Retail Management Solution

The South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR) has issued a Request for Information (RFI No. SDBOR 2025-01) seeking proposals for a comprehensive retail management solution for six universities and two special schools. The procurement focuses on acquiring a modern, cost-effective point-of-sale and inventory control system with robust capabilities including course materials management, general merchandise tracking, and e-commerce functionality. Key deliverables include a fully integrated software solution that provides complete POS functionality, technical support, training, and seamless integration with existing systems like Banner, Vital Source, Blackboard, and Shift4. Evaluation criteria will encompass initial setup costs, annual fees, system capabilities, data security, inventory control, e-commerce features, and overall ease of use. Critical proposal requirements include providing both 3-year and 5-year cost estimates, detailed implementation plans, and comprehensive security documentation. The RFI timeline includes a proposal submission deadline of February 14, 2025, with an evaluation period from February 24-March 7, 2025, product demonstrations scheduled for March 10-14, 2025, and a final decision expected by March 21, 2025. The desired implementation go-live date is between June 1-July 1, 2025.

The RFI does not specify explicit set-aside designations or restrictions on respondent organizations. Current infrastructure varies across locations, with stores using 2-6 POS registers primarily from Toshiba and IBM, and existing solutions including PRISM RBS for inventory management and Shift4 for payment processing. Annual sales volumes across participating universities range from $250,000 to $1.7 million. Vendors must demonstrate compliance with stringent security standards, including PCI DSS 4.X, SOC 2, ISO 27001, and FERPA regulations, and maintain cyber liability insurance. The system must support multi-factor authentication and provide robust data protection measures. While specific budget ranges are not explicitly stated, vendors must provide comprehensive cost estimates covering implementation, integration, hardware, onboarding, and ongoing annual fees. Additionally, respondents are required to submit references from three similar implementations completed within the last two years, and each university store requires its own unique back-office inventory management system rather than operating as a single consolidated entity.