Attachment_B_-_Questionnaire.docx

ATTACHMENT B - Questionnaire Respond to each question. Points will be awarded based on your answer to each question.

1. Executive summary -overview

· Provide an overview of your proposed sorter solution.

· Outline the major features of the system.

· Describe any special benefits to the county of your proposed solution. What makes your product superior to other equipment on the market.

· Describe your company history and experience, focused on election related operations.

· Submit a project management plan and project schedule.

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2. Proposed Solution Details

· Describe in detail your proposed solution. Provide a process schematic, flowchart or diagram.

· Describe sorter’s main functions, processes and capabilities.

· Does your system have an automated envelope sorting solution which is scalable?

· What is the minimum and maximum number of pockets?

· What are the minimum and maximum dimensions of envelopes your equipment can sort?

· Describe any limitations related to location of signature on envelope.

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3. Incoming Mail Check-in

· Describe your approach to processing incoming mail pieces.

· Include process to capture envelope images (front and/or back) and capture signature area.

· What is the image quality?

· What is your sorter’s throughput speed?

· Describe controls to properly batch envelopes and ensure batch counts, including ensuring each envelope is scanned, scanned only once and envelope is sorted into correct batch.

· Describe process to track who has returned a mail piece and process to update voter’s record for returning a mail piece.

· Describe sorter’s ability to attach a return location to each mail piece.

· Describe sorter’s ability to identify underweight, overweight, under-sized, over-sized mail pieces and pieces not in the current processing job.

· Describe the override process for any unreadable mail pieces.

· Describe any system limitation regarding the number or size of batches.

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4. Sorter Features

· Can your system capture images on both sides of the envelope?

· Can your system read a variety of bar codes? Please list bar code formats your system can interpret.

· Can your system handle a variety of envelopes including flats and postcards?

· Does your system produce a tray tag or other identifier, please provide examples and describe label capacity and limitations?

· Describe sorter’s ability to capture information submitted by voter including responses to check boxes and updated address information (human applied to outside envelope). Does your system support OCR?

· Does your system have the ability to process and assign incoming envelopes to multiple return sources? For example, we need the ability to identify ballots returned by mail and from 50 plus drop box locations. Describe this process.

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5. Signature Verification Process (manual verification by election worker)

· Describe your envelope and signature capture process.

· Describe your ability to transfer signature and envelope images to the current statewide voter registration system (VoteWA).

· Do you offer a side-by-side comparison, above/below comparison or both?

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6. Automated Signature Verification

· Does your system provide the ability to perform automated signature comparison? If so describe this process.

· Describe and list prior implementations of automated signature comparison. Please provide contact references.

· Describe any state or county certifications of your automated signature comparison module.

· Describe how your sorting system functions when your automated solution is running.

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7. Audit Pass/Batch Sortation

· Describe your process to sort and batch ballots after completion of signature verification.

· Describe your standard sort scheme.

· Is the sort scheme customizable? If so please provide examples.

· Describe the process for users to modify sort schemes.

· Describe controls to properly batch envelopes, ensure batch counts and to make sure envelope is sorted into correct batch.

· Describe sorter’s ability to open (mill) valid ballots and to sort challenged ballots to uniquely identified challenge pockets (unsigned, signature does not match, etc).

· Describe any system limitation regarding the number or size of batches.

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8. Workflow

· Describe your systems workflow for performing incoming and audit pass tasks.

· Provide a workflow diagram.

· Describe the flexibility of your system.

· Can your system seamless change or switch from incoming processing to audit pass/sortation tasks?

· Describe any end or clean-up processes required when ending a processing session.

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9. Computer/Server Configuration

· Describe the computer/server configuration for the proposed system.

· Describe number of computers, servers, network requirements and associated IT equipment.

· Describe operating systems for computers, for servers, and database software.

· Describe the database used for the proposed solution.

· Describe the proposed systems approach to interface with other election systems including VoteWA

· Describe availably of export tools and ability for local IT staff to query the sorter database to obtain information to assist with tracking individual mail pieces, batch and tray tracking and overall reconciliation of mail pieces.

· Describe your approach to software upgrades, code updates and implementing user enhancements.

· Describe overall system footprint and power requirements.

· Describe any specific requirements for your product when using virtualized servers.

· Describe user authentication and how it can be Integrated with the County’s Active Directory System using Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML 2.0) for single sign-on.

· Describe your preferred method of remote support and if County Azure Multi-Factor Authentication can meet your needs.

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10. Qualifications and Experience

· Describe your company history and experience.

· Describe your specific experience providing sorting solutions for election ballots.

· Describe the experience and qualifications of your workers who would be dedicated to this account. Resumes of major team members may be included.

· Please list primary persons and their backups.

· Describe your policy or philosophy to prioritize support for your clients. All Washington Counties have the same deadlines, how do you ensure equal and prompt support.

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11. Security

· Describe system security.

· Describe the redundancy and backup of your system. Describe your solution and response protocol for short term outages.

· Describe your disaster recovery plan.

· Describe the steps you take to protect the security of election ballots.

· Describe how you protect voter data from unauthorized access and use.

· Can your system be regularly updated with the latest operating system version and monthly security patches?

· Describe any Internet access to the Application and if it uses HTTPS.

· Describe the backup plan.

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12. Training and Support

· Describe your overall approach to training and support.

· Will training be performed on-site or off-site?

· How do you provide future training for software/hardware changes or upgrades?

· Describe tools used for training (training materials, manuals, checklists and documentation.

· Describe your support plan (online, phone, in-person).

· Describe what type of maintenance and preventive maintenance is performed by the local user versus the vendor.

· Do you facilitate user-group meetings? Describe the process to incorporate user enhancements into future releases.

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Company Information and Qualifications Please complete the information requested below.

1. Name of company

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2. Company address

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3. Length of time in business, under current or previous names or additional assumed business names

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4. Primary contact name

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5. Primary contact phone

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6. Primary contact email

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7. How many employees will support the proposed solution? Where are these employees located?

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8. How many employees provide implementation services (design, configuration, install, testing, training, and go-live support) for the proposed solution?

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9. Do you plan to use any subcontractors? If so provide contact information for each subcontractor.

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10. How many customer sites have deployed the proposed solution in a production environment. Attach a list of customers.

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11. Have you ever had a customer terminate mid-project due to your firm’s non-delivery of work or failure to perform. List the customer (s) and contact information and explain the circumstances for each termination.

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12. How many customers have terminated in the last five years? Provide a list of customers with contact information and reason for termination.

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13. The caption, cause number, Court, Counsel, and general summary of any litigation pending or judgment rendered within the past 3 years involving the proposer.

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Reference Information #1 (Will only be checked for top ranked proposers) Please provide contact information for customers with the same or similar solution, who are the same size related to ballots processed. Submit a minimum of three (3) references.

Customer Name

Reference Information #2

Please provide contact information for customers with the same or similar solution, who are the same size related to ballots processed. Submit a minimum of three (3) references.

Customer Name

Reference Information #3

Please provide contact information for customers with the same or similar solution, who are the same size related to ballots processed. Submit a minimum of three (3) references.

Customer Name

RFP No. 2001 – Ballot Sorter (Attachment A) 10