Proposal_Response_REV_8.19.pdf

Proposal Response

Table of Contents

Letter of Transmittal

Executive Summary

Section 3 – Proposed Solution Description

Section 4 – Company Background & Experience

Financial Strength

Customer Base

Company Structure

Section 5 – Implementation Approach

Project Assurance

Key Resources

Tools & Resources

Section 6 – Software Maintenance & Support Services

Maintenance & Support

Releases & Upgrades

Section 7 – API Approach

Section 8 – Code Management

Section 9 – Cyber Security Incident Response

Worksheets

(Located under the “ATTACHMENTS” Tab in OpenGov.)

1. Functional Requirements

2. Technical Requirements

3. Interface Experience

4. Pricing Worksheet

5. Staffing Matrix

1. SOC 2 Report

2. PCI Audit Report

3. Sample Testing Scripts for Move-in / Move-out Process

4. Example Training Course List (with course descriptions)

5. Example Training Guide

6. Example Master / Summary Bill

To respond to this Request for Proposals (RFP), each proposal must address all written sections, worksheets, and supplemental documents. Use this Proposal Response document to provide a clear and detailed explanation of your understanding and proposed approach to the services.

Ensure all answers are serialized where indicated (e.g., 1.1.1).

Letter of Transmittal This letter will summarize in a brief and concise manner, the Proposer's understanding of the scope of work and make a positive commitment to perform the work in a timely manner. The letter should name all the persons authorized to make representations for the Proposer, including the titles, addresses and telephone numbers of such persons. An authorized agent of the Proposer must sign the Letter of Transmittal indicating the agent’s title or authority. This letter should also serve as acknowledgement by the Proposer that the contents of the submittal are true and accurate, and that the requirements of this RFP can be met, including but not limited to, insurance, bonding, and licensing requirements. Further, the Proposer acknowledges their intent to execute an Agreement with the County.

Executive Summary Maximum of 2 pages Please provide a concise executive summary confirming your company’s understanding of the project and scope, highlighting partnerships utilized in this proposal, if any, and differentiating factors of your company and product. Provide the name and contact information of the individual(s) who have the authority to negotiate and execute contracts and represent their company as contacts regarding this proposal.

Section 1 – General Company Overview Maximum of 15 pages per company To be completed by each participating vendor (including each partner) Utilize this section to provide a general introduction of the proposing company / companies. You may include general marketing materials as you see fit.

Section 2 – References Maximum of 5 references per company To be completed by each participating vendor (including each partner) Each participating vendor (including each partner) shall provide a minimum of five references, three of which initiated a new implementation within the last 3 years, including the following information for each reference:

Utility Name Address Number of Customers Served Services Provided (Water, Wastewater, Electric, Cable, Internet, Solid Waste, etc.)

Implementation Timeframe (Project Start - Go-Live Date) Last Major Upgrade Date Current Operational Version Contact Name & Title Contact Email

Section 3 – Proposed Solution Description Maximum of 40 pages (regardless of partnership approach)

In this section, please provide narrative descriptions of the key functionalities and differentiators of the proposed software solution(s). In doing so, it will be critical to highlight the solution's ability to meet the specific business objectives of Seminole County.

To help provide extra product clarity and the closest thing to a first-person experience, please include screenshots of your solution throughout this section as you see fit.

Also in this section, please address the company’s approach with Artificial Intelligence (AI) – i.e., back-office applications, customer-facing applications, customer support, realistic roadmap, and functionality in-production with utility clients today.

This is intended to be a high-level narrative and should not exceed 40 pages, regardless of proposal approach (i.e., sole proposal or partnered proposal).

Section 4 – Company Background & Experience To be completed by each participating vendor (including each partner) Maximum of 10 pages per company The proposer is requested to include a narrative describing the history of the company and their experience in the utility software industry.

Within this narrative, the proposer is requested to respond to the specific questions listed below. It is required that these responses are organized in a matching, itemized manner (e.g., 1.1.1 – response).

Financial Strength # Question

4.1.1 What is your company’s total annual revenue for your last fiscal year?

4.1.2 What is the percentage of revenue growth or decline from the last three years?

4.1.3 Please describe all merger and acquisition activity (whether you are the acquiring or acquired company) over the past three years and any planned activity (as much as can be disclosed).

Customer Base # Question

4.2.1 Please provide your company’s total number of active clients.

4.2.2 How many of those clients are using the exact version of the solution being proposed for Seminole County?

4.2.3 What is the total number of clients using the proposed solution that have similarities to Seminole County (i.e., service composition and size )?

4.2.4 Please list the customers you have in Florida, surrounding states and the general Southeast region of the US operating on the proposed solution.

4.2.5 What is the total number of new client implementations within the past 24 months (not including client upgrades of the same solution)?

4.2.6 How many clients have implemented replacement solution and left your company as users in the past 24 months?

Company Structure

4.3.1 What is the total number of employees within your organization? Please also provide the breakdown of employees between Implementation Services, Customer Support, Sales, and Research and Development (R&D).

4.3.2 What is the average tenure for the Implementation employees? Please provide a breakdown of the total employees within Implementation Services by project management, functional consultants, technical consultants, and training resources.

4.3.3 What is the R&D budget as a percentage of sales for 2023?

4.3.4 What is your firm’s turnover percentage (# of people who left the department / average count of employees over that period of time) within the Implementation staff, Support staff, and Research and Development staff over the past 24 months?

Section 5 – Implementation Approach Maximum of 40 pages (regardless of partnership approach) The proposer is requested to provide a narrative to describe the proposed implementation methodology.

The purpose of this narrative will be for the vendor to explain the benefits, best practices, and differentiating factors of your implementation methodology that lead your projects to successful delivery.

Within this narrative, the proposer is requested to respond to the specific questions listed below. It is required that these responses are organized in a matching, itemized manner (e.g., 1.1.1 – response).

This is intended to be an exhaustive discussion on the proposed implementation approach, regardless of proposal approach (i.e., sole proposal or partnered proposal) and should not exceed 40 pages.

Project Assurance

5.1.1 Please describe your project management methodology and explain how it adheres to the Project Management Institute (PMI) standards.

5.1.2 Provide a graphic view of the project timeline with specific project phases representing a realistic schedule based upon the presented scope of work.

5.1.3 Describe the proposer’s preferred and intended split of on-site and remote support per project phase and project resource.

5.1.4 Please provide background on a recent implementation that is similar in scope and size to Seminole County, highlighting the overall implementation success, key success factors, and lessons learned.

5.1.5 Please describe the expected resources and level of effort required from Seminole County to support the implementation.

Key Resources

5.2.1

The proposer is required to attach a staffing worksheet that will identify the vendor resources assigned to the project, their level of participation (FTE %), and have this participation represented monthly throughout the major stages of the project.

Please indicate if any resources listed on the staffing worksheet are third-party resources.

Also, please indicate the expected split of on-site vs remote time.

A sample staffing worksheet has been provided for your review. Please feel free to use the attached sample, modified as needed, or provide your own format with the requested information fully presented. Submit the Staffing Matrix Worksheet with your proposal.

5.2.2 Please provide brief resource profiles for each of the key implementation resources to be assigned to this project, including the project manager, lead application consultant(s), and the lead conversion specialist at a minimum.

5.2.3 These profiles should indicate the number of years of experience each resource has implementing the proposed solution.

Tools & Resources

5.3.1 Please describe your testing and training methodologies.

5.3.2 Please provide sample Test Scripts, Training Plans and Training Guides for the transfer of service process as described under Supplemental Documents 4-6.

5.3.3 Please describe any tools utilized for project management, environment management, and data migration.

Section 6 – Software Maintenance & Support Services Maximum of 15 pages per company To be completed by each participating vendor (including each partner) In this section, the proposer is requested to describe the maintenance and support service program.

Within this narrative, the proposer is requested to respond to the specific questions listed below. It is required that these responses are organized in a matching, itemized manner (e.g., 1.1.1 – response).

Maintenance & Support

6.1.1 Detail your team’s level of support services, support availability (time zones), prioritization of support requests, and issue resolution response times. Provide example Service Level Agreement.

6.1.2 Please describe your release management process, including communication and planning with the clients.

6.1.3 Please provide the average timeframe that individual account managers remain assigned to their respective support clients.

6.1.4 Please describe any self-help tools provided via online guides, training documentation, data dictionaries, etc. Please also include information about any existing user group networks that would benefit Seminole County.

Releases & Upgrades

6.2.1 Please describe the effort expected of Seminole County staff to implement release updates and upgrades (provide effort in terms of FTE by activity, if possible). Please distinguish the effort between minor releases and more complex upgrades.

6.2.2 Please provide a history of major past releases and indicate any experienced delays in the intended delivery of these releases. Also indicate whether releases are required or optional for your clients.

6.2.3

Describe how modifications / customizations to the system are incorporated into the next general release of the system while highlighting how your company effectively manages modifications / customizations from various utility customers while avoiding individually customized systems per client.

Section 7 – API Approach

Maximum of 15 pages per company As for the narrative of this section, the proposer is requested to describe the solution’s approach to API development. Be sure to explain and stress the flexibility and scalability of said approach.

The proposer should also complete the Interface Experience Worksheet, to detail your system’s capabilities to integrate with Seminole County’s existing systems while also highlighting the flexibility provided to the County as their system architecture may evolve over time.

Within this narrative, the proposer is requested to respond to the specific questions listed below. It is required that these responses are organized in a matching, itemized manner (e.g., 1.1.1 – response).

7.1.1

Please provide a narrative description of your solution's approach to API's. Be sure to explain and stress the flexibility and scalability of said approach - i.e. Does the API have a broad feature set of calls and functionality? Does the API allow for customization and extensibility?

Can developers add new functionality or endpoints to the API to meet specific needs? Can parameters be customized for specific use cases or scenarios?

7.1.2 Please complete the Interface Experience worksheet to highlight your company's experience integrating with Seminole County's existing, critical systems.

7.1.3 In completing the Interface Experience worksheet, please also highlight the flexibility and breadth of experience integrating with various systems that would be valuable to Seminole County as their roadmap and system architecture may remain fluid in the future.

Section 8 – Code Management

Maximum of 5 pages per company The proposer is requested to provide a narrative of their software development lifecycle (SDLC). This includes how customizations/modifications are incorporated into the base product, testing before releasing to customers, maintenance, and secure coding practices.

Section 9 – Cyber Security Incident Response

Maximum of 5 pages per company The proposer is requested to provide a narrative on their Cyber Security Incident Response program. This includes how incidents and breaches are detected, how and when customers are notified, insurance coverage, and how incidents and breaches are remediated.

Worksheets (Located under the “ATTACHMENTS” Tab in OpenGov.)

Each proposing vendor should ensure that the following worksheets are completed fully and included in the proposal package in the file’s original format (Excel with no added security):

1. Functional Requirements The proposer is required to carefully and exhaustively complete and submit the Functional Requirements Worksheet. For your assistance, a specific instruction sheet is provided as the first tab of the worksheet. It will be in the vendor’s benefit to provide clarifying and supporting comments where needed to avoid any possible ambiguity.

If there are multiple partners involved in this proposal, please use the dropdowns in the header of each tab to very clearly indicate which company / system is addressing the specific group of requirements.

2. Technical Requirements The proposer is requested to carefully and exhaustively complete and submit the Technical Requirements Worksheet. For your assistance, a specific instruction sheet is provided as the first tab of the worksheet. It will be in the vendor’s benefit to provide clarifying and supporting comments where needed to avoid any possible ambiguity.

If there are multiple partners involved in this proposal, each company should complete a Technical Requirements worksheet.

3. Interface Experience Please complete all drop-down responses in the orange cells and add notes for extra clarity.

4. Pricing Worksheet The proposer is required to complete and submit the attached Pricing Worksheet. As noted on the worksheet, if you require additional lines to fully price or describe your solution pricing, please add rows as needed. Seminole County is requesting a fixed-price approach for this project.

If this is a partnered proposal, please clearly break out the license, implementation cost, and annual support cost for each product / partner.

If you are proposing both an on-prem and a cloud version of the same software solution, please submit a separate pricing worksheet for each option. If your on-prem and cloud solution utilizes a different software application solution, two separate proposals would be required.

5. Staffing Matrix As requested in Section 5 (question 5.2.1), please complete a Staffing Matrix Worksheet that represents your company’s typical approach to similar projects. Feel free to make edits to project roles and project stages to best fit your company’s methodology and staffing approach.

If there are multiple partners involved in this proposal, each company should complete a Staffing Matrix.

Supplemental Documents

Each proposing vendor should ensure that the following documents are included in the proposal package and numbered according to the same logic as below:

1. SOC 2 Report If the proposer is providing a cloud option, please provide a copy of the most recent System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2 report.

2. PCI Audit Report Please provide the PCI Audit Report as requested in the Technical Requirements Worksheet.

3. Sample Testing Scripts for Move-in / Move-out Process As requested in Section 5 (question 5.3.2), please provide a sample of testing scripts for the Move-in / Move-out process to allow the SMEs and evaluation committee to achieve a better understanding of testing tools and expectations.

4. Example Training Course List (with course descriptions) Please provide a list of typical training courses for similar projects accompanied by course descriptions to understand the topics and objectives for each course.

5. Example Training Guide Please provide a single example of a training guide that would be provided by the software vendor / SI as part of this implementation project.

6. Example Master / Summary Bill As requested in the Functional Requirements Worksheet, please provide a sample master / summary bill to allow the SMEs and evaluation committee to better understand how such a bill would be presented to customers.

7. Additional Relevant Documents (Maximum of 25 pages) Any additional items that are deemed relevant to the project.