RFI -Automated Queue Management System.docx

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of the Trial Court

Request for Information (RFI) – Automated Queue Management System

Published: January 11th , 2019

Respondents to this Request for Information (RFI) are invited to respond to all of the questions in this document. Responses to this RFI shall serve solely to assist the Executive Office of the Trial Court (EOTC) in understanding the current state of technology and marketplace with regards to the solicited information and/or to inform for the development of a possible solicitation for a Request for Responses (RFR) or Request for Proposals (RFP) in the future. This RFI does not in any way obligate or require the EOTC to issue or amend a solicitation or to include any of the RFI provisions or responses in any future possible solicitations. Responding to the RFI is entirely voluntary, and will in no way affect the EOTC's consideration of any proposal submitted in response to any subsequent solicitation, nor will it serve as an advantage or disadvantage to the respondent in the course of any RFR or RFP that may be subsequently issued or amended.

1. Introduction

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation or obligation on the part of the Massachusetts Trial Court. Neither unsolicited proposals nor any other kind of offers will be considered in response to this RFI. Vendors will not be reimbursed any costs associated with developing responses and/or providing information in response to this RFI and/or any follow‐up information requests.

Any information submitted in response to this RFI will become the property of the Massachusetts Trial Court and will not be returned. Any/all information received in response to this RFI that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. Such restrictions should be clearly indicated on each sheet containing such information.

A Request for Information (RFI) is used when detailed information and feedback are required. Responses are used to assist the Massachusetts Trial Court in developing achievable objectives and deliverables in order to launch a competitive Request for Proposal process.

The main objectives of this RFI are to gain information about potential solutions for queue management via an automated system within the Massachusetts Trial Court Probate and Family Court Division.

This is not a bid solicitation. A contract will not result from this activity.

This RFI is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a commitment by the Massachusetts Trial Court. Responses to this RFI will not constitute a commitment from the provider. The Massachusetts Trial Court will not reimburse any expenses incurred for the preparation of responses to this RFI.

2. Background

The Massachusetts Trial Court is composed of seven court departments with unique jurisdictions and responsibilities. The Trial Court is committed to:

· fair and impartial administration of justice;

· protection of constitutional and statutory rights and liberties;

· equal access to justice for all in a safe and dignified environment;

· efficient, effective and accountable resolution of disputes;

· prompt and courteous service to the public by committed and dedicated professionals utilizing best practices in a manner that inspires public trust and confidence.

The Massachusetts Trial Court, Probate and Family Court (PFC) division (“Court”) is seeking proposals for the purchase and installation of an automated queue management system for assisting and organizing people awaiting customer services. The Probate and Family Court (PFC) is seeking to improve on the services that are provided to the public through innovative solutions. An automated queue management system will meet this need by directing customer requests for services to the appropriate windows, and in facilitating staff planning and assignments to meet that demand.

3. Purpose of RFI The purpose of the Automated Queue Management System RFI is to provide the Probate and Family Court locations with an automated queue management system that will allow customers to check in for court services (self-help or with assistance), obtain directions to scheduled activities, check in, provide for remote check in from a mobile device, and will provide text updates.

The Court envisions that such an automated system will ultimately assist the Court in managing the demand of public access for Probate and Family Court (PFC).

The proposed systems will be used at the Middlesex Probate and Family Court (PFC) with potential expansion to other Probate and Family Court (PFC) sites.

This RFI solicitation seeks responses from vendors who can offer information about the different types of Automated Queue Management Systems, the implementation of said systems, and ongoing support and operation of said systems.

To allow the Massachusetts Trial Court to better evaluate submissions to this RFI, responders should address the following requirements:

1. Allows customers to check-in, at interactive touch display Kiosks which may be self-help or court employee-monitored.

1. Generate a numbered and/or lettered ticket.

1. Input information which will send an audio alert to other departments for activity and updates (i.e., docket numbers to a files room with audio notification to alert staff of newly inputted information and ability to update status to next step in queue.

1. Refers customers to the appropriate location to be served, through on-screen displays and by automated voice prompts.

1. Provides staff with online status pending visits in various queues.

1. Alerts staff when a customer is waiting service.

1. Customizable display board and cell phone option (text or email) for status updates.

1. Robust statistics/reporting feature (i.e., duration of non-MassCourts activity broken down by case type and representation of litigant, customer list, customer seen, customer left, average wait time).

1. Monitors and provides reporting functions on wait times and queue performance statistics for court management

1. Ability for court authorized personnel using a unique login ID and password to manage the queue.

1. Survey follow up.

1. Maintenance of and upgrades to the system, if necessary.

1. Provide training upon initial implementation and upon subsequent updates on:

12. Regular usage of the system

12. Support

12. Maintenance and support of associated hardware

12. Reporting capabilities

12. Management Capabilities

1. Detail any and all facility infrastructure needs in order for the system to operate with the specifications detailed in the above requirements.

4. General Instructions

Please note that this is RFI is issued solely for the purpose of obtaining information. Nothing in this RFI shall be interpreted as a commitment on the part of the Executive Office of the Trial Court to enter into a contract with any respondent to this RFI.

A. This RFI has been posted on January 11th 2019.

B. Respondent Questions. Potential respondents who have questions regarding this RFI may submit them on the COMMBUYS website, the Commonwealth’s sole official procurement website. Instructions on how to submit questions and proposals to COMMBUYS are attached to this RFI. Responses to inquiries and clarification questions will be provided electronically to all interest parties via a posting on COMMBUYS.

C. Responses must be submitted on COMMBUYS (www.COMMBUYS.com). Instructions on how to submit responses via COMMBUYS are listed within this RFI. All responses must include the official name of the firm or entity submitting the response on the first page of the response submission. Please consecutively number all pages of the response.

D. Response Content. Vendors should include a response to each of the questions set forth in Section 3 Purpose of this RFI.

E. Response Format. EOTC requests that all responses be submitted with a point-by-point response to each numbered subsection set forth in Section 3 Purpose of this RFI. If a respondent opts not to respond to all of the questions specified, please provide an explanation for the lack of a response that identifies the question

F. Additional Information. EOTC retains the right to request additional information from respondents, either individually or from all submitting vendors. EOTC may, at its sole discretion, elect to request formal presentations from certain vendors of the products or services detailed in their response submissions.

5. Procurement Timeline

The following schedule of events for this RFI identifies the key events and deadlines for this process:

**Times are Eastern Standard/Daylight Savings (US), as displayed on the COMMBUYS system clock displayed to Bidders after logging in. If there is a conflict between the dates in this Procurement Calendar and dates in the Bid’s Header, the dates in the Bid’s Header on COMMBUYS shall prevail. Bidders are responsible for checking the Bid record, including Bid Q&A, on COMMBUYS for Procurement Calendar updates.

6. Costs

By submitting a response, respondents agree that any cost incurred in responding to this RFI, or in support of activities or presentations associated with this RFI, shall be the sole responsibility of the submitting respondent. EOTC shall not be held responsible for any costs incurred by respondents in preparing their respective responses to this RFI.

7. Review Rights.

EOTC reserves the right to have a review performed of any and all responses to this RFI, including materials presented at any presentations. Said review may be conducted by, but is not limited to, officials in the Executive Office of the Trial Court, any Massachusetts state agency and any independent consultants retained by EOTC.

8. Not a Public Record, EOTC Ownership of Submitted Materials

Please be advised that responses to this RFI are not public records under the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Public Records Law, Mass. Gen. L. ch. 66, § 10, and are not subject to same. Any responses submitted by a vendor become the property of EOTC and are maintained by and made accessible to outside parties at the discretion of EOTC.

9. INSTRUCTIONS FOR VENDORS RESPONDING TO BIDS ON COMMBUYS

COMMBUYS refers to all solicitations, including but not limited to Requests for Proposals (RFP), Requests for Information (RFI), Invitations for Bid (IFB), Requests for Response (RFR), Requests for Quote (RFQ), as “Bids.” All responses to Bids are referred to as “Quotes.”

Steps for Bidders to Submit a Quote

1. Launch the COMMBUYS website by entering the URL (www.COMMBUYS.com) into the browser.

2. Enter Bidder login credentials and click the Login button on the COMMBUYS homepage. Bidders must be registered in COMMBUYS in order to submit a Quote. Each Vendor has a COMMBUYs Seller Administrator, who is responsible for maintaining authorized user access to COMMBUYS.

3. Upon successful login, the Vendor home page displays with the Navigation and Header Bar as well as the Control Center. The Control Center is where documents assigned to your role are easily accessed and viewed.

4. Click on the Bids tab

6. Click on the blue Open Bid hyperlinks to open and review an open bid

7. A new page opens with a message requesting you acknowledge receipt of the bid. Click Yes to acknowledge receipt of the bid. Bidders should acknowledge receipt to receive any amendments/updates concerning this bid.

8. After acknowledgement, the bid will open.

The top left half of the page contains the following information:

The top right half of the bid includes the following information:

9. The lower half of the page provides information about the specific goods/services the bid is requesting.

10. Click Create Quote to begin.

It is important to note that the bid documents (RFR and attachments) may specify some or all of these terms and may prohibit you from altering these terms in your response. Read the bid documents carefully and fill in only those items that are applicable to the bid to which you are responding. Update these fields as applicable to the bid and click Save & Continue to save any changes and create a Quote Number.

12. The page refreshes and messages display. Any message in Red is an error and must be resolved before the quote can be submitted. Any message in Yellow is only a warning and will allow processing to continue.

13. Click the Items tab. The Items tab displays information about the items requested in the bid. To view additional details about an item, click the item number (blue hyperlink) to open.

14. The item opens. Input all of your quote information and click Save & Exit.

15. Click on the Attachments Tab. Follow the prompts to upload and name all required attachments and forms and bid response documents in accordance with the instructions contained in the solicitation or bid documents. After uploading each individual file or form, click Save & Continue. After you have uploaded all required documents click Save & Exit. Be sure to review your attachments to make sure each required document has been submitted.

16. Click on the Terms & Conditions Tab. This tab refers to the terms and conditions that apply to this bid. The terms and conditions must be accepted before your quote can be submitted. If your acceptance is subject to any exceptions, those exceptions must be identified here. Exceptions cannot contradict the requirements of the RFR, or required Commonwealth standard forms and attachments for the bid. For instance, an RFR may specify that exceptions may or will result in disqualification of your bid.

17. Click the Summary tab. Review the information and update/correct, as needed. If the information is correct, click the Submit Quote button at the bottom of the page.

18. A popup window displays asking for verification that you wish to submit your quote.

Click OK to submit the quote.

19. The Summary tab redisplays with an updated Status for the quote of Submitted.

20. Your quote submission is confirmed only when you receive a confirmation email from COMMBUYS. If you have submitted a quote and have not received an email confirmation, please contact the COMMBUYS Help Desk at COMMBUYS@state.ma.us.

If you wish to revise or delete a quote after submission, you may do so in COMMBUYS: (1) for a formal bid, prior to the bid opening date, or (2) for an informal bid (which may be viewed upon receipt), prior to the opening of your quote by the issuing entity or the bid opening date, whichever is earlier.

Bidders may not submit Multiple Quotes in response to a Bid unless the Bid authorizes Multiple Quote submissions. If you submit multiple quotes in response to a bid that does not allow multiple quotes, only the latest submission prior to the bid opening date will be evaluated.