P03_JA VISN 2 RTLS AT Sustainment NY Harbor_Redacted.pdf

RTLS Asset Tracking Sustainment NY Harbor VA-24-00033875

LIMITED-SOURCES JUSTIFICATION

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 twelve month firm-fixed price

(FFP) task order with four 12-month options to sustain the existing CenTrak and Infor Real Time Location System (RTLS) Asset Tracking (AT) software and hardware at the medical centers in Veteran Integrated Service Networks (VISN) 2 Manhattan and Brooklyn campuses of the New York Harbor Healthcare System.

3. Description of the Supplies or Services: The Veteran Health Administration (VHA) RTLS is made up of several software and hardware components geared towards workplace efficiency. VHA currently owns existing hardware and software licenses of RTLS. The proposed action is to renew brand name CenTrak and Infor proprietary active Radiofrequency identification (RFID) hardware and software support services. The support services include RTLS Asset Tracking (AT) system support, software upgrades, server and hardware maintenance and administration, break/fix services, RTLS Help Desk support to the hospital user and planning for RTLS expansion to other areas of the hospitals. VISN 2 New York Harbor medical centers in Manhattan and Brooklyn require the sustainment of the existing RTLS AT System, providing real time location for facilities covered with clinical grade hardware and with Wi-Fi areas. The Contractor shall provision and configure CenTrak proprietary RTLS hardware and software, as well as deliver, provision and configure the Infor LBI proprietary user interface and associated software.

Sites may require the Contractor to implement tagging equipment per the national tagging standard and commissioning the asset into the Infor LBI system or simplified asset tracking user interface software. VA requires wireless configuration technology, data collection and other implementation services to ensure the site RTLS is properly configured. 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 the VA Automated Engineering Management System (AEMS)/Medical Equipment Reporting System (MERS) space file) and ensure CenTrak WiFi configuration and location data has been integrated into Infor. The period of performance shall be 12 months with four twelve-month option periods. The total estimated value of the proposed action is

, inclusive of options.

4. Authority: This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple-Award Schedule Program. The specific authority providing for a limited source award is Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 8.405-6(b), “Items 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.”

5. Rationale Supporting Use of Authority Cited Above: Based on market research, as described in Section 8 of this justification, it was determined that limited competition is available for this procurement. VA requires any source to use both brand name Infor LBI and Centrak for this effort. VA previously purchased Infor LBI and Centrak hardware and software. Hardware and multiple software applications are integrated to the core RTLS infrastructure to achieve benefits in locating assets and improving workflow. The use of Infor and CenTrak is critical in meeting the Government’s requirements to install newly constructed wings or expand for sustainment using spare hardware or existing hardware as part of adaptive maintenance to areas within the New York Harbor because no other solution is interoperable with CenTrak and Infor. Interoperability is required to allow the various locations within the New York Harbor (Brooklyn and Manhattan Campus) to communicate and provide accurate asset tracking locations, thereby precluding consideration of a different RTLS solution. Any other brand or hardware and/or software will break that communication. This specific Hardware CenTrak and Software Infor works together to accurately provide us the location of equipment.

Any other brand of hardware and/or software will break that communication and will not provide us the location. Under the previous contracts, VA purchased CenTrak’s Clinical Grade readers, active asset tags, and location software package. CenTrak designed the layout of the readers which were installed, configured in the CenTrak software, and validated. VA purchased 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. Interfaces have been developed between the Infor RTLS solution and the Veterans Integrated System Architecture (VISTA). Within the space that Infor regions in its software, is a field that allows the VISTA AEMS/MERS Interface to update location and last inventory date, with the location obtained from the RTLS. The configuration and integration of CenTrak and Infor requires access to proprietary data, only CenTrak and Infor are capable of meeting VISN 2 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 of an asset through CenTrak’s proprietary algorithm.

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 CenTrak’s location server and to region space on floor maps. Any source requires access to both Infor LBI and CenTrak proprietary data to provide sustainment and completion services and ensure proper configuration.

Failure to provide these services with CenTrack and Infor would cause major delays and could take at least a couple of years to install a new system with other companies. The sustainment of existing infrastructure may include implementation of new RTLS systems within VISN 2 facilities. Implementing new RTLS systems on the existing consolidated infrastructure results in a streamlined design in which procurement costs savings, removal of duplicative maintenance tasks and regional knowledge sharing will be achieved.

VA requires a single integrator to coordinate efforts with Centrak and Infor for the configuration, integration, testing, and training of the 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. This would have a negative impact on patient care, and 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, as outlined 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 available among authorized resellers for brand name RTLS sustainment. In accordance with FAR 8.405-6(a)(2) this justification will be made publicly available within 14 days of award. Furthermore, in accordance with FAR 8.405-6(b)(3) this justification will be posted with the Request for Quotation.

7. Actions to Increase Competition: The Government will continue to conduct market research to ascertain if there are changes in the marketplace that would enable future actions to be competed.

8. Market Research: Market research was conducted by reviewing previous contract history, researching other VA RTLS sustainment contracts, and web searches on SAM.gov and a Request for Information (RFI). It was determined that limited competition is available for the required RTLS sustainment. VA technical experts reviewed products from companies such as Sonitor Technologies, Inc and AiRISTA RTLS for asset tracking, but it was determined the systems do not communicate with the existing RTLS CensTrak Hardware or Infor Software. No other solution is interoperable with the exiting CensTrak hardware and Infor software. Any other brand of hardware and/or software will break the communication of asset tracking locations.

An RFI was issued on January 22, 2024, via the Contracting Opportunities page to ascertain if there were any other sources that could meet the Government’s requirements. Responses were received from two sources, AgileRank LLC (AgileRank) and ThunderYard Liberty JV LLC (ThunderYard Liberty), both Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB).

AgileRank has been providing RTLS and Program Management support services to VA since 2016. ThunderYard Liberty has been providing RTLS and Program Management support services to VA since 2022. Both vendors have the capability to provide brand name Infor LBI and CenTrak sustainment services required. No alternative manufacturers were identified through the RFI

9. Other Facts: None.