CRSL_HolgaRepair_JUSTIFICATION_Certified.pdf

Limited Source Market Survey

Repairs to Holga High-Density Filing Systems

USDA/NRCS Central Remote Sensing Laboratory

Fort Worth, Texas

July 6, 2015

BACKGROUND

The USDA/NRCS Central Remote Sensing Laboratory employs six (6) banks of Holga

Automated High-Density Filing systems to store, manage, and maintain its library of National

Resources Inventory (NRI) and Stewardship Lands Initiative (SLI) aerial photography and historical and reference materials. These filing cabinets are motor driven and moved back and forth along steel tracks to provide access to CRSL files.

Since these filings systems were installed approximately 9 (nine) years ago, the CRSL has experienced periodic issues with the operation of the units. Some of these issues were due to malfunctioning electronic components employed by the file systems and were repaired under warranty by the manufacture (Holga, Inc., now out of business, former subsidiary of Hon, Inc.).

However, some issues with the operation of the units have seemed intermittent, with some of the units becoming non-operational one day and then becoming operational days later without explanation.

Holga, Inc., the manufacturer of the CRSL file systems, was a subsidiary of Hon, Inc. Hon liquidated and shut down production at Holga, Inc. in approximately 2008, not long after the last two banks of filing systems were installed in the CRSL.

In 2012, the CRSL experienced a complete malfunction of one unit and greater frequency and duration of malfunctions in others. During FY2012, the CRSL paid approximately $16,000 for repairs to two of the banks of units in the lab.

Recently, two of the CRSL’s banks of Holga Units have been experiencing very frequent operational failures similar to those which were occurring in 2012. When this occurs, the filing units must be manually pushed along the tracts to open and close the units to access files. File

Area 5 is experiencing the most frequent and devastating problems.

The CRSL attempted to contact Qubiqa, Inc., manufacturer of the Holga’s Nordplan electronics and the company that performed the FY2012 repairs, to inquire about the possibility of having them visit the CRSL to perform an inspection and potentially repair the current problems.

However, Qubiqa’s phone numbers have been disconnected company is no longer in business.

Qubica’s website is still up, but all of the contact telephone numbers have been disconnected (see www.qubicainc.com). Previous contact: Miguel A. Gonzalez, President, PO Box 20, Fairless

Hills, PA 19030; 215-431-4853.

CRSL staff also contacted Faciliserve Furniture Servies, Inc. (9003 Governors Row, Dallas

Texas 75247, 214-951-7724). In 2012, the CRSL attempted to have Faciliserve conduct a service call. However, at that time, Faciliserve did not have a DUNS number to allow for doing business with the federal government and Faciliserve was unwilling to go through the steps necessary to be able to perform work for NRCS. The CRSL contacted Randy Montgomery, President, via phone and email as part of the current market research to inquire whether

Faciliserve now has a DUNS number. Neither our call nor email inquiry met with a response.

The CRSL then contacted Ken Badger of Outback Office, Inc. 4160 S Sans Souci Ct, Evergreen

CO, 888-638-2225), the original vendor for NRCS’s purchase of the Holga file systems to investigate whether he could refer the CRSL to any other company that could service and repair the system. Mr. Badger attempted to contact Qubica, Inc. with no success but was eventually able to place the CRSL in contact with Workflow Filing & Office Solutions, who employ technicians with previous Holga experience.

Workflow Filing visited the CRSL on May 27, 2015 to inspect and potentially repair the units.

During this inspection, it was determined that the issues with the CRSL filing systems are due to malfunctioning electronic controls. Since, Qubica, Inc. is no longer in business, there is no available source for electronic parts for the CRSL’s systems. Thus, in order to eliminate frequent operational issues, the CRSL must modify the current filing systems from a total electronic operational system to mechanical-assist operation. This involves disabling the electronic controls and modifying the drive system such that the units may be opened and closed via a turnwheel that is installed on the front of each cabinet.

In the case of the necessary repairs to the CRSL’s Holga Filing Systems, acquisition from a limited source is justified based on the following factors:

(1) The CRSL library staff currently has to manually push inoperable filing cabinets along the tracks.

(2) The large filing cabinets weigh several hundred pounds each and manually pushing the cabinets poses a health and safety risk to CRSL personnel through straining to move the cabinets and the potential for tipping of the cabinets. Due to the sheer weight of the cabinets and their contents, a tipping accident could cause serious injury or death.

(3) The length of time necessary to research qualified repair/service companies and have them conduct an inspection, and submit a report and repair estimate unreasonably prolong the health and safety risks to federal employees in the CRSL as well as potential liability to the federal government.

(4) Manually pushing the file cabinets along the tracks impedes CRSL operations and jeopardizes the CRSL’s abilities to meet its operation deadlines and fulfill it objectives within the NRCS’s mission.

STATEMENT OF WORK

Since Holga, Inc. and Qubica, Inc. are no longer in business, there are no direct sources for part and supplies for the CRSL’s existing high-density filing systems. Therefore, finding sources to repair problems with the systems is extremely difficult.

Because the CRSL is experience frequent operational issues with the existing systems in File

Areas 1, 2, 3/4, and 6 the CRSL is faced with either replacing the units that are currently experiencing operational failures or converting the existing electronic units to mechanical assist operation.

It is anticipated that replacing these File Areas filing unit would cost as much as or more than the original cost of the units in 2006 (see attached parts and labor estimates for File Area 5).

However, converting File Areas, 1, 2, 3/4, and 6 to mechanical assist operation is more advantageous to the federal government.

For conversion, the electronic drive operation is disabled and the drive system is modified to install a gear system in the lower carriage to allow the units to be moved manually via turning a wheel that would be mounted on the front of the shelving unit. In order to facilitate the modification of each shelving unit in the File Areas, all of the files on the shelves must be removed in order to take each unit off the floor tracks so that the lower carriage can be modified.

Authorized Signature:

James Gordon, CRSL Leader

Technical Contact:

Ken Laterza

Decision Support Team Leader, Central Remote Sensing Laboratory

817-509-3219 office

817-235-4115 cell

Ken.laterza@ftw.usda.gov

10. Certifications from the Contracting Officer:

I have reviewed this justification and find it to be accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Since this justification does not exceed $650,000.00 and pursuant to the authority of 41 U.S.C. 3304 provided that funds are available or will be made available and provided that the services and/or supplies herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition, this review serves as approval. The price has been determined fair and reasonable using standard price analysis techniques described in FAR Subpart 15.

_____________________________________ 08/21/2015 George Darin Wilson, Contracting Officer Date mailto:Ken.laterza@ftw.usda.gov