6-Narrative Questionnaire.pdf

Narrative Questionnaire

Executive Summary

Demonstrate experience, qualifications and years of service that will render your firm a well-qualified firm, with the capabilities to reach the objectives of this solicitation. Identify key staff credentials, team organization and the firm’s understanding of the requirements on this RFP.

State current industry partnerships applicable to this solicitation or any intent to use subcontractors for any of the services. As necessary, please provide details in the specific area.

Demonstrate experience providing all labor, material, equipment and support for similar services and similar entities, specifically to public water utilities as detailed in the Scope.

Identify any innovative approaches that would be beneficial in performing the services.

Briefly describe your Quality Assurance/Quality Control Program.

Describe all litigation—historical or pending—during the preceding five (5) years in which the Proposer or a principal thereof is involved as a result of the provision of the type of services contemplated in this RFP.

Describe all security breachers—historical or pending—during the preceding five (5) years in which the Proposer or a principal thereof is involved as a result of the provision of the type of services contemplated in this RFP.

Demonstrate experience with developing and maintaining electronic payment receipt system(s) to process customer payments through various channels.

Demonstrate the experience and ability to accept on-line credit card payments, e- Checks, mobile, text, digital wallet, and retail payment solutions, and any current industry partnership related to this objective.

Demonstrate the experience and ability to provide bill print services, mail services, and bill redesign services.

Demonstrate experience developing and maintaining customer portal(s) to enable customers with self-service, Live Chat, Chatbot, bill view/comparison solution options.

Demonstrate experience developing and maintaining communication management feature(s) to communicate with customers using multiple communication options.

Document successful experience providing online, interactive voice response (IVR), defined as an automated phone system that allows customers to interact with their voice or a keypad to receive or provide information and complete tasks.

Demonstrate experience developing and maintaining a simple-to-use, web-based system that allows for managing end users credit/debit card, autopay with credit cards, and e-Check payment processing for other Florida Utilities/Government customers

Demonstrate experience developing and maintaining mobile app(s) that will be available for download in the Android and Apple store.

Demonstrate experience developing and maintaining industry partnerships with established credit card authorization services to validate, authorize, and capture Hillsborough County Customers’ credit card payments and post the payment to the customer’s utilities account in real-time which require interfacing with Hillsborough County, Enterprise Solutions’ Customer Information System (CIS) software.

Demonstrate experience developing and maintaining services that allow customers to pay their utility bill using a credit or debit card(s) with nationally recognized processors.

Demonstrate experience establishing, developing and maintaining Electronic Check (e- Check) Payment capabilities for utility clients as an option that customers can use to make a one-time payment as a guest or with a standard user login.

Demonstrate experience developing and maintaining capabilities to establish a recurring credit card, ACH, e-Check processing components for County utility bills which will require interfacing with Hillsborough County's CIS server components. The establishment of a dedicated partnership is essential to provide the County with a successful product.

TAB A 1.4.1 Bill Print and Mail Services

Describe your experience providing an error-free bill and bill notice print file, transmitted from the client’s batch processing system, for formatting and creation of paper bills and electronic replicas of paper bills.

Describe or give at least two (2) examples of format for hard copy bills including special instructions, messages, banners, and remittance stub for accounts flagged in the post route file to receive paper bills.

Provide the screenshot of one (1) example of each: an electronic copy of bill notice, and electronic copy of bill; including special instructions, messages, banners, and remittance stub for accounts flagged in the post route file to receive paperless bills. If available, provide additional screenshot examples of bill notice AND/OR bill in mobile view.

Describe bill redesign services offered.

Describe your firm’s experience enclosing bills/onserts based on your client’s communications and customer segmentation rules into envelopes.

Provide or describe at least one (1) example of proposed onsert solutions.

Describe your experience handling bulk First-Class Mail: Presort, USPS certify, and mail.

Please explain in your answer how your firm would handle foreign and flat metered postage charges.

Provide the screenshot of an electronic notification of new bill/invoice if applicable with push notification option.

Please describe the process to archive electronic bill images and make them available online for customers/Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) for the period of billing history requested in the RFP.

TAB B 1.4.2 Payment System / POS Solution

Describe the payment solution within the customer self-service portal that will allow the County to take credit/debit cards, E-Check and ACH transactions for its customers.

Explain your firm’s ability AND experience to provide payment options that include Point of Sale (POS), Online, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), and Mobile Payment Solutions.

Describe in detail how your firm’s proposed payment system and POS solution shall be part of a simple-to-use web-based system that allow for managing customers’ credit/debit and e-Check payment transactions, via secure web link.

Describe real-time reporting ability of the proposed solution, to comply with requirements on section 1.4.2 of the Specifications for this RFP.

Describe the proposed mechanism, as per Section 1.4.2 of the Specifications, by which the County can manage customers from using the e-Check methodology for payment when they are cash or money order only.

Describe in detail the proposed Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Solution, to comply with requirements in Section 1.4.2 of the Specifications.

Showcase, explain or describe the proposed or existing mobile application (Mobile App) to deliver the minimum functionality as of the proposed customer portal technology access platform, available for free download in Android (Play Store) and Apple (App Store) platforms.

Please explain any upcoming updates and timelines necessary to complete this requirement per specifications if awarded.

Showcase, explain AND/OR describe IN DETAIL the customer portal technology access platform, available for access via secure web link. Please explain any upcoming updates and timelines necessary to complete this requirement per specifications in Section 1.4.2 if awarded.

Showcase, explain AND/OR describe IN DETAIL the agent portal experience to the customer portal technology access platform, available for access via secure web link. Agent portal must include the ability for agents view customer actions as well as to assist customers with actions and transactions. Please explain any upcoming updates and timelines necessary to complete this requirement per specifications in Section 1.4.2 if awarded.

Describe experience on bill presentment across all delivery channels as specified in section 1.4.2.

Describe experience on full color bill types, inserts and onserts as stated in Section 1.4.2.

Provide at least two (2) examples of bill types as stated in section 1.4.2 of the Specifications, please note to mockup/model customer information and not disclose real customer information.

Describe your experience and ability to process a daily post-route file to present bills in a timely manner.

Describe the equipment to be utilized in the process to generate the proposed daily bills for the County.

Describe experience providing a Cloud-Based PCI DSS compliant third-party call center agent-assisted payment processing module or like integrated application for IVR credit card processing that will allow customer service representatives to assist customers with questions or payments while keeping payment information hidden from Contact Center representatives.

Describe experience providing Omni-channel integration and to accept point of sale (POS) payments via IVR, customer portal, mobile devices, digital wallets, cashier stations (walk-up/in-person), kiosks, lockboxes, desktops, and Contact Center (Cloud-Based solution) as well as any other common or emerging payment channels.

Describe the security features to store customer payment information that will allow customers to make quick payments/deposits via email, text, and/or customer portal.

Describe features to accept a wide array of payment solutions such as cash, check, credit card, ACH, and e-commerce to include mobile payment services.

Describe features to restrict users from processing credit cards or ACH when the CIS payment denial switches or status alerts are activated.

Describe all services to be rendered in a clear fee schedule, per specifications.

Describe a high-level process workflow of the proposed solution to process transactions.

Explain important resources and foreseeable deviations to this workflow, considering the specifications and required timeline.

Describe features of the proposed Interactive Voice Response (IVR) payment channel, to abide by specifications.

Describe how red flags will be handled in (a) customer portal, (b) interactive voice response, and (c) redirecting to a customer representative at the Department (Contact Center).

Describe features for the proposed Communications Manager and outbound notifications, per specifications.

Describe the process and timeline to provide Web Service integration with CIS, software, and/or subsystems to support interfaces for customer service functions, per specifications of service.

Describe and explain as necessary the provision for secure encrypted transactions, Multi-factor Authentication and supporting tools to enhance both utility customers and county employees experience, per specifications.

Provide screenshot (s) of online receipt(s) to customers (e-mailed), per section 1.4.13.17

Explain how the proposed solution will deliver the minimum non-functional requirements and provide supporting documentation as necessary. Describe, in your firm’s experience, any additional items that exceed these requirements that the solution will provide to support its service.

Provide acknowledgement and describe in detail items necessary to provide the required service levels for the term of the contract, to comply with specifications.

Describe the proposed support to existing kiosks, or replacement with solution supported kiosks at no charge to the County.

Describe the proposed method for the County to request/submit payment reversals.

TAB C Files transfer and Reporting

1.4.3 Payment Settlement. Provide supporting documentation, examples and/or description to comply with the Payment Settlement Section on the Specifications, under section 1.4.3.

1.4.3.1 Example of daily settlement report

1.4.3.2 Description on experience with file formats/ examples.

1.4.3.3 Description on experience with changes on the settlement time.

1.4.4 Files Transfer. Provide applicable supporting documentation, examples and/or description to comply with the required Files transfer capabilities, per section 1.4.4 on the specifications.

1.4.4.1 Describe ability for Security provisions, per specifications.

1.4.4.2 Describe experience with daily depository files.

1.4.4.3 Provide examples for daily transactions reconciliation files, per specifications.

1.4.5 Return File / Charge Backs. Provide applicable supporting documentation, examples and/or description to comply with the required Return File/ Charge Backs, per section 1.4.5 on the specifications, for County Charge Backs and County Payments.

1.4.6 Online Reporting Tool for County. Provide applicable supporting documentation, examples and/or description to comply with the required development of an Online Reporting Tool for County, per specification on section 1.4.6.

1.4.6.1 Showcase the proposed online reporting tools features to comply with specifications to demonstrate capabilities for development of business reports and data management.

1.4.6.2 Provide applicable supporting documentation, examples and descriptions to demonstrate capabilities for CIS integration, exporting information, an exception reporting tool, and preventative methods to bridge the gap in systems communication.

TAB D Systems Integration

To maintain the County’s policy related to information security measures, and sensitive customer data, any supporting documentation, descriptions and experience detailed in this narrative shall be directed to the capability and ability of the proposer to provide the requirement. Any example provided shall not disclose real customer data. If selected for oral presentations, the proposer must address this section in detail, as required per Specifications.

1.4.7.1 Detailed schematic design/flow chart showing its communications interface components. The design shall show how the Contractor's communication system will interact with the CIS.

1.4.7.1 Demonstrate the communication flow of data and a contingency plan in case of communication failure.

1.4.8 Provide sample screenshots and describe experience in mirror testing environment.

Describe the opportunities and successes in the implementation of similar services, and the use of mirror testing environment.

1.4.9 Describe in detail experience and provide examples for system alerts, application failures, system maintenance, or other issues that require any of the relating systems (CIS, Credit Card application, etc.) to go offline.

1.4.9 Describe the process to establish a definitive plan for handling system failures, communicate real time alerts and the provision to Hillsborough County with the capabilities to access customer data to correct payment failure conditions when the failure was due to system error (credit card declines/rejects shall be tracked as well).

1.4.9 Provide examples of real time alerts of failed communications during the authorization and capture phase of the payment cycle section immediately upon failure as well as provide system reports examples verifying the time of failure.

1.4.10 Describe examples and provide screenshots of existing processes and customer communications, for each of the conditions as detailed on section 1.4.10, Conditions/Prompts to County Customers, of the Specifications.

TAB E Implementation Plan and post Implementation Support

Describe your firm’s experience and proposed features to comply with the requirements detailed in section 1.4.13 of the Specifications for Miscellaneous Items.

Describe in detail the ability to provide Proof of Concept in the timeframe allocated per sections 1.5.1, Testing and Acceptance Period.

Describe the process to determine performance during the testing and acceptance period.

Describe the process to cure deficiencies, and requirements for the County during the testing and acceptance period.

Describe a high-level timeline for implementation to address all services contained in this RFP. If selected for oral presentations, it will be required to present a draft implementation plan for consideration.

Describe challenges and successes in similar implementations, and how to proactively apply lessons learned for the success of the implementation plan in Hillsborough County.

Describe or give examples of deliverables that will be part of the implementation phase, such as training presentations, manuals, workflows, customer tutorials, launch campaigns, etc.

Describe your firm’s experience in post-implementation support that includes a well-defined scope, dedicated support team, ongoing training, and a system for feedback and improvement, as well as any challenges that will be proactively addressed in the implementation for Hillsborough County.

Describe your firm’s experience leading a transition for similar services into the new solution.

Provide at least three customer references to which your firm’s has completed the implementation phase of similar services.

Provide a detailed scope as described for the following areas in the Specifications, section

2.1 Evaluation Criteria:

System Quality and Ability

Quality/ Cost total

Proposer Approach Plan

Proposer Experience