2024_05_09_DECA_Regional_Technical_Representatives_RFI.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

DEFENSE COMMISSARY AGENCY (DeCA)

REGIONAL TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVES

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) is seeking information from industry to assist with the development and planning of a potential new requirement. DeCA is issuing this RFI to identify companies capable of providing Regional Technical Representatives Support Services.

The purpose of this RFI is to gather relevant information from qualified firms to better understand their capabilities and determine potential sources for future DeCA initiatives.

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) NOTICE ONLY. THIS IS NOT A

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP). NO SOLICITATION IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.

1. Overview/Purpose/Description of Procurement

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) operates approximately 240 military commissaries worldwide in four global regions. Of that total, nearly 180 stores are in Continental United States (CONUS) locations, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Approximately 60 stores are located outside the Continental United States (OCONUS) locations. The total number of commissaries operated globally is subject to change based on the needs of the military services. Commissaries support approximately 12 million United States military customers including Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, military retirees, and family members. Commissaries operate similarly to commercial grocery stores and employ industry-standard Point of Sale (POS) systems, specifically those provided by International Business Machine (IBM) and National Cash Register

(NCR).

Regional Technical Representatives support DeCA operations impacted by POS system outages. There are five (5) DeCA Regional Technical Representatives, one for each respective DeCA Area: CONUS East, CONUS West, CONUS Central, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. These representatives work as store escalation agents based on location, collaborating with the POS help desk. If a store has many pending help desk tickets, the DeCA Program Management Office (PMO) may direct site a visit to identify and address the root cause of the problem (training, hardware, software, etc.). The Representative may recommend an appropriate resolution strategy, such as providing additional training, coordinating with field engineers, or working with Tier 3 to fix the software issue. DeCA Regional Technical Representatives support Store Directors, Zone Managers, DeCA Headquarters, and Store Personnel.

2. Scope of Effort

Provide five (5) Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Area Technical Representatives to area locations as described above to offer support for POS outages impacting commissary operations.

3. Technical Characteristics

Regional Technical Representatives are expected to perform standard duties normally associated with field support activities and demonstrate:

• Technical Expertise: Experience and expertise in providing technical support for

POS systems as described above, including troubleshooting, maintenance, and system upgrades.

• Mobility: Capability to provide comprehensive coverage across multiple geographic regions, including both urban and rural areas.

• Responsiveness: Ability to respond promptly to technical issues and emergencies, ensuring minimal downtime for the POS systems.

• Training and Education: Capability to provide training to store staff on POS operations, troubleshooting common issues, and similar.

• Customization and Integration: Capacity to customize POS systems to meet specific requirements and integrate them with other DeCA business systems.

• Reliability and Availability: Assurance of reliable service and availability of technical support representatives during business hours as well as after-hours support options.

4. Requested Information

Interested parties should address the Technical Characteristics as described above and additionally provide:

a) Company Profile

• Company name, address, and contact information (corporate and technical).

• Company size.

• Commercial and Government Entity code.

• Company size associated with NAICS code 541519 (Other Computer Related

Services, size standard $34M.

b) Core Competencies

• Overview of POS support.

• Expertise with Retail/Grocery Solutions.

• Details of any methodologies or frameworks used in retail solution(s).

c) Security and Compliance

• Description of IT security measures and protocols.

• Any relevant facility security clearances or certifications necessary to work with Government agencies.

RESPONSE GUIDELINES:

Interested parties are requested to respond to this RFI with a white paper. Submissions cannot exceed ten (10) single spaced, 12-point type with at least one-inch margins on 8 1/2” X 11” page size. The response should not exceed a 5 MB e-mail limit for all items associated with the RFI response. Responses must specifically describe the contractor’s capability to meet the requirements outlined in this RFI. Oral communications are not permissible. SAM.gov will be the sole repository for all information related to this RFI.

Companies who wish to respond to this RFI should send responses via email no later than 2:00 p.m. Central Time (CT), May 30, 2024, to tamara.j.norrenberns.civ@mail.mil and kassaundra.l.hund.civ@mail.mil.

INDUSTRY DISCUSSIONS:

DeCA representatives may choose to meet with potential offerors and hold one-on-one discussions. Such discussions would only be intended to obtain further clarification of potential capability to meet the requirements, including any development and certification risks.

QUESTIONS:

Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by email to tamara.j.norrenberns.civ@mail.mil and kassaundra.l.hund.civ@mail.mil. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Answers to questions will be posted to SAM.gov. The Government does not guarantee that questions received after May 30, 2024, will be answered. The Government will not reimburse companies for any costs associated with the submissions of their responses.

DISCLAIMER:

This RFI is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals, nor will any award be made as a result of this synopsis.

All information contained in the RFI is preliminary as well as subject to modification and is in no way binding on the Government. FAR clause 52.215-3, “Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes,” is incorporated by reference in this RFI. The Government does not intend to pay for information received in response to this RFI. Responders to this invitation are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. This RFI will be the basis for collecting information on capabilities available. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes. Proprietary information and trade secrets, if any, must be clearly marked on all materials. All information received in this RFI that is marked “Proprietary” will be handled accordingly. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned nor will receipt be confirmed. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract.

mailto:tamara.j.norrenberns.civ@mail.mil mailto:kassaundra.l.hund.civ@mail.mil mailto:tamara.j.norrenberns.civ@mail.mil mailto:kassaundra.l.hund.civ@mail.mil