RFI Document.pdf

SAP

State of South Carolina

Request for Information

Solicitation:

Date Issued:

Procurement Officer:

Phone:

E-Mail Address:

Mailing Address:

5400022221 10/29/2021

JEFFERY SCHWALK

803-737-1018 SchwalkJC@scdot.org SCDOT Procurement Office PO Box 191 Columbia SC 29202-0191

DESCRIPTION: WEB CONTENT MANAGEMENT REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

USING GOVERNMENTAL UNIT: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

SUBMIT YOUR RESPONSE VIA EMAIL TO SchwalkJC@SCDOT.org

SUBMIT RESPONSE BY (Opening Date/Time): 11/23/2021 14:30:00 (See "Deadline For Submission Of Offer" provision) mailto:SchwalkJC@SCDOT.org

Table of Contents

SAP

SECTION I: SCOPE OF CONTENT MANAGEMENT REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

SECTION II: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION - RESPONSE CONTENT

SECTION III: DISCLAIMER AND CONFIDENTIALITY

SECTION IV: RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

I. SCOPE OF CONTENT MANAGEMENT REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

BACKGROUND

SCDOT’s mission is to connect communities and drive our economy through the systematic planning, construction, maintenance and operation of the state highway system and the statewide intermodal transportation and freight system. One of the tools used to accomplish this mission is the agency web site, located at https://www.scdot.org. We have a development and production server. The site contains about 281 pages, 3,969 technical documents, and 531 media files. The site serves a number of audiences, including business partners in search of technical information, vendors looking to provide services to the agency, citizens looking for project information, motorists looking for traffic information, and members of state and local governments, looking for project updates.

The site receives about 1 million visitors a year, serving up close to 3 million pages to those visitors. Monthly traffic averages around 74,000 visitors, but during hurricanes and winter storms web traffic can spike. In September 2018, the site received 614,000 visits and served 1.5 million pages.

SCDOT also maintains 6 construction project web sites. Each site has a development and production environment.

Currently, SCDOT does not use a Web Content Management System (WCMS).

SCDOT.org is a static site maintained by IT Services, using tools such as Dreamweaver, or Visual Studio. We also have an Intranet for our employees. It is comprised of approximately 40 departmental sites, containing about 800 web pages and over 20000 pdfs. We currently do not monitor traffic on our intranet site. The intranet also has development and production servers.

VISION AND DESIRED OUTCOME

Vision:

SCDOT would like to migrate to a Web Content Management System (WCMS), where IT Services maintains the look and feel of the site, but business units can update their own content if desired. Ideally the WCMS would also allow content to be easily shared to social media. The WCMS will be used to support the SCDOT public web site as well as the agency’s Intranet site.

Desired Outcomes:

Environment:

SCDOT would like to review options for both on premise and vendor-provided cloud based hosting solutions. Any on premise solutions should work in a Microsoft IIS environment without the need for open source software. Our current on premise environment is Windows Server 2016, with IIS 10. We would need a development and production environment for both the publicly accessible web site and the SCDOT Intranet site.

Administration:

SCDOT prefers user authentication using Active Directory, and be given role based access. There should be an audit trail to identify specific users who make changes. The product should have version control, https://www.scdot.org/ and approval workflows. The ability to schedule publication of content is desirable. The product should have built in analytics, or the ability to use other programs like Google Analytics or SiteImprove Analytics.

Features:

The product should be able to produce inclusive, accessible web sites that meet WCAG 2.1 standards.

Web sites should be responsive, and work on a variety of mobile devices and desktop computers using most of the popular browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, etc.). The product should host and serve video, accept data from forms and allow users to send email to SCDOT via HTML forms. The product should index pages and have a search engine. The product should have workflow capability to automate approval routing and other routine tasks. The product should have the capability to publish to the web site and social media platforms in use at SCDOT (currently we use Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube). The product should allow content to be reused in multiple areas on the site. Content translation to other languages is desirable. The product should be able to deliver most pages to the SCDOT users with the latest Chrome browser in under 2 seconds.

Development Environment:

The product should allow WYSIWYG design and editing with a code editor and allow for custom CSS.

The editing tools should be simple enough for business units to use to update their content. More advanced tools should be available to Web Developers and IT staff. SCDOT requires a Development environment and a production environment.

Training:

The product should include developer training, and training for content editors. Training can be web based, but should include live options and “webinar” type training. Documentation and user manuals, and other reference materials should be available online.

Support and Maintenance:

24/7 phone or chat support from the vendor should be available. Email support should be available for minor issues.

If SCDOT chooses a vendor-hosted environment, we would desire a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the host for 24x7x365 response within 2 hours.

The vendor should also provide a web-based issue tracking system for logging issues, and your support for emergency issues.

User Community:

An online user community that provides user to user and vendor to user support is desirable.

New Version Release:

SCDOT should have access to any upgrades published during the contract period. Updates should be controlled by SCDOT and not be configured for automatic updates.

Site Migration:

Vendor should offer site migration as an optional task, or have a partner network to assist with migration.

Ideally, the vendor should move our existing web site and intranet to the new platform, and then assist SCDOT’s web development team in correcting issues. Vendor would continue to work with SCDOT to correct unresolved issues for up to 90 days after the new system is live.

II. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION – RESPONSE CONTENT

RESPONSE CONTENT

• A cover letter including company name, point of contact name, e-mail address, and telephone number.

• A brief organizational overview, qualifications, and experience in providing Web Content Management Systems to government agencies or other organizations with similar scope and size.

• Provide a high level overview of how your product works for content editors, designers, administrators, and IT professionals

• Provide a high level range of typical implementation pricing, including all licensing, support fees, and professional services.

• Include information on the following o If you have an on premise solution, what are the system requirements and any other requirements? Does the features differ from the cloud offering you have? How?

o How does your product’s licensing work? Are a development server and production server included? How many licenses are required for an Intranet and an Internet site?

If we need to build a site for a construction project that requires its own domain, will that require another license?

o How are page layouts designed?

o Can designers layout custom designs, or do we have to pick from a set format o How are pages built?

o Can content be reused in multiple areas on a site (for example, a content page, but a snippet of the content may be featured on the home page as “Timely Content”) o Can design staff incorporate custom CSS and Javascript as needed?

o Does your product allow designers to build HTML forms? Is form validation included? Can the product accept and store form input from customers, or do we have to have a developer add that functionality?

o Give an overview of your content approval workflow?

o Please outline your issue tracking system for logging issues, and your support for emergency issue.

o How is content scheduled for publication?

o How does your product integrate with Social Media?

o What Search Engine Optimization (SEO) features does your product have?

o Does your product integrate with SiteImprove?

o What are the capabilities of the provided search engine?

o What tools do you have to ensure content meets WCAG accessibility guidelines? How do you ensure Content Editors use the accessibility features?

o Does the product support multiple devices/screen sizes? Does the product use responsive design or another method to support different devices?

o What training and support options are included with the purchase of your project?

o SCDOT’s sites are required to be up during emergency situations like Hurricane Evacuations. What level of support is included for night and weekends?

o Does your product include a video player that supports video on demand and live streams?

o Does your product have the capability to have a subsite for frequent press releases that may include video and image files?

NOTE: Responses to this RFI will not be returned. Respondents will not be notified of the result of the review, nor will they be provided copies of it.

III. DISCLAIMER AND CONFIDENTIALITY

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation for future business, an offer for procurement, or any other type of current or future procurement or contractual action and is only intended to gather input. SCDOT will not award a contract based on this RFI, nor will it pay for the information it receives. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by SCDOT to form a binding contract. No party is bound by the information provided in response to this RFI.

Respondents may provide market-based pricing structures and describe potential services or solutions for planning purposes only.

Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. SCDOT is not liable for any costs or fees incurred by the respondent in preparing its responses.

Confidentiality

If any of the information in the vendor response is considered confidential, proprietary, or a trade secret, it must be clearly indicated on the appropriate page of the vendor response. Release of such materials is governed by the South Carolina Freedom of Information Law, which in pertinent part requires the requester to provide specific justification as to why disclosure of particular information in the response would cause substantial injury to the competitive position of the vendor. It is incumbent upon the vendor to specify company-specific trade secrets in need of protection where public disclosure of said trade secrets would harm the company.

Public Access to Procurement Information in South Carolina: -http://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t11c035.php

SECTION 11-35-410. Public access to procurement information.

A) Procurement information must be a public record to the extent required by Chapter 4, Title 30 (The Freedom of Information Act), except as otherwise provided by this code, and with the exception that commercial or financial information obtained in response to a request for proposals or any type of bid solicitation that is privileged and confidential need not be disclosed.

(B) Privileged and confidential information is information in specific detail not customarily released to the general public, the release of which might cause harm to the competitive position of the party supplying the information. Examples of this type of information include:

(1) customer lists;

(2) design recommendations and identification of prospective problem areas under an RFP;

(3) design concepts, including methods and procedures;

(4) biographical data on key employees of the bidder.

(C) The board shall promulgate regulations directing the public availability and disposition of documents https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scstatehouse.gov%2Fcode%2Ft11c035.php&data=04%7C01%7Crbarr%40mmo.sc.gov%7Cb92adb2fc5204485367c08d8a773c67d%7Ce9f8d01480d84f27b0d6c3d6c085fcdd%7C1%7C0%7C637443462983805989%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=JsByBsFozCBbQRYrxxocn8nSKEtILo7wVbqhxuMQ%2Bic%3D&reserved=0 submitted in response or with regard to a solicitation or other request where no award is made.

(D) For all documents submitted in response or with regard to any solicitation or other request, the person submitting the documents shall comply with instructions provided in the solicitation for marking information exempt from public disclosure. Information not marked as required by the applicable instructions may be disclosed to the public.

(E) A governmental body, with the approval of the appropriate chief procurement officer, may keep portions of a solicitation confidential and release the information to prospective offerors only upon execution of a nondisclosure agreement, provided the information is otherwise exempted from disclosure by law.

(F) If requested in writing before a final award by an actual bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor with regard to a specific intended award or award of a contract, the procurement officer shall, within five days of the receipt of any such request, make documents directly connected to the procurement activity and not otherwise exempt from disclosure available for inspection at an office of the responsible procurement officer. Without otherwise limiting any other exemptions granted by law, and except as provided herein, documents of and documents incidental to proposed contractual arrangements, including those used for contract negotiations, are not exempt from disclosure after the date notice of intent to award is posted, unless the notice is subsequently canceled.

VI. RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

The sole point of contact for this RFI is:

Jeffery C. Schwalk Procurement Manager South Carolina Department of Transportation 955 Park Street, Room 101 Columbia, SC 29201

(803) 737-1018 SchwalkJC@SCDOT.org

Respondents shall make no contact with other SCDOT personnel, except as permitted by the point of contact, concerning this RFI.

RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

Respondents should provide their responses in native Microsoft Office formatted documents (e.g., Microsoft Word or PowerPoint) via email to the point of contact listed above.

The emailed response must be received by email on or before the date and time of the RFI Response Due listed on the cover page. Please adhere to the following convention for subject lines in emailed RFI Responses:

[Company Name] – RFI#5400022221 Response

Where [Company Name] is a recognizable short-name or acronym for the respondent’s company.

Each submission shall be limited to a maximum of twenty-five (25) single-sided 8" x 11 ½" pages, excluding the title page, cover letter, and table of contents. Respondents are encouraged to focus their responses on specific elements instead of including generalized or marketing statements and collateral unnecessarily.

In order to facilitate the review of the responses content, please provide the information in exact order as listed in Section II of this document.

NOTE: If you believe we missed any categories or capabilities, please include them in your Response.

mailto:SchwalkJC@SCDOT.org

RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS