JA Material Flow System Pilot Sep_rev1_Redacted.pdf

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

DLA CONTRACTING SERVICES OFFICE - PHILADELPHIA

700 ROBBINS AVENUE

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA 19111-5092

CUI

Controlled by DLA DCSO Philadelphia

CUI Category: General Procurement and Acquisition

Source Selection Information see FAR 2.101 & 3.104

Distribution/Dissemination Controls Fed Only

POC/Contracting Officer:

CUI | Source Selection Sensitive Information - See FAR 2.101 & 3.104

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 6 Justification & Approval (J&A), Supporting

Procurements under FAR Part 12, and FAR Part 15

1. REQUIRING AGENCY AND CONTRACTING OFFICE:

Requiring Activity:

Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)

Information Operations (J6)

New Cumberland, PA

POC: Erin Acevedo

Phone: 269-986-8945

Email: Erin.Acevedo@dla.mil

Contracting Activity:

DLA Contracting Services Office, Philadelphia (DCSO-P)

700 Robbins Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19111

Contracting Officer: Joshua Stolle

Phone: 215-697-2983

Email: josh.stolle@dla.mil

2. NATURE/DESCRIPTION OF ACTION(S):

This justification authorizes the use of other than full and open competition and approves the issuance of a firm fixed price task order for the procurement of brand-name specific Cisco, Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley control platforms, and Datalogic industrial scanners to support the deployment of the Material Flow System (MFS) managed by the DLA J62 IT

Hardware Division. The solicitation will be issued via Open Market procedures as a

Combined Synopsis/Solicitation-Request for Quote (RFQ) posted to the SAM.gov system.

The award of a firm-fixed price contract is contemplated.

3. DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES:

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) J62 IT Hardware Division require the Cisco, Rockwell

Automation/Allen-Bradley control platforms, and Datalogic industrial scanners to support a

Material Flow System pilot at Red River, Texarkana, Texas.

The requested delivery is 30 days after receipt of order. This requirement will be funded utilizing fiscal year (FY) 2026 funds.

DLA Contracting Services Office – Philadelphia (DCSO-P)

SUBJECT: J&A – FY26 Material Flow System (MFS) Pilot

4. IDENTIFICATION OF STATUTORY AUTHORITY:

The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is Title 10, U.S.C

2304 (c), (1), as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1, “Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy the agency requirement.

The brand-name Cisco, Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley control platforms, and

Datalogic industrial scanners are unique, highly specialized, and essential to the

Government’s requirements, and other companies’ similar products and services do not meet, and cannot be modified to meet, the Government’s needs. A brand-name item, whether available on one or more contracts, is an item peculiar to one manufacturer and may be procured by brand-name specification if essential to the Government’s requirements. The brand-name description for this acquisition effort – “Cisco”, “Rockwell Automation” and

“Datalogic” – is essential for the Government to fulfill its need for the Material Flow System at Red River, Texarkana, Texas.

The requirement for Cisco IE-3400-E Managed network switches and Rockwell

Automation/Allen-Bradley control hardware is driven by the technical requirements of the existing solution and is not based solely on vendor preference. Cisco IE-3400-E switches are incorporated into the MFS technical design to provide a standardized, ruggedized industrial network platform between MFS automation components and supporting infrastructure. These switches have been approved by Cyber in support of this project’s network design.

The MFS control solution has been designed, configured, and tested using the Rockwell

Automation/Allen-Bradley control platform. The Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) code and configurations are built around the Rockwell ControlLogix architecture and Studio

5000 development environment. The MFS solution therefore requires specific industrial automation and network hardware to maintain compatibility, interoperability, cybersecurity posture, reliability, and configuration consistency with the approved MFS technical architecture.

This justification authorizes the acquisition of specific, brand-name industrial automation, network, and scanning hardware—specifically Cisco IE-3400-E Managed network switches, Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley control platforms, and Datalogic industrial scanners— necessary to support the deployment, integration, and sustainment of the Defense Logistics

Agency (DLA) Material Flow System (MFS). The requirement for these specific manufacturers is based entirely on the technical parameters of the existing solution and the

DLA Enterprise Approved Architecture, not on subjective vendor preference. Standardizing on these enterprise brands is operationally necessary to align long-term sustainment, configuration management, and maintenance processes. Use of non-standard hardware would introduce disparate system architectures, significantly increase lifecycle maintenance costs, and degrade operational readiness by disrupting the required interoperability across the physical and digital layers of DLA’s critical material-handling infrastructure.

Furthermore, the MFS control and scanning solutions have already undergone exhaustive development and testing phases centered strictly around this specific hardware. The

Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) proprietary code, system configurations, and automated logical sequences have been exclusively built, compiled, and validated using the

Rockwell ControlLogix architecture and the Studio 5000 development environment.

Similarly, the critical scanning and data-capture interfaces of the MFS have been fully developed and optimized for Datalogic hardware protocols, as that programming is already actively in place and integrated into the system. Utilizing alternative hardware vendors would render the existing, fully-tested software stack entirely obsolete. Re-engineering, re-coding, and re-testing the automated control sequences and scanner data pipelines for alternative platforms would require a complete system redesign, resulting in unacceptable project delays, duplicate engineering efforts, and a substantial, unrecoverable expenditure of government funds.

The requirement for Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk Logix Echo Software is driven by the technical architecture of the existing Material Flow System (MFS) solution and is not based solely on vendor preference. FactoryTalk Logix Echo is an integral component of the

Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk Suite and provides the necessary emulation environment for Rockwell Automation Controllers, enabling comprehensive validation of Programmable

Logic Controller (PLC) logic and configurations prior to deployment.

In the approved MFS design, FactoryTalk Logix Echo operates in conjunction with, and on the same server as, Rockwell Automation Emulate 3D. These applications function as an integrated simulation platform that creates a virtual representation of the warehouse conveyor and tow-cart systems, together with the associated PLC logic. Emulate 3D is configured to generate events that drive inputs to, and respond to outputs from, the controller emulated on the Echo server. This tightly coupled interaction enables end-to-end testing of both the control logic and the physical process simulation without reliance on production or on-site equipment.

The MFS control solution has been designed, configured, and tested exclusively within the

Rockwell Automation ControlLogix and Studio 5000 environment. Continued use of

FactoryTalk Logix Echo is therefore essential to maintain full compatibility, interoperability, configuration consistency, and cybersecurity posture with the DLA Enterprise Approved

Architecture. Substitution of non-standard emulation software would introduce disparate system architectures, compromise the fidelity of pre-deployment testing, significantly increase lifecycle sustainment costs, and degrade operational readiness by disrupting the required interoperability between the virtual test environment and the production control systems.

This justification authorizes the acquisition of brand-name Rockwell Automation

FactoryTalk Logix Echo Software as a necessary component of the industrial automation and simulation suite required to support the deployment, integration, validation, and long-term sustainment of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Material Flow System (MFS).

Finally, the designated hardware has successfully navigated the rigorous Department of

Defense (DoD) and DLA cybersecurity assessment frameworks while meeting stringent national security supply chain requirements. The specific managed network switches, Rockwell Automation components, and Datalogic scanners have been formally evaluated and approved by the DLA Cybersecurity (Cyber) Division in support of this project’s network design. Introducing alternative, unvetted hardware would invalidate the existing network security approvals and mandate a lengthy Authorization to Operate (ATO) reassessment process. Additionally, alternative hardware options present unacceptable risks of containing components manufactured in prohibited foreign nations, specifically the People's Republic of

China. Utilizing hardware with Chinese-origin components violates strict DoD supply chain security directives designed to prevent cyber-espionage and hardware-level vulnerabilities.

Standardizing on this approved, vetted hardware stack guarantees supply chain integrity, minimizes geopolitical risk, and ensures immediate compliance with DoD information assurance mandates.

The required Cisco Systems software subscriptions are used within Cisco Nexus switches that were purchased on DLA contract NNG15SC34B SP4701-23-F-0015.

DLA’s ETN/IOEE hardware infrastructure is predicated on Cisco Systems products and is designed and fielded to support DLA communication mission requirements. It is designed such that it is standardized and can be modified and adapted to meet the changing needs of the Agency, while still maintaining information security requirements. To maintain information security requirements, hardware must be able to be configured to meet the DISA

Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG).

The Cisco Network Essentials software subscription is the baseline requirement for the continued operation of DLA’s Cisco ACI (Application Centric Infrastructure) fabric. Unlike traditional standalone switches, the ACI switches at our core sites of Columbus and Hill AFB operate as a unified system controlled by the APIC (Application Policy Infrastructure

Controller). This Essentials-level license is the fundamental prerequisite that allows these switches to remain active members of that fabric. Without this renewal, the infrastructure would fall out of compliance, fail audit, and potentially lose some management tools

(automation) necessary for managing and supporting the fabric at these two core sites.

Furthermore, this renewal is a critical component of security and lifecycle management. It provides the necessary entitlement to download and apply proprietary software updates and security patches from Cisco. Maintaining these subscriptions ensures that the hardware supporting this ACI infrastructure at DLA core sites is protected against vulnerabilities and remains fully supported by the manufacturer. The “Essentials” tier software subscription is needed to secure the required foundation to keep the network running while simultaneously minimizing costs by avoiding the more expensive “Advantage” licenses that includes features that exceed the need of the current architecture.

Based on the facts stated above, this exception to the fair opportunity process is justified because brand-name Cisco IE-3400-E managed network switches and Rockwell

Automation/Allen-Bradley control hardware are essential to the Government’s needs. Market research confirms there are no other products that can satisfy the immediate technical, interoperability, and cybersecurity requirements of the DLA Material Flow System (MFS) without introducing significant risk to system compatibility and long-term sustainment.

5. DEMONSTRATION OF CONTRACTOR’S UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS:

The proposed source is an open market reseller that can meet the Government’s requirement.

No response was received to a market research request on NASA SEWP website, nor are all parts available through GSA Advantage. Therefore, only open market sources are available to provide all brand specific IT products required for the MFS pilot.

6. ANNOUNCEMENT/POTENTIAL SOURCES:

The current action will be issued as a Request for Quote (RFQ) posted to the Contract

Opportunities in the SAM.GOV website in accordance with FAR 5.201(b). All responsible parties will be given an opportunity to submit a proposal.

7. DETERMINATION OF FAIR AND REASONABLE COST:

As the Contracting Officer, I hereby determine that pricing will be fair and reasonable based on pricing analysis in accordance with FAR 15.404-1. It is anticipated that the Government will use various prices analysis techniques including, but not limited to:1) comparison of proposed prices received in response to the solicitation (reference FAR 15.404-1(b)(2)(i); 2) comparison with competitive published price lists (reference FAR 15.404-1(b)(2)(iv); and 3) comparison of proposed prices with prices obtained through market research of the same or similar items (reference FAR 15.404- 1(b)(2)(vi), in order to obtain a fair and reasonable price.

8. MARKET RESEARCH:

Open market research was conducted through direct contact of known reseller of brand specific Rockwell Automation equipment. The findings from this market research subsequently confirmed that open market sources can satisfy the Government requirements.

It has been determined that only brand-name Cisco, Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley control platforms, and Datalogic industrial scanners can fully support the Government’s need. Additional market research actions consisted of a Market Research Request (MRR) posted to the NASA SEWP System for the required Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

(SEL) network switches, Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley control platforms, and

Datalogic industrial scanners. No response was received in response to the subject requirement. GSA Advantage does not offer all products in the Government’s Bill of

Materials.

9. ANY OTHER SUPPORTING FACTS: N/A

10. LISTING OF INTERESTED SOURCES:

Kendall Electric | Other than Small Business | 5101 S Sprinkle Rd, Portage, Michigan 49002-

2049 | DOD POC: Noah Wisner; Noah.Wisner@kendallelectric.com; 269-345-0101 x 1632;

269-870-0880 | Cage Code: 1ZBQ3 | DUNS: 06-584-9168

11. ACTIONS THE AGENCY MAY TAKE TO REMOVE OR OVERCOME BARRIERS

THAT LED TO THE EXCEPTION TO FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION:

DLA has and continues to exercise competition as often as possible and is required to conduct ongoing reviews to keep abreast of new technology, both in industry and the

Government. As a continuing effort, DLA utilizes a variety of vendors, manufacturers, and contracts to fulfill its requirements and will continue the practice of surveying the market to ensure full and open competition.