A04_-_JA_IBM_Cognos_REDACTED.pdf

LIMITED SOURCE JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL (J&A)

IBM Cognos Analytics User – Unlimited Enterprise License

FAR 8.405-6 (b) – Items peculiar to one manufacturer. For proposed orders exceeding the micro-purchase threshold, the ordering activity contracting officer may solicit an item peculiar to one manufacturer. An item peculiar to one manufacturer can be a particular brand name, product, or a feature of a product, peculiar to one manufacturer. A brand name item, whether available on one or more schedule contracts, is an item peculiar to one manufacturer. Brand name specifications shall not be used unless the particular brand name, product, or feature is essential to the Government’s requirements, and market research indicates other companies’ similar products, or products lacking the particular feature, do not meet, or cannot be modified to meet, the agency’s needs. The contracting officer shall approve the justification unless a higher approval level is established in accordance with agency procedures.

DFARS 208.74 “ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE AGREEMENTS”

DFARS 208.7402(1) states - Departments and agencies shall fulfill requirements for commercial software and related services, such as software maintenance, in accordance with the DoD Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI) (see website at http://www.esi.mil/). ESI promotes the use of enterprise software agreements (ESAs) with contractors that allow DoD to obtain favorable terms and pricing for commercial software and related services. ESI does not dictate the products or services to be acquired.

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity:

(a) Requiring Activity:

XXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXX: XXXXXX

(b) Contracting Activity

DFAS XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXX, XX XXXXXXXX

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved:

The purpose of this document is to obtain approval for acquisition of items with limited sources in accordance with FAR 8.405-6(b).

Competition is limited to the following brand name products: IBM Cognos

IBM Cognos Analytics User is currently being used to support several customers throughout DFAS. The

Shared Services Directorate requests the purchase of IBM Cognos Analytics User – Unlimited Enterprise

License. The procurement strategy is to solicit this effort through the DoD Enterprise Software Initiative

(ESI) website to XXXX IBM resellers (XXXXXXXXXX.).

3. A description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the estimated value):

DFAS is currently utilizing IBM Cognos Analytics User software to support many DFAS Customers. In

2013, DFAS procured the current Cognos contract, which allows for 7000 user licenses. However, since

2013, there have been more customers requesting Cognos support which will exceed the 7000 user licenses that we currently have. DFAS is seeking to purchase an IBM Cognos Analytics User – Unlimited Enterprise

License in order to support all customers. The unlimited enterprise license will allow flexibility in being able to support customers without having to procure additional contracts or modify contracts just to add more licenses. The unlimited enterprise license will also allow DFAS to provide continued support to its customers without any delays in coverage. Without this unlimited license, customers will be greatly impacted because their users will not be able obtain critical data to support the mission.

This procurement includes:

IBM Cognos Analytics Advanced Authorized User License + SW Subscription & Support 12 Months -

UNLIMITED ENTERPRISE; Includes: unlimited use of PowerPlay, up to 30 Administrators, and up to 520 users of SDK – Part Number D17BSLL/E0K34LL Period of Performance: 12/15/2017 to 12/14/2018

The estimated cost of this acquisition is: XXXXXXXX (Base + Four Option Years)

4. The authority and supporting rationale (see 8.405-6(a)(1)(i) and (b)(1)) and, if applicable, a demonstration of the proposed contractor's unique qualifications to provide the required supply or service.

In accordance with FAR 8.405-6(b) this effort is an item peculiar to one manufacturer (IBM). Brand-name specifications shall not be used unless the particular brand-name, product, or feature is essential to the

Government’s requirements and market research indicates other companies’ similar products, or products lacking the particular feature, do not meet, or cannot be modified to meet, the agency’s need.

For the purposes of this requirement, the brand name IBM is currently being used by DFAS. The IBM

Cognos Analytics User – Unlimited Enterprise License support must be provided by IBM. Although there are several competitors providing similar Business Intelligence (BI) tools, such as XXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXX, the IBM brand is essential to the Government’s requirement and other companies’ similar products cannot be modified to meet DFAS’s needs primarily because DFAS has configured thousands of reports in IBM Cognos. In addition to the time it would take to reconfigure every report into a new reporting tool, it would take about XXXXXX months to fully migrate all DFAS systems from Cognos to a new reporting software. To support such migration, DFAS would incur internal labor and support costs up to XXXXXXXXX and would impact not only DFAS but also many of its external customers. It would further take time to train DFAS administrators and users to learn a new tool.

5. A determination by the ordering activity contracting officer that the order represents the best value consistent with 8.404(d).

In accordance with FAR 8.404(d) Pricing will be sought from XXX DoD ESI contract holder’s to compete for the procurement of this effort. The following contractors shall be contacted:

• XXXXXXX

• XXXXXXX

Considering this is a commercial acquisition with anticipated competition the pricing and best value determination will be based upon the “Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable.”

6. A description of the market research conducted among schedule holders and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Market research was conducted for the purpose of seeking as many potential sources as possible. Although

IBM is the sole manufacturer and provider of the product/service, there are multiple distributors with the required hardware/software/maintenance and support available on ESI. The OEM IBM and distributor

XXXXXXXX were contacted for market research purposes and the following information was received.

• XXXXXXXXXXX

• XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

• XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This requirement will be solciited via the DoD Enterprise Software Iniative (ESI) website to XXXX vendors XXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXX.

7. Any other facts supporting the justification.

There is nothing additional which has not already been stated throughout this document.

8. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the restricted consideration before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services is made.

CERTIFICATION

I certify that the facts and representations under my cognizance which are included in this justification and which form a basis for this justification are complete and accurate.

Technical Certification

Printed Name: XXXXXXXXX

Title: Technical Reviewer Org. Code: XXXXX

Signature: _______XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX___________Phone: XXXXXXXXX

Requiring Activity/Program Management Office Certification

Printed Name: XXXXXXXXXXX

Title: Division Manager Org. Code: XXXXXXX

Signature: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Phone: XXXXXXX

Contracting Officer Certification

I hereby determine that the anticipated cost for this contract action will be fair and reasonable. I certify that this J&A is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Printed Name: XXXXXXXXXXXX

Title Contracting Officer Organization Code XXXXXXXXX

Signature____XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Phone XXXXXXXXXXX

REVIEW FOR LEGAL SUFFICIENCY

Printed Name ______XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_____________

Title _XXXXXXXXXXXXXX_____ Organization Code __XXXXXXXXXXXXXX___

Signature___XXXXXXXXXX____ Phone ____XXXXXXXXX___Date___XXXXXXX___

APPROVAL Activity Competition Advocate ($650,000 - $12,500,000)

Printed Name ____XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX______

Title __XXXXXXXXXXXXX___ Organization Code ____XXXXXXXXXX___

Signature___XXXXXXXXXX______ Phone ___XXXXXXXXXX_____Date__XXXXXXX__