JA_RTLS FINALRedacted.pdf

CONTROL NUMBER:VA-25-00016405

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Procurement, Acquisition, and Logistics Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way Eatontown, NJ 07724

2. Description of Action: The proposed action is for a new, firm-fixed-price effort to provide sustainment services for (RTLS) Asset Tracking (AT) solution utilizing the existing brand names CenTrak and Infor Location- Based Intelligence (LBI) hardware and software support services for the South Central VA Health Network, Veterans Integrated Services Network 16 (VISN 16) Health Care Systems.

3. Description of Supplies or Services: VISN 16 has a requirement for the sustainment of both brand names CenTrak and Infor proprietary hardware and software support services for 10 healthcare systems (Alexandria, LA; Biloxi, MS; Fayetteville, AR;

Houston, TX; Jackson, MS; Little Rock, AR; North Little Rock, AR; New Orleans, LA;

Shreveport, LA; and Pensacola, FL). The support services include RTLS AT system support, software upgrades, server and hardware maintenance and administration, break/fix services, RTLS Help Desk support to the hospital, and sustainment of the existing RTLS AT System. RTLS is a System of Systems that integrates location data from multiple applications. Current installations use both proprietary CenTrak and Infor LBI software for tagging, tracking, and integration into a single database. CenTrak proprietary active Radio Frequency Identification-based hardware and software provides zonal, room-level, and within-room level accuracy regarding asset location, staff location, patient location, as well as environmental variables. VA requires the provisioning and configuration of CenTrak proprietary RTLS hardware and software, as well as deliver, provision and configure the Infor LBI proprietary user interface and associated software. VA requires wireless configuration technology and data collection to ensure the site RTLS is properly configured. VA requires access to both Infor LBI and CenTrak proprietary data to provide sustainment and completion services and ensure proper configuration.

The period of performance shall be 12 months with 4, 12-month option periods. The total estimated price of the proposed action, inclusive of options, is $12,099,850.87.

4. Statutory Authority: The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1) as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1

5. Rationale Supporting Use of Authority Cited Above: VISN 16 Health Care System RTLS AT system is currently comprised of Infor LBI and CenTrak hardware and software.

and location software package following guidelines from the VA National RTLS Project

South Central VA Health Care Network (VISN 16) CONTROL NUMBER VA-25-00016405 RTLS AT Sustainment

Management Office. CenTrak also designed the layout of the readers which were installed, configured in the CenTrak software, and validated. VA also procured Infor software and received configuration services such as map rendering, in which Infor modified the floor plans so that the end user has a graphical interface to view equipment, and the region of space in Infor, which creates a location to identify which room the equipment is reporting in. VA requires a single integrator to coordinate efforts with CenTrak and Infor for the continued configuration, integration, testing, and training of the existing RTLS AT system. The Contractor will need to work with CenTrak and Infor simultaneously to ensure accurate location and combined testing is completed.

CenTrak and Infor engineers work very closely during the integration. If the two subcontractors are not able to work on this effort jointly, the Infor database would be compromised and result in inaccurate location information as well as significant delays.

Further, interfaces have been developed between the Infor RTLS solution and Maximo Computerized Maintenance and Management System. Within the space that Infor regions in its software, is a field that allows the Maximo Interface to update location and last inventory date, with the location obtained from the RTLS. Using any other software solution would require significant time to redevelop the Maximo interface and its integration with CenTrak. Any other solution would also require obtaining a VA Authority to Operate which can take upwards of six months. During this downtime, the system would be inoperable, jeopardizing the medical equipment preventive maintenance Joint Commission requirement; add additional cost due to substantial system replacement cost; and if a different software solution is integrated it would require reinstatement costs for CenTrak that includes reassessment of the system for all nine VISN 16 stations. The Contractor will need to work with Infor and CenTrak to complete configuration of the software, create the approved business rules, update location fields to include Maximo Computerized Maintenance and Management System and ensure CenTrak Wi-Fi configuration and location data has been integrated into Infor LBI.

Based on market research, as described in Section 8 of this justification, it was determined that limited competition is available for this procurement. The CenTrak and Infor LBI hardware and multiple software applications are integrated to the core RTLS infrastructure in VISN 16 to achieve benefits in locating assets and improving workflow.

Interoperability between the hardware and software are required to allow the various locations within VISN 16 medical centers to communicate and provide accurate asset tracking locations, thereby precluding consideration of a different RTLS solution. Any other brand of hardware and/or software will break that communication and will not provide the necessary user interface between the equipment and its location i.e.

medical, laboratory and IT location. This specific CenTrak hardware and Infor LBI software works together to accurately provide Biomedical Engineering, IT, and clinical users the location of equipment.

The sustainment of CenTrak and Infor LBI requires access to proprietary data, only CenTrak and Infor LBI, or their authorized resellers are capable of meeting VISN 16 requirements for adaptive maintenance when the current hardware failures occur, and a replacement is needed. Data is collected throughout the facility using a proprietary CenTrak software application. The data collected is then used to determine the location

Additionally, CenTrak certified engineers are required to validate, test, and tune the CenTrak infrastructure. The location data from the CenTrak hardware is then integrated within Infor LBI. Infor LBI configuration utilizes proprietary software to process location data streamed from maps. Removing and replacing the infrastructure would be cost prohibitive, would result in unacceptable delays, and place patient care at risk if another provider was chosen for this requirement. The development and integration of any other software solution is estimated to take a minimum of 12 months and would result in an estimated duplicative cost of at least

. These duplicative costs include not only the cost required for licensing costs of two platforms and the manpower cost required to host two platforms but also the extensive development, configuration, integration, migration, and personnel re-training efforts. These estimated duplicative costs and time are based upon previous development and configuration efforts of similar size and scope. These estimated duplicative costs would not be recovered through competition.

Failure to renew the maintenance of the current RTLS AT system comprised of VA owned CenTrak hardware and Infor software would have a negative impact on patient care and VA staff ability to locate medical equipment in a timely manner, such as infusion pumps, which will affect the quality of treatment Veterans receive.

Equipment tracking is also vital for Biomed staff to provide timely preventive maintenance throughout the hospital.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: Market research was conducted, details of which are in Section 8 of this justification. This effort did not yield any additional sources that can meet the Government's requirements. However, the undersigned VA technical representative determined that limited competition is for the required Infor LBI and CenTrak products. In accordance with FAR 6.302-1(c)(1)(ii)(c) and 5.106(a)(6) this justification shall be posted with the solicitation. Furthermore, the proposed action will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities Page in accordance with FAR

5.201. Any proposals that are received shall be evaluated.

7. Actions to Increase Competition: The Government will continue to conduct market research to learn if there are changes in the marketplace that would enable future actions to be competed, such as redesign due to hospital renovations or RTLS sustainment. Additionally, VA Subject Matter Experts regularly review industry trade publications and conduct internet research to ascertain if any other brand name software is available.

8. Market Research:

ascertain the ability of any other source that can provide the aforementioned services.

VA technical experts conducted web-based market research in December 2024 by researching other similar brand name items. The vendor products reviewed included AiRISTA RTLS Asset Tracking and Zebra Asset Tracking. AiRISTA and Zebra asset tracking through passive tags were reviewed; however, Passive tag tracking is currently not supported by the VA National RTLS Project Management Office and therefore and compatibility requirements previously discussed. Based on reviews of these for the VA owned RTLS infrastructure previously discussed.

Further, a Request for Information (RFI) was issued by the VA Technology Acquisition Center (TAC) on Contracting Opportunities via sam.gov on November 20, 2024 to all prospective offerors. The RFI closed on November 26, 2024 with 11 responses subject matter experts which found two responses to be capable of supporting the requirement, Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc, an other than small business, and AgileRank, LLC, a Service- Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business concern.

Additionally, in November 2024, CenTrak provided a list of resellers and prime contractors that are authorized to resell and/or support CenTrak RTLS. This list included three SDVOSB concerns which include AgileRank, EMT Holdings, LLC, and Standard Communications, Inc., as well as a joint venture SDVOSB concern, Thunderyard Liberty JV, LLC. CenTrak also indicated its list of resellers is not

Department of Veterans Affairs. In addition, there may be additional CenTrak resellers and prime contractors under CenTrak legacy agreements that do not prohibit the sale of RTLS use cases for asset tracking to governmental entities. In December 2024, Infor LBI provided details regarding its resellers. Infor LBI indicated that it works with various resellers to resell its services, maintenance, and support. This includes SDVOSB resellers such as ThunderYard Liberty JV, and AgileRank. Therefore, market research concluded that there is reasonable expectation competition exists amongst two or more SDVOSB concerns for brand name CenTrak and Infor LBI sustainment support.

CenTrak and Infor LBI software are proprietary hardware and software products;

therefore, only CenTrak and Infor LBI or its authorized resellers can provide the sustainment support required by VA. The proprietary code is required to ensure all the software solution updates and patches are properly pushed through to the fielded software and to ensure the software is properly configured. Access to this code is also required to ensure all services provided on the CenTrak and Infor LBI solution are properly configured. Access to CenTrak and Infor LBI proprietary data and source code is required to provide the necessary sustainment on the CenTrak and Infor LBI solution.

No source other than CenTrak and Infor LBI or its authorized resellers have access to the proprietary data and source code necessary to provide the required patching and version upgrades/enhancements and security updates for sustainment. VISN 16 RTLS system requires data collection throughout the facility using proprietary CenTrak software application and a proprietary algorithm. The location data from the CenTrak hardware is then integrated within Infor LBI to process location data. Without acquiring the CenTrak and Infor LBI support, the VISN 16 Medical Centers will be unable to provide the most efficient and high-to monitor and track and ultimately provide timely care to Veterans.