P03- JA_Centrak VISN21 RTLS _REDACTED.pdf

RTLS Hardware, Software, and Professional Service, VISN 21 Control Number: VA-23-0006089

JUSTIFICATION

FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Procurement Acquisition and Logistics

Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way Eatontown, NJ 07724

2. Description of Action: The proposed sole source action is for a new firm-fixed-price (FFP) single award indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract to expand and sustain the existing brand name CenTrak® and Infor® Real Time Location System (RTLS) Asset Tracking (AT) hardware and software installation at medical centers in Veteran Integrated Service Networks (VISN) 21. The purpose of this procurement is to sustain the system currently in place, extend coverage areas, configure existing hardware that is not yet configured, and re-configure system software to meet facility needs.

3. Description of the Supplies or Services: The proposed action is to procure CenTrak® and Infor® proprietary active radiofrequency identification (active RFID) hardware and software to provide real time information of asset location, staff locations, and patient locations. The planned place of performance will be at VISN 21 medical facilitiy locations (San Francisco HCS, Palo Alto – Livermore Division, Palo Alto – Palo Alto Division, Palo Alto – Menlo Park Division, Northern California – Martinez, Northern California – Mather, Central California HCS – Fresno, Sierra Nevada HCS – Reno, Southern Nevada HCS – Las Vegas, Pacific Islands HCS – Honolulu, and VHA SimLearn – Orlando).

The VISN 21 sites require the sustainment or implementation of the RTLS AT System, providing real time location for facilities covered with clinical grade hardware and with Wi-Fi only areas. VA requires brand name Centrak® and Infor®, to sustain, reconfigure, and/or expand the system. VA requires a Contractor to deliver, provision and configure CenTrak® proprietary RTLS hardware and software. VA also requires a Contractor to deliver, provision and configure the Infor® Location Business Intelligent (LBI) proprietary user interface and associated software. Sites may require the Contractor to implement tagging equipment per the national tagging standard and commissioning the asset into the Infor® LBI system or simplified asset tracking user interface software. VA requires fingerprint technology, data collection and other implementation services in order to ensure the site RTLS is properly configured. The Contractor will need to work with Infor® and CenTrak® to complete configuration of the software, create the approved business rules, update location fields (to include the VA Automated Engineering Management System (AEMS)/Medical Equipment Reporting System (MERS) space file) and ensure CenTrak fingerprinting and location data has been integrated into Infor®.

The estimated ceiling of the proposed action is $6,000,000.00, with a three-year ordering period.

4. Statutory Authority: The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1) as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1 entitled, “Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.”

5. Rationale Supporting Use of Authority Cited Above: Based on market research, as described in Section 8 of this justification, it was determined that limited competition is available for this procurement. VA requires any source to use both brand name Infor® and CenTrak® for this effort. Under the National RTLS ID/IQ VISN 21 Task Order, seven site installations were completed and approximately 50 percent of the installation has been completed at the two sites that were halted due to a VA descope descision. VA purchased Intelligent InSites (now Infor® LBI) and CenTrak® hardware, software, and services for $6M under the original VISN 21 Task Order. Under the VISN 21 RTLS ID/IQ (Contract No. 36C10A20D0006), the CenTrak® and Infor® RTLS solutions were further expanded to Las Vegas and Menlo Park Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). VA VISN 21 operation is now fully supported under one RTLS solution with the exception of Pacific Islands HCS. To design and install RTLS for all VISN 21 sites, and if another RTLS solution was used, the previous acquisitions cost of $12M would be duplicated. Hardware and multiple software applications are integrated to the core RTLS infrastructure to achieve benefits in locating assets and improving workflow. The use of Infor® and CenTrak is critical in meeting the Government’s requirements to complete and expand to new sites within VISN 21 because no other solution is interoperable with CenTrak and Infor. Interoperability is important to allow the various locations within VISN 21 to speak to each other, thereby precluding consideration of a different RTLS solution. Under the previous contracts, VA purchased CenTrak’s Clinical Grade readers, active asset tags, and location software package. CenTrak designed the layout of the readers which were installed, configured in the CenTrak software, and validated. Additionally, VA purchased Infor® software and received configuration services such as map rendering, in which Infor® modified the floor plans so that end user has a graphical interface to view equipment, and regioning of space in Insites, which creates a location to identify which room the equipment is reporting in. This contract action requires the integration of brand name CenTrak location engine with Infor® software. Furthermore, several interfaces have been developed between the Intelligent InSites RTLS solution and the Veterans Integrated System Architecture (VISTA). Within the space that Infor® regioned in its software, is a field that allows the VISTA AEMS/MERS Interface to update location and last inventory date in AEMS/MERS with the location obtained from the RTLS. Because the configuration and integration of CenTrak and Infor® requires access to proprietary data, only CenTrak and Infor® are capable of meeting VISN 21’s requirement to continue the installation as subcontractors. For example, in Wi-Fi areas, CenTrak may perform fingerprinting, which captures signal strength from the wireless access points using multiple RTLS Active tags. Data is collected throughout the facility using a proprietary CenTrak software application. The data collected is then used to determine the location of an asset through CenTrak’s proprietary algorithm. In addition, Centrak certified engineers are required to validate, test, and tune the CenTrak infrastructure. The location data obtained from fingerprinting and from the CenTrak hardware is then integrated within Infor® LBI. Infor® configuration utilizes proprietary software to process location data streamed from CenTrak’s location server and to region space on floor maps. Any source would have to have access to both Infor® and CenTrak® proprietary data in order to provide the aforementioned services and ensure proper configuration. Failure to provide these services with CenTrak and Infor® will result in delays and duplicated costs of products and services already procured. Specifically, if VA could not use Infor® and Centrak, VA would have to replace all the existing Infor® and CenTrak brand name items resulting in extensive delivery delays and duplicated costs of previous acquisitions of over $12M that would not be recovered through competition. These estimates are based on procurement efforts.

In addition to the sites that require expansion or completion of existing infrastructure, the scope of this contract may include implementation of new RTLS systems at various VISN 21 sites. New implementations will also require the use of Infor® and CenTrak® because both systems utilize a consolidated VISN infrastructure. Implementing new RTLS systems on the existing consolidated infrastructure results in a streamlined design in which procurement cost savings, removal of duplicative maintenance tasks, and regional knowledge sharing will be achieved.

VA requires a single integrator to coordinate efforts with Centrak and Infor® for the configuration, integration, testing, and training of the RTLS AT system. The Contractor will need to work with CenTrak and Infor® simultaneously as separating the work into two requirements would be inefficient and cause tremendous delays during the testing process. CenTrak® and Infor® engineers work very closely during the integration.

CenTrak hardware’s unique ID number is entered into the Infor® database. Often, the hardware can be replaced during the setup process as they may fail, which requires an update in the Infor application. If the two subcontractors are not able to work on this effort jointly, the Infor® database would be compromised and result in inaccurate location information. CenTrak® location information is streamed to the Infor® Connector server and then sent to the LBI platform server for visibility of the data on the RTLS user application. If the subcontractors are not able to work together during this process, it would cause significant delays and technical issues, such as not providing location updates to the end user. This would have a negative impact on patient care, as the care provider’s ability to locate medical equipment, such as infusion pumps or mobile ultrasound, in a timely manner, which will affect the quality of treatment Veterans receive.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: Market research was conducted, details of which are in section 8 of this justification. This effort did not yield any additional sources that can meet the Government's requirements. However, the undersigned VA technical representative determined that limited competition is for the required CenTrak® and Infor® Insites products. In accordance with FAR 6.302-1(c)(1)(ii)(c) and 5.106(a)(6) this justification shall be posted with the solicitation. Furthermore, The ordering activity will make publicly available the justification along with the solicitation in accordance with FAR 6.302-1(c)).

7. Actions to Increase Competition: The Government will continue to conduct market research to ascertain if there are changes in the marketplace that would enable future actions to be competed. In order to remove or overcome barriers to competition in future acquisitions for this requirement, the agency will work with the program office to perform additional market research so that other solutions can be considered.

8. Market Research: VA technical and the Contracting Specialist conducted market research in May 2023 by issuing a Request for Information (RFI), number 36C10A23Q0111. The RFI was posted on contract opportunities (SAM.gov), as well as General Service administration (GSA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V. The three RFI’s were posted on May 9, 2023 and concluded on May 25, 2023.

The RFI included a summary of the Performance Work Statement, which stated that the contractor shall provide an RTLS solution using the existing hardware and software when available. The respondents were requested to provide a summary of their technical capability to meet the requirements, including any specific experience with similar requirements. No alternative manufacturers were identified through market research.

The market research resulted in the identification of four (4) Service-disabled Veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) resellers that may be capable of providing the required brand name CenTrak® and Infor RTLS hardware and professional services support. Based upon the aforementioned market research, VA has determined that a SDVOSB set-aside basis on Contract Opportunities, Sam.Gov is a viable acquisition strategy.

9. Other Facts: NA

10. Technical and Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in this justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Phuc Nguyen Date: ________________________

VISN 21, RTLS Program Manager Signature: ____________________

11. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable in accordance with FAR 15.404-1(b). Price competition is expected for this action.

Claudetta N. Smith Date: _________________________

Procuring Contracting Officer Signature: _____________________

12. Procuring Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Claudetta N. Smith Date: ______________________

Procuring Contracting Officer Signature: __________________

Approval

In my role as procuring activity Advocate for Competition, based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the acquisition of CenTrak® and Infor® hardware, software and services at medical centers within VISN 21 on an other than full and open competition basis pursuant to the authority cited in Section 4 above, subject to availability of funds, and provided that the property and services herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

Date: ____________ Signature: _________________________________ Jason Bullen Advocate for Competition Technology Acquisition Center

Office of Procurement Acquisition and Logistics