WSFCS RFP Time Keeping and Attendance 6-28-24 revised.pdf

WINSTON SALEM/FORSYTH COUNTY SCHOOLS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

260-07012024-861300

TIME AND ATTENDANCE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS

RFP Issued: July 2, 2024

RFP Submission Deadline: 2:00 PM EST on Tuesday, July 16, 2024

TIME AND ATTENDANCE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Table of Contents

RFQ Information

Introduction

Purpose

Existing Time and Attendance Reporting Methods ................................................................ 5-6

Response Format

Executive Summary

Company Background

Client References

Scope of Work ......................................................................................................................... 6-8

Implementation Methodology

Support

Hardware

Cost Summary

Evaluation Criteria

General Comments

RFP Information

Project Description:

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School District (WS/FCS) seeks to identify a potential vendor for a time and attendance software solution.

This project will include the acquisition, implementation, and training of time and attendance, scheduling, and leave management software that is compatible with the Tyler Munis application (including continuing system maintenance and technical support).

Project Location:

WS/FCS School District

Proposals Due:

By Tuesday, July 16, 2024, by 2:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

Bid proposals may be emailed to jwmann@wsfcs.k12.nc.us :

John Mann Director of Procurement Services

WS/FCS

475 Corporate Square Drive Winston Salem, NC 27105

Proposal questions

Any questions regarding electronic timekeeping must be directed to: John Mann Director of Procurement Services

(336) 748-4005 jwmann@wsfcs.k12.nc.us

Opening of Proposals

Proposals, modifications, or corrections received after the closing time on July 16, 2024, will be considered late and will not be opened.

If only one proposal is received in response to the RFP, the WS/FCS staff may either make an award or, re-solicit for the purpose of obtaining additional proposals at their discretion. The WS/FCS reserves the right to reject all proposals.

mailto:jwmann@wsfcs.k12.nc.us

Introduction Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools formed in 1963 with the merger of the Winston-Salem and Forsyth County districts. It is the fourth-largest system in North Carolina and the 81st-largest in the nation.

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools serve more than 53,000 students in Pre-K through Grade 12 with the goal of providing a quality education for each child. The school system has 42 elementary schools, 15 middle schools, and 16 high schools. Eight specialty schools bring the system-wide total to 81.

Districtwide, 34% of the students are white; 29.4% are African American; 29% are Hispanic;

5% are multiracial; 2.7% are Asian; and less than 1% are American Indian or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.

Purpose

As Winston Salem/Forsyth County Schools is a high performing organization, WS/FCS seeks an electronic timekeeping system to help manage its most valuable asset: its employees. WS/FCS is proud to provide a comprehensive benefits package that allows employees to use personal leave as accrued compensatory time, accrued sick time, holiday pay (as scheduled and accrued floating), as well as accrued vacation. The desired vendor will be able to account for various rules and work schedules that are unique to various departments, positions, and as well as throughout the organization.

Existing Time Keeping and Reporting Methods

Currently, the WS/FCS utilizes a manually typed excel spreadsheet for annual leave and accrued sick and annual leave. The department heads or designated payroll reporting coordinators then transfer the time keeping data to paper timesheets (spreadsheet format with earnings and leave codes noted). All department heads sign the finalized paper time sheets prior to submission to Payroll.

Collecting time and leave accrual data prior to completing timesheets on paper is time consuming for front-line staff to manually track their time worked and ensure they receive proper payment. The paper timesheets can be cumbersome for supervisors and our Human Resources staff to review, verify accuracy and confirm that payment and benefits are tracked appropriately for well over 8,200 employees.

Across the organization, there is a large variety of employee schedules, locations, and challenges.

The diversity of the job functions within the organization results in a variety of rules for employee timekeeping.

Along with the various rules, the WS/FCS has a variety of employees working several work schedules in addition to the standard work week (Monday-Friday 8-5), part-time employees, and shift scheduled work. At times, the sources of their income are divided among multiple accounts, depending on their job assignments (i.e. special grants or programs). The desired timekeeping system should be able to meet the unique requirements of these various employee groups.

Therefore, the desired vendor will be able to provide training for front-line, supervisor, and administrative employees to aid in the implementation of the system. The desired vender will list and provide several options for capturing time within the WSFCS organization that include, but are not limited to physical time clocks, mobile solutions, and web-based capabilities.

The timekeeping system must be able to integrate with Tyler Munis ERP.

Response Format

Respondents (bidders) should submit in electronic format a document, which includes the following sections:

1. Executive Summary

The Executive Summary should include a brief overview of the Proposal. It should be prepared in such a manner as to make it understandable to individuals not familiar with the terminology specific to this type of project.

2. Company Background

• Company Headquarters Information

• Company History

• Description of Products and Services Provided

• Experience with School Systems

3. Client References

Bidders must supply at least three (3) public school districts sites that are currently using a similar system:

• Entity name

• Address

• Contact name

• Phone number

• Payroll function

4. Scope of Work

WS/FCS is seeking qualified firms with extensive knowledge and background in electronic timekeeping and human resource management. Qualified applicants shall include a scope of work that includes, but is not limited to, the following information:

1. Solution Overview:

a. Describe a general overview of the nature and capabilities of your solution.

b. Describe the solution’s compatibility with the existing enterprise financial payroll and finance systems.

2. General Functionality:

a. Describe how all employees will interact with the system. This includes the types and functionality of software clock-in/clock-out interfaces.

b. Describe how employees who do not have access to desktop applications will have access to functionality.

3. Time and Attendance:

a. Describe how your system tracks and collects time and attendance of employees.

b. Does the system have the ability to track time to projects, grants, business units, or specific activities?

4. Leave absence Management:

a. Can the solution track and manage all types of leave concurrently, including federal and state mandated leave, military leave, medical leave, short-term disability, as well as intermittent leave? Please describe.

b. Explain how your system facilitates handling the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

5. Scheduling:

a. Describe how the solution handles accrued benefits (e.g., vacation, holiday, sick time, unpaid leave.)

b. Does the solution allow a payroll administrator or manager/supervisor to enter or create schedules for employees?

c. Describe how employees and supervisors manage schedule changes.

6. Human Resources:

a. Describe how your system does, or can, track percentage employee time.

b. Describe the integration between benefits and payroll.

c. Describe how your system handles leave requests .

7. Payroll:

a. Describe your solution’s payroll capabilities.

b. Describe how your system imports and exports information into Naviline

Information Systems.

8. Security:

a. Describe your solutions’ security features that mitigate employee misuse and external attack.

9. Additional Solutions and Other Information:

a. Describe how your time and attendance solution can integrate with other

Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS)/Human Capital Management systems (HCM).

b. Bidders shall include any information related to the topics above and any information that separates their product and services from the competition.

5. Implementation Methodology

The implementation methodology should include every facet of the implementation process to integrate the software into the WS/FCS operations. Please provide thorough information on the following:

• Project Management:

o Please describe the vendor project management team and responsibilities, as well as duties and role of WS/FCS staff in implementation.

• Training:

o Methodology o Training Options o Curriculum for various WS/FCS personnel o On-going training resources for new personnel

• Data Conversion:

o Data conversion services provided o Timelines for application design, customization and implementation o Provide an implementation Gantt Chart or similar graphic image reflecting this estimated timeline.

• Timeline:

o Use the implementation timeline focusing on launching with pilot department(s) by September 1, 2024, and the full organization launch by March 31, 2025.

o Please include estimated hours and projected time frame of both vendor and the WS/FCS staff time needed to dedicate to a successful data migration and system implementation process.

6. Support

The bidder will provide the following Support information:

• Support Options o Does the Vendor provide a toll-free support number?

o Does the Vendor provide Online Support?

o Who from the WSFCS may contact Support?

• Support Goals o Please provide Response Times and Service Level Agreements.

o Who is responsible for hardware and system software maintenance?

o Who is responsible for hardware and system software support? If it is a third party, provide details.

• System Updates o How are updates managed?

o How often are updates released?

o What is the typical downtime during an update?

• System Interface Capabilities o Provide a summary of the accounting/payroll/ERP software packages with which your software/hardware can currently interface.

7. Hardware

The bidder is encouraged to recommend any enhancements to the minimum requirements stated below that will improve the overall performance and usability of the system.

Describe the following requirements of the proposed system:

• Provide details (including technical) for the hosting service used to host the SaaS product.

• Client System Requirements (include any add-ons and plug-ins required).

• Compatible Web Browsers.

• Any additional hardware required to be purchased and maintained by the WS/FCS.

Cost Summary

Provide a total cost proposal for all products and services to be delivered and a breakdown of costs delineated by one-time, ongoing, and annual costs for products and services as described in your proposal. Amounts should contain no taxes and include all transportation and delivery to the WS/FCS. All costs shall be in actual dollar-and-cent amounts. Please provide best estimate for travel costs and other miscellaneous items.

The proposal pricing must remain in effect for at least one hundred and twenty (120) days after the date of submission.

Evaluation Criteria

Following the closing of the RFP application period, the WSFCS will assemble a selection committee to review applications and select a vendor that best fits the needs of the organization. WS/FCS reserves the right to select the bidder who best meets the overall needs of the WS/FCS based on the following criteria (not listed in order of importance):

1. User friendliness; (1-3)

2. Ability to accurately track time worked and accrued; (1-3)

3. Ability to account for unique employee groups and diverse work schedules; (1-3)

4. Ability to schedule employees (multiple shifts, shift trading and leave management);

(1-3)

5. Providing status notifications to employees, supervisors, and administrators (i.e.

attendance task and schedule reminders); (1-3)

6. Availability and quality of customer service capabilities; and (1-3)

7. Ability to import and export accurate information into and out of the WSFCS’s other existing scheduling and time and attendance software applications. (1-3)

General Comments

• Equal Opportunity and Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Statement:

WS/FCS awards public contracts without regard to race, religion, color, creed, national origin, sex, age or handicapped condition as defined by North Carolina General Statutes, 168A-3.

WS/FCS promotes full and equal access to business opportunities with the WS/FCS. Minority and women owned businesses are encouraged to submit bids for this project. All vendors shall have a fair and reasonable opportunity to participate in the WS/FCS’s business opportunities.

• Any cost(s) incurred by the respondents (bidders) in preparing and submitting a response to the RFP shall be the respondent’s sole responsibility.

• All responses, inquiries, or correspondence relating to this RFP will become the property of WS/FCS when received and will not be returned.

• WS/FCS reserves the right to accept or reject any submittals.

• WS/FCS reserves the right to award contracts as it deems will best serve its interests, including award of the services being sought to one or more of the applicants.

• Any questions relating to the RFP should be directed to John Mann, Director of Procurement Services at jwmann@wsfcs.k12.nc.us