36C25525Q0218.docx

SUBJECT*

PILL PACKING UNITS: BOX PICKER/ SEPG 348073

GENERAL INFORMATION

SET-ASIDE

Network Contracting Office (NCO) 15 3450 S 4th Street Trafficway

Leavenworth KS 66048

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contracting Officer Janie Juszczak janie.juszczak@va.gov

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital

800 Hospital Drive

Columbia MO

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

DESCRIPTION

This Sources Sought Notice is for planning purposes only and shall not be considered as an invitation for bid, request for quotation, request for proposal, or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products and/or services. Your response to this Sources Sought Notice will be treated as information only. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise because of contractor submission of responses to this announcement or the Government use of such information. This request does not constitute a solicitation for proposals or the authority to enter negotiations to award a contract. No funds have been authorized, appropriated, or received for this effort.

The information provided may be used by the Department of Veterans Affairs in developing its acquisition approach, statement of work/statement of objectives and performance specifications. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response. The Government does not intend to award a contract based on this Sources Sought Notice or to otherwise pay for the information submitted in response to this Sources Sought Notice.

The submission of pricing, capabilities for planning purposes, and other market information is highly encouraged and allowed under this Sources Sought Notice in accordance with (IAW) FAR Part 15.201(e).

The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice announcement is for market research to make appropriate acquisition decisions and to gain knowledge of potential qualified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses, Veteran Owned Small Businesses, 8(a), HubZone and other Small Businesses interested and capable of providing the products and/or services described below.

Documentation of technical expertise must be presented in sufficient detail for the Government to determine that your company possesses the necessary functional area expertise and experience to compete for this acquisition. Responses to this notice shall include the following:

(a) Company Name;

(b) Address;

(c) Point of Contact;

(d) Phone, Fax, and Email;

(e) UEI Number;

(f) Cage Code;

(g) Tax ID Number;

(h) Type of Small Business, e.g., Services Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Veteran Owned Small business, 8(a), HUBZone, Women Owned Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, or Small Business HUBZone business, etc.;

(i) State if your business has an FSS contract with GSA, VA NAC, NASA SEWP, or any other federal contract, that can be utilized to procure the requirement listed below and provide the contract number; and

(j) Must provide a capability statement that addresses the organization’s qualifications and ability to perform as a contractor for the work described below.

Requirement:

The VA Heartland Network 15 Contracting Office located at 3450 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, KS, 66048-5055 is seeking a potential qualified contractor to BoxPicker Automated Pharmacy Storage System & Hardware installation, 5 years of monthly service for all equipment & software inventory management subscription for Columbia, Missouri VAMC. Please see the Performance Statement of Work for more specifics and details.

The North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS Code) is 561210 (Facilities Support) Services, size standard $47 million. Based on this information, please indicate whether your company would be a Large or Small Business and have a socio-economic designation as a Small Business, VOSB or SDVOSB.

Important Information:

The Government is not obligated to, nor will it pay for or reimburse any costs associated with responding to this source sought synopsis request. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to an acquisition approach. The Government will in no way be bound to this information if any solicitation is issued.

Responses to this notice shall be submitted via email to Janie Juszczak at janie.juszczak@va.gov. Telephone responses will not be accepted. Responses must be received no later than Friday, February 28, 2025, at 10:00AM CST. Please reference 36C25525Q0218 in the subject line.

Please provide your Unique Entity ID so that your organization can be identified in SAM.GOV.

Only organizations with an active SAM.GOV account can be considered.

Sources Sought Notice Sources Sought Notice If a solicitation is issued it shall be announced at a later date, and all interested parties must respond to that solicitation announcement separately from the responses to this source sought. Responses to this source sought notice are not a request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of the solicitation.

Sources Sought Notice

Statement of Work Harry S. Truman Veterans’ Memorial Hospital, Columbia, MO BoxPicker Automated Pharmacy Storage System & Hardware installation, 5 years of monthly service for all equipment & software inventory management subscription

1. PURPOSE/BACKGROUND

The Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital Pharmacy Service requesting a BoxPicker Automated Pharmacy Storage System, Hardware installation, 5 years of monthly service for all equipment and, software inventory management subscription . BoxPicker provides pharmacies with secure, high-density storage of medications — controlling access, improving pharmacy workflow efficiency and expediting the picking process. The system fully automates medication storage and retrieval; which can not only eliminate picking errors and increase safety at dispense, but also creates a more efficient pharmacy workflow. The Company must offer fully and semi-automated systems for high density storage and retrieval, automated packaging and dispensing, high-speed unit-dose packaging, secure, temperature-sensitive storage, and medication management software to manage medication inventory within the hospital or across the health system. Healthcare’s pharmacy automation can expect:

· Reduced wait time and medication errors

· Efficient management of inventory and reduced drug costs

· Streamlined medication returns and expired medication tracking

· On-time patient medication administration

· Optimized pharmacy workflows without adding staff to complete non-value add tasks

· Improvements in the overall quality of service delivered by the hospital

2. SCOPE

2.1. The Contractor shall deliver and install all items listed in section 2.3.

2.2. All items must meet all salient characteristics defined in section 2.3.

2.3 ITEM SPECIFICATIONS AND SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS

BoxPicker #1 Automated Pharmacy Storage System Standard Height System (9' 10") Equipment Components

with Storage Bins and High-Capacity Drawers ("Special Bays")

Software 1 Pharmacy Automation Software License

Peripherals and Accessories 1 Barcode scanner, UPS, for customer-supplied BoxPicker Manager Workstation

Supplies 1 Roll of Dispense labels

Training

· Equipment trailing for up to four (4) super users

· Hardware ad software installation, tuning and testing

· Travel per diem costs for Swisslog Healthcare personnel involved in the project

Documentation/Other

· Complete set of training and maintenance manual

· Freight to the site

· Unloading/uncrating at the facility loading doc

· Transport within the facility to the installation area

BoxPicker #3 Automated Pharmacy Storage System Standard Height System (9' 10") Equipment Components

with Storage Bins and High-Capacity Drawers ("Special Bays")

Software 1 Pharmacy Automation Software License

Peripherals and Accessories 1 Barcode scanner, UPS, for customer-supplied BoxPicker Manager Workstation

Supplies 1 Roll of Dispense labels

Training

· Equipment trailing for up to four (4) super users

· Hardware ad software installation, tuning and testing

· Travel per diem costs for Swisslog Healthcare personnel involved in the project

Documentation/Other

· Complete set of training and maintenance manual

· Freight to the site

· Unloading/uncrating at the facility loading doc

· Transport within the facility to the installation area

Pharmacy Automation Software Includes the following:

· Base Pharmacy Automation Software configuration with wholesaler interface

· Unlimited users

· Installation and configuration of the application

· Training for up to four super users per pharmacy location

· Integration with Swisslog Healthcare equipment (PillPick Automated Packaging and Dispensing System, BoxPicker Automated Pharmacy Storage System, and Automated Tablet Packaging System(s)

Pharmacy Manager Software Pharmacy Manager is a medication inventory management software designed with growing health systems in mind. As the central point of truth for pharmacy inventory, Pharmacy Manager facilitates intelligent order routing, efficiently dispensing medications from the most logical inventory locations and placing replenishment orders only when needed based on PAR levels. The software takes the lead on incoming and outgoing orders, becoming the central point of truth for pharmacy inventory control.

As part of your subscription to Pharmacy Manager, you’ll have access to:

· New features through available software update

· Ongoing training through interactive eLearning modules

· Step by step “how to” instructions in the product Knowledge Center

· On-demand support 24/7/365 through the Customer Care Center

Roles and Responsibilities There are several roles and responsibilities that will be identified during the implementation process that will be crucial for the overall success of the project. The tables below list both General and IT related responsibilities and the expectation of ownership during the implementation process.

Storage costs, or providing on-site storage

X

Electrical: Provide electrical supply for all components, to specification, with connections through a disconnect to terminals in the BoxPicker.

X

Compressed Air: Supply and connection of clean, dry compressed air to the BoxPicker, to specification.

X

Refrigerant lines: Provide supply line and installation between the remote condenser and the BoxPicker to specifications, if required. Dual Temp BoxPickers only.

X

For Dual Temp BoxPickers: Provide condensate drain or condensation pump to manage draining needs.

X

Supply and installation of dust partitions, if required during installation

X

Detailed site drawings with equipment placement and configuration

X

Complete preparation of the space, including any remodeling or modifications needed, including removal and replacement of existing walls, wall coverings, ceilings, floor coverings, if required. All code or compliance issues related to same.

Supply of a locked cabinet in the pharmacy area for secure storage of on-site spare parts

X

Costs for compliance with customer’s infection control procedures

X

Disposal of general waste materials, non-hazardous installation debris.

X

Sterile clean-up, where required, and associated with compliance inspections.

X

Permits, inspections, fees and taxes associated with all permits, mandates or compliance costs required by local jurisdictions or other regulatory authorities.

The installation schedule is based on timely milestone coordination. Delays in Customer response may result in delays in project completion and additional costs.

Healthcare installation personnel must have reasonable access to the hospital loading dock and a clear path from the dock to the installation area, including use of elevators as required.

Typical installation activities take place during normal business hours, with longer days for efficiency, such as 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Work schedules will be coordinated with pharmacy and construction staff, and typically involve ten-day schedules, including weekends. If your project requires unusual installation times, additional costs will be billed separately.

Following equipment training, the pharmacy staff will be responsible for loading medication inventory into the BoxPicker, to prepare it for use.

X

Preparation of individual BoxPicker bins for loading, to include installation of dividers and related bin organizational items is the responsibility of the customer as part of the medication loading process.

utilizes the train-the-trainer approach, and our standard equipment training will be provided for up to four (4) super- users. This ratio of trainer to super-user is optimal for knowledge transfer with this important hands-on training. Other options for training should be discussed with your sales consultant. Please note that training will be conducted during regular business hours, Monday through Friday. Additional training can be provided at standard rates plus travel expenses, or at our Automation Academy.

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Provide and install servers(s) for the installation, as outlined in the current specification requirement documents including operating systems and SQL database licensing, as required.

Standard business computer workstation for administrative tasks and functions. Client(s) to be installed dependent on customer and project needs. (Business computer, keyboard, monitor as outlined in the current specification requirement documents.)

Barcode scanners for all non-automation workstation computers, as required.

X

Network connections and cabling to support the BoxPicker and related computers and peripherals.

X

Interfaces/Integration: All third-party costs associated with the licensing or implementation of interfaces

X

Supply and installation of probe(s) and cabling from the hospital central temperature monitoring system to the BoxPicker Dual Temp if required.

(Optional)

Patient Medication Orders/Dispensing Interface: Receiving and processing medication dispensing requests from hospital clinical information system/EHR/pharmacy information system.

(HIS , standard interface is HL7-RDE)

X

X

Drug Cabinet (ADC) Replenishment Interface: Receiving and processing dispensing/replenishment requests from third party automated drug cabinet system. (ADC, standard interface is

HL7-RDE)

X

X

Routine operating system and computer maintenance functions, including servers and PCs: Operating system patches, security updates service packs; general maintenance and optimization of operating system; management of anti-virus software and policies.

Customer’s formulary data will be provided to Company in an approved file format for import into the system for review and approval.

Following are guidelines for this process:

· Upon issuance of a Purchase Order, Company shall assign a Project Manager to develop a schedule of activities and ensure proper coordination.

· Client shall also provide a Project Manager to ensure alignment between the organizations.

· Project planning, space planning, infrastructure requirements and scheduling are mutually agreed upon.

· Pre-implementation planning. Customer and Company representative will participate in a kickoff meeting (the time, date and place thereof to be mutually agreed upon by the parties’ project managers) to plan the implementation of the System(s). Customer will ensure that such kickoff meeting will include participation from Customer’s (to the extent applicable) Director of Pharmacy, pharmacy Project Manager, Facilities Manager, information technology (“IT”) representative and technical services representative. The pre-implementation process will include agreement by the parties on an appropriate installation site for the proper installation of each item of Hardware, taking into account all site preparation requirements given to Customer, including physical, IT, electrical and environmental requirements.

· Installation Site. Customer will be solely responsible, at its expense, for ensuring that each Installation Site complies with all site requirements prior to installation (including without limitation, making all required facility modifications to the installation site and/or the premises on which such installation site is located, such as removing doors or windows) and obtaining necessary permits. Upon request, Customer will provide written evidence that all permits have been obtained. Customer will be solely responsible for compliance with any applicable building codes in connection with the installation of the Hardware.

· Installation Date. During pre-implementation planning, Customer will mutually agree on an installation date for each System. Company will give Customer written or email confirmation of such agreement. In consideration of receipt of Customer’s payment of fees due prior to installation, Company will install each item of the System at the applicable site on the scheduled date; provided Customer timely performs its obligations and does not otherwise cause any delay during pre-implementation or installation.

· Customer Assistance. Customer will promptly provide any and all assistance that Company may reasonably request in connection with Company’s performance of its obligations including without limitation, pre-implementation, installation, support or removal of Hardware.

· Training. In conjunction with installation, at no additional cost to Customer except for reasonable travel and out-of-pocket expenses, Company will provide two (2) four-hour onsite training sessions held on a single day of customer’s choosing per site with respect to the Product for four or fewer of Customer’s Pharmacists and/or support technicians who, in turn, will be able to train additional Customer personnel. If additional training is requested by Customer, or training is requested outside of such hours, such additional training will be provided by Company at its then current rates (plus reasonable travel and out of pocket expenses) at such time and place as the parties may agree upon. Training will be provided between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., local time, on consecutive business days if more than one day, at the installation site.

· Client shall identify Super-Users for each shift to be trained by the Company on site. These individuals must be properly qualified and technically capable to manage the system. This group of hospital Super Users must complete a certification process that allows them to correctly monitor and adjust the system.

Customer obligations during support period

· Customer will appoint at least two individuals per physical location who have been approved and certified by the Company, in the operation of the System to serve as the primary contacts between Customer and Company regarding any interaction they may have in connection with any service call. Customer may certify additional personnel on a space-available basis.

· Customer will provide Company and its subcontractors with all assistance reasonably requested for purposes of providing support, including without limitation, adequate access to the applicable physical location of the System during or after Customer’s business hours, as the case may be, and the ability to have high-speed remote access at all times.

· Customer will be solely responsible for (i) providing appropriate supervision and management of the use of the System by its personnel and agents and (ii) the implementation of any backup facilities and/or plans for all computer programs and data in the event of errors or malfunction of the System. Support for browser and Internet connections are Customer’s responsibility.

· If Customer requests any item of Hardware to be relocated and re-installed at a new installation site (provided that such new installation site meets the applicable site requirements and any and all necessary permits have been obtained by Customer regarding such installation site), Customer will pay for such relocation and re-installation at Company Healthcare’s then current rates. Customer will be solely responsible for, and Company Healthcare will have no liability or obligation with respect to, restoring the installation site and the premises after the removal or relocation of any Hardware

Pharmacy Automation Hardware Service and Support To keep your pharmacy automation system(s) and software operating at peak efficiency, Company provides a comprehensive service and support program.

Preventive Maintenance, Emergency Service & Parts include the following:

· 24/7 remote diagnostic service via phone and VPN connection

· On-site preventive maintenance and services for the purpose of inspection and adjustment of all equipment per following schedule:

· Monthly for BoxPicker

· Corrective maintenance for failed wear-and-tear parts (See Master Purchase & Services Agreement), within 8 hours of problem notification

· All labor, expenses, and parts associated with service events and parts replacement out of scope will be charged according to the then current rates including failures resulting from misuse or abuse of the equipment.

· Qualifying parts:

· All parts and materials required to perform scheduled preventative maintenance are included. See Master Purchase & Services Agreement for list of specific parts.

· Consumables items identified in the Master Purchase & Services Agreement are excluded.

· System computers, related hardware (i.e. monitors, printers, and bar code readers), and non- wear-and-tear components are excluded from this Proposal agreement after the warranty period

· An inventory of critical system parts will be stored onsite in a hospital-supplied locked location for the BoxPicker.

· Routine daily maintenance (replacing consumables, cleaning, etc.) is not covered under this Proposal.

Note: part(s) definitions can be found in the Master Purchase & Services Agreement

Pharmacy Automation Software Maintenance Solution:

Company provides technical resources in support and enhance the use of the Pharmacy Automation software systems. These services are available to assist with issues that originate with the software and require technical intervention.

Pharmacy Automation software support fees include the following services:

· 24/7/365 remote diagnostic service and corrective action

· Software updates to address reported bugs or malfunctions or interface issues

· Software version upgrades of all pharmacy automation systems, available at least 1x/year

· Access to quarterly change order requests, requiring 8 hours of development or less

Pharmacy Automation software support fees do NOT include:

· Support and license fees required for third-party information system vendors’ interfaces

· Assistance in the development or modification to new or existing interfaces or functionality, as requested by the client.

· On-site software maintenance visits including labor, travel and expenses

· Hardware or any other materials not required for core software functionality

· Preparing standard purchase order request for import to wholesaler web portal.

· Receiving Order Confirmation from wholesaler web portal for import into AutoPharm.

· Receiving and processing wholesaler price updates. These are file-specific to the wholesaler and are not done automatically. A request to Customer Support must be made.

The following interfaces can be contracted for an additional fee:

· Formulary Updates

· Outbound Transactional Integration

· General Ledger Journal Entry Integration

Solution Interface Development Each interface includes installation, configuration and testing. Interface prices do not include fees assessed by third parties or address Customer resource availability for testing.

3. DELIVERY

3.1 Delivery and Install Timeframe: Immediate upon award, Once PO is provided by Contracting, 12-month lead time to build the equipment and 6 months to install with the VA hospital.

3.2 The Contractor shall contact the On-Site Point of Contact to schedule a pre-delivery meeting to be conducted approximately 60 days prior to the initial award delivery date for verification of delivery dates.

3.3 The Contractor may be required to adjust the delivery date from the date specified in the contract award document.

3.4 A government-requested delivery delay up to 90 days after the delivery date specified in the contract award shall be at no additional cost to the government.

3.5 Delivery Location: Contractor shall deliver designated equipment to the respective operational sites:

Columbia VAMC Attn: Pharmacy 800 Hospital Drive Columbia, MO 65201-5275

4. ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA

Submitted bids must be reviewed by a technical review team from the Pharmacy Service prior to award of contract.

5. SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

Security background checks are not required.

6. WARRANTY

The contractor shall provide all manufacturer(s) warranties on all parts delivered.

The warranties shall include shipping costs associated with any warranty repair.

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