University of Wisconsin System, Institute of Business and Entrepreneurship

Request for Information (RFI) SYS-23-8151-I

CRM Solutions

Issued: 11/30/2022

Responses Due: 12/14/2022 at 4:00pm

This is not a bid or proposal.

This Request for Information is issued solely for informational purposes and does not constitute a solicitation.

Questions concerning this RFI should be directed in writing to:

Mike Morris University of Wisconsin Email: mike.morris@uwss.wisconsin.edu

I. Introduction The University of Wisconsin System’s Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship helps entrepreneurs, businesses and economic development professionals across the state to achieve their goals through expert consulting, educational resources and a dynamic statewide network. Through the following programs, the IBE helps Wisconsin Businesses perform at their highest level: Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC), Food Finance Institute (FFI, Center for Business intelligence (CBI), and Business Dynamics Research Consortium (BDRC).

II. Purpose of the Request for Information A. The purpose of the Request for Information is to gather information regarding CRMs and to use this information to drive business decisions.

B. This information will be reviewed and may be used in the development of a Request for Bid or Request for Proposal solicitation document in the future.

C. The Request for Information is not intended to result in the purchase of a CRM for the University of Wisconsin, IBE.

D. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.

E. All materials submitted in response to this RFI are the property of the University. Information received in response to this RFI that is marked “proprietary” (via the Designation of Confidential and Proprietary Information) will be handled accordingly. Information will only be kept confidential to the extent allowed by State of Wisconsin Public Disclosure Law. A copy of the form needed to designate portions of your submission as proprietary can be found at the end of this request for information document.

III. Submitting a Response

Interested vendors should submit a response answering the questions in Section IV. Vendor Response. Responses should be no longer than 30 pages. Responses must be submitted electronically. The responses to the requested information and any supplemental materials should be submitted to mike.morris@uwss.wisconsin.edu no later than 12/142022 at 4:00pm

The University of Wisconsin is not interested in receiving advertising or other material beyond the scope of this RFI. Elaborate responses (e.g., expensive artwork) beyond that sufficient to present a complete and effective response are not necessary or desired.

IV. Vendor Response Vendors submitting a response to this RFI should use the outline below. Responses should address each question in the following RFI sections.

A) What are preferred vendor qualifications? What Qualifications does IBE prioritize?

IBE (the Institute for Business and Entrepreneurship) prioritizes vendors with well supported tools that are native (preferably built/maintained by the CRM vendor) to the CRM. An IBE CRM should allow custom and semi-automated workflow workflows across multiple business units, product types, and client profiles. Critical, workflow integrations must support accurate reporting across data fields from multiple entities/tables, populated via integration tools or manually entered. Highlighted needs include integration capacities such as email/calendar integrations and integration with website and webforms. Integration that is automated or semi-automated is preferred. Desirables include integrations across e-marketing and e-commerce platforms. IBE prefers a fully hosted CRM solution provided with implementation services, including data transfer from existing systems; training, of both users and administrators; and ongoing support.

The following are current tools where an IBE CRM may integrate with or have nascent capabilities that mimic functionality of the following:

1) Wordpress

2) WooCommerce

B) What are IBE General activities with CRM tool? IBE provides or brokers free and paid one-on-one consulting, business education training, and seed grants to support the success of small businesses. We operate as a distributed network working with people who receive services from multiple IBE programs or who can fit into multiple “buckets” (client, consultant, stakeholder) at the same time. IBE’s CRM must maintain accuracy of reported engagement and help facilitate information sharing across the distributed network. An IBE CRM tool will help the distributed network be aware of cross-program meetings with clients; cross-program data; and manage unique engagements including prospect calls (sales funnel); program related engagement (activities in which IBE is funded by state and federal awards); and e-commerce options (program revenue). The IBE CRM ideally makes cross-functional interactions easy with automation tools, email & survey integration tools, workflow tracking tools and ideally mobile friendly engagement to encourage timely data entry. We can provide workflows if helpful.

B2. What are the key requirements The following key requirements are noted below in bold with additional descriptions and ideal functionality noted underneath. Responding vendors will be expected to demonstrate these functionalities in a sample database.

1. Exportable data compliant with SBA policies (EDMIS upload). The IBE CRM must export data to templated .xml reports like examples provided and will need to include capabilities to ‘lock data’ preventing further changes to historical records.

CRM PROCESS- Back-End Data and Activity Management

2. Manageable workflow communication with semi-automation and controlled access: The ability for programs to see activities across records; the ability of the system to help us manage workflow with semi-automated tools.

a. Required Functionality: How does your system facilitate task management and templated tasks that could sync to outlook calendars for users on multiple domains?

b. How does your system facilitate seeing the full picture of a customer: emails, program sessions; data obtained from surveys, applications, IBE business unit participation, consultations? Tasks assigned include:

i. All emails to/from the client

ii. All phone calls, meetings, and program sessions with the client

iii. Custom activity types

iv. All trainings and event registrations

v. Form submissions, including from surveys and applications

vi. Referrals

c. Ideal functionality: Describe any native tools enabling the CRM to auto populate with workflow/project management reminders and tasks. Describe any tools allowing your CRM to auto populate outlook email/calendar with workflow and project management reminders and tasks?

3. Data collection functionality that includes pushing data from survey and online form fields into CRM records; How users can build, send, and manage the survey response process; and how can these results (data) be visualized by users? How are survey responses tracked in relation to a record/client record?

4. Capabilities for CRM to enable many-to-many relationships. Tools to enable workflow visualization and email/outlook integration into CRM records especially for the many-to-many relationships. IBE records include customer/clients as well as key stakeholders/partners. While IBE may distinguish client and stakeholder, the CRM requires flexibility where a single record may host information from a client perspective as well as recording data from the stakeholder perspective. An ideal solution may use email integration to push client-related and stakeholder-related information into appropriate fields in a single record.

a. Question: How are contact type activities designated within one record? (i.e. event partner and client consult meeting)

5. Coding CRM record activity against multiple funding accounts. The IBE funds business unit activities against multiple state and federal funding revenue streams. An IBE CRM system tracks IBE unit activities (ie consulting, programming; events) mapped to the appropriate funding stream for individual CRM records and unique data fields.

a. How can you differentiate consulting and programmatic activities by funding for individual staff users?

Front-Facing Client Engagement and Client Access Portals: E-Commerce, E-Marketing, CRM Integration

6. Integrated CRM tools to support e-commerce marketing, selling and delivery of web-based/digital content including webinars; events; curriculum. What native or integrated tools enable E-commerce activity including tools that could allow for:

i. Product pages with ability to publish and sell products. Desired tools would include ability to add multiple products to a cart and ability to accept credit card payments through a branded e-commerce page.

ii. Automated alerts for purchases made or push notifications for new products based on past purchases

iii. Ability to offer discounts or coupons

iv. Record of purchases posted in CRM records

v. Integrated tools to manage emailing content (ie surveys, registration links, etc.) and have transaction noted in CRM record.

vi. Ideal Feature: Ability to deliver webinar products through the CRM tool such as with integrated Zoom or Integrated WebEx.

b. What native or integrated tools enable e-marketing?

7. Ability to track funding recipients and progress of recipient against prescribed deliverables. A CRM System that could act as a grants portal and funding management system integrated into a CRM record would be ideal.

Support and Service

8. Please describe any training available to IBE staff.

9. Please describe support tiers available and general costs associated with each support tier.

10. Please provide a copy of or link to available Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

Designation of Confidential and Proprietary Information Section 1: Information

Phone Number:

Toll Free Phone:

Fax:

Address:

Section 2: Designation of Confidential and Proprietary Information

The attached material submitted in response to this request for information includes proprietary and confidential information which qualifies as a trade secret, as provided in s. 19.36(5), Wis. Stats., or is otherwise material that can be kept confidential under the Wisconsin Open Records Law. As such, we ask that certain pages, as indicated below, of this request for information response be treated as confidential material and not be released without our written approval.

Prices always become public information when bids/proposals are opened, and therefore cannot be kept confidential.

Other information cannot be kept confidential unless it is a trade secret. Trade secret is defined in s. 134.90(1)(c), Wis. Stats., as follows: “Trade Secret” means information, including a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique or process to which all of the following apply:

1. The information derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by, other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use.

2. The information is the subject of efforts to maintain its secrecy that are reasonable under the circumstances.

We request that the following pages not be released:

Using the boxes below, indicate your agreement with the following statements:

|_| |_| In the event the designation of confidentiality of this information is challenged, the bidder/proposer hereby agrees to provide legal counsel or other necessary assistance to defend the designation of confidentiality and agrees to hold the state harmless for any costs or damages arising out of the state’s agreeing to withhold the materials.

|_| The state considers other markings of confidential in the bid/proposal document to be insufficient. The bidder/proposer agrees to hold the state harmless for any damages arising out of the release of any materials unless they are specifically identified above.

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