SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Alternative Billing Solution
- Notice Date
- 1/13/2005
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541219
— Other Accounting Services
- Contracting Office
- General Services Administration, Federal Technology Service (FTS), Office of Acquisition (TQ), 10300 Eaton Place, 5th Floor, Fairfax, VA, 22030
- ZIP Code
- 22030
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-GSA-TQN-RH-05-0003
- Response Due
- 2/1/2005
- Archive Date
- 2/16/2005
- Description
- 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Overview The General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Technology Service (FTS) is responsible for delivering best value and innovative network solutions to support government agency missions worldwide. FTS currently delivers a set of billing operations and management (O&M) capabilities to its agency customers using its own billing system and in-house resources. To manage its growing list of dynamic network services and deliver additional value-added services to agency customers in the next generation of contracts, such as FTS Networx, FTS has studied alternative billing business models, hereafter referred to as billing solutions. One of the billing solutions considers the use of a telecommunications industry expert billing solution provider to deliver the following capabilities: Current FTS billing O&M Business and performance information management Inventory management Customized billing services and/or add-on capabilities These capabilities are described in Section 2 of this document. FTS, via this Request for Information (RFI), seeks descriptive information on the billing solution providers? management and technical capabilities, pricing models, performance management practices, management and functional processes, and systems that can be used to deliver the billing solution mentioned above. Further, FTS requests any suggestions for modifying our approach to delivering these capabilities based on billing solution providers' previous experiences in similar environments. 1.2 Objectives of the Billing Solution The billing solution must enable FTS to achieve the following objectives: Meet agency needs for a comprehensive billing solution with flexible billing options that adapt to individual agency requirements and preferences Obtain best value (lowest prices while maintaining quality of service levels) Accommodate the evolution of telecommunications network services, the means by which they are offered individually or together, and the varying pricing mechanisms and structures for those services from the network service providers Deliver billing capabilities for new network services in a timely manner Provide agency customers with value-added services, including customized billing services or add-on capabilities to agency customers Support inventory management plus business and performance information management Deliver efficiency and high-performance Reduce current FTS operational costs or provide enhanced services at no additional expense 1.3 Document Organization Section 2 describes the required capabilities mentioned above. Section 3 contains a list of subjects on which the Government seeks descriptive information from the billing solution providers. Section 4 gives specific instructions for responding to this RFI. 2. SOLUTION CAPABILITIES DESCRIPTION This section describes the four required capabilities: Current FTS billing O&M Business and performance information management Inventory management Customized billing services or add-on capabilities 2.1 Current FTS Billing O&M FTS currently delivers the following billing O&M capabilities to agency customers: Invoice Processing Invoice Validation and Verification Disputes Management Customer Billing Collections and Payments Processing Online Reporting (via a Website accessible by FTS and agency customers) Note: FTS does not re-rate network service providers? invoices. FTS validates and forwards the invoices to its agency customers. FTS refers to its contracted network service providers as industry partners. 2.2 Business and Performance Information Management FTS developed processes, models, and systems that used data from various sources to generate analytical information and management reports to its executives. These analytical information and management reports enable FTS to monitor and manage the performance of its business and to conduct special studies on specific business areas. Industry partners? raw billing data is a major source of input to those business and performance management processes, models, and systems. FTS considers including the analytical information and management reports generation capability as part of the billing solution. Below are some examples of analyses, standard reports, and ad hoc reports currently in use: Historical traffic and cost trends analysis Contract price reduction analysis Voice vs. data services trends analysis Cost savings analysis (e.g., contract price vs. commercial price comparison) Optimization study of services delivered 2.3 Inventory Management FTS recognizes the relationship between inventory management functions and billing functions. FTS considers inventory management capability as part of the billing solution. To deliver this capability, the billing solution provider?s inventory management system must derive its inventory data from the service order completion notices from FTS industry partners. The billing solution provider therefore must coordinate and work with FTS industry partners to develop and implement this process. The billing solution provider?s inventory will be used for verification and validation of industry partners? invoices. Additionally, FTS coordinates with the customer agencies, who maintain their own inventories from the orders they submit and the service order completion notices from FTS industry partners. The billing solution provider's inventory will be used as an independent source from which to verify and validate agencies' inventories. The billing solution provider will support a process for working with the agencies to resolve any discrepancies between what FTS receives from industry partners and the agencies' inventories. 2.4 Customized Billing Services or Add-on Capabilities Agency customers increasingly require customized solutions to meet their specific needs. FTS is considering offering customized billing services or add-on capabilities to agency customers as part of the billing solution. Examples of these services and capabilities include agency-specific reports, service quote and order management, and service financial planning and budget forecast. 3. INFORMATION REQUEST FTS would like to receive descriptive information from the billing solution providers on the following subjects: 1. For the four (4) required capabilities, a description of the billing solution provider?s commercial management and technical approach to deliver them individually and as an integrated solution. For the individual capability, please describe the provider?s management and technical/functional capabilities, pricing models, performance management practices, O&M and functional processes, and systems. As an integrated solution, please describe the service, system, and information architecture. For the delivery of the capabilities, please provide a description of the provider?s lifecycle delivery management practices starting from planning, development, initial setup, deployment, training to O&M and service retirement. Please specifically provide the key performance indicators (KPIs) used to measure the overall delivery performance, and ultimately to ensure the timeliness and quality of the delivery of the capability at the initial startup as well as throughout the life of the contract. 2. The existing processes/procedures (including varying data formats) and the overall interface between the billing solution provider and the network service providers for seamless and interoperable O&M of the required capabilities (i.e., ordering, invoicing, inventory management, dispute, etc.). Please list the network service providers with whom the billing solution provider currently has an established relationship, processes, and procedures and the associated capabilities/functions. 3. The provider?s on-line billing capabilities and processes. 4. The provider?s current practice, approach, or integrated service/system architecture that allows the accommodation of a variety of new, changing network services with varying pricing structures, rating and discount mechanisms, and varying service elements by different network service providers. Please describe how such practice, approach, or architecture enables timely delivery of billing capabilities for those new services. 5. The provider?s commercial approach to accommodate customized billing services and/or add-on services, including the associated pricing mechanism(s). 6. The provider?s current billing service portfolio/offerings and the associated pricing structure(s) and prices. Please show the different levels of billing services available (e.g., gold, silver service packages). Please provide detailed pricing structure for each component identified by the provider. For the pricing structure, FTS is interested in the types of one-time charges and monthly recurring charges. For these charges, FTS is interested in receiving information on the pricing units (by transaction, by volume, by customer, by reports, etc.). 7. Please indicate the extent to which the provider delivers the capabilities described in this RFI to its existing customer base. If the provider does not currently have a capability described herein, so identify and describe any plans for adding that capability. 8. All network services that the billing solution provider can support and the extent to which the provider delivers them to existing customers. 9. Any recommended modifications to the approach or requirements as stated. 10. The means by which the billing solution provider achieves efficiency that results in lower costs. 11. The provider?s level of experience in working with any Government agencies in the past. 4. INSTRUCTIONS FOR RESPONDING TO THIS RFI Interested parties may respond to this RFI in accordance with the instructions provided in this section. Table 4-1 below provides the appropriate guidance. Table 4-1 -- RFI Response Guide Description: Response Requirements Why the Government is requesting information: This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning purposes. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or otherwise pay for the information requested. Responses to the request will not serve as proposals, bids, or offers, which could be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The intent is to assess information provided by the industry in response to this RFI and to perform other market research as a way of informing the Government about alternatives and capabilities available in the marketplace. Responses to this RFI will not affect a potential offeror?s ability to respond to an RFP if the Government issues one at a later date. Due date for RFI response: February 1, 2005, 3:00 P.M. Response format: Microsoft Word 98 or newer How to respond: Email and/or USPS Mail Where to respond: Contracting Officer email: robert.hayhurst@gsa.gov address: General Services Administration, 10300 Eaton Place, Fifth Floor, Fairfax, VA 22030 How to mark the response: Identify the entity responding, including name of the entity, point of contact, address, telephone number, email address, web site address, etc. Indicate specifically whether the response includes proprietary information, and which information should be considered proprietary. Requirements for marking proprietary information are in FAR subsection 3.104-4. How proprietary information will be treated: See FAR Subsection 3.104-4 for how this information will be safeguarded, if properly labeled. The Government reserves the right to publish any information provided by a respondent to the RFI if publishing such information is done without attribution (i.e., does not identify the party submitting the response materials), and would not reveal company trade secrets or other similar protected or proprietary information. For example, if a respondent were to ask when a draft Networx billing RFP would be released, then such a question could be published without attribution and would not jeopardize any corporate or trade secrets of the respondent. Accordingly, the Government may publish such materials. On the other hand, if a respondent were to provide detailed product billing rollout plans for a new telecommunications service, then that material would not be published if properly marked. What will be done with the responses: The Government intends to refine the billing objective and associated documents as appropriate based on all sources of input received, especially responses to this RFI. The Government does not intend to respond unilaterally to individual respondents unless clarification of information submitted is required. All contact will be through the Contracting Officer.
- Place of Performance
- Address: CONUS
- Record
- SN00734813-W 20050115/050113212346 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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