Office Equipment Request for Proposal 2024 FI.pdf

Habersham County Board of Education Office Equipment Request for Proposal

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HABERSHAM COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION

Office Equipment Request for Proposal

October 25, 2024

Direct all communications related to this RFP to the following contact:

Dennis Unbehant

Technology Director

Habersham County Board of Education

165 Raider Circle

Mount Airy GA 30563

Please email questions to: dunbehant@habershamschools.com

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Table of Contents

Section I—RFP Overview

Section II—Supplier Instructions

Section III—Current State

Section IV—Proposal Content

Attachment 1: Intent to Bid Form

Attachment 2: HCS Recommendations 10-24 (Detailed Equipment and Utilization Lists)

Attachment 3: Proposed Pricing by Location ……………………….…..15 attachment 4: SLA Options .…………………………..16

PaperCut Server Software Upgrade …………………………….….. 17

Section I—RFP Overview

A. Company Description

Habersham County Schools is a high performing K-12 public education organization with the graduation rate in the top ten public school districts in Georgia.

B. Purpose of the RFP

Through this Request for Proposal (RFP), the HABERSHAM COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION is soliciting proposals for the provision of office equipment, including copiers and multifunctional devices and related services. As such, you are invited to submit a proposal for all equipment and services.

C. General Conditions

This RFP is not an offer to contract. Acceptance of a proposal neither commits our company to award a contract to any supplier, even if all requirements stated in this RFP are met, nor limits our right to negotiate in our best interest. We reserve the right to contract with a supplier for reasons other than lowest price. We will thoroughly examine each proposal for best price, product quality, performance measures, flexibility and customer support.

Proposals are to be made in good faith, without fraud, collusion or connection of any kind with any other contractor for the same work. All bidders must compete in their own interest and in their own behalf. If you are subcontracting any portion of this agreement, you must identify the subcontractor in your proposal and agree that all subcontractors are bound to all terms and conditions of this RFP.

The supplier will absorb all costs incurred in the preparation and presentation of the proposal. Two copies of the proposal should be sent or brought to the bid opening.

All suppliers who submit proposals will be notified of the results of the selection process.

The HABERSHAM COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, in whole or in part, with or without cause, even if all the stated requirements are met. In addition, the HABERSHAM COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION may enter into negotiations with one or more entities simultaneously and award a contract without notification. At the sole discretion of the HABERSHAM COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, bidder presentations may be requested before award of the contract. The HABERSHAM COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION may also request the opportunity to conduct an on-site review of the supplier’s facility and/or other locations where these services are provided, or a demonstration of the proposed technology.

D. Confidentiality

The information contained herein is confidential and submitted to you solely to enable you to respond to this RFP. You should treat as strictly confidential and proprietary the terms of this RFP and all other information provided by us in connection with this initiative. Your receipt of this RFP constitutes your agreement not to disclose such information or the fact that you have been asked to submit a proposal to a third party for any reason. Without limiting the foregoing, you are not authorized, without our prior written consent, to publicize the fact that you are a potential supplier to us. The HABERSHAM COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION reserves the right to require at any time that you return or destroy this document. We will treat information received from your company as confidential or proprietary with the same consideration.

E. Contract Term

For the purpose of this RFP, any contractual period will be for 36 months with monthly extension option. Desired effective date will be on or after December 10, 2024. The current contract expires on January 30, 2025.

F. Proposal Effective Period

Suppliers should state in writing that all furnished information, including prices, will remain valid for 90 days from the date their proposal is received by the HABERSHAM

COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION.

G. Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation criteria will include, but may not be limited to, the following:

Quality and completeness of proposal to meet RFP requirements (10%)

HCBOE previous experience with proposed solution including compatibility with PaperCut centralized print server system (20%)

Proven support response, repair time, and references (20%)

SLA options and perceived value to district (20%)

Total price of solution including installation, programming, and return of existing machines to current vendor as required by current contract (30%)

H. General Project Goals

Based on its experience HCBOE has established the following general project goals:

a. Obtain quality and reliable MDF machines that are user friendly to operate.

b. Obtain prompt and excellent service for quick resolution of any MDF machine failures or problems. Perform scheduled readiness checks twice each year as specified in section J. below.

c. Automatic or online toner ordering capability to ensure timely arrival of toner supplies.

d. Monitor monthly and quarterly uptime percentages of each MDF machine.

e. Consider SLA options to prevent recurring and persistent machine failures.

f. Providing two right sized machines instead of one large machine in key locations at some schools.

g. Providing equitable access to MDF machines at all schools.

h. Standardization of machine models at each site to simplify toner and supply ordering.

I. SLA Options

HCBOE desires a minimum uptime for all MDF devices. For example, an average uptime of 90% means a machine can only be down for a total of 2 days in one month with 20 school days. HCBOE is interested in the following Service Level Agreement options or similar measures to ensure minimum machine uptime is maintained.

a. If a down machine cannot be made operational within five days, a working loaner machine will be provided with comparable specifications.

b. If a machine fails to meet the minimum uptime for an entire month a portion of the rent for that machine will be reduced from the copier bill.

c. A machine that fails to meet the minimum uptime for an entire quarter will be replaced with another new machine of the same or better model.

Vendors may also propose a unique offer of SLA options to ensure that MDF machines are not out of service for extended periods of time which is disruptive to operations.

J. Scheduled Machine Readiness Checks

To ensure that all MDF machines are ready for a successful start at each school year and second semester, HCBOE is interested in a supplier that can provide scheduled readiness checks at least twice each year. Readiness checks should include the following items as a minimum:

a. Performing any required machine maintenance and completing any outstanding repairs.

b. Placing toner orders to ensure sufficient toner is onsite for school startup when machine usage will be significantly higher than normal.

c. Repositioning machines within a school if copier accounts are much higher on specific machines to reduce failure rates.

d. A simple report stating the status of each machine and supplies and supply orders to be submitted promptly on or after July 30 and December 31 each year of the contract, following the completion of the readiness check.

Readiness checks are to be performed at least twice each year during the following timeframes:

1. July 15-30 before the start of each school year.

2. December 15-31 before the start of the second semester.

Section II—Supplier Instructions

A. RFP Schedule

This schedule outlines the major activities that will occur in this bid process and the due dates. Any changes in deadlines will be communicated to all suppliers in writing. We reserve the right to disqualify any supplier who does not comply with these deadlines.

Activity Description Due Date/Time

Bid Release Date RFP Posted on habershamschools.com and the Georgia Procurement Registry.

10-25-2024

Submit Intent to Bid Form Send form provided in Attachment 1 to contact on RFP cover page via e-mail or fax;

include all contact information.

11-1-2024

Submit FINAL RFP questions Send to contact on RFP cover page via e-mail 11-1-2024

Question Responses Sent Out HCBOE contact will send out responses to questions to all registered bidders, and any addenda information if required.

11-5-2024

Attend bid opening

Submit proposal

Central Office Annex

144 Holcomb Street

Clarkesville GA 30523 Bring or courier two hard copies to this address for bid opening (Must Be On Time) (This is not a USPS delivery address)

12-03-2024 11:00 am

Bid Mailing Address HCBOE Office Equipment RFP

Habersham County Board of Education

132 Standford Mill Rd, P.O. Box 70

Clarkesville, GA 30523

12-03-2024 11:00 am

Negotiate/execute contract (selected finalist)

Coordinate with contact on RFP cover page and district Finance Director

Dec. 2024 pending approval

Implement solution (selected finalist) Coordinate with the HABERSHAM COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION project manager

School Christmas break is Dec. 23 through Jan. 3 2025.

B. Supplier Questions and RFP Addenda

Questions regarding the content of or schedule for the RFP must be submitted in writing by e-mail to the contact identified on the cover page of the RFP, according to the RFP schedule provided in Section II-A. The HABERSHAM COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION will issue answers to all supplier questions, as noted in that schedule.

In the event that modifications or additions to the RFP become necessary, suppliers will be notified in writing.

C. Proposal Content

Your proposal should be organized approximately as follows.

Label Description

Include with proposal as separate document Letter of Introduction

Table of Contents Include a table of contents with section and subsection headings

Executive Summary A concise and brief overview of the highlights of your proposal

Attachment 3 Proposed Pricing by Location

Based on past utilization, recommend and quote a new fleet of MFD machines including 7 additional machines as listed. Proposal should include desktop fax machines, low, medium, and high capacity machines with capabilities and finishers as listed. Include pricing breakdown as indicated in the Attachment 3 spreadsheet.

Pricing per machine and for each accessory

Pricing per B/W and COLOR copy

Pricing for SLA Options (if applicable)

Pricing for PaperCut software upgrade and upgrade assurance

Attachment 4 SLA Options Explanation of SLA options provided in proposals

Solution Questionnaire and SLA Options Response to questions in Section IV-A

Capabilities and Account Management Approach Response to questions in Section IV-B

Proposed Approach Response to questions in section IV-C

Performance Metrics and Reporting Response to questions in Section IV-D

Transition and Implementation Response to questions in Section IV-E

References Response to questions in Section IV-F

Required Forms W-9 Request for TIN and Certification

Certificate of Liability Insurance

E-Verify Affidavit (Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act)

Sample contract for services provided

Financial Considerations Response to questions in Section IV-G

Appendix Include any additional material referenced in your proposal that is essential to The HABERSHAM COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION’s informed review. Please do not include bulk marketing material unless it illustrates or explains a specific point you are making.

Section III—Current State

A. Background Information

The HABERSHAM COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION currently has 87 Canon and HP branded MFDs in service with a variety of different features and styles with the general operations of printing, scanning to email, copying, faxing, with finishing capabilities as listed. Clients print to the MFDs using a centralized print server solution (PaperCut) that allows accessing print jobs from any MFD in the district. PaperCut is installed on approximately 1150 Apple and a few hundred Windows computers.

An itemized list of current equipment and features and previous utilization by year(s) is included in Attachments posted with this document. Some locations will also require additional machines to meet the requirements for that location as noted on the attached documents. Please read the attachment lists carefully.

The district prints approximately 17,162,400 copies each year with an estimated monthly average of 1.4 million. The current copier fleet has printed approximately 43,578,332 B/W copies from and 3,623,268 color copies from February of 2022 – October of 2024.

The current three year copier contract ends on January 30, 2025.

B. Scope of Services

The HABERSHAM COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION seeks a supplier who can supply equipment and provide friendly service in an efficient, consistent manner. Effective communication with school personnel including front office personnel about the status of all machine repairs is essential.

We require the following equipment, services, and materials:

PaperCut print server software compatible MFD equipment Update PaperCut print server with the latest software and include upgrade assurance Service and maintenance including any and all required replacement parts Options for Service Level Agreements to reduce persistent outages Toner supplies (please provide separate pricing for staples unless included at no additional charge) Technical expertise and support for machine deployment and troubleshooting Assistance in updating the printer object naming scheme in PaperCut Monthly and quarterly reporting of average uptime of each machine Quarterly reporting of machine repairs and utilization information Transfer of existing PaperCut licenses from old to new MFDs Prompt and careful return of current machines back to vendor in a timely manner to meet current contract requirements and prevent additional monthly billing

Section IV—Proposal Content

A. Solution Questionnaire

The following items are of interest to us concerning your proposal. As a quality business relationship is important to both you and the HABERSHAM COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, please include anything else you feel we should understand. Please answer the following questions if they are applicable. If not, please indicate N/A.

1. What is the legal name of your company?

2. Please state the number of years your company has been in business.

3. Are you a subsidiary, affiliate, or franchise? If yes, what is the name of your parent company?

4. What is the headquarters location address, phone number and Web site?

5. What is the company ownership structure?

6. How many employees do you have worldwide? In North America?

Locally?

7. What is the nearest office location to Habersham County Schools?

Do service technicians work out of this office or another location?

8. Are common replacement parts stocked and at what location?

9. How are current shipping delays affecting machine, toner, and parts availability for the brand proposed? What approach is being taken?

10. How many service technicians will be available to respond to service requests from your nearest office location?

11. Can your service technicians provide friendly and professional service to our school personnel? What training are they provided on soft skills and customer relations?

12. In regards to equipment service, are replacement parts for the models proposed stocked locally? How long does it take to receive parts if ordering is required?

B. Capabilities and Account Management Approach

1. Describe your approach to right-sizing multifunctional fleets and how each site can have standardized supplies as much as possible.

2. Will your organization provide break/fix service on the copy/print equipment, or is it subcontracted to a distributor or other third party?

3. How many hours of training do you require service technicians to complete?

4. Where do your customer service technicians go when needing additional technical support on equipment-related issues?

5. Do your service technicians have access to real-time information on customer accounts to resolve service requests more efficiently?

6. Do your technicians have the ability to search for parts availability while on site?

7. What is your process for backup when a technician is not available?

Please describe how this process works in detail.

8. Can you provide a single point of contact/phone number for service inquiries?

9. Provide your escalation/resolution process for service issues.

10. Please describe your options and process for submitting the following:

a. Service Requests

b. Meter Reads

c. Supplies Orders

d. MDF Address book updates

11. What specific data collection tools and processes do you utilize to manage a copier, fax and printer fleet the size of the HABERSHAM

COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION?

12. Please describe your technical support organization that you will make available to the HABERSHAM COUNTY BOARD OF

EDUCATION.

13. Can you provide an online system that can allow district personnel (HCBOE Technology Department) to monitor the status of the entire fleet?

C. Proposed Approach

1. Based on HCBOE’s current fleet of MFDs as a baseline, please describe the key elements of your proposal.

2. Please identify the proposed manufacturer and equipment models and attach specifications for each model for each location. Explain the approach taken to choose the best MFD for each location.

3. Describe your MFD/copier/printer product line relative to longevity in the market. What product generation does your current offering represent?

4. Define how you will ensure a secure printing network.

5. What print tracking and management tools do you utilize?

D. Performance Metrics and Reporting

1. What performance metrics do you track and measure?

2. What types of equipment reports are available to the HABERSHAM COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION to track these performance metrics.

Please provide samples.

3. How will these reports be made available to the HABERSHAM

COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION?

4. Please include examples of your service reporting as it pertains to response time, uptime percentage, total service requests, average monthly volume, etc. Please indicate the frequency this information is available to us.

E. Transition and Implementation

1. Describe your implementation process and provide a sample implementation plan.

2. Will the proposed implementation plan be able to export school level email addresses and other information from current MFDs for re-importing into replacement MFDs?

3. Describe the members of your implementation team and give a brief description of their qualifications.

4. What dedicated resources will you apply to the HABERSHAM COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION for project management?

F. References

1. Please provide at least three references or case studies where you provide similar services, large fleet, or school district deployments.

G. Financial Considerations

1. Please provide simple detailed pricing information for each proposed MFD using the including spreadsheet:

“Attachment 3 Proposed Pricing by Location.xlsx.”

Also include the price per B/W and color copies for all machines.

2. Habersham County BOE prefers a simple pricing structure where we pay for the cost of the machines and only the number of copies actually printed each month (no monthly minimum charges for copies).

3. What are your billing terms?

4. Provide a sample monthly invoice.

5. Describe how your proposal will improve cost-effectiveness. Please be as specific as possible.

6. Describe any additional fees, beyond the monthly payment, assessed by your company (e.g., documentation fees, security deposits, UCC filing fees).

7. Do your lease agreements contain escalation charges? If so, describe them.

8. Do you permit your customers to choose their own payment due dates?

9. Are there a variety of payment options (e.g., choose your own due date, combined billing for multiple lease agreements, credit card/ACH/EFT options)?

10. Do you provide customized billing options such as customer-selected fields?

11. Do your lease agreements automatically renew at lease end, without notice? What is your notice period?

12. Equipment must be retainable on a month to month basis at the end of the lease for the same monthly charges as during the lease period.

13. Describe your payment terms (e.g., pre-bill period, grace period, late charge assessments).

14. What are the charges for returning equipment at the end of the lease period, if any?

15. What is the process for ensuring any and all school data is wiped from devices hard drives at the end of the lease period? Are additional charges involved to ensure this process?

Attachment 1: Intent to Bid Form (Due 11/1/24)

This form acknowledges your receipt of this RFP and states whether your firm intends to submit or not submit a proposal.

Company Name and Address

Primary and Alternate Supplier Contacts (please include name, title, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address)

Do you plan to submit a proposal?

Yes No

If not bidding, please state the reason

If you are bidding, please check all services you plan to include in your proposal

Equipment & Service

Supplies (Toner)

Authorized Signature: Name:

Date: Title:

Please return this form to the contact identified on the front cover of this RFP via e-mail attachment to dunbehant@habershamschools.com.

mailto:dunbehant@habershamschools.com

Attachment 2: Habersham Schools Recommendations 10-24

Based on the information in this document, recommend and quote a new fleet of MFD machines including 3 additional machines as listed. Proposal should include desktop fax machines, low, medium, and high capacity machines with capabilities and finishers as listed. Include pricing breakdown as indicated in the Attachment 3 spreadsheet, column R through AE.

Attachment 3: Proposed Pricing by Location (Due 12/3/24)

Include pricing breakdown as indicated in the Attachment 3 spreadsheet, column R through AE.

Attachment 4: SLA Options (Due 12/3/24)

Complete attachment 4 or provide a similar document detailing SLA options available as part of the proposals submitted. Include financial considerations as requested.

PaperCut Print Server Software Subscription (Due 12/3/24)

Upgrade current version of PaperCut (version 24.0.4 Build 70154) to latest version for

1500 users and provide software assurance for upgrades for the length of the contract

Provide pricing breakdown of software cost, installation, and support as required in included proposal spreadsheets.