Attachment_VII_-_Pre-Proposal_Conference_-_June_16 _2016_-_Questions_and_Answers.docx

ATTACHMENT VII -PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE – JUNE 16, 2016 - QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

Q1: Are weighted factors provided in Price Books correct? Please explain rationale.

Answer: Other than Annual Purchase Commitment (APC) discounts, the weighted factors for each line item are based on actual usage data pulled from the Service Level Election Form (SLEF) program. If a line item didn’t have usage for a particular region, the most popular tier or line item was reduced by 1, and it was divided amongst line items that did not have usage to ensure no “zero” weights resulted. Example – if there were four lines in a particular CLIN that did not have usage, one was removed from the most popular line item which gave a .25% weight to each of the 4 line items without usage. To determine customer usage for the APC discount, FY15 sales data was used with a 10 percent growth rate to anticipate what ranges our customers would fall into for Gen V. If there were no customers anticipated to fall into a particular tier, the same process as above was used to avoid zero weights.

Q2: Does the information regarding shipments to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in the new SOW represent a change to current procedure or has the information not been updated with current information?

Answer: See page 3, paragraphs 6 and 7 of this Amendment 0001 Q3: Is there an expectation that offeror responses should contain any additional information (e.g. narrative of past performance) beyond what is specifically required in the solicitation or by solicitation provisions incorporated by reference?

Answer: No, only provide what the solicitation has as required.

Q4: Does the required completed price books meet the requirement for answering the same information contained in the solicitation document for each Global Region (Pages 10- 32) ?

Answer: All submitted prices will be done through the price book only.

Q5: Will Fleet orders be included in non-usage fill-rate calculations since they are Fill or Kill Only?

Answer: Yes, all fill rate calculations will be based on all customers.

Q6: Would it be possible for the Fleet Program to develop a usage forecast based on the items authorized for stockage aboard each ship or on their past order history?

Answer: Currently this is not provided by the Fleet. See Page 19 of Statement of Work re vendor requirement to track customer ordering patterns.

Q7: Will customers be able to exceed the limit of 25 individual ordering sites having product delivered to one location? Several of our current customer far exceed this number currently and there is option for pricing above 25 sites?

Answer: No.

Q8: Will orders for items identified as Drop-ship-only on a supplier’s DAPA be included in the non-usage fill-rate calculation as these items are provided directly to the customer by the DAPA holder and no EDI 856 transaction is generated? Generally, the only notice we receive that an item has been shipped is when we are invoiced.

Answer: Yes, once the order is accepted by the Prime Vendor, it is the vendor’s responsibility to ensure the order is delivered.

Q9: Does the requirement to provide unit of measure one-level below the Distribution and Pricing Agreement (DAPA) unit of sale for Incentive Agreement items (IAs) only apply if they are also a usage item? Many Incentive Agreement DAPA holders will not accept orders from a Prime Vendor for less than the unit of sale indicated on their IA.

Answer: Yes Q10: Will the government require Incentive Agreement DAPA holders to accept orders from Prime Vendors for a unit of measure one-level below the unit of sale indicated on their IA for a customer’s non-usage order?

Answer: No Q11: The solicitation and the SOW state that Low Unit of Measure (LUM) is only a SLEF option for USAMMA, however, in Section XII: Prime Vendor Offered Services, the first sentence in paragraph A implies that an ordering facility or a department of an ordering facility has the option to select this service. This does not specify or seem to apply only to USAMMA. Please clarify?

Answer: LUM is only a SLEF option for USAMMA. See page 4, paragraph 9 of this Amendment 0001 Q12: Is Stockless Service, the only Prime Vendor Offered service that would enable a customer to order an item in the lowest saleable unit or a smaller unit of purchase than one level below the DAPA unit of sale?

Answer: Stockless and Wound Closure Management are the only two options that allow for a low unit of measure purchase. However, Wound Closure Management is restricted to wound closure products.

Q13: Would the CXML standard of Extensible Markup Language (XML) be used should the government elect to migrate from EDI to XML?

Answer: At this time we are not using nor have considered CXML, however, it could be considered if XML is implemented.

Q14: Is there information missing just prior to paragraph (c.) on page 41 of the solicitation? There is no (a) or (b) on page 40.

Answer: See page 2, paragraph 8 of this Amendment 0001.

Q15: Is there a requirement to send customer satisfaction surveys to the three largest commercial customers that we will list IAW Special Instructions, Past Performance Information.

Answer: No, only provide what the solicitation has as required.

Q16: Will reverse auctions for each Global Region be for both primary and back-up PV (except Global Region South)?

Answer: The Government reserves the right to use reverse auction as a tool for any and all global regions and PV roles (Primary or Back-up).

Q17: Can documents such as written code of business ethics and conduct be submitted with the proposal package? (states not due until after award – is there a post award document review).

Answer: Written code of business ethics and conduct can be submitted with the proposal package.

Q18: What does an offeror need to submit in its proposal to achieve an “acceptable” rating for the Solicitation Requirements Factor?

Answer: The Special Instructions for the Submission of Proposal Information details what information is required to be submitted (see page 50 of the solicitation).

Q19: What is the challenge process under Real Time Price Verification when the PV believes their price is accurate?

Answer: Once a month, the PV may send a spreadsheet documenting any RTPV prices which they dispute to the MSPV Price verification team for adjudication.

Q20: Is there an opportunity for a customer to select to have two onsite representatives?

Answer: No.

Q21: Is there a deadline for question submissions?

Answer: Questions should have been submitted by the Pre-Proposal Conference.

Q22: For an OCONUS customer to select a sales rep visit either 1-2x/year. We have an example (p.32 of solicitation) but do not see where to enter an offer in the price book.

Answer: The reference for an OCONUS customer to select a sales rep visit either 1-2x/year has been deleted. See page 32, paragraph 7 of this Amendment 0001.

Q23: For multiple ordering facilities to one delivery location, is this in regards to ordering sites within the same facility or multiple sites outside of the facility?

Answer: Both. A customer can have no more than 25 ordering facilities to one delivery location.

Q24: For consolidated usage by DC, if not ordered in 30 days and demands drop off, who pays for that consolidated usage item?

Answer: All inquiries related to consolidated usage should be submitted to the contracting officer.

Q25: Does an IA item have to be a usage item as well?

Answer: Yes Q26: For delayed delivery orders, how do they handle items that fall off of DAPA that is on backorder?

Answer: Since the order was obligated prior to the item falling off DAPA, vendors can still fulfill the order.

Q27: Will notification be provided when an item fall off of DAPA?

Answer: No, there is still no way for our system to provide notification. However, R8 is a reject code. The PV can return the R8 reject code for items that are discontinued. DLA Troop Support’s DAPA Team can follow up with DAPA holders on those items where R8 is supplied to ensure that they are removed from the DAPA. A PV cannot ship product if you use the R8. It should only be used when the item is discontinued and you have no stock on hand at the servicing DC.

Q28: As we transition out of Gen IV into Gen V, what about open orders? Will they be killed or fulfilled?

Answer: They should be fulfilled in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract.

Q29: Are there volume considerations for Cross Dock? How should they think about the volume for the cross dock since it’s a flat amount?

Answer: Pricing is specifically linked to the number of lines per month which are shipped. The solicitation provides a weighted value reflective of the frequency at which these numbers of lines have been historically utilized. See solicitation pages 13, 14, 20, 27, 57 and 64.

Q30: For reverse auction, how will the starting price be determined?

Answer: The start of the RA would display a vendor’s own distribution fee and total aggregate based on the final version of the Price Book, and the low aggregate dollar value for the PV role and Global region being auctioned.

Q31: Will there be any improvement to the error report (false negatives)? Will it look any different?

Answer: No, the report will look the same.

Q32: How will a vendor be able to identify a MOF vs a ROF?

Answer: Trading Partner identifies the customer type. The contract number assignment also distinguishes MOF from ROF.

Q33: Vendor initiates 865 price change request NLT 3 days prior to RDD. Are the 3 days calendar or business?

Answer: Calendar Q34: If a small business receives award as a Primary PV, can they continue to sell DAPA products to customers in regions other than the one in which they are the Primary?

Answer: No. At that point, since they become a Primary PV, the rules for a Primary PV apply. The only items they may catalog on a DAPA are their own Brand name items. See SOW page 30.

A video of the Pre-Proposal Conference is available. To access the video, contact: Maryann DiMeo – 215-737-3201, Brian Mason – 215-737-8708 or Nancy Martin – 215-737-8708.