S02- Pyramid Analytics 2025 - BNJ_CLEAN_Redacted.pdf

Pyramid Analytics Enterprise Professional Licenses, Maintenance and Support Services | Control Number VA-25-00008383

JUSTIFICATION

FOR AN EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Procurement, Acquisition, and Logistics Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way Eatontown, NJ 07724

2. Description of Action: The proposed action is for a brand name, firm-fixed-price delivery order issued under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V Government Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) for the renewal of existing brand name Pyramid Analytics bundle that includes Enterprise professional licenses, support, maintenance and software updates.

3. Description of Supplies or Services: VA, Office of Information & Technology (OI&T) Data and Analytics (D&A) has a requirement to procure a web-based reporting software (Business Intelligence application) that uses tools within the application to access data sources to create data reporting for use throughout VA. The requirement is for a software license bundle that includes 100K Enterprise professional licenses, support, maintenance, and software updates. The maintenance and support should include all updates, product enhancements, critical patches, security updates and support services. There shall be access to telephonic and web-based support. The software should allow for reporting and visualization of data contained in Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) Server Analysis Services (SSAS) on-line analytic processing (OLAP) cubes with the ability to use cell actions built into SSAS, the MDX language custom coding, and many other data source types including data sources created within the application. The data sources and content currently available in the system remain relevant to VA success.

Further, this software shall employ Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation to facilitate the gathering, structuring, and preprocessing of toxic exposure claims evidence, providing an enterprise analytic reporting solution and enhancing timely and effective decision making, expediting the review and adjudication of toxic exposure claims evidence.

The Period of Performance (PoP) for the base period shall be twelve (12) months from April 19, 2025 through April 18, 2026, with three 12-month option periods. The total estimated value of the proposed action inclusive of all option periods.

4. Statutory Authority: Pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 16.505(a)(4), the following brand name requirement is being justified and approved as an exception to fair opportunity under the statutory authority of Section 41 U.S.C. 4106(c)(2) as implemented by FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B), entitled “Only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services ordered are unique or highly specialized”.

| Control Number VA-25-00008383

5. Rationale Supporting Use of Authority Cited Above: Based on extensive market research as described in Section 8 of this document, it was determined that limited competition is available among authorized resellers of brand name Pyramid Analytics bundle that includes Enterprise professional licenses, support, maintenance and software updates. Pyramid Analytics’ software, maintenance, and support provides a unique solution that provides the consumption of almost 100 extant custom proprietary databases, all of which were created using the Pyramid Analytics software from VA data, as data sources, along with data sources built upon SSAS and SQL datasets. This solution also makes use of over 370,000 proprietary pieces of content, including dynamic publications, dashboards, and reports, currently residing in VA’s Pyramid Analytics Content Management System, compatible with VA’s existing infrastructure and with current business needs.

VA has been using Pyramid Analytics software since 2014. Pyramid Analytics software is installed on 45 servers and is in use by program offices and field reporting entities across VA. The host servers are virtual machines hosted on premises, maintained by VA personnel. Pyramid Analytics uses a proprietary language called Pyramid Query Language (PQL), which is unique to Pyramid Analytics, making all content in the Content Management System proprietary to the software. Pyramid Analytics allows the use of cell actions built into SSAS cubes to take advantage of built-in security when accessing patient-related detail. Content developers can use MultiDimentional eXpressions (MDX) language to provide custom coding.

If VA were to pivot to any alternative software, VA’s data sources created using the proprietary Pyramid Analytics format would no longer be available, causing the need to recreate over 150 curated data sets. Content created using the proprietary Pyramid Analytics format and language would also be unavailable, making it necessary to recreate all content in another platform, requiring the retraining of the creators of that content. The ability to use cell actions to securely display patient data in their reports using the built-in security in SSAS cubes is essential and only Pyramid Analytics offers the ability to do this.

After extensive market research, no conversion tool has been found for converting Pyramid Analytics content to a different platform, nor has another platform been discovered that will directly consume that content. Therefore, in order to utilize any other solution, VA would incur substantial duplication of cost and time. VA would require the recreation of existing content inside another platform. VA technical experts estimate that would take at least eight weeks (320 hours) per piece of active content. Based on a number of 92,500 pieces of recently viewed or modified content, which is roughly one quarter of the total content that would need to be recreated, VA estimates a total of approximately 29,600,000 man-hours of effort would be required. With approximately 5,500 developers, working this as collateral duty for half time, this comes to over five (5) years spent in conversion. These estimates are based on previous development efforts of similar size and scope.

I Control Number VA-25-00008383

Lastly, during this recreation effort, VA would need to maintain the current platform capacity while developing any alternative platform for continuity and reference. During this effort, VA would also have need to maintain Pyramid Analytics platform licensing and hardware in parallel with any alternative platform chosen. VA estimates, based on previous acquisition history this would produce additional duplicative hardware costs in addition to the estimated duplicative cost to maintain software licensing for both platforms.

As a result, use of any other brand name software could require extensive training, risk assessment, replacement of existing content, delivery delays, and software duplication or replacement costs that would not be recovered through competition. Finally, only Pyramid Analytics, or an authorized reseller, can provide the software, maintenance, and support necessary to ensure continued access to Pyramid Analytics proprietary content required to ensure VA mission needs are met.

Furthermore, the Government does not possess the proprietary technical data for Pyramid Analytics software and only Pyramid Analytics or a reseller has access to Pyramid Analytics' proprietary source code to provide the required software maintenance and technical support. Without software maintenance and technical support, critical software updates could not be applied and there would be no support for software issues that arise. Without this technical data, no other source has the ability to provide the aforementioned software maintenance and support services other than Pyramid Analytics or its authorized resellers. Definitively, the acquisition for Pyramid software solution enhances the delivery of timely and effective decision-making, utilizing Al-augmented analytics and reporting to expedite the review and adjudication of toxic exposure claims evidence. If Pyramid Analytics software is not procured, the impact to veteran's toxic exposure claims would be inhibited and will result in major delays.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: Market research was conducted, details of which are in Section 8 of this justification. This effort did not yield any additional sources that can meet the Government's requirements. However, the undersigned VA technical representative determined that limited competition is available among authorized resellers for brand name Pyramid Analytics licenses, as well as software maintenance and support. In accordance with FAR 6.302-1 (c)(1 )(ii)(c) and 5.102(a)(6), this justification shall be posted with the solicitation. Furthermore, the proposed action will be synopsized on the Contracting Opportunities Page in accordance with FAR 5.201.

Any proposals that are received shall be evaluated.

7. Actions to Increase Competition: The Government will continue to conduct market research to ascertain if there are changes in the marketplace that would enable future actions to be competed.

8. Market Research: Government's subject matter experts (SME) conducted market research in November 2024 through February 2025 to ascertain the ability of any other software licenses to meet VA's requirements. Specifically, the Government's technical experts reviewed similar licenses and technical support services

| Control Number VA-25-00008383

Based on this analysis, the Government technical experts determined that none of the products offered by these vendors could meet VA’s requirements to use proprietary content created with PQL and MDX as outlined in section 5 of this justification. Based on these market research efforts, the Government’s technical experts have determined that only Pyramid Analytics brand name software licenses, inclusive of update rights and technical support, can meet all of VA’s needs and avoid the duplication of time and costs as outlined in Section 5 of this justification.

Market research was conducted in November 2024, by issuing a Request for Information (RFI) on the NASA SEWP website to ascertain if there were any sources that could meet the Government’s requirements. Responses were received from two

(2) sources determined to be capable of meeting VA’s requirements. The two (2) responding vendors were verified Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB), that were identified as resellers of Pyramid Analytics’ products. No other alternative solutions were proposed. Therefore, VA anticipates limited competition amongst SDVOSB’s vendors for this action.

In addition, the Contract Specialist (CS) conducted further market research in February 2025. The CS released a “formal” RFI on February 4, 2025 to include a “draft” Product Description (PD) for brand name or equal products that are being procured. The RFI was posted to Contract Opportunities (SAM.gov), General Services Administration, and NASA SEWP V GWAC websites. The RFI concluded on February 10, 2025 with 10 responses.

Of those 10 responses, three (3) only provided their capabilities statement, yet no products nor services were provided to meet the needs of the requirement.

Additionally, products similar to Pyramid Analytics were provided by the following two

(2) responding vendors: 1) proposed a product software but Government SMEs determined that their solution did not address the requirement for converting or consuming the already installed Pyramid content. On March 6, 2025 Contracting sent notice of this concern to representatives. They responded on the same date with “Confirming receipt. Thank you for your consideration.” 2) proposed product by the name of Software but Government SMEs determined that this solution does not meet the needs of the requirement because it will require extensive timeframes for converting or consuming the already installed Pyramid content. On March 19, 2025 Contracting sent notice of this concern to representatives. did not render any response.

Lastly, five (5) responding NASA SEWP V vendors provided brand name Pyramid content and were determined by Government SMEs, based on the RFI responses, as being capable of meeting the full requirement. Of the five (5), three (3) were SDVOSB contract-holders; therefore, competition for this requirement is expected amongst Pyramid Analytics authorized SDVOSB resellers.

| Control Number VA-25-00008383

9. Other Facts: None.

| Control Number VA-25-00008383