Amendment No. 1 AGY-21-003-SR.pdf

All Prospective Bidders

FROM: Maryland Transit Administration

SUBJECT: Addendum No. 1

IFB # AGY-21-003-SR

Inventory Reconciliation

DATE: July 22, 2021

Addendum No. 1 consists of nine (9) pages to the subject Invitation For Bid. This addendum contains answers to bidder questions. You will also find the virtual Prebid sign in sheet.

This addendum also changes the due date from July 28, 2021 at 1:00pm to August 5, 2021 at 1pm.

The Bidder shall acknowledge receipt of this Addendum by completing and returning this form with the bid submission package.

All other terms and conditions remain unchanged.

Sincerely, Darica Lawson Procurement Officer II Procurement Division Maryland Transit Administration

Acknowledgement of receipt of Addendum No. 1 to IFB No. AGY-21-003-SR.

Vendor Name: ___________________________________________________

Authorized Representative’s Signature Date

This is the end of Addendum No. 1

AGY-21-003-SR Questions

1. Will MDOT provide a list of buildings AND rooms (not associated with equipment)?

This will facilitate preloading of potential areas for inspection and ensure we do not miss anything during initial reconciliation.

Ans: Locations for known equipment items will be provided in an EXCEL spreadsheet to prevent you from going to all other areas owned by the agency where there are no equipment items.

2. From the pre-bid call, it is our understanding that prior to inventory work, MDOT will supply a copy of the property book to the successful vendor without location information.

Can MDOT confirm that at a minimum, the information supplied will include Property book number, Serial Number (where applicable), Existing quantity, Item description, Special Designations (i.e., Sensitive Item, Capital Equipment)?

Ans: The information provided will include property tag number, serial number (Where applicable), item description. Sensitive items are part of the capital equipment and will be identified with an “S” indicator for such asset. Quantities are unnecessary because this is not a materials, parts or supply inventory.

3. Is there a requirement/need to assess the current condition of each item being inventoried?

Ans: NO

4. The value threshold for capture is $500 original procurement cost, will MDOT validate those values during the inventory operation, or will they rely on the vendor to assess the original procurement value of the item?

Ans: The equipment cost for each inventory item will be supplied. If you come across an equipment item that clearly can be assessed with the naked eye to be valued over $500 without a property number tag, you will only need to make note of it, along with location and any serial number, so the MDOT MTA can investigate whether it had a tag and fallen off, etc.

5. Does MDOT expect that the vendor will need to capture new items that may not have a

“Property of” label on them?

Ans: Yes. See response to question #4

6. Will MDOT provide a list of item types that will be included in the inventory so the vendors may assess what expertise is required during the inventory reconciliation?

Ans: Yes. There are 2 item types: Sensitive and Non-sensitive. Both types together make up the Comprehensive inventory. However, only sensitive items are to be inventoried for the Sensitive inventory.

7. At what point each year does MDOT conduct the internal Sensitive items inventory?

Ans: During the non-comprehensive inventory years, MDOT MTA will conduct a Sensitive items inventory from November 1 through January 31.

8. Stated during the pre-bid call, the vendor has until June 15, 2022 to complete the comprehensive inventory, does the winning bidder need to wait until the internal sensitive items inventory has been completed before beginning the comprehensive inventory?

Ans: No. The sensitive items inventory will NOT be performed by MDOT MTA in a comprehensive inventory year. The winning vendor will be responsible to inventory both sensitive and non-sensitive equipment in a comprehensive inventory year.

9. Is there any special training or briefings needed for vendor personnel to have access without escort?

Ans: Yes. MDOT MTA provides training and testing for CSX rail line access with/without an escort. MDOT MTA provides training and testing for areas requiring escorts on the

Light Rail and Metro (Hard Rail). AMTRAC (Vendor pays for this training) provides training and testing for the lines it uses. The AMTRAC training and testing fee is not reimbursed.

10. Will MDOT POC’s for departments/buildings be available for both coordination and during the inventory reconciliation process for access and guidance issues?

Ans: Yes.

11. Will the vendor be provided with badging or other identification allowing access to the buildings?

Ans: Yes.

12. Will MDOT personnel escort vendor personnel?

Ans: Only when requested by vendor. Light Rail and Metro Rail require vendor escorts in certain sensitive areas via weekly request in-advance. MTA Police require advance notice before arriving on-site to conduct inventory; and, escorts will be required in sensitive areas.

13. We understand that specific location data will not be provided for site inventory

(building, floor, room), however can MD DOT provide the city name with the fixed asset records so that the vendor can develop a site inspection plan and team size to address the anticipated asset concentrations ?

Ans: No. Most equipment items are located within the Baltimore Metro Area. Equipment items outside of the Baltimore Metro Area are normally located along all three MARC

Train lines (PENN, Brunswick and Camden Lines).

14. Can you describe the operational groups that comprise DOT and the general type of assets DOT has at those divisions. Divisions according to the DOT website may include

Motor Vehicle Administration, Aviation, Transit, Ports, Tollway, and Rail. DOT assets as the Port and Aviation of particular interest as these operations are usually separate business functions.

Ans: Port Authority Admin., Motor Vehicle Admin., Aviation Admin., State Highway Admin., Maryland Transit Authority are not part of this contract. This contract is exclusive to the

MDOT MTA. The Maryland Transit Admin., (MTA) fixed assets includes but not limited to equipment, furniture, vehicles, locomotives, boxcars, railcars, buses, motorcycles, special machinery, off-road vehicles, etc.

15. What was the value of the previous 5-year equipment reconciliation contract?

Ans: $600,000

16. Is the MD DOT interested in the capture of additional information not included in the

RFI or discussed on the call, such as verifying make, model, and serial number where available?

Ans: Yes. See response to question #4

17. Does MD DOT permit the vendor to assign staff members to inventory multiple locations simultaneously (i.e., smaller teams) or does MD DOT prefer a more concentrated inventory team (i.e., fewer but larger teams)?

Ans: It is recommended to assign staff members to inventory multiple locations simultaneously.

18. Are computer network equipment and wi-fi network equipment managed through a separate Information Technology operation or within MD DOT

Ans: No. MDOT MTA have network equipment located at every MTA building, facilities, rail stations, etc.

19. Current contract end-date?

Ans: The AGY-21-003-SR contract is set to end June 30, 2026.

20. Allowable to perform more than 1 physical per year per item?

Ans: No.

21. What is the start date for the current bid/award?

Ans: Any time after the Board of Public Works approves the contract (Hopefully, before the end of 2021).

22. How are records maintained currently for the requisition, transfer and/or removal of inventoriable items? Will we have access to said records in an exportable file format or will we only have visual access through the MTA system?

Ans: All records are maintained within the State of MD financial management information system and the vendor will not be granted access. Various inventory data will be exported into an EXCEL spreadsheet and provider to winning vendor.

23. What percentage of current inventoriable items are barcoded?

Ans: Approximately 97% of current inventory items are barcoded. The recent Pandemic could impact this percentage.

24. What is the percentage of current inventoried items that fall into the ‘sensitive’ category?

Ans: 40%

25. Do you have specific file layouts defined for the import/export of data to and from the inventory control software?

Ans: See response to question 22 above. EXCEL is the acceptable format to and from the

State of MD financial system. Also, all reports received from vendor are to be in EXCEL format.

26. How long will pricing need to be held for?

Ans: This requires a response from Procurement Division.

27. Are you following an System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) process (Agile or

Waterfall)?

Ans: No. All State of MD fixed assets inventories are performed once annually (This contract). However, there are materials, parts and supplies inventories that can be performed in cycles (This contract does not contain parts, materials or supplies).

28. We have our inventory control system that we would utilize, is it permissible to use our own system or do we have to use an incumbent’s solution? If so, what is the name of the company and their solution?

Ans: As stated in the pre-bid conference call, the previous vendor used their own system. Yes.

the new vendor can use theirs as well.

29. Are there specific hours of operation that must be followed, to perform the inventory counts?

Ans: It depends on equipment and facility. The Admin buildings should be 7am – 7pm;

however, bus yards should be overnight when most buses are offline. Metro and Light

Rail lines should be 7am – 7pm.

30. Are there night or weekend hours that the facilities can be accessed for inventory purposes?

Ans: Certain facilities can be accessed for inventory on weekends. But, notice must be requested by winning vendor with facility head.

31. Our company is a new company 4/2021, we have recently applied for MBE/SBE certification. If we provide you with copies of the paperwork, will that satisfy your requirement for MBE?

Ans: This will not cover the MBE goal. This procurement is not specifically set aside for small or minority businesses, but you can apply for a waiver using the instructions. You will need to provide the required forms and proof of good faith effort. Please see MBE attachments for more information. Waivers can be partial or full. If your firm if serving as an MEB subcontractor to the prime supplying this paperwork with the bid is best.

VISUAL PRE-BID CONFERENCE

ATTENDANCE SHEET

Agy-21-003-SR Inventory Reconciliation

Thursday, July 8, 2021 at 1:00 P.M.

REPRESENTATIVE PHONE/FAX NO./e-MAIL NAME OF FIRM

Brian Haden Phone: 410-767-3783 Fax: 410-333-4810 e-Mail: bhaden@mdot.maryland.gov

MTA – Finance

Darica Lawson Phone: 410-767-3763 e-Mail: dlawson@mdot.maryland.gov

MTA – Procurement

Patrick Schneider Phone: 410-897-0907 e-Mail: pdschneider@advantech-inc.com

AdvanTech

Andrew P. Campbell Phone: 219-765-8642 e-Mail: apcampbell@attainpartners.com

Attain Partners

Lisa Spruill Phone:

e-Mail: lspruill@appelligence.com

Appelligence

Glenn Breneiser Phone:

e-Mail: info@appelligence.com

Appelligence

Audrey Askew Phone: 443-865-3240 (c e-Mail: aaskew@askewcpa.net

AA Askew & Company

Karen He Phone: 301-474-0147 e-Mail: karen.he@usfti.com

Hamilton Enterprises, LLC

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mailto:bhaden@mdot.maryland.gov mailto:dlawson@mdot.maryland.gov mailto:pdschneider@advantech-inc.com mailto:apcampbell@attainpartners.com mailto:lspruill@appelligence.com mailto:info@appelligence.com mailto:aaskew@askewcpa.net mailto:karen.he@usfti.com