RFI.doc

Request For Information (RFI) - ONLY

Commercial Email Marketing and Multi-Channel Marketing SaaS Requirement Performance Work Statement

U.S. General Services Administration

Federal Acquisition Service

Office of Customer Accounts and Research

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 General

2.0 Scope

3.0 Performance Work Statement

4.0 Deliverables

5.0 General Provisions

6.0 Evaluation Factors

7.0 Quality/Performance Requirements

8.0 Government Contacts

1.0 GENERAL

The Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) is one of two major components of the General Services Administration (GSA). The Office of Customer Accounts and Research (CAR) a component of FAS, directs and manages customer outreach, research and analysis activities, and relationship management to promote value-added products and services available to government customers and ensure cost efficiencies for taxpayers. These responsibilities include the functions of commercial email, survey email, transactional email, relationship email, and social media posting. Additionally, list management, segmentation and targeting and lead management and full analytics are part of these activities.

GSA currently is using separate software or service platforms to accomplish these functions. GSA’s goal is a hosted solution with innate integrations that will be used in conjunction with a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.

2.0 SCOPE

CAR is seeking a Commercial Email Marketing and Multi-Channel Marketing SaaS Provider that shall provide a technology platform to be used to execute email and multichannel marketing. The contractor is expected to provide services that include:

· Contact and List Management

· Commercial Email Execution

· Survey Email Execution

· Transactional Email Execution

· SMS Execution

· Marketing Automated Responses Management and Triggered Emails

· Social Media Content Management

· Integration

· Subscription Services, Landing Page, Form and Image Hosting

· Analytics The solution must fully integrate with the GSA CRM environment provided by Salesforce.com Inc through an open API compatible with Salesforce.com. The Marketing and Multi-Channel Marketing SaaS will be centrally managed from CAR to assure compliance with marketing policy and laws. The contractor should provide tier pricing, based on usage volume. The system and associated services shall meet government security provisions.

GSA may request potential contractor(s) to provide up to a 4-week free trial period of service for up to 10 users for a complete evaluation of the service. Failure to provide this access may result in rejection of the proposal. GSA reserves the right to award after evaluation of the two-week free trial period.

This performance work statement consists of service offered allowing GSA to complete completing all indicated tasks, critical subtasks and performance requirements.

3.0 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

The ESP must contain the following minimum requirements.

3.1 CLIN - Contact Database and List Management

Contractor must provide the following minimum features for Contact Management.

1. Creation of a suppression lists automatically based on opt-out responses and bounces. The ability to create and operate with multiple suppression lists.

2. Import existing lists in a variety of formats, CSV, XLS, etc. files.

3. Create up to 50 user defined fields.

4. Ability to reuse lists.

5. Allow lists to automatically dedup on import.

6. Add or remove contacts from lists manually.

7. Segment database using both contact information and activity attributes such as campaign response history.

8. Ability to upload and store relational data such as purchase history or event attendance.

9. Ability to augment records with missing data. *Example: zip plus four

10. Customizable dedupping and data matching algorithms.

11. Ability to standardize, correct and validate U.S. postal addresses. Other data hygiene tools will be evaluated favorably.

3.2 CLIN – Commercial Email Execution

Contractor will provide the following minimum features for email execution.

1. Existing templates and the ability to edit templates. The ability to modify email by viewing and changing HTML source code and to create and modify plain text versions of same content.

2. Ability to preview code in a variety of email clients (e.g., Outlook, Lotus, AOL, Gmail, etc.).

3. Ability to send from multiple email addresses and aliases.

4. Deliverability testing to report on any content with greater likelihood of capture in SPAM filters.

5. Scheduling and send monitoring. Complete flexibility to control send rates.

6. Automatic A/B split functionality. Personalized emails with fields embedded from list.

7. Ability to customize all content and to match our brand.

8. Subject line testing.

9. Sends through a dedicated IP address.

10. Tracking of forwarded emails.

11. Tracking of bounced emails. Soft and hard bounces distinguished and SMTP error codes shall be reported.

12. Track opt outs per email.

13. Ability to export and download reports.

14. Click-Through tracking. Track multiple links per email separately and in aggregate.

15. Ability to turn off email address capture and track statistics with only IP address.

16. View email results real time and allow limited rights viewing for other parties.

3.3 CLIN Survey Email Execution

Contractor will provide the following minimum features for survey email execution.

1. Integrated survey creation tool that includes single-choice radio buttons, multiple-choice check boxes, free-form text boxes, rating scales, ranking orders. Also require the ability to create surveys with branch logic, with different question paths based on previous answers.

2. Allow the creation of survey links that matches our domain with GSA branding throughout. Complete customization of all survey language and imagery.

3. Sends through a dedicated IP address.

4. Ability to embed survey questions within emails, including transactional emails.

5. Add personalization fields from database into questions and response options.

6. Export in logs and response data in multiple formats.

7. View survey results real time and allow limited rights viewing for other parties.

8. Allow survey questions to be set up in a drip format.

9. Track completed, abandoned survey and completion time.

10. Ability to turn off email address capture and track statistics with only IP address.

3.4 CLIN Transactional Email Execution

Contractor will provide the following minimum features for transactional email execution.

1. Create one-to-one transactional messaging generated based on triggers from email, web forms and landing pages or activities from Salesforce

2. Ability to create transactional messages in rich HTML and plain text with customized fields.

3. Sends through a dedicated IP address.

4. Operational through both SMTP relay or API XML feeds to apply to transactional emails. Allow flexibility to transition to API using current mail ques.

5. Ability to export and download reports.

6. Click-Through tracking. Track multiple links per email separately and in aggregate.

7. Ability to turn off email address capture and track statistics with only IP address.

8. View email results real time and allow limited rights viewing for other parties.

3.5 CLIN SMS Execution Is this an optional CLIN or required?

Contractor will provide the following minimum features for SMS execution.

1. Capability to send bulk and receive

2. Real time delivery of inbound texts.

3. Delivery tracking to cell phones and replies flagged to correspond to outbound message.

4. Voice and text-to-speech messaging functionalityAbility to download logs.

3.6 CLIN Marketing Automation Automated Responses Management and Triggered Emails

1. Create email content triggered by customer actions, past behavior, segmentation, or subscription preference.

2. Personalize email content with database elements such as name.

3. Ability to use content directly from our website or content management system in an email would be evaluated favorably.

4. Requires exportable send logs.

5. Sends through a dedicated IP address.

6. Tracking of forwarded emails.

7. Tracking of bounced emails. Soft and hard bounces distinguished and SMTP error codes shall be reported.

8. Track opt outs per email.

9. Ability to export and download reports.

10. Click-Through tracking. Track multiple links per email separately and in aggregate.

11. Ability to turn off email address capture and track statistics with only IP address.

12. View email results real time and allow limited rights viewing for other parties.

3.7 CLIN Social Media Content Management

1. Manage social media networks on one interface.

2. Customizable organization of feeds.

3. Ability to create custom content for publication across social media platforms. vague

4. Analytics that allows tracking how successful campaigns are at spreading the message and quickly identify influencers.

5. Ability to use data in customer database and for lead generation.

3.8 CLIN Integration

1. Within the provided service: social media, all forms of email, surveying, managing the

2. customer database have innate integrations.

3. Should have complete API Set to provide a mechanism to accomplish other automation or customer data integration.

4. Near real time bi-directional synchronization of data between the marketing automation system and Salesforce.com

5. Synchronization with Salesforce.com's opportunity information without any additional back-end customization or management will be evaluated favorably.

6. Synchronization with Salesforce.com campaign information without any additional back-end customization or management will be evaluated favorably.

7. Synchronization with Salesforce.com custom objects without any additional back-end customization or management will be evaluated favorably.

8. Automated data mapping between the marketing solution and Salesforce.com

9. Automated push of leads from the the marketing solution to Salesforce.com based on business rules

10. Ability for marketing solution user to add business rules that seamlessly trigger a Salesforce.com task or outcome as part of a campaign

11. Ability for a marketing solution user to add business rules that seamlessly auto-assigns leads to a Salesforce.com user or queue as part of a campaign

12. Seamlessly syncs Salesforce.com campaigns and marketing campaigns

13. Ability for a marketing solution user to add a rule that sends an email alert to a Salesforce.com user

14. Ability to replace or integrate with the lead scoring methodology established in Salesforce.com will be rated favorably.

3.9 6CLIN Subscription Services, Landing Page, Form and Image Hosting

1. Create edit and publish RSS feeds.

2. Create online subscription forms.

3. Create online web and landing pages.

4. Host images used in email.

3.10 CLIN Reports

1. Export/Download Reports

2. Integration to Salesforce to view reports in Salesforce.

3. Realtime tracking of campaign progress.

4. Multiple user access levels.

5. Downloadable Activity Logs

3.11 3.1 CLIN Technical Help Desk Support

1. Contractor at minimum will provide both online and phone customer support.

4.0 DELIVERABLES

4.1 Delivery Schedule

Due Date Recipient

5.0 GENERAL PROVISIONS

5.1 Supplies and Personnel

The contractor shall furnish all supplies and personnel required for the performance of this contract.

5.2 Period of Performance

The schedule for this project should assume a start date of TBD and an anticipated completion date of NLT September 30, 2013, with 4 one-year options.

Period of Performance is from date of award One year Base and 4 option years.

The Contracting Officer will determine whether—

· The underlying Schedule contract is still in effect (if applicable);

· Past Performance is acceptable;

· The contract and subscription service still represents the best value; and

· Additional price reductions can be obtained.

5.3 Government Furnished Supplies and Services – Not applicable.

5.4 Travel - Travel is not anticipated for this requirement. If travel should become necessary outside of the metropolitan D.C. area, it will be at the Contracting Officer’s request. Allowable travel and per diem charges are governed by Pub. L. 99-234 and FAR Part 31. Travel will only be reimbursed for travel outside of the metropolitan D.C. area. Hotel reservations and other allowable travel costs will be made by the contractor and will be reimbursed for actual costs only, with back up documentation/ receipts attached to the invoice. No payment will be made without original back up documentation and receipts.

5.5 Security

GSA Office of Information Technology Security Requirements apply and are indicated on Attachment A.

6.0 EVALUATION FACTORS

Evaluation will be based on Technical Quality and Price. The Contractor(s) technical proposal shall clearly demonstrate an understanding of and address the PWS and following evaluation factors. All technical factors will have equal weight.

The Government may use data provided by the offeror in its proposal as well as data obtained from other sources. While the Government may elect to consider data and information obtained from other sources (e.g. user evaluation of the service and past performance), the burden of providing thorough and complete information rests with the offeror.

Quotes will be evaluated on the following criteria:

1. Technical Factors

2. Price

The Government will make award to the responsible offeror(s) whose offer conforms to the RFQ and is most advantageous to the Government. Price and technical factors listed below are considered. GSA will award on a Best Value practice. As submissions become more equal in their technical merit, the evaluated cost price becomes more important.

6.1 Technical

6.1.1 Deliverability rate comparison with other vendors. External certification such as ReturnPath SenderScores will be evaluated more favorably.

6.1.2 Email creation tool will be evaluated for ease of use.

6.1.3 Dedupping and matching algorithms will be evaluated for comprehensiveness and flexibility.

6.1.4 The extensiveness of data hygiene tools

6.1.5 Flexibility of suppression features.

6.1.6 Robustness of APIs and Integration features.

6.1.7 Internal integrations for speed and ease of use within the services.

6.1.8 Prebuilt configurations to Salesforce.com will be evaluated more favorably.

6.1.9 Current security status related to time and effort in meeting government requirement.

6.1.10 Extensiveness of Systems Technical Support with online content, email and phone support.

6.1.11 Past Performance: The offeror must submit two references that the Government can contact. References must include POC name, company, email address and phone number and indicate past experience with reference.

Technical will be evaluated both on written proposal as well as GSA evaluation of trial period of the recommended solution.

Price Proposal The Contractor shall provide a firm fixed price proposal for each CLIN to complete all requirements of the PWS within the stated time frame for all tasks. The contractor(s) proposal should provide tier pricing based on standard commercial practices.

Task Order Award

This requirement will be awarded to a minimum of one responsive Contractor who offers the “best value” and whose technical proposal provides the most advantageous solution to the Government. Price and non-price factors such as technical capability including past performance, will be considered. For this requirement technical factors are more important than price. As the technical factors become more equal, then price could become the deciding factor. The FAS Contracting Officer will determine what trade-off between technical merit and price promises the greatest value to the government, price and other factors considered.

An award may be made on the initial technical and cost proposals without requesting best and final proposals.

7.0 QUALITY/PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS.

PWS 3.0 – 3.11. The acceptable quality level for technical support is to begin issue resolution within 3 hrs.

PWS 3.0 – 3.11 – The acceptable quality level is 99% “up-time” for the service.

PWS 3.0-3.11 The acceptable quality level for security maintenance is 100% in compliance with prescribed policy.