AMD 0002 Questions Answers - HC108424R0015.pdf

Amendment 0002 RFP Attachment

(PWS, QASP,

Clauses, etc..) Section/ Paragraph/ Text

Page Number Question/Comment/Recommendations Government Response

Is there a specific format requirement for responses, since RFI/RFP questions seem to be more in statement form?

What are we sending to DeCA (Word doc / PPT deck / Excel doc)?

Refer to FAR 52.212.1 for instructions.

Is DeCA seeking a communication plan to encourage sign-ups or provide follow-up messaging following membership ID validation?

A communication plan to encourage sign-ups or provide follow-up messaging following membership ID validation is beyond scope of the digital loyalty registration capability requirement.

We have a question about this project. Are the Department of Defense certifications as per DODI 8140.01 and DOD Manual 8140.03 required for this project?

Yes, the Contractor must comply with cybersecurity workforce management requirements outlined in the DoD 8140 series. They must also possess the necessary Department of Defense (DoD) certifications as per DoDI 8140.01 and DoD Manual

8140.03. The Contractor must comply with standard requirements for handling Personally Identifiable Information (PII). See PWS 10.1

We would like to ask you some questions about it. Is there an incumbent for this job?

1.If so, what is their name?

2.What is their contract value?

3.What is their contract number?

DeCA does not currently have a loyalty reward program.

Clauses We would also like to ask if this opportunity puts more emphasis on price rather than technical capability.

Refer to FAR 52.212-2

Clauses Page 27 of 74, (D) Volume IV - Contract Documentation, includes “3. In response to this RFP, no terms, conditions, or assumptions will be entertained. If terms, conditions, or assumptions are included in a proposal, the proposal may be excluded on grounds that it failed to comply with the RFP’s instructions.” However, the RFP also includes FAR 52.212-4 “Contract Terms and Conditions--Commercial Products and Commercial Services” (NOV 2023). FAR 12.301 “Solicitation provisions and contract clauses for the acquisition of commercial products and commercial services” notes that “The contracting officer may tailor this clause in accordance with 12.302.” “Contracting officers may,…” tailor the provision”… “the clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions- Commercial Products and Commercial Services, to adapt to the market conditions for each acquisition

27 Please confirm the Contractor should be able to provide permissible “tailoring language” in its proposal for FAR 52.212-4.”

Yes, the Contracting Officer will allow the Contractor to submit tailored language for review. However, there is no guarantee the revised language will be accepted.

PWS Section 508 compliance The proposer is not modifying the deployed application. What responsibility to the existing products 508 compliance does this solicitation require?

When the Government acquires Information and Communication Technology (ICT) it must ensure the ICT is accessible. Refer to FAR 39.2 for additional information.

RFP - HC108424R0015 - Question & Answers

Attachment 2 Attachment 2 CLIN Pricing Worksheet The worksheet request Firm Fixed Price (Labor) and requires entry of labor hours per task. Will the awarded contract be issued as a Time and Material (T&M) contract or a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract? If T&M please provide reporting requirements, if FFP please explain the rationale to request rates and hours.

The contract will be awarded as Firm Fixed Price and the vendor must provide their labor categories with the corresponding hourly labor rate.

PWS .6.1.2.2 The Contractor shall provide allowance for a 10-digit number to be used as an alternate ID.

Please clarify whether this 10-digit number must be unique for each patron? Yes, the 10-digit number must be unique for each patron. See PWS Section 6.1.2.2.

PWS 6.1.2.6. Support email opt-in/out selection for marketing communication during registration.

What is the expectation for existing registrants (registered before the opt-in/ou checkbox was available)?

The expectation is that the vendor would automatically convert existing users to the new system. See PWS Section 6.1.2.3

PWS 6.1.4.3 Contractor shall support DeCA’s change management and governance processes by conducting a DLRC Configuration Control Board

(CCB)

Will the CCB be for this program be a stand alone or will this be incorporated into an existing CCB meeting?

The CCB will be a standalone DLRC CCB. See PWS Section 6.1.4.3

PWS 1. Technical Documentation and Integration Details APIs and Integration Points:

1.1.1 Could you please provide detailed documentation for the software and APIs used in your current POS and commissary sales applications, specifically:

• Enterprise Business Solution (EBS) Emerald software

• Fastlane SelfServ

• CLICK2GO/Freshop platform

• NCR Voyix

1.1.2 Are there sandbox or testing environments available for these systems to facilitate development and integration testing?

System Architecture:

1.2.1 Is it possible to share current system architecture diagrams, particularly how the existing loyalty program interfaces with other systems?

1.2.2 Are there any middleware or integration platforms currently in use that we should be aware of?

1.1.1 The Government will provide this information to the vendor upon award.

1.1.2. All unit testing, integration, and UAT testing will be conducted at DeCA's test lab located at Fort Gregg-Adams, VA. See PWS Section 7

1.2.1. The Government will provide this information to the vendor upon award.

1.2.2. The Government will provide this information to the vendor upon award.

PWS 2. Security and Compliance Security Requirements:

2.1.1 What security protocols and standards must we comply with (e.g., DoD cybersecurity standards, data encryption requirements) FedRAMP, or FARS, DFARS?

2.1.2 Are there specific guidelines for handling personally identifiable information (PII) of patrons?

Compliance Regulations:

2.2.1 Are there any federal or agency-specific compliance requirements, such as GDPR or CCPA, that we need to consider?

Security Requirements:

2.1.1 See PWS Section 6.2.1

2.1.2 Language added to PWS Section 9.1 to address.

Compliance Regulations:

2.2.1 All applicable security and compliance regulations are listed in PWS Section 6.2.

PWS 3.Project Scope and Requirements Functional Requirements:

3.1.1 Is the rewards program structured as 1:1 with users, or can an account with multiple users earn rewards?

3.1.2 How are rewards earned? For example, do users earn a set number of points or dollars per dollar spent? If points, what is the conversion rate to dollars?

3.1.3 Do loyalty rewards expire?

3.1.4 Is there an accrual period before rewards can be used, or are they available for immediate use?

3.1.5 Are the rewards issued as points or dollars?

3.1.6 Can rewards be combined with coupons or other discounts on the same purchase? Is there a cap on the total discounts applied to the subtotal?

3.1.7 Do you need to adjust rewards balance for specific users or in bulk (e.g., customer service compensation for an issue, holiday bonus rewards for all)?

3.1.8 Where can users view their rewards balance? At POS or online?

3.1.9 Should users see their purchase history and where their rewards were applied?

Functional Requirements:

3.1.1. Yes, the rewards program will be structured as 1:1; each patron will have a unique 10-digit ID. See PWS Section 6.1.2.2

3.1.2. Since DeCA does not currently have a loyalty reward program, this is beyond the scope of the digitial loyalty registration requirement.

3.1.3. Since DeCA does not currently have a loyalty reward program, this is beyond the scope of the digitial loyalty registration requirement.

3.1.4 Since DeCA does not currently have a loyalty reward program, this is beyond the scope of the digitial loyalty registration requirement.

3.1.5 Since DeCA does not currently have a loyalty reward program, this is beyond the scope of the digitial loyalty registration requirement.

3.1.6 Since DeCA does not currently have a loyalty reward program, this is beyond the scope of the digitial loyalty registration requirement.

3.1.7 Since DeCA does not currently have a loyalty reward program, this is beyond the scope of the digitial loyalty registration requirement.

3.1.8 Since DeCA does not currently have a loyalty reward program, this is beyond the scope of the digitial loyalty registration requirement.

3.1.9 Since DeCA does not currently have a loyalty reward program, this is beyond the scope of the digitial loyalty registration requirement.

PWS 3.1.10 How does someone enroll in the rewards program, get their digital number, and are there any exclusions?

3.1.11 Do you ever need to remove someone from the rewards program?

3.1.12 How are returns handled in relation to rewards?

3.1.13 Are there additional features or functionalities expected beyond what's outlined in the project description?

3.1.14 Do you have user stories or detailed use cases to provide more insight into the desired patron experience?

Non-Functional Requirements:

3.2.1 What are the performance and scalability expectations for the DLRC, especially concerning anticipated user growth?

3.1.10 The solution must integrate with DeCA's current eCommerce solution to enroll eligible DeCA patrons. See PWS Section 6.1.1

3.1.11 Yes, See PWS Section 6.1.1.2

3.1.12 DeCA does not currently have a loyalty reward program. This is beyond the scope of the digitial loyalty registration requirement.

3.1.13 The Government is interested in contracting for the original posted solicitation.

3.1.14 The Government encourages vendors to base their responses on commercial grocery best practices. The Government is interested in how vendor offerings can offer DeCA patrons a positive digital registration experience that delights and encourages repeat use.

Non-Functional Requirements:

3.2.1 The Government expects performance and scalability to be at or beyond those experienced by our commercial retailers/industry standards. See PWS Section 4.

PWS 4. User Experience and Design Design Guidelines:

4.1.1 Are there existing branding or UI/UX guidelines we need to follow for the digital registration process and mobile app updates?

4.1.2 Do you have preferences for the technology stack or development platforms (e.g., preferred programming languages, frameworks)?

Accessibility:

4.2.1 Are there any accessibility standards we need to meet to ensure the application is usable by all patrons?

Design Guidelines:

4.1.1 Yes, the solution must integrate with DeCA's current eCommerce solution branding and UI/UX guidelines. See PWS Section 6.1.1.1

4.1.2 The Government will not prescribe the particular programming language or framework that is best suited for the requirement; however, the vendor solution must be able to integrate with current DeCA systems. See PWS Section 6.1.1.1

Accessibility:

4.2.1 The vendor must comply with DoD, Federal, or Commercial industry-equivalent accessibility standards. See PWS Section 10

PWS 5. Collaboration and Communication Points of Contact:

5.1.1 Who will be our primary points of contact at DeCA, NCR Voyix, and Freshop for technical coordination?

5.1.2 What is the preferred method and frequency of communication for project updates and issue resolution?

Vendor Collaboration:

5.2.1 Are there existing agreements or NDAs with NCR Voyix or Freshop tha we need to be aware of or participate in?

Points of Contact:

5.1.1 The Government will provide all appropriate points of contact to the vendor upon award.

5.1.2 Certain deliverables are defined within the PWS Section 6.1, Section 6.3, and section 6.4. Upon contract award, a more detailed project update schedule and plan will be established between the government and vendor.

Vendor Collaboration:

5.2.1 The Government will provide all appropriate NDAs to the vendor upon award

PWS 6. Project Timeline and Deliverables Deadlines and Milestones:

6.1.1 Is there a detailed project timeline with key milestones and deliverable dates?

6.1.2 Are there any critical deadlines or events we should align with, such as planned system upgrades or marketing campaigns?

Testing and Deployment:

6.2.1 What are the expectations regarding testing phases (unit testing, integration testing, UAT)?

6.2.2 Are there specific deployment environments and protocols we should plan for?

Deadlines and Milestones:

6.1.1 Certain deliverables are defined within PWS Section 6.1, Section 6.3, and Section 6.4. Upon contract award, a more detailed project update schedule and plan will be established between the government and vendor.

6.1.2 The Government will provide this information to the vendor upon award.

Testing and Deployment:

6.2.1 See PWS Section 6.4

6.2.2 See PWS Section 6.4

PWS 7. Support and Maintenance Post-Deployment Support:

7.1.1 What are the expectations for ongoing support and maintenance after the project goes live?

7.1.2 Will we be responsible for training DeCA staff or providing user support for patrons?

Service Level Agreements:

7.2.1 Are there SLAs or performance guarantees that we need to meet during and after implementation

Post-Deployment Support:

7.1.1 The vendor will be required to provide continuous maintenance for the solution through the life of the contract. See PWS Sections 6.1.3.3 and 6.1.4.1

7.1.2 See PWS Section 6.2 to reflect the Government's requirement.

Service Level Agreements:

7.2.1 This is beyond the scope of the digital loyalty registration requirement.

PWS 8. Data Management Data Ownership and Privacy:

8.1.1 Who will own the data collected through the DLRC?

8.1.2 Are there policies regarding data retention and deletion that we need to comply with?

Data Migration:

8.2.1 Will there be a need to migrate data from existing systems or loyalty programs into the new DLRC?

Data Ownership and Privacy:

8.1.1 Refer to FAR 52.227-14

8.1.2 The Government will provide this information to the vendor upon award.

Data Migration:

8.2.1 The expectation is that the vendor would automatically convert existing users to the new system. See PWS Section 6.1.2.3

PWS 9. Risk Management Known Challenges:

9.1.1 Are there any known technical challenges or limitations with the current systems that could impact the project?

9.1.2 Have there been previous attempts at similar integrations, and if so, what lessons were learned?

Known Challenges:

9.1.1 There are currently no known limitations or challenges.

9.1.2 No, there have not been.

PWS 10. Success Criteria Key Performance Indicators:

10.1.1 What are the success metrics for this project?

10.1.2 How will user adoption and satisfaction be measured?

Key Performance Indicators:

10.1.1 Refer to QASP

10.1.2 Refer to QASP

PWS Please confirm the deliverables will be an Android app, iOS app, and a website (or a combination of the 3) for patrons to register and present a digital loyalty card with a scannable barcode. Would you also want the option of including a digital loyalty card in the Android Wallet and Apple Wallet for added convenience?

See PWS Section 6.1.1 and 6.1.2 for technical deliverables.

PWS If there is a website deliverable, where will that site be hosted (AWS, MS Azure, etc)?

There is no website deliverable. See PWS Section 6.1

PWS Do the deliverable platforms (Android app, iOS app, and/or website) need to provide a list of purchases and points earned, or is that outside the scope of the requirements?

DeCA does not currently have a loyalty reward program so this is out of the scope of the digital loyalty registration capability.

PWS Who provides the Reward Program (EBS Emerald software, NCR, etc)? DeCA does not currently have a loyalty reward program.

PWS Where will the loyalty member data table be hosted (AWS, MS Azure, EBS Emerald software)?

See PWS Section 6.1

PWS Please provide the company website for the EBS Emerald software. NCRvoyix.com

PWS The Synopsis mentions NCR APIs, does the EBS Emerald software also have APIs for integration?

Yes. See PWS Section 4.

We are located in Los Angeles/San Bernardino Counties in California. Will we have access to a retail location to test the smartphone apps on a Fastlane SelfServ POS device? Which stores would be the closest to our area?

All unit testing, integration, and UAT testing will be conducted at DeCA's test lab located at Fort Gregg-Adams, VA. See PWS Section 6.4 and PWS Section 7

Clauses The Synopsis states that all questions are due no later than October 16, 2024 at 2pm CST. Will you be open to additional questions as we work through the proposal?

The Government has answered all questions received and the deadline for questions has passed.