ES_Furniture_RFI__1.5.17.docx

Request for Information (RFI)

Department of Commerce Enterprise Services Office Enterprise-wide Furniture Initiative

January 5, 2017

INTRODUCTION

This Request for Information (RFI) is being issued to help the Department of Commerce (DOC) better understand vendor demographics, buying practices, cost drivers, contract structure and best practices related to procuring furniture.

This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quotation (RFQ), or an invitation for bid, nor does its issuance obligate or restrict the Government to an eventual acquisition. All information received from this RFI will be used for Market Research purposes only. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses to this RFI nor otherwise reimburse vendors for the preparation of any information submitted or Government use of such information. Acknowledgement of receipt of responses will not be made, nor will respondents be notified regarding the outcome of the information received.

BACKGROUND

The DOC is comprised of 12 Bureaus of varying sizes and diverse missions. Presently, most Bureaus independently manage their furniture procurements. The DOC, however, uses department-wide strategically sourced contracts, where possible, for the procurement of common goods and services. As part of DOC’s strategic sourcing program, senior leaders are investigating the market of furniture to better understand what is currently available, future innovative solutions and potential savings opportunities.

DOC is looking for industry solutions to provide a furniture contract(s) which:

· Meets the varying requirements of different Bureaus within the DOC

· Allows for furniture products and service purchasing (such as design, installation, take-down, etc.)

· Reduce the overall price DOC pays furniture based on volume of purchases

· Provide increased quality of service

· Potentially standardizes requirements

RFI INSTRUCTIONS

Responses should be submitted in Microsoft Word format and excluding attachments, and should not exceed five (5) pages with Arial font not smaller than 12 pt.

Responses are to be submitted via e-mail to StrategicSourcing@doc.gov no later than 4:00 p.m. EDT, January 19, 2017.

RFI TOPIC AREAS

Topic 1: Vendor Demographics Enterprise Services Acquisition Office (ESAO) is interested in understanding the profile of the companies responding to this RFI. Accordingly, responses to the following questions are requested.

Organization Overview

Organization Name

NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) Codes

Number of years of corporate experience

Business Classification / Socio-Economic Status (e.g., large, small, 8(a), women owned, hub-zone, SDB, Service-Disabled Veteran Owned)

Services Offered

Describe your primary line of business (manufacturer, dealer, other)

If you are a dealer, list the manufactures your company is able to provide

Geographic Scope

To what geographies do you provide services (i.e., regional (specify region), national, international)?

Topic 2: Government Buying & Contract Structure To better understand the furniture industry, the ESAO has some questions for industry around government buying, contract structure, and cost drivers.

Questions for Industry:

Government Buying

· How are furniture products and services most commonly sold to government customers (i.e. open market, through dealers, direct)? Please describe how government customers acquire furniture from your organization.

· How can the Government build flexibility into this contract to ensure DOC customers can access all products and services they require going forward while avoiding gold-platting or increased costs?

· Are there components of specific manufacturers products that prohibits them from being interchangeable with other manufacturers?

· How close do installers need to be to their customers to ensure furniture can be installed in a timely and effective way?

· Are there any other geographic limitations that might make it challenging for one or two vendors to service an entire Department, which could have offices across the country?

Contract Structure

· What contract structure is typically utilized to procure furniture? (Direct IDIQ, IDIQ with Task Order competition, program manager or packaged office procurement, etc.)

· What are the pros/cons of each of these procurement types?

· How many manufactures do dealers typically support? Are there restrictions or limitations with how many or which manufacturers a dealer can provide?

· Can one dealer offer all top manufacturers?

· If dealers cannot support all manufactures, what teaming or brokering opportunities exist to ensure full coverage of products and services?

Cost Drivers

· What typically drives increased costs in furniture procurement and maintenance? Multiple configurations, fabric type, etc.

· What innovations or best practices have you seen to reduce furniture costs?

· Do you see any challenges associated with offering a limited number of configurations to customers?

· What is a typical warranty plan?

· Is there any benefit to procuring the product and installation separately?

Topic 3: Information Required to Develop a Competitive Bid Questions for Industry:

· Based on your experience with government requirements of this type, what information and data is essential for you to develop a competitive bid (i.e., estimates of total contract value, etc.)?

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