Sources Sought Notice_XM30 Digital Validation.docx

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

XM30 Digital Validation

DESCRIPTION OF INTENT

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE to request information for Government planning purposes only. The Army Contracting Command – Detroit Arsenal (ACC-DTA) is seeking to gain knowledge of interest, capabilities, and qualifications of various members of the community, to include both small and large businesses. Responses to this Request for Information (RFI) will assist ACC-DTA in planning its acquisition strategy for a potential future acquisition.

The U.S. Government, Department of the Army requests interested vendors to gather information on the utilization of virtual reality and/or digital augmentation to modernize the process of technical manual validation. The Government is requesting information on the current technology available to develop and validate the accuracy of new equipment technical manuals.

Note: All survey input is voluntary, and no compensation will be made for your firm’s participation. Since this is a Sources Sought Notice, and not a solicitation for receipt of proposals or quotations, the Government does not encourage questions concerning this market research. Furthermore, the Government is not obligated to issue a solicitation or award a contract as a result of this announcement.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE SURVEY

1. All interested firms and manufacturers, regardless of size, may respond to this RFI. Information submissions can include product literature and illustrations, and relevant company background and experience. Relevant sales media and product manuals may be included as attachments with your submission. Please clearly mark all proprietary information. The front page of your response package should state "PROPIETARY INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN" (all caps), if applicable. Also, please provide a release statement indicating that the proprietary information may be distributed to Army personnel involved with this survey.

2. The subject line must include "(Company Name) – Digital Validation Response”. Responses shall be furnished to the USG no later than 1700 Eastern Standard Time, 18 June 2024.

3. Please submit electronic responses to the XM30 mailbox at: usarmy.detroit.peo-gcs.mbx.xm30-omfv-contracting@army.mil

4. Point of Contact:

Mukti Deb Contract Specialist XM30 Development & Production U.S. Army Contracting Command-Detroit Arsenal (ACC-DTA) E-mail: mukti.deb.civ@army.mil

QUESTIONNAIRE / SURVEY

A) Vendor Profile. Please complete the yellow-highlighted fields below:

1.

Company Name:

Mailing Address:

Cage Code:

POC Name / Title:

Phone Number:

E-mail Address:

Website:

2. Business type for NAICS 541519: (Please check all that apply.)

8(a)

Small Disadvantaged

HUBZone

Women-owned

Large Business

None of the Above. Please Explain: ________________

Service-disabled Veteran-owned

Small Business

*If claiming small business status, the information must be verifiable in SAM.gov.

3. Indicate if the NAICS code selected is appropriate, if not, explain why.

4. Nonmanufacturer Rule. To qualify as a small business concern for set-aside or sole source supply contracts, a small business must meet at least one of the qualifications listed below. Please indicate which qualification, if any, applies to your firm:

Manufacture the product itself; or

Supply a product manufactured by another small business if it is a nonmanufacturer; or

Supply the product of any sized manufacturer if the Small Business Administration has granted a waiver to the nonmanufacturer rule.

B) Requirement-specific Information. Please complete the questions below:

1. Can you describe examples leveraging commercial hardware and software modeling tools to develop a digital model for maintenance procedure validation in conjunction with the Government (solely USG funded or mixed funding development effort)? If yes, please provide the contract number.

2. Define “Digital Validation” as it pertains to technical accuracy, completeness, safety, and adequacy of all content for testing the validity/accuracy of technical manuals. For example, how can “Warnings, Cautions, and Notes” be represented to ensure safety of personnel and equipment?

3. Utilizing a Models Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approach, which digital twin functional or sub-functional model domains were used in conjunction with the digital maintenance procedure validation? For example, models with pressurized sub-systems – fuel, hydraulic, pneumatic suspension, Automatic Fire Extinguishing System, HVAC, oil/coolant, electrical interfaces, human factors engineering—which react to operator and maintenance inputs or tasks.

4. When digitally validating maintenance procedures, how did you incorporate Digital Human Models (DHM) which simulate realistic arm, hand, finger movement, body positions, using physical force with common and special tools, and support equipment?

5. How does the use of the model interpret or display success after a maintenance task is completed?

6. What risks have you envision being encountered during a digital validation? How can you mitigate those risks?

7. What are the steps required to revise procedures and models based on observed discrepancies in the digital model?

8. Can your company provide a free demonstration of the model that is used to validate a maintenance procedure?

9. During vehicle maintenance, it is often necessary to remove parts for access or perform actions in a certain sequence. Is it possible for the model to reflect that order of operation?

10. Regarding the use of special tools, is it possible to represent the need for specific torque requirements in a digital model? How would the need for overhead lifts, floor jacks, and test equipment be represented?

11. Describe the process for populating exact tool models (dimensions and actions) into the simulation.

12. How would the interaction with physical boundaries of surrounding structure within the model be reflected when interacted with by other objects (Ex: tools or body parts)?

13. As an Army platform matures, it’s design can change. What is the process for implementing these changes and how can configuration management be traced?

14. During validation certain parameters, such as time, are observed. As tasks are performed in the model how can these values be recorded?

15. Can diagnostic capabilities, for example BIT/BITE (built-in-test/built-in-test equipment), fault management systems, and supporting sensors be represented in a way to simulate troubleshooting processes?

16. Army Technical Manuals provide step by step troubleshooting procedures that soldiers follow during maintenance procedures to identify faults. How would a digital simulation incorporate troubleshooting tests and expected results to validate each step of various electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic to diagnostic work packages?

17. Is your firm currently capable of conducting a digital Technical Manual validation? Statements of your firm’s expertise should include reference to relevant contracts performed (including a description of the scope, quantity manufactured, and point of contact with phone number).

18. Is there any other pertinent information that your firm would like to disclose? If so, please list below and/or include as a Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) attachment with your submission.

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION & LABELING

The Government acknowledges its obligations under 18 USC §1905 to protect information qualifying as confidential. Pursuant to this statute, the Government is willing to accept any trade secret or confidential restrictions placed on qualifying data forwarded in response to the survey questions, and to protect it from unauthorized disclosure subject to the following:

1. Clearly and conspicuously mark qualifying data as trade secret or confidential with the restrictive legend “CONFIDENTIAL” (all caps), including any explanatory text, so that the Government is clearly notified of what data needs to be protected.

2. In marking such data, please take care to mark only those portions of the data or materials that are truly trade secret or confidential (overbreadth in marking inappropriate data as “CONFIDENTIAL” may diminish or eliminate the usefulness of your response). Use circling, underscoring, highlighting, or any other appropriate means to indicate those portions of a single page that need to be protected.

3. The Government is not obligated to protect unmarked data. Additionally, marked data that is already in the public domain or in the possession of the Government or third parties, or is afterward placed into the public domain by the owner or another party through no fault of the Government will not be protected once in the public domain. Data already in the Government’s possession will be protected in accordance with the Government’s data rights.

4. Confidential data transmitted electronically, whether by physical media or not, whether by the respondent or by the Government, shall contain any restrictive legend, with any explanatory text, on both the cover of the transmittal e-mail and at the beginning of the file itself. Where appropriate for portions only of an electronic file, use the restrictive legends “CONFIDENTIAL DATA BEGINS:” and “CONFIDENTIAL PORTION ENDS”.

5. In any reproductions of technical data or any portions thereof subject to asserted restrictions, the Government shall also reproduce the asserted restriction legend and any explanatory text.

6. The Government sometimes uses support contractors in evaluating responses. Consequently, responses that contain confidential information may receive only limited or no consideration since the respondent’s marking of data as “CONFIDENTIAL” will preclude disclosure of same outside the Government, and therefore will preclude disclosure to support contractors assisting with the evaluation effort.