Vendor Management System (for Accounts Payable Vendors) - Phase 1

Walworth County, Wisconsin is soliciting responses for Phase 1 of a Vendor Management System procurement designed to enhance its Accounts Payable operations. This Software System Request for Proposal seeks a comprehensive vendor management solution that integrates vendor onboarding software, vendor verification services, vendor compliance monitoring (preferred capability), and electronic payment processing with fraud indemnification protection. Key deliverables include digital vendor registration with multi-factor authentication, integrated document management for compliance forms, automated vendor verification of legal names, addresses, Tax Identification Numbers, and banking information, secure electronic payment capabilities supporting both ACH and virtual card transactions, and optional sanctions and debarment list monitoring with automated notifications. Respondents must demonstrate a minimum of two years of verifiable experience providing accounts payable vendor management solutions in production Go-Live status, possess proper Wisconsin business licensing and registration, maintain reasonable financial resources and personnel capacity, and confirm the absence of debarment from conducting business with Wisconsin or the Federal Government. The County processes approximately 1,060 vendors annually with 249 new additions and handles an average accounts payable volume of 5,529 paper checks totaling $19.9 million and 3,191 ACH payments totaling $72.5 million over the three-year period 2022-2024, with anticipated 5 to 10 employees requiring customizable role-based system access. Critical deadlines include March 9, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. for submission of questions, a final addendum issued March 10, 2026, and electronic proposal responses due March 17, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. through the Bonfire Portal with no late submissions accepted. The phased selection process anticipates Phase 2 evaluations in early May 2026, Phase 3 demonstrations in mid-May 2026, contract award in June 2026, and implementation commencement upon execution.

The procurement requires integration with the County's existing Tyler Munis Enterprise ERP system, with the County retaining control of payment processing decisions and general ledger account assignments. All respondents must be licensed to conduct business in Wisconsin and registered with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions if applicable, with no specific set-asides or disadvantaged enterprise restrictions noted in the available documentation. Phase 1 responses require completion of only the questionnaire attachment, with optional supporting materials permitted for differentiation. The solicitation does not specify a contract award value or budget range, leaving pricing negotiations to the Phase 2 and Phase 3 evaluation stages. The County anticipates a phased vendor selection process designed to thoroughly evaluate technical capabilities, financial stability, and implementation readiness before final contract award and commencement of system implementation.