Amendment 1 - QAs.docx

AMENDMENT #1

Q&A for AFTER HOURS CALL CENTER SERVICES Event No.: 2024-UWMSN-00708-RFB

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

Answer: During times of extreme weather conditions, after 4:30 PM M-F, all day on Saturday and Sunday, and state of Wisconsin recognized holidays, see sourcing event 2024-UWMSN-00708-RFB; Buyer Attachments; Services Contract Terms and Requirements section 1. Gen Information, 1.3 Definitions; and section 5. Specifications, 5.2 Service Hours, although calls may be placed at any time of day.

2. Question: What is the current average after-call work time for operators?

Answer: Unknown

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

Answer: Unknown for our contracted vendor for after-hours. Our in-house call center has 1 supervisor and 4 operators.

4. Question: What is the current average wait time for phone calls?

Answer: Unknown, our experience historically our calls are picked up within a few rings and there is not a significant wait time.

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

Answer: Unknown

6. Question: What was your average monthly call volume over the past year?

Answer: 90

7. Question: What information is to be included in call logs?

Answer: See sourcing event 2024-UWMSN-00708-RFB; Buyer Attachments; Services Contract Terms and Requirements, section 5. Specifications.

8. Question: What are the recording and storage requirements for non-phone communications?

Answer: Although not explicitly called out in our specifications, we expect an awarded vendor to keep data on UW communications for up to 30 days.

9. Question: What are the recording requirements for inbound and outbound phone calls and how long must recordings be maintained?

Answer: Although not explicitly called out in our specifications, we expect an awarded vendor to keep data on UW communications for up to 30 days.

10. Question: 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?

Answer: Our expectation is the first point of contact is a live operator.

11. Question: What is the required degree of dedication for the operators? (Can the operators assigned to this contract work on others at the same time as this one)?

Answer: We anticipate the awarded contractor will have other clients in addition to the University and work on them concurrently.

12. Question: What is the required degree of dedication for the call center? (Can the call center assigned to this contract work on others at the same time as this one)?

Answer: We anticipate the awarded contractor will have other clients in addition to the University and work on them concurrently.

13. Question: Is there a minimum or maximum number of operators and supervisors?

Answer: The awarded contractor will be expected to staff accordingly to meet the specifications of this contract.

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

Answer: Generally, the caller will not terminate a call without resolution.

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

Answer: See sourcing event 2024-UWMSN-00708-RFB; Buyer Attachments; Services Contract Terms and Requirements. Most calls will not require a transfer, but some calls may require a call back. Our expectation is 100% of calls are resolved.

16. Question: What percentage of inbound calls must be answered by a live operator?

Answer: 100%

17. Question: What is the maximum hold time?

Answer: 1 minute

18. Question: What is the maximum wait time?

Answer: 1 minute

19. Question: What is the minimum simultaneous inbound call capacity?

Answer: See sourcing event 2024-UWMSN-00708-RFB; Buyer Attachments; Services Contract Terms and Requirements, section 5.2 Service Hours. We estimate an average of 90 calls per month during after-hours which this contract covers. Contractor must be able to meet the needs of the University based on these estimations.

20. Question: What is the minimum required total call capacity?

Answer: See sourcing event 2024-UWMSN-00708-RFB; Buyer Attachments; Services Contract Terms and Requirements, section 5.2 Service Hours. We estimate an average of 90 calls per month during after-hours which this contract covers. Contractor must be able to meet the needs of the University based on these estimations.

21. Question: Is previous experience with any specific customer information systems, phone systems, or software required?

Answer: No, see sourcing event 2024-UWMSN-00708-RFB; Buyer Attachments; Services Contract Terms and Requirements, section 5. Specifications.

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

Answer: This contract is estimated at $25,000 of annual spend.

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

Answer: The current rates can be found here http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/purch/contract/wp5228.html

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

Answer: Our current vendor is performing satisfactorily.

25. Question: 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?

Answer: See the items listed in the bidding tool and the terms and requirements document, for bid comparison purposes bidders must follow this format.

26. Question: What is the date by which you will answer these questions?

Answer: Q&A closes 11/13/2024 2:00:00 PM CST and questions will be answered as soon as possible by way of an amendment.

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

Answer: The due date for this procurement is Wednesday, 12/4/2024 at 2:00:00 PM central standard time.

28. Question: Can you provide estimated monthly units for number of Inbound Calls, • number of outbound calls, • number of SMS Messages, • Number of eMail messages, • Number of Patches, • Call Talk Time, • Call Wrap-Up time, • Data Entry time to log into and enter data to UW Madison work request portal, • Account Maintenance time.

Answer: Estimated units are listed in the items tab of the bidding tool.

29. Question: Who is the current Vendor and when did the current contract start?

Answer: The current contractor is ICS MEDICAL ANSWERING SERVICE LLC, and the contract started January 20, 2022.

30. Question: When will the new contract be awarded?

Answer: As soon as possible after bids are received and the award process is complete.

31. Question: What is the date for the new contract to begin?

Answer: See section 2.1 of the terms and requirements document.

32. Question: Is there an Incumbent? How are they currently handling these calls?

Answer: See answers 29 and 24.

33. Question: Have they taken the contract to full term? Are you satisfied with their performance?

Answer: This contract is being rebid before the expiration of the current contract. Yes, we are satisfied with our incumbent.

34. Question: What is the nature of outbound calls?

Answer: Typically, outbound calls are made to technicians to try and get one of them to accept the call.

35. Question: Can you provide more information about the portal you mention in the RFP? Is it a ticketing system and can we build an API connection into it?

Answer: Our portal is an AssetWorks Software Program ReADY and it must be accessed online via a web browser through valid credentials provided by UW-Madison. You are not able to build an API connection to it.

36. Question: How are the calls currently being handled?

Answer: We are not sure the nature of this question. Call are currently being handled satisfactorily. See answer 25.

37. Question: Will we provide the IVR?

Answer: See answer 16.

38. Question: Are there any other language requirements outside of English?

Answer: No

39. Question: For the coverage hours, can you provide current call arrival patterns for nights as well as weekends?

Answer: See section 5.2 and answer 6. You should expect most of our calls to be nights and weekends.

40. Question: Is there any preference given to vendors operating in the State of Wisconsin?

Answer: Per §16.75(1)(a) 2, Wis. Stats, if a vendor is not a Wisconsin business but is competing with a Wisconsin business in a procurement event, the agency will apply a penalty to the non-Wisconsin business if they are domiciled in a state, nation or subdivision thereof that applies a preference for their businesses

41. Question: Can you please provide clarity for all of the inbound and outbound calls?

Answer: Typically, inbound calls are requests for facility related service requests. Examples, too hot, pipe leaking, elevator not working. Typically, outbound calls are made to technicians to try and get one of them to accept the call.

42. Question: Can you please provide volume of projected calls and number of projected minutes for all inbound and outbound call traffic?

Answer: See answers 5 and 6

43. Question: In the portal pricing table please explain how to add a line as directed?

Answer: We have added additional lines.

44. Question: In relation to extending the contract to other State of Wisconsin Entities would we have advanced notice, and would we be able to analyze the scope of work prior to making an agreement?

Answer: Yes

45. Question: Your bid sheet calls for: Group P1.6 for Monthly Fee for Basic Service with a quantity of 10 but there are 12 months per calendar year based -OR- 13 "months" based on a 4-week cycle of which many answering services use as we are basically a labor service and pay or staff on a two-week cycle. So, should the quantity be adjusted to 12 or 13?

Answer: We have amended this to 12