REF_Auto_Inv_Sys_RFI_2019_07_19.pdf

Request for Information Number: REF0704 (Amendment 0001)

Automated Inventory System Request for Information Number: REF0704 (Amendment 001)

Agency: TRADOC Office: Rapid Equipping Force (REF)

Location: Fort Belvoir, VA

Notice Type: Sources sought

Posted Date: July 19, 2019

Response Date: July 26, 2019 – 1200 EDT

Archiving Policy:

Archive Date: August 18, 2019

Original Set Aside: N/A

Set Aside: N/A

Classification Code:

58 - Communication, detection, & coherent radiation equipment

NAICS Code:

334118 – Computer Terminal and other Computer Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing

SYNOPSIS:

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY

This is not a Solicitation or an indication the U.S. Army, Rapid Equipping Force (REF) will contract for the services contained in this RFI. This RFI is part of Government market research to allow interested vendors (also referred to as product or Respondent) an opportunity to present information on their automated inventory system (also referred to as product or solution) as described below, to determine if the required product exists in the commercial marketplace as a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) item, and to determine if the product can be obtained from a commercially available original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Responses to this RFI are strictly voluntary.

There is no requirement to respond to the RFI to be eligible to propose on a future solicitation, if any is issued. Unsolicited proposals are not wanted nor will they be accepted. All information provided shall be at no cost and without obligation to the U.S.

Government.

The REF will follow 10 U.S.C. § 2373. "Procurement for experimental purposes" Other Transactional Authority (OTA) to Pilot a new digital enterprise inventory management solution. If successful, the REF intends to transition this effort to the Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS) for further refinement under 10 U.S.C. § 2371b. "Authority of the Department of Defense to carry out certain prototype projects." The Army intends to leverage 10 U.S.C. § 2371b(f), "Follow-on Production Contracts or Transactions.— (1) A transaction entered into under this section for a prototype project may provide for the award of a follow-on production contract or transaction to the participants in the transaction." The initial Pilot Solution will be stand- alone (on premise).

Responses to this RFI will not be returned and respondents will not be notified of the result of the review. After review of the submissions, the Government may select vendors to demonstrate their technologies. All submission costs, travel costs, and other associated costs relating to the demonstration will be at vendor’s expense, and without obligation to the U.S. Government. The Government is under no obligation to award a contract as a result of this RFI.

BACKGROUND:

The REF is modernizing its arms inventory management processes and technology system that currently support Army operations. As part of this initiative, the REF intends to implement a new enterprise inventory management solution. The solution shall consist of all products required for the successful installation, configuration, management, testing and implementation of the system. The REF has issued this RFI in order to solicit statements of interest, capabilities and Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost estimates from interested parties to provide a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) automated inventory management system for use in a company arms room.

The desired system shall enable Soldiers to inventory, issue, and receive items using automatic identification and data capture technology for managing hand receipts and to upgrade and introduce new asset and inventory management capabilities.

Respondents shall identify COTS products that are modifiable. All products must meet Federal and DoD regulations.

REQUIREMENTS/CAPABILITIES:

1. Company Overview. Provide the company name, CAGE code, DUNS number, mailing address, and primary point of contact information (to include name, telephone number and email address).

2. Identify if your organization was awarded contract(s) within the last three (3) years to a U.S. Government organization similar in size and scope to this requirement. Provide the name of the customer Government agency, contract number and point-of-contact.

Please include a maximum of three contracts. Identify your company’s facility security clearance level. Identify your company’s business size in accordance with the NAICS Code.

3. Provide a description of the solution’s database platform and interface capabilities. Discuss, as applicable, proposed hardware and software platforms used as part of the solution.

4. Identify the key features of the proposed solution.

5. Identify if training is included in the purchase price. If training is included, identify the level of training and the number of days.

6. Identify if delivery can be made by 01OCT2019.

7. Describe the support level (on-site, telephone, internet, etc.) during the first year of operation and thereafter. It is the REF’s expectation no maintenance activity will impact system uptime. If service will be disrupted during maintenance, please explain why.

8. Describe how maintenance and updates will be performed on the solution.

9. Identify if maintenance services will be provided at the customer site or remotely. Identify the service levels and what each offers.

10. Identify what roll, if any, is required of REF personnel in the maintenance and update process.

11. Provide anticipated software maintenance and support services required to sustain the system including estimated timeframes to complete. Identify whether software upgrades are included in the maintenance plan.

12. Identify the average number of upgrades anticipated over a 12-month period.

13. Please include a timeline for a typical implementation of a similar size COTS solution.

14. Provide a detailed explanation of how the data stored in the hosted environment is backed up. Describe how data is retrieved, in a human reusable format, in the event of platform changes or system failure. Include the Respondent’s implementation, integration, and configuration services. If the software can be installed and configured only by the Respondent, please clearly state, to include the reasons why.

15. Please provide any/all relevant information pertaining to Certification and Accreditation of the proposed solution(s) in accordance with Army Regulation (AR) 25-1 or the DoD Risk Management Framework (NOT Required for Pilot).

16. Respondents are asked to provide information regarding their COTS automated inventory management system with the following required functionalities, and as a minimum, provide a response to the items listed in the Functionalities section below:

Functionalities

- The ability to manage and track inventory for arms rooms in multiple locations:

o Initially supporting one Army Brigade o Initially supporting up to 50 active users simultaneously o Initially supporting between 50 users able to pull reports (above active users)

- The ability to provide an enterprise capable solution with intuitive ease of use, capable of issuing single and multiple items with hand receipts down to the individual user of issued items.

- The ability to operate in mobile, non-tactical, disconnected, outdoor and/or indoor work environments. Objective goal is the ability to operate on DoD/Army Networks and be integrated with Army programs of record such as Global Combat Support System - Army (GCSS-A). However for the purpose of the pilot effort systems will be stand alone and not connected to any DoD network.

- Ability to be configured for system log-in authentication using the Government issued Common Access Card (CAC).

- Able to receive inputs from Item Unique Identification (IUID) and active/passive radio Frequency Identification (pRFID and RFID), Quick Response Code (QR Code), un-removable bar codes, Common Access Card (CAC) and any other proposed vendor unique markings.

- The ability to create asset inventories and track asset attributes.

- The ability to categorize inventory items.

- The ability to track items issued and track the receipt of items.

- The ability to produce hand receipts down to the three tier level (main, sub, sub-sub).

- Ability to read barcodes and scan other commercial markings.

- Able to interface with existing data files, product reports and documents.

- Able to store information and have printing capability.

- The ability to attach files or pictures.

- The ability to customize fields, add fields, and modify field names to match current inventory tracking methods.

- The ability to create new user defined fields (text, date, numeric, etc.)

- The ability to search for an asset by asset name, location, barcode, user, category, creation date and date modified.

- Ability to partition assets for location use.

- The ability to track warranties, and expiration dates.

- Be compatible with Microsoft Windows 10® or later, as well as interoperability with designated mobile devices (to include but not limited to smart phones, tablets, watches, scanners, etc.). Software must work with all common web browsers.

- Built-in reporting features with role specific viewing capabilities.

- The ability to create customizable reports, and generate reports in real-time.

- The ability to import/export data

- Provide users with the ability to report on any data entered within the system.

- Demonstrate auditing trail capabilities which would track additions, deletions, and modifications to the data.

- Scalable, have the ability to expand and interoperable with other Government systems (i.e., Global Combat Support System – Army (GCSS-A)).

- The ability to read multiple marking types. For example IUID, RFID, etc. If marking is required to implement, the location must be easily read during normal inventory, issue, and receipt operations.

o If vendor provides a marking for inventory, the marking must not impact the performance and intended function of the end item.

o If vendor provides markings, the markings must be tamper proof, easily detected, and difficult to replicate.

- Ability to be certified to operate on a U.S. Government network (in a later phase).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The submitted documentation and content becomes the property of the United States Government and will not be returned. All information should relate to currently available, “on the shelf” systems. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this inquiry. Although solicitation terminology may appear in this inquiry, your response will be treated as information only and will not be used as a proposal.

This notice is part of Government market research. Information received as a result of this request will be considered as proprietary and will be protected as such. Any company or industry proprietary information should be clearly marked as such, by paragraph, so that publicly releasable and proprietary information are clearly distinguished. All documentation submitted shall be no higher than company proprietary level information. All submitted documents will clearly identify company specific data rights assertions IAW DFAR 252.227-7017 – Identification and Assertion of Use, Release, or Disclosure Restrictions. Any proprietary information received in response to this request will be properly protected from unauthorized disclosure. The Government will not use proprietary information submitted from any one source to establish the capability and requirements for any future acquisition, so as to inadvertently restrict competition.

In order to complete its review, the REF must be able to share an interested respondent’s information both within the Government and with covered Government support contractors as defined in DFARS Clause 252.227-7015 Technical Data – Commercial Items (FEB 2014). All submissions must include a statement that clearly allows the information to be disclosed with Government support contractors.

Government support contractors will review and provide support during evaluation of submittals. The contractors may be used to review a particular functional area and provide comments and recommendations to the Government. All contractors shall comply with procurement integrity laws and shall sign non-disclosure statements to protect proprietary and source selection information. The Government will into consideration requirements for avoiding conflicts of interest and ensure contractors comply with safeguarding proprietary data.

The Government support contractors, who will be supporting this requirement, will be required to sign non-disclosure agreements restricting them from unauthorized use and disclosure of information that may be proprietary to third party companies. Submission in response to this RFI constitutes approval to release the submittal to Government support contractors.

Proprietary/Competition Sensitive information (appropriately marked) will be protected from disclosure to the greatest extent practical, however, it is preferred that respondents do not provide proprietary or otherwise restricted responses.

All respondents to this RFI, who submit the requested information, may or may not be provided the opportunity to present a proof of concept demonstration at Fort Belvoir. If the REF determines a demonstration is required, contact will be made to coordinate a demonstration date/timeslot.

International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). If the respondent is a foreign concern or if a US respondent has a partner who is a foreign entity, adherence to all ITAR regulations are required. Any solicitation resulting from this RFI shall include DFARS Clause 252.225-7048, Export Controlled Items.

HOW TO RESPOND

All documentation shall be submitted in MS Word, Adobe PDF, MS PowerPoint, or MS Excel files format.

Respondent information should be written in contractor format, single-spaced, and minimum font size of 12 pt. Information should not exceed 12 pages, including cover.

Responses which do not clearly and completely address the requested information will be considered as submitted for general informational purposes only.

Responses are to contain, at a minimum:

(1) Capability Statement: maximum of twelve (12) pages including cover.

Respondents shall submit information demonstrating their specific capabilities in satisfying this requirement.

(2) Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM): The ROM shall consist of a Cost estimate.

ROM information is included in the 12 page count.

a. Government Project Schedule/implementation estimate:

Expectation is the technology readiness level is a 7 or greater with minimal modifications and the manufacturing level is at an 8 or higher to ensure readily available product to support short time lines for delivery.

• All solutions must be ready for delivery and implementation with test units delivered NLT 01 October 2019.

• Five complete systems of each proposed solution must be made available for testing. Testing period will run approximately 90 days.

• Note: This information request is solely for Government planning purposes, and will be further defined in any future Request for Proposal submitted by the Government.

b. Cost Estimate: Please provide a ROM cost for the hardware and implementation information discussed in the Capability Statement. Please ensure the cost estimate includes any programming/ maintenance support/sustainment costs, as applicable for supporting equipping, testing, and training.

(3) Certification and Accreditation (C&A) Documentation:

a. Should the pilots prove to be successful the Department of Defense Risk

Management Framework (RMF) accreditation process will be required prior to transitioning to a program of record.

RESPONSE DATE: July 26, 2019—1200EST

All responses to this announcement must be received no later than July 26, 2019— 1200EST via electronic mail. No faxes, courier delivered, or telephone inquiries/submissions will be accepted as a response to this RFI.

Questions and comments to this RFI must be received by July 23, 2019 – 1200EST via electronic mail to the contacts listed below. No telephone inquiries/submissions will be accepted. Please note the REF may or may not publish answers to questions and comments received in response to the RFI.

Responses should be submitted to Neil Doherty, neil.b.doherty.civ@mail.mil and Scott Schumacher, scott.a.schumacher4.ctr@mail.mil

Industry Demonstration Registration. Upon review of submitted information, REF may or may not invite selected vendors to demonstrate their technology and capability.

If REF were to execute an Industry Day, it would likely be held during the months of July or August 2019 on Fort Belvoir, VA.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Neil Doherty Neil.b.doherty.civ@mail.mil

Scott A. Schumacher scott.a.schumacher4.ctr@mail.mil mailto:neil.b.doherty.civ@mail.mil mailto:scott.a.schumacher4.ctr@mail.mil mailto:Neil.b.doherty.civ@mail.mil mailto:scott.a.schumacher4.ctr@mail.mil