Additional RFP Questions.pdf

Additional Questions and Answers

RFP #2024-02: Human Resource Management Software

• Does the Valley Community Services Board have one tax ID – FEIN number?

o Yes – 54-1049477

• Are employees in just VA & WV any other remote worker states today?

o At this time, there are no employees outside of the Commonwealth of Virginia;

however, the system must be able to readily accommodate multiple state tax tables as needed and when needed. In other words, we can’t wait days or weeks for a table to be added to our system if we’re preparing to on-board an employee who will work remotely for any length of time in a different state of primary residence.

• Regarding complex Pay Rules. If you can give us more information regarding this, is the board referring to shift differentials and incentive pay.

o I am not certain I properly understand this question. If it is simply asking if the use of the phrase “complex pay rules” applies only to shift differentials and incentive payments, no. The phrase also includes, but is not limited to, situations where an employee holds two active and separate positions, whether certain pay codes can be used in conjunction with another, the calculation of weighted overtime, benefits calculations and deductions, business rules regarding what positions are eligible for what pay codes, and other restrictions surrounding the use of pay codes.

• What is their pay frequency? Semi-monthly was noted in the time collection section.

Could you confirm the pay dates and frequency?

o Pay is deposited on or before the 15th and end of each month. If the 15th or end of the month falls on a weekend or bank holiday, pay is deposited before that date.

• How many time clocks are needed? Are you open to using computers/cell phones for clocking in? Geo Fencing?

o If this is referring to physical timeclocks, we strongly prefer web-based timeclocks to physical, dedicated timeclocks. If an HRMS’s timekeeping requires separate devices for clocking in and out, then at least three devices would be required at this time. VCSB is not open to the use of mobile devices for timekeeping, so the feature would need to be able to be restricted if it is part of your solution. Web-based timeclocks would need to be able to be restricted by either the computer’s IP address or physical location.

• Will you be able to share the leave and PTO policies if possible?

o Yes, however, keep in mind that policies are subject to change.

• Will VCSB be looking to import just GL to Microsoft Dynamics?

o It is expected that the system will be able to export data as .csv or other common file types in a variety of formats. The ability to develop custom reports for export without having to go through the vendor each time would be beneficial.

• What is the allocated budget for the payroll services project?

o VCSB is not disclosing this information. Vendors are encouraged to provide a realistic estimate of implementation and maintenance costs with the proposal. If there are questions regarding pricing once proposals are reviewed, VCSB will contact vendors for additional information.

• Can you provide details about the expected implementation timeline for this project?

o Per the RFP and the questions and answers provided previously, VCSB anticipates a go-live date of October 1, 2024 but recognizes that external factors may impact that target.

• What is the potential contract performance period or duration?

o VCSB assumes that vendors may have different standard contract performance periods and that the length of contract periods may impact pricing. VCSB does not have a pre-conceived notion of an acceptable period at this time.

• What are the current challenges or pain points that the Agency is facing with existing payroll system or process?

o Please refer to the previous questions and answers posted. Found under question

#4.

• How many employees are anticipated to be onboarded onto the payroll software?

o Please refer to the previous questions and answers posted. Found under question

#5.

• Are there any specific compliance or regulatory requirements that should be considered in payroll processing?

o In addition to the common federal and Virginia-specific state regulations (VCSB expects vendors to be generally familiar with these), VCSB must allocate payroll expenses for individuals whose positions are paid for in part or in full by restricted state or federal funding by fund. This may require allocating payroll expenses to the fund source level. For reference, VCSB’s account strings contain four code segments which are interpreted in descending order – general ledger (four digits), reporting unit (four digits), identifier (six digits), and fund source (four digits).

• What are the key features or functionalities that the Agency is looking for in a payroll solution?

o Track and validate timecard entries according to VCSB’s business rules.

o Integrate with VCSB’s current general ledger software (Microsoft Great Plains) and other commonly used general ledger software VCSB may switch to in the future.

o Handle both fixed and per unit pay codes.

o Calculate VRS and other compensation-driven benefit deductions.

o Calculate weighted overtime (regardless of when a pay period ends).

o Produce clear and easily understandable paystubs that conform with applicable federal and state law.

• Could you clarify the key deliverables expected from the payroll services provider?

o VCSB is not looking for a payroll service provider only; it is seeking to obtain an all-in-one HRMS solution. Key requirements for the system, including its payroll functionality and components, have already been provided in the RFP.

• Are there any specific reporting or documentation requirements associated with the payroll services?

o The process of developing and processing payroll usually involves a wide variety of documents, from timecards and personnel action or pay action forms to court-ordered garnishments and benefits calculations.

o Reports include, but are not limited to, quarterly federal and state taxes, worker’s compensation, annual reporting to federal and state agencies regarding payroll expenses (including breakdowns of positions by federal versus state versus other revenues), and various audits throughout the year.

• Can you provide information on the current payroll system or processes in place that the new services will need to integrate with, if any?

o There are too many processes currently in use to list; however, none of these processes are unique to VCSB. Some are the result of the current system’s inefficiencies, such as having to manually calculate overtime, compensation-driven benefits deductions (e.g., retirement or life insurance), or requiring attestations from employees who did not use PTO each pay period. Most are routine for any human resources department, such as multi-layer review/approval of compensation changes, new hire set-up, or position changes.

• What level of support or training will be required for agency staff during the transition to the new payroll services?

o As much as is necessary and reasonable for the VCSB Human Resources

Department and other key users to feel comfortable with the system and its connections to the general ledger software. VCSB would expect, at a minimum, extensive training with the HR team and the VCSB IT Department on key functions or aspects of the HRMS relative to their respective roles in a development/training environment and at least three larger, more general training sessions for general users to understand the employee or manager self-service features, including.

VCSB is open to vendor input on initial training and may adjust its expectations.

• Are there any specific security or data protection requirements that the payroll services must adhere to?

o End to End Encryption (E2EE) (SSL/TLS).

• What is the process for handling changes in employee information or payroll adjustments during the contract period?

o Employee changes are initiated by either the employee’s supervisor or a member of the HR department, then approved by the HR Director. In some instances, such as with compensation changes, additional approvals are required by the program director and/or Executive Director.

• Can you provide details on the agency's preferred communication channels and frequency for project updates and status reports?

o Earlier in implementation, it is expected that project updates will be more frequent and delivered in a live medium, preferably in person. Communication to supplement project update meetings can be via phone or email.

• Does the agency envision potential expansions or reductions in the workforce during the contract period?

o A sizeable expansion of the workforce may occur in the next two to five years, but the timeline is not certain, nor is the contract period in question.

• Is there a preferred method for invoicing and billing for the payroll services?

o Electronic invoicing and payment is preferred. It should be noted that VCSB is not looking for payroll-only services, but for an all-inclusive HRMS platform.

• Are there any specific software or technology requirements that the agency expects the payroll services provider to meet?

o Access Control Options.

o Multi-factor Authentication.

• You seek to obtain a software solution that includes both pre-hire and post-hire functionality in the form of enterprise level HR software. Our company specializes in pre-hire Software-as-a-Service that provides Applicant Tracking and Electronic

Onboarding software that can auto-flow new-hire data to post-hire endpoints such as payroll and other HR endpoints. With that said, are you open to receiving a bid for the pre-hire components (ATS and Onboarding) of the overall system you seek to obtain?

o If the question is, in essence, whether VCSB will accept a proposal for ATS and on-boarding solutions separate from a core HRMS solution, the answer is, “No.” VCSB intends to contract for an all-in-one solution, not a piecemeal solution involving multiple software. If the question is whether VCSB will accept cloud-based solutions generally, the answer is, “Yes.”

• If yes to the above question, how many concurrent job postings are active at any given time on average for VCSB? (It appears you have 26 at the time of this writing.)

o VCSB has consistently carried a 14% - 17% vacancy rate for the last two years, which translates to approximately 40 or more vacancies at any given time, some of which are intentionally withheld from postings due to program or other needs.

• How many new-hires do you onboard each year on average?

o Approximately 70 – 80 people per year.

• How many onboarding documents do you present to new-hires on average?

o Approximately 15, some of which are informational while others require new hire input/signature.

• Which payroll system do you use (assuming that will not change with the addition of the new HRIS)?

o As previously stated, VCSB does not intend to continue using its current payroll software, Microsoft Great Plains.

• How many HR users will access the hiring and onboarding system?

o Four.

• How many non-HR users will access the hiring side of the system (e.g., interviewers, department-level hiring managers, etc.)?

o Between 230 and 260 depending on vacancies at any given time. As stated within the RFP, it would be nice to provide limited employee self-service access for terminated employees to allow access to tax documents or paystubs.

• Do you background check selected candidates? If yes, do you have a preferred provider -- or are you open to a provider fully integrated into the hiring system?

o VCSB’s background checks are very specific and routed directly through the reporting institutions, which are almost exclusively state or federal agencies (e.g., Virginia State Police).

• The RFP frequently mentions Historical Data, Is that referring to Historical Data from the current system historical data going forward?

o The references to historical data in the RFP are generally speaking to historical data of both types. If, for some reason, a vendor’s software cannot accept a data import from the current HRMS, that should be made clear in its proposal if possible.