Amendment 1.doc

SAP

Winthrop University Request for Proposal Amendment 1

Solicitation:

Date Issued:

Procurement Officer:

Phone:

E-Mail Address:

Mailing Address:

5400024678 1/30/2023

MELISSA MIMS

8033232143 mimsm@winthrop.edu

WINTHROP UNIVERSITY

PROCUREMENT SERVICES

210 TILLMAN HALL

Rock Hill SC 29733-0001

DESCRIPTION: Financial Aid Services With An Integrated Call Center

USING GOVERNMENTAL UNIT: Winthrop University

SUBMIT YOUR OFFER ON-LINE AT THE FOLLOWING URL: http://www.procurement.sc.gov

SUBMIT OFFER BY (Opening Date/Time): 02/15/2023 11:00 AM (See "Deadline For Submission Of Offer" provision)

QUESTIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY: 01/23/2023 @ 3:00 pm (See "Questions From Offerors" provision)

NUMBER OF COPIES TO BE SUBMITTED: One (1) Electronic Technical Proposal, One (1) Electronic Business Proposal, One (1) Electronic Redacted Copy of Technical Proposal marked "Redacted", One (1) Electronic Redacted Copy of Business Proposal marked "Redacted", (See “Submitting Redacted Offers” provision Section IV, “Submitting Confidential Information” Section II.A., & “Electronic Copies-Required Media and Format” provision Section II. B.) Initial here if NO redacted copy is necessary___________

CONFERENCE TYPE: Not Applicable

DATE & TIME:

(As appropriate, see "Conferences - Pre-Bid/Proposal" & "Site Visit" provisions) LOCATION: Not Applicable

You must submit a signed copy of this form with Your Offer. By signing, You agree to be bound by the terms of the Solicitation. You agree to hold Your Offer open for a minimum of thirty (30) calendar days after the Opening Date. (See "Signing Your Offer" provision.)

NAME OF OFFEROR

(full legal name of business submitting the offer) Any award issued will be issued to, and the contract will be formed with, the entity identified as the Offeror. The entity named as the offeror must be a single and distinct legal entity. Do not use the name of a branch office or a division of a larger entity if the branch or division is not a separate legal entity, i.e., a separate corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, etc.

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE

(Person must be authorized to submit binding offer to contract on behalf of Offeror.)

DATE SIGNED

TITLE

(business title of person signing above)

STATE VENDOR NO.

(Register to Obtain S.C. Vendor No. at www.procurement.sc.gov)

PRINTED NAME

(printed name of person signing above)

STATE OF INCORPORATION

(If you are a corporation, identify the state of incorporation.)

OFFEROR'S TYPE OF ENTITY: (Check one) (See "Signing Your Offer" provision.)

___ Sole Proprietorship ___ Partnership ___ Other_____________________________ ___ Corporate entity (not tax-exempt) ___ Corporation (tax-exempt) ___ Government entity (federal, state, or local)

COVER PAGE - ON-LINE ONLY (MAR. 2015)

SAP

SAP

PAGE TWO

(Return Page Two with Your Offer) HOME OFFICE ADDRESS (Address for offeror's home office / principal place of business)

NOTICE ADDRESS (Address to which all procurement and contract related notices should be sent.) (See "Notice" clause) _________________________________________________ Area Code - Number - Extension Facsimile _________________________________________________ E-mail Address

PAYMENT ADDRESS (Address to which payments will be sent.) (See "Payment" clause) ____Payment Address same as Home Office Address ____Payment Address same as Notice Address (check only one) ORDER ADDRESS (Address to which purchase orders will be sent) (See "Purchase Orders and "Contract Documents" clauses) ____Order Address same as Home Office Address ____Order Address same as Notice Address (check only one)

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS

Offerors acknowledges receipt of amendments by indicating amendment number and its date of issue. (See "Amendments to Solicitation" Provision)

DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

(See "Discount for Prompt Payment" clause)

PREFERENCES - A NOTICE TO VENDORS (SEP. 2009): On June 16, 2009, the South Carolina General Assembly rewrote the law governing preferences available to in-state vendors, vendors using in-state subcontractors, and vendors selling in-state or US end products. This law appears in Section 11-35-1524 of the South Carolina Code of Laws. A summary of the new preferences is available at www.procurement.sc.gov/preferences .

***PREFERENCES DO NOT APPLY TO THIS RFP***

PREFERENCES - ADDRESS AND PHONE OF IN-STATE OFFICE: Please provide the address and phone number for your in-state office in the space provided below. An in-state office is necessary to claim either the Resident Vendor Preference (11-35-1524(C)(1)(i)&(ii)) or the Resident Contractor Preference (11-35-1524(C)(1)(iii)). Accordingly, you must provide this information to qualify for the preference. An in-state office is not required, but can be beneficial, if you are claiming the Resident Subcontractor Preference (11-35-1524(D)).

***PREFERENCES DO NOT APPLY TO THIS RFP***

____In-State Office Address same as Home Office Address ____In-State Office Address same as Notice Address (check only one)

PAGE TWO (SEP 2009)

End of PAGE TWO

AMENDMENTS TO SOLICITATION (JAN 2004)

(a) The Solicitation may be amended at any time prior to opening. All actual and prospective Offerors should monitor the following web site for the issuance of Amendments: www.procurement.sc.gov(b) Offerors shall acknowledge receipt of any amendment to this solicitation (1) by signing and returning the amendment, (2) by identifying the amendment number and date in the space provided for this purpose on Page Two, (3) by letter, or (4) by submitting a bid that indicates in some way that the bidder received the amendment. (c) If this solicitation is amended, then all terms and conditions which are not modified remain unchanged. [02-2A005-1]

New opening date: February 15, 2023 @ 11:00 am

New Award Date: February 24, 2023

Questions and Answers:

1. Please reconfirm the due date for this procurement by providing it in response to answers to questions.

If I need to extend the due date for this RFP, I will

2. What is the date by which you will answer these questions?

This will depend on how many questions I receive.

3. Can you please provide greater explanation of your expectations related to any required subcontracting to minority-owned, women-owned, or other types or categories of small or disadvantaged businesses? For example, what is required with the proposal, and what is required to comply during the term of the contract?

There is no explanation of our expectations to subcontracting.

4. Are bidders permitted to deviate in any way from any manner of quoting fees you may be expecting? For example, if there is a pricing page in the RFP, can bidders submit an alternate fee structure? If there is no pricing page in the RFP, do you have any preference for how bidders should quote fees or can bidders create their own pricing categories?

You may submit an explanation of your pricing but we require a 1 year cost extended to 5 years

5. Please describe your level of satisfaction with your current or recent vendor(s) for the same purchasing activity, if applicable.

We currently do not have a contract.

6. Has the current contract gone full term?

We currently do not have a contract

7. Who is the incumbent, and how long has the incumbent been providing the requested services?

FA Solutions – They have provided supplemental services for a couple of months

8. To what extent will the location of the bidder’s proposed location or headquarters have a bearing on any award?

Looking for a bidder whose employees will work seamlessly with Winthrop (when someone calls they believe they are talking with Winthrop staff).

9. How are fees currently being billed by any incumbent(s), by category, and at what rates?

We currently do not have a contract.

10. What estimated or actual dollars were paid last year, last month, or last quarter to any incumbent(s)?

We currently do not have a contract.

11. What is the minimum required total call capacity?

Unknown.

12. What is the minimum simultaneous inbound call capacity?

Unknown, but must be able to handle more than one call simultaneously

13. What is the maximum wait time?

Flexible, depends on what contractor can provide

14. What is the maximum hold time?

Flexible. Must allow caller a chance to leave a callback number during office hours.

15. What percentage of inbound calls must be answered by a live operator?

Flexible, but majority.

16. What percentage of calls must be resolved without a transfer, second call, or a return call?

Flexible, but expecting only “tier 2” or calls for other departments will need to be transferred/returned.

17. What is the maximum percentage of calls that can be terminated by the caller without resolution?

Minimal. It is understood there will be some terminated calls, but hoping they are the exception due to the ability to provide a callback number.

18. Is there a minimum or maximum number of operators and supervisors?

The vendor should let us know recommendation.

19. What are the call center's hours of operation?

Expected to be open at least as long as Winthrop’s office hours (currently 8:30am – 5:00pm Monday to Friday; during 12 weeks in summer hours change to 8:00am – 5:30pm Monday – Thursday, 8:00am – 11:30am Friday). Expected to be open the same days Winthrop is.

20. What are the required language options?

English required. Ability to speak Spanish is appreciated, but not required.

21. What is the required degree of dedication for the call center?

Expected that operators are working for Winthrop full-time and not juggling other clients.

22. What is the required degree of dedication for the operators?

Expected that operators are working for Winthrop full-time and not juggling other clients.

23. Are callers required or allowed to connect with a message verification system or pre-recorded message before connecting to a live operator, or must a live operator be the initial contact?

Flexible, but live is preferred.

24. What are the recording and storage requirements for non-phone communications?

Ability for callers to leave a message. Ability to listen to messages in past week (preferably last month) for training purposes.

25. What was your average monthly call volume over the past year?

Data unknown for past year or outbound calls. For past 6 months (June 2022 – December 2022) 8,838 inbound calls.

26. What is the current number of seats for operators and supervisors at your existing call center?

We do not have a current call center.

27. What is the current average wait time for phone calls?

1.76 minutes

27. What is the current average handle time for phone calls and other types of communications?

6 minutes, 5 seconds

28. What is the current average after-call work time for operators?

Data unknown.

29. Over the past year, what is the percentage of calls received in English versus non-English?

Data unknown. However, majority are English.

30. Over the past year, what percentage of calls received were in Spanish?

Data unknown.

31. What time of day, days of the week, or times of the year do calls typically peak?

Monday to Wednesday are usually busiest.

May to September and January are busiest months.

32. What is the average call length for an inbound call (talk time and after-call work)?

Data unknown. Total handle time average is 6 minutes 5 seconds.

33. What is the average call length for an outbound call (talk time and after-call work)?

Data unknown.

34. What is the current inquiry average response time (initial contact to a call back)?

Data unknown.

35. Can you provide two examples of types of inquiries from potential students/students and parent inquiries?

Why hasn’t my aid disbursed?

What other aid is available?

36. How do you measure an abandoned call? (Ex: No connection, Lost connection, Hang-up, Other?)

Lost connection or hang-up

37. Will we attempt to contact an inquiry more than one time? Depends on the caller’s question, but might require at least 2 attempts to answer their question if caller’s voicemail is full.

If yes, what is the current percentage of repeat calls? Data unknown.

38. What is the outline for repeat calls before a student inquiry is marked as unresponsive? Data unknown.

If it was a facility-based program are you open to a virtual program? Do not want a call center housed at Winthrop.

39. If this is an existing program: What is the current total number of FTEs (full-time equivalent agents) assigned to the outbound portion of this program?

We do not have a current contract.

40. What is the recent staff attrition within this program over the past year?

We do not have a current contract.

41. What do you believe drives staff attrition in the program?

We do not have a current contract.

42. What is your requirement for a team agent work location? Do you require specific US Geographic residency requirements for team members?

Ideally US based.

43. Do you need any particular work location? Contractor to provide the call center (technology for call center, contractor staff, etc).

Facility, hybrid or virtual is fine.

Facility Based

Hybrid

Virtual (Work From Home)

44. How many agents worked on this program (hour, day, month)?

No current contract.

45. The total number of contacts or interactions with students/parents (hour, day, month)?

Data unknown.

46. Is there a high season in this program?

May to September and January

47. What is the largest single driver of contacts on this program?

Depends on the month (e.g. August is getting bill paid, but September is why hasn’t my aid disbursed).

48. How were agents scheduled for their hours?

Expected to be open at least as long as Winthrop’s office hours (currently 8:30am – 5:00pm Monday to Friday; during 12 weeks in summer hours change to 8:00am – 5:30pm Monday – Thursday, 8:00am – 11:30am Friday). Expected to be open the same days Winthrop is.

49. Do you have written training for this program?

No. Contractor expected to provide the majority of their operator’s training.

If yes, how long (hours, days, or months) is training? n/a

50. Is this a module, self-directed training with labs, or a trainer-led class? n/a

51. If training is unavailable, will we be allowed to work with the University to develop the training? n/a

52. Is your current trainer internal to the University? n/a

53. Did you have a formal QA process?

No, but expect Contractor to have a system in place.

If yes, do you use a QA system, and can you provide the name of that system? n/a

54. Do you measure customer satisfaction?

Not at this time.

If yes, do you have a CSAT system, and can you provide the name of that system? No.

55. If the University manages the QA and CSAT systems or processes internally, how is this information provided to the vendor? n/a

56. How often did the management of this program meet with agents?

No current contract. Expect weekly or bi-weekly once fully implemented.

57. How often did the management of this program hold business reviews? n/a

58. How did the management of the program communicate with the vendor? n/a

59. What was the technology supplied by the company?

Winthrop will provide VPN and access to Banner system, access to Winthrop’s financial aid emails, and access to shared documents (e.g. forms).

60. What technology was provided by the vendor?

Vendor expected to provide all call center technology and the technology their staff needs (e.g. laptop, headset, etc).

61. Does the technology you are using or that was used by the vendor meet the needs of the entity?

Please outline each technology by name and its use (for example: Phones - Inbound and Outbound calls; Technology Company: Bright Pattern) No current contract.

62. What was the process when technology failed? No current contract. If, Winthrop’s phone system goes down, callers can’t reach us, nor can we call out.

63. If you used a phone system, who managed the system and how was a failure in the service communicated to the system owner/manager? No current contract.

Winthrop’s ability to make long distance calls went down over 6 times, for multiple days, in past 2 years.

64. What was the average downtime for technology in the last 2 years?

No current contract.

65. Was this downtime within an acceptable range?

No current contract.

66. How is the current call center structured, is it In-house or Outsourced? If outsourced, who is the current contractor?

No current contract.

67. What is the estimated budget set aside for this project?

We require a 1 year cost extended/renewed to 5 years

68. What is the current cost incurred by the University to manage the contact center?

No current contract.

69. Will the contractor need to provide their own ticketing system, or will it be utilizing the college ticketing system?

Contractor will need to provide.

70. Would you be open if the proposal includes Artificial Intelligence along with live agent support? You can provide in proposal, but at this time looking for live agent support.

71. What is the total number of interactions you expect the contractor to handle in a fiscal year?

Data unknown for past year or outbound calls. For past 6 months (June 2022 – December 2022) 8,838 inbound calls.

72. Could the monthly/yearly volumes be disaggregated to display total inbound calls, chats, emails and web cases per month/year separately?

Data unknown.

73. What is the performance of your current delivery in terms of the following metrics - Average speed to answer, Average handle time, Abandon% & First call resolution%?

Data unknown except for total handle time 6 minutes, 5 seconds per call.

74. Which CRM system is currently utilized by Winthrop University? What level of access will the contractor have to this system in order to support the end users from Winthrop University?

Banner (Ellucian) once student is admitted. SLATE is what Admission uses (current financial aid staff do not have access to SLATE).

75. What are the strategic initiatives Winthrop University is looking to achieve through this RFP?

76. Assist with recruitment and retention by answering financial aid calls.

77. Is there a separate email address on which we can share the financial statements instead of sharing it in the proposal?

No, refer to Disclosure of Your Bid/Proposal and Submitting Confidential Data starting on page 9 of original RFP.