING OF SOLICITATION

All Walworth County solicitations are posted on the County’s Bonfire Portal at:

walworthcountywi.bonfirehub.com. To ensure notification of future opportunities with Walworth County, Respondents must be registered. Respondents may register for an account with Bonfire at no charge.

NOTE: Walworth County will make no attempt to contact Respondents with updated information. It is the responsibility of each Respondent to periodically check the portal for all notifications, releases, and addenda associated with this solicitation.

II. INVITATION / BACKGROUND

Walworth County is accepting electronic responses for a Vendor Management System (Accounts Payable Vendors) for the Walworth County Finance Department, hereinafter referred to as the “County”, in accordance with the specifications stated and/or attached herein/hereto.

Walworth County is seeking to implement a secure and efficient vendor management system to support its Accounts Payable operations. The system should offer capabilities for vendor onboarding, vendor verification, vendor compliance monitoring, and electronic payment processing, along with protection against fraudulent payments through indemnification.

Electronic responses to this request will be received until March 17, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Late responses will not be accepted. All responses will be recorded by purchasing staff shortly after the deadline.

III. RESPONDENT QUALIFICATIONS

Firms responding to this request must meet the following qualifications:

a) Have experience in providing solutions for an accounts payable vendor management software solution and possess a minimum of two (2) years of verifiable experience providing solutions as specified.

b) Beta solutions will not be accepted, i.e., all solutions must be tried, proven and in Go-Live status.

c) Have a record of performance with reasonable financial support, personnel and organization to ensure that they can satisfactorily execute the services required as specified herein and in Phase 2, if awarded. Respondents who have failed to perform in the past may not be considered for award.

d) Respondent must be properly licensed to do business in the State of Wisconsin which includes being registered with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) if respondent is required to be registered. If respondent is not required to be registered with DFI, provide supporting reasoning with response.

e) Respondent may not be debarred from conducting business with the State of Wisconsin or Federal Government with the effective dates of this project.

IV. SCOPE / SPECIFICATIONS

Walworth County’s current vendor management process is manual, with multiple staff members handling different aspects of the workflow. The County is seeking to implement a secure and efficient electronic vendor management system to support its Accounts Payable operations. This system should provide vendor onboarding, verification, and compliance services, as well as vendor payment capabilities with fraud indemnification coverage. The primary goal is to strengthen internal controls, reduce fraud risk, ensure regulatory compliance, and streamline the onboarding and maintenance of vendor records—ultimately supporting timely and accurate payments

The County currently uses Tyler-Munis (Enterprise ERP) to manage Accounts Payable and is interested in pursuing an integration that brings vendor data from the vendor management system into the ERP environment. Walworth County prefers to maintain control of payment details regarding the processing decisions of amounts and general ledger accounts.

Walworth County’s average Accounts Payable volume for the past three years (2022–2024) is summarized in the table. It includes both the total AP volume and a breakdown excluding one-time vendors and one-time juror payments, which are not intended to be processed through this service.

All County

Vendors Vendors that will use VMS

3 yr Avg. 3 yr Avg.

# of Vendors Paid 1,060 1,049

# of New Vendors Added 249 249

# of Paper Checks 5,529 2,444 # of ACH Payments 3,191 3,170

Total $ of Paper Checks $19,930,116 $19,313,792

Total $ of ACH Payments $72,452,601 $72,451,151

Current Active Vendors 2,840

The table below provides more details on the features we are seeking and whether the feature is required or preferred.

Desired Modules/Functionality Required?

Yes/No Preferred

1. Vendor Onboarding Software: Provide a digital solution to streamline the vendor onboarding process for the County. The system should:

- Enable new vendors to register electronically and allow existing vendors to update their information with appropriate security in place to secure access to information with multi-factor authentication.

- Include integrated document management capabilities to securely store required forms such as W-9s, Certificates of Insurance, and other compliance documents.

- Support configurable document requirements, ensuring that specific forms must be uploaded before registration can be completed.

- Provide automated integration with the County’s ERP system to facilitate seamless electronic transfer of vendor data or easily defined import/export files for transfer of vendor data.

Yes

2. Vendor Verification Services: Provide vendor verification services to confirm the accuracy of key vendor details, including:

- Legal name, address, and Tax Identification Number (TIN) as submitted on the W-9 form.

- Validation of banking information to ensure it is securely associated with the verified TIN, helping to prevent fraud and ensure accurate payments.

Yes

3. Vendor Compliance Services: Provide ongoing monitoring of vendors against relevant sanctions and debarment lists (e.g., federal, state, and industry-specific). The service should:

- Conduct regular checks to ensure vendors remain in good standing.

- Automatically notify the County of any compliance status changes or potential matches.

- Support documentation and audit trails for all compliance checks performed.

Preferred

Preferred

4. Vendor Payment Services with Payment Fraud Indemnification:

Provide electronic vendor payment services that include:

- Support for secure, automated disbursement of payments via ACH, virtual card, or other electronic methods.

- Indemnification to the County against financial loss resulting from unauthorized or fraudulent transactions.

- Real-time payment tracking and reporting capabilities to enhance transparency and auditability.

User Requirements The County anticipates between 5 and 10 employees will require login access to the software with customizable role access/permissions.

Technology Requirements The proposed solution should include the following technology requirements:

1. Cybersecurity Industry Certifications

2. Username/password authentication

3. Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)

4. Secure Data Integrations

5. Network, System, and Security Requirements

V. RESPONDENT QUESTIONS / CLARIFICATION REQUESTS / ADDENDA

Respondents should request interpretation or correction of any ambiguity, inconsistency, or error.

Any questions, clarifications, etc., must be submitted in writing using the “Messages” feature under this Project in Bonfire. at: https://walworthcountywi.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/204914

Questions must be received no later than March 9, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. (local time). You will not be able to initiate messages to the Purchasing Agent after this time.

Unauthorized contact regarding this opportunity with any County employee may result in disqualification of response. Any oral communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding. Respondents shall rely only on written addenda issued for this opportunity.

Any changes made as a result of a written request will be issued via addendum and will be posted to the Bonfire Portal. Respondents are responsible for monitoring Bonfire Portal. Each addendum forms an integral part of this solicitation and contains important information which may include significant changes to this request. Respondents are responsible for obtaining all addenda issued by the County prior to the opening date. The County will make no attempt to contact bidders with updated information.

VI. RESPONSE SUBMISSION

Responses must be submitted in accordance with the instructions outlined in this request.

Respondents should ensure their submission is complete, clearly organized, and delivered by the date and time specified in this request. All response materials must be provided in the format and structure requested, including any required forms, attachments, or supporting documents.

Responses should include sufficient detail to provide a basic understanding of the capabilities of the proposed solution. Respondents are encouraged to present information in a concise manner and avoid unnecessary content. Any optional material or additional information that the respondent believes is relevant may be included.

Respondents shall assume full responsibility for ensuring electronic delivery of responses before the deadline. Respondents should allow sufficient time to complete the electronic submission by the date and time specified.

https://walworthcountywi.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/204914

A Respondent must state in their response if they are unable or unwilling to meet any requirement. Inability or unwillingness to meet any requirement, in part or whole, may be cause for disqualification.

Respondents may withdraw a response at any time until the submission deadline.

1. Prepare your Response submission materials:

Requested Information:

Group Name Type # Files Requirement

Phase 1 Response

Attachment A - Questionnaire

PDF

(.pdf)

1 Required

Optional Materials to Provide Additional Context for the

Proposed Solution Any Any Optional

Please note the type and number of files allowed. The maximum upload file size is 100 MB.

Please do not embed any documents within your uploaded files, as they will not be accessible or evaluated.

Response templates and/or forms are available for downloading on the Bonfire Portal at:

2. Upload your submission at:

Important Notes:

a. Each item of Requested Information will only be visible to the County after Bid

Closing Time.

b. Uploading large documents may take significant time, depending on the size of the file(s) and your Internet connection speed.

c. You will receive an email confirmation receipt with a unique confirmation number once you finalize your submission.

d. Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox. JavaScript and browser cookies must be enabled.

e. The County is not responsible for any delays associated with the electronic submission of responses through the Bonfire Portal.

f. Responses may not be transmitted orally, in person, by mail, by email, or fax machine.

g. All Respondents, by submission of their response, agree to abide by the rules, regulations, and procedures of the County.

Need Help:

The County uses the Bonfire Portal for accepting and evaluating responses digitally.

Please contact Bonfire at Support@GoBonfire.com for technical questions related to your submission. You can also visit their help forum at https://vendorsupport.gobonfire.com/hc/en-us.

VII. ELECTRONIC MODIFICATION OF RESPONSE

Responses may be modified electronically using the Bonfire Portal provided such modification is made prior to the closing time for receipt of responses.

VIII. WITHDRAWAL OF RESPONSE

Responses may be withdrawn electronically using the Bonfire Portal provided such withdrawal is made prior to the closing for receipt of responses.

IX. RESPONDENT SUPPLIED DOCUMENTATION / MATERIALS

All material submitted by the Respondent in response to this request becomes the property of the County. The County is a unit of local government obligated to comply with Wisconsin’s Public Records Law, Wisconsin Statutes secs. 19.31 through 19.39. The presumption under the law is that public records shall be open to the public unless there is a clear statutory exception, unless there exists a limitation under the common law, or unless there is an overriding public interest in keeping the public record confidential. As such, respondents should assume that their submitted response will be subject to disclosure under the Public Records Law.

A respondent responding to this request should not include any Confidential Information, proprietary information or protected trade secret(s) as part of its response unless the respondent designates the specific information that it maintains is proprietary or trade secret and the reason(s) for such designation in a separate document, and identifies the specific information when it occurs within the response.

The County reserves the right to make determinations of Confidential Information when responding to public records requests and complying with Public Records Laws. Designation(s) of Confidential Information in no way guarantees that designated information will be kept confidential under the provision of the Public Records Law. Simply placing a confidential notice in the header or footer of the submittal does not satisfy the designation requirements.

Respondent is not entitled to notification prior to release of information. In no event will price be deemed confidential.

Generally, responses are available for public review after the County has awarded a contract.

X. RESPONSE REVIEW AND PHASED SELECTION PROCESS

The County is using a phased approach for this request and responses to Phase 1 will be reviewed and ranked based on the apparent ability to meet the desired functionality and requirements as specified herein. A response may or may not be eliminated from consideration for the next phase for failure to comply with one or more of the requirements.

https://vendorsupport.gobonfire.com/hc/en-us/sections/6832852006551-Creating-a-Submission https://vendorsupport.gobonfire.com/hc/en-us

Following review of responses, selected firms will be invited to participate in Phase 2 and/or Phase 3 of the selection process which consists of the submittal and evaluation of a detailed list of functional and technical requirements and pricing (Phase 2), and demonstration of the proposed solution (Phase 3).

Walworth County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all offers, in whole or in part, received in response to this request, to waive or permit cure of minor irregularities, and to conduct discussions with all respondents in any manner necessary to serve the best interest of the County. Selections are at the sole discretion of Walworth County.

XI. TENTATIVE PROJECT TIMELINE

The County’s preferred project timeline would be to evaluate the information received from Phase 2 in early May 2026, select solutions for Phase 3 demonstrations to be held in mid-May 2026, and an anticipated contract award June 2026. Implementation would begin upon contract execution.

The timeline provided is the desired schedule and is subject to change based on various factors and subject to negotiation.