Argonne Payroll-Effort-Timekeeping System RFI.pdf

Argonne National Laboratory

Request for Information (RFI): 5-P124-I--05426-00

Payroll/Effort/Timekeeping System

August 22, 2025

Argonne National Laboratory (UChicago Argonne, LLC), under a prime contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is performing a market survey to evaluate obtaining products or services which are the subject of this Request for Information (RFI). Therefore, you are invited to submit a response to this RFI that includes marketing materials, price lists, informal proposals, and any other relevant information you deem appropriate to address your ability to provide the supplies and/or services. This RFI is for informational purposes only and will not necessarily result in solicitation or award of a contract.

Responses may include proprietary information. Offers should indicate on the fore page, and all subsequent pages of their response to this RFI, those sections, paragraphs, or areas which they consider to be proprietary or otherwise considered confidential. Argonne assumes no liability for disclosure or use of unmarked data and may use or disclose such data for any purpose.

Overview of Argonne National Laboratory

Argonne National Laboratory's Financial Management division is integral to the laboratory's operations, ensuring efficient and compliant handling of financial activities. Within this division, Payroll Management is responsible for processing employee compensation accurately and on time, including managing deductions and multiple union contracts. Additionally, effort reporting and compliance are critical components of Argonne's financial management. Compliance is upheld through adherence to Department of Energy (DOE) guidelines and federal, state, and tax regulations. These practices ensure Argonne maintains its reputation as a responsible financial steward, supporting its mission of excellence in scientific research and innovation.

Request for Information Summary

Argonne is exploring the breadth and depth of capabilities of a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) system to process payroll and effort, integrate into our Workday Financial and Workday HR systems, as well as handle multiple schedule types, shifts, and unique union rules. It will also use Argonne’s Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) and reporting/dashboard capabilities to track and provide metrics.

We invite you to provide the Laboratory with any information about your ability to supply a FedRAMP certified, lab-wide integrated solution that will efficiently manage requirements for DOE, OMB, CAS, DCAA, and DOE compliance as well as federal, state, and local taxes.

This system should also provide the following capabilities:

o Deliver a self-service portal for employees and reviewers.

o Provide the ability to update withholding election online.

o Handle multiple pay cycles, tax calculations, and prepare and submit payroll tax returns.

o Accurately allocate employees time across multiple projects, enforce labor distribution rules, and apply institution-specific fringe and indirect cost rules.

o Flag missed approvals and expired projects, retain a history of changes and approvals, and capture unusual activity or policy violations.

Core Payroll & Effort Functionality:

• Wage and Salary Calculations o Calculate gross-to-net pay, tax withholdings, and deductions o Efficiently manage requirements for handling multiple pay cycles o Automated calculation of wages based on hourly rates and salaries o Support for variable pay structures including bonuses and awards o Accurate overtime calculations based on federal, state, and local labor laws, union contracts, and organizational policy o Perform automated pay adjustments to previous periods (retroactive pay adjustments) and the appropriate tax recalculations and reporting o Create journal entries as necessary to record payroll accruals and costs

• Timekeeping and attendance management o Track time across multiple work schedules, shifts, and overtime rules o Integration with time clocks or mobile apps o Ability to perform retro timekeeping corrections o Capability to accommodate the unique deduction rules for 6 separate unions o Support leave tracking (vacation, sick, etc.)

o Flag missed approvals and expired projects

• Deductions and Benefits Management o Support for pre-tax and post-tax deductions o Customizable deduction categories o Tracking of employer contributions o Ability to generate payment to 3rd parties for withheld deductions o Garnishment services o Union Dues services o Accommodate required reporting for deductions and benefits

• Labor Cost Allocation o Allocate across multiple projects o Enforce labor distribution rules and salary caps o Apply institution-specific fringe and indirect cost rules o Create journal entries for labor distribution

• Employee Self-Service o Self-service portal where employees can access pay stubs, tax forms, etc.

o Allow employees to complete and update withholding elections online o Provides electronic copies of forms to employees

• Integration Capabilities o Sync with Workday HR and Workday Finance directly and real-time via connectors or API calls o Pull/load/integrate active project information o Syncs updates directly to payroll processing

• Tax Filing and General Compliance o Prepares and submits federal, state, and local payroll tax returns o Generates required reports and filings on a quarterly and annual basis (941, W-2, 1099, etc.)

o Integrate with government e-file systems for direct submissions o Support DOE/OMB-compliant burden structures o Compliant with CAS, DCAA, and DOE orders

• General System Requirements and Support o Tailored views for HR, Finance, Managers, and Employees

Proxy-as-user capability o Retains history of changes, approvals, and use activity o Support electronic signatures and timestamps o Capture unusual activity and policy violations o Customizable errors and associated notifications & reminders o Standard and customizable reporting o Attentive, dedicated, and available customer support through multiple channels such as phone, email, live chat.

o Training resources for administrators and employees, testing environments, and customer community platform

Responses should include a detailed description that addresses the following topics:

• FedRAMP certification details and data security, encryption, and compliance with other relevant standards, such as SOC.

• Cloud capabilities, including disaster recovery and business continuity capabilities

• Integration capabilities with laboratory systems described above

• Workflow capabilities

• User administration

• System handling of Department of Energy, Office of Management and Budget, Cost Accounting Standards, and Defense Contractor Audit Agency accounting, auditing, and reporting requirements

• Legal and pricing o Terms and conditions provided by vendor o Licensing model, support model (including maintenance details), and options o Cost estimate

Cost of full solution plus annual maintenance and support

Provide any additional terms and conditions that are applicable to the products and/or services proposed in response to this Request for Information. Cloud-based solutions must provide FedRAMP Certification details and a completed SaaS Questionnaire, see attached. Chosen vendors will be expected to provide a product demonstration that meets our specified requirements. Further details on what would be expected is available upon request.

RFI questions must be submitted via email on or before August 31, 2025, 5:00 p.m., local prevailing time. Responses are due on or before September 26, 2025, 5:00 p.m., local prevailing time. Responses as well as questions should be submitted electronically via email to Jack Patton at jpatton@anl.gov.

Please reference RFI Number 5-P124-I--05426-00 on all related correspondence.

mailto:jpatton@anl.gov