SOURCES SOUGHT
W -- PRE Metered Mail Equipment Upgrade & Service
- Notice Date
- 3/23/2015
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 532420
— Office Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Veterans Affairs;VISN/18PHX;777 E. Missouri, Suite 300;Phoenix AZ 85014
- ZIP Code
- 85014
- Solicitation Number
- VA25815N0351
- Response Due
- 3/27/2015
- Archive Date
- 6/25/2015
- Point of Contact
- Michael Lane
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This is a Sources Sought for the lease of a pre-metered mail machine for the Prescott VA. Please see the Statement of Work below for further details. If you are interested in bidding on this requirement please email me @ Michael.Lane3@va.gov 1.Purpose/Intent The intent of this Proposal is to upgrade new lease metered mail postage equipment, including service for a base year and four option years. 1.1 The Prescott VA Health Care Medical Center consists of the main Medical Center campus located at 500 Highway 89 North, Prescott, AZ 86313, and twelve outlying locations in Northern Arizona. The equipment will be located at the main campus in Prescott. 2.Background 2.1General Operations The Prescott VA Health Care VAMC facility's Mail Room section is responsible for processing all incoming and outgoing letters, parcels, and packages (Mail Room operations do not include "Freight"). In FY 2014, this section handled approximately 231,000 pieces of outgoing mail items. FY 2014 postage operations included USPS First Class mail and UPS small parcel/package. The Prescott VA Health Care VAMC current equipment is 8+ years old, past its lifecycle, and not able to meet the new USPS barcode requirements. The Prescott VA Health Care VAMC and (CBOC's) satellite facilities provide healthcare to United States military Veterans and their caregivers and families. Part of overall healthcare management includes regular communications with Veterans regarding appointments; special services; medical diagnostics; preventative health management; prescription refills; prosthetic devices; education services; events opportunities. Outreach initiatives and also includes communications with employees, vendors, partners, and other VA and Federal agencies. 3. Technical Specifications -The Contractor shall provide: 3.1One (1) high-volume mailing system capable of handling the mail current and projected mail volume requirements for the Prescott VA Health Care VAMC with:(meet or exceeds) "Equipment must be from USPS-approved manufacturer via authorized distribution channels (http://www.usps.com/postagesolutions/post_mtr.htm) "Dynamic Scale Weigh in motion and differential weighing "Label Dispenser "Mixed Mail Feeder that processes nested and non-nested envelopes of any size or thickness "Sealing system "70lb. (or higher) rated parcel scale "Operational efficiency of the processing speed not less than 220 lpm or better in weigh in motion mode (batch) "Automatic shape based rating of no less than 135 lpm "10 " Color touch screen interface for operational control or better "Machine-integrated eRR solution without the need of manual data entry at the mailing machine (BCR scan technology) "Ability to automatically feed and seal hefty stacks of assorted size mail or handle packages up to.75 inch thick or thicker "Ability to track mail "Power line conditioner (as required) "eCertification and eReturn receipt feature capability 3.2Installation, Training, and On-going Support/Maintenance "Vendors must provide complete installation, configuration, setup, and testing of all equipment and software, including integration with and configuration for data streams and document types processed at the Prescott VA Health Care VAMC facility. "Vendors will provide separate, detailed, and on-site end-user training for: oMail Room staff (on all equipment, software, and procedures to include all features including mail output, browser-based, multi-carrier integrated shipping systems, maintenance, configuration etc.) "All scheduled and periodic maintenance required by equipment manufacturers will be included in the proposal, said maintenance to be performed by certified individuals. "Equipment is to be kept up to date with current technology throughout the life of the lease. Equipment will also follow guidelines, policies and procedures set forth by the USPS. "One hour phone response time and a Four hour on site repair response time (prior to noon (12pm) Arizona time). After noon (12pm), next business day prior to noon. No remote Diagnosis Application. All troubleshooting and support must be done by a technician on-site. 3.2.bAccess to Site and Working Hours The contractor shall schedule on-site service with the COR or designee during normal working hours between Monday and Friday, 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., local time, excluding Federal holidays. Federal Holidays Observed: New Years Day Martin Luther King's Birthday President's Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veteran's Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day Deliver to: Northern Arizona VA Healthcare System 500 Highway 89 N Prescott, AZ 86313 Warehouse, Bldg 20 3.3Information Protection Requirements a)The contractor and their personnel shall be subject to the same Federal laws, regulations, standards and VA policies as VA personnel, regarding information and information system security. These include, but are not limited to Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), Appendix III of OMB Circular A-130, and guidance and standards, available from the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This also includes the use of common security configurations available from NIST's Web site at: http://checklists.nist.gov. b)To ensure that appropriate security controls are in place, contractors must follow the procedures set forth in "VA Information and Information System Security/Privacy Requirements for IT Contracts" located at the following Web site: http://www.iprm.oit.va.gov. c)These provisions shall apply to all contracts in which VA sensitive information is stored, generated, transmitted, or exchanged by VA, a contractor, subcontractor or a third-party, or on behalf of any of these entities regardless of format or whether it resides on a VA system or contractor/subcontractor's electronic information system(s) operating for or on the VA's behalf. d)Clauses a) and b) shall apply to current and future contracts and acquisition vehicles including, but not limited to, job orders, task orders, letter contracts, purchase orders, and modifications. Contracts do not include grants and cooperative agreements covered by 31 U.S.C. §6301 et seq. e)Hard Drives and other data storage devices remain the property of the Prescott VA Health Care VAMC at the end of the contract, and may not be removed from VA premises for any reason (including warranty work). 3.4Prescott VA Health Care VAMC facility provided items: Unless otherwise indicated, the facility will be responsible for providing: OI&T oNetwork connections (from network closet to WLAN/Internet) oSecurity software for servers (Anti-Virus, Firewall, etc.) oOngoing support of OS and all VA- provided software Engineering oAppropriate electrical connections with power filters oNetwork connections (cable from closet to equipment location) Logistics Contracting Officer's Representative is Graham Gardner, graham.gardner@va.gov and Kim Hennessey, kim.hennessey@VA.GOV oKey personal/staff attendance for installation and training 1.Ron Wynn - 928-445-4860 X6378 ron.wynn@va.gov 2.Graham Gardner - 928-445-4860 X6179 graham.gardner@va.gov 4.Method of Payment 4.1 Invoices It is the contractor's responsibility to make sure each invoice has the following information included: "Vendor name "Invoice number "Date "Remit address "Complete purchase order number "Itemized description of goods or services, quantity, and unit price "Total dollar amount "Discount or net terms "The contractor will need to call the assigned COR to verify purchase order numbers before sending invoices, to ensure timely payment. "All sites shall be invoiced monthly and in arrears on the same invoice and list location. "Period of Performance for each billing cycle. 4.2 Electronic Payment Methods The VAFSC can also accommodate electronic data interchange (EDI); electronic funds transfer (EFT), and web-based electronic payments. The VAFSC maintains an online Vendor Inquiry System that allows vendors direct access to payment status. For more information, please contact our customer support help desk at the VAFSC Vendor Website at www.vis.fsc.va.gov/login.aspx or call our toll free customer support number at (877) 353-9791. Definitions TermDefinition Active PatientFor the purposes of this document, an "active patient" is one who has been seen at the Prescott VA Health Care VAMC facility or an affiliated CBOC within the last calendar year. BREBusiness Reply Envelopes - A return envelope supplied by the sender to the recipient for use in a prepaid response system. CASS Coding Accuracy Support System - The USPS system that matches an address list to the USPS master list of Zip+4 codes. CASS certified software can perform a match (and provide corrections) even with errors in the address. CORContracting Officer's Representative - a business communications liaison between the United States government and a private contractor CycleThe processing of a single piece of mail through a postage machine. Differential WeighingProcess by which a mail processing machine weighs a group of letters/parcels; the mail operator removes a piece; the machine determines the necessary postage by the reduction in overall weight. DPVDelivery Point Validation - matches addresses submitted to a system to an official USPS database of valid delivery addresses. errElectronic Return Receipt (Also Called RRE - Return Receipt Electronic) - the United States Postal Service new, electronic method of confirming delivery of Certified Mail. FreightItems being shipped that are over 130 pounds or a total size constraint of 165 inches (length + girth (girth equals 2 x width plus 2 x height)). FYFiscal Year - Federal budgetary year covering October 1st of one calendar year until September 30th of the next. IBIIndex-Based Indicia - a 2-dimensional Data Matrix or bar code combined with visually identifiable characters and symbols. The data matrix contains such information as amount of postage, origin zip code, destination, mail class, weight, confirmation / tracking numbers. LPMLetters per minute - the rate at which letters can be processed through a postage meter or folding device. Mail Management SystemThe hardware, software, systems, and solutions required for the receipt, delivery, processing, and sending of an organizations printed mail and small packages. MOVE UpdateRefers to USPS methods for making sure that the person or business mail is addressed to, is still at the address the sender has for them. NCOA LinkNational Change of Address Linkage - A U.S. Postal Service tool that tracks OI&TOffice of Information and Technology - The VA's Information Technology division, reporting to the Secretary of the Department OMROptical Mark Recognition - (also called Optical Mark Reading) is the process of capturing human-marked data from document forms such as surveys and tests. TCOTotal Cost of Ownership - The life cycle cost view of an asset, which includes acquisition, setup, support, ongoing maintenance, service and all operating expenses. It focuses attention on the sum of all costs of owning an asset, as opposed to the initial or vendor cost PAVE Presorting Accuracy Validation and Evaluation - a software certification program that sets the standard of excellence for presort software products. PHIProtected Health Information - Under the US Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), PHI is any information about health status, provision of health care, or payment for health care that can be linked to a specific individual. PIIPersonally Identifiable Information - Information that identifies or describes an individual, including but not limited to name, address, telephone number, social security number, credit card number, and personal characteristics that would make the individual's identity easily discoverable. UPSUnited Parcel Service - a logistics services company providing shipping and transport of mail, parcels, packages, and freight. URLUniform Resource Locater - the address of a web page on the world wide web USPSUnited States Postal Service - an independent federal agency that provides mail processing and delivery service for individuals and businesses in the United States VADepartment of Veterans Affairs VAFSCDepartment of Veterans Affairs Financial Services Center - The VA's primary location/portal for vendor payments. VERAVeterans Equitable Resource Allocation - the accounting method by which limited funds available to the Department of Veterans affairs are allocated to individual organizations within the Department VISTAVeterans Information Systems and Technology Architecture - the VA patient record/Enterprise Resource Planning System VPNVirtual Private Networking - A software application that creates a secure connection between a public computer network and a private one. Weigh in MotionThe process by which a mail processing machine weighs individual pieces of mail as they move across the system scale. Zip+4A ZIP+4 code uses the basic five-digit zip code plus four additional digits to identify a geographic segment within the five-digit delivery area, such as a city block, a group of apartments, an individual high-volume receiver of mail or any other unit that could use an extra identifier to aid in efficient mail sorting and delivery. Lease versus Ownership: TECHNOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS Natural Obsolescence Hedge - Perhaps one of the strongest reasons for acquiring equipment through leasing, as opposed to purchasing, is that leasing helps lessees avoid the risk of ownership. A key risk of ownership is that of the equipment obsolescence. Much of today's equipment is based upon technology that is rapidly changing, thus making the equipment subject to obsolescence. The inherent risk of owning technologically-sensitive equipment is that the equipment may become economically useless for the company owning it much earlier than expected and long before the obligations to acquire the equipment have been satisfied. Leasing shifts the ownership risk away from the lessee. Takeout, Rollovers, and Upgrades - These common lease options give the lessee flexibility during the lease term should the leased equipment become obsolete prior to the termination of the lease. A takeout occurs when a lessor replaces the obsolete equipment with updated equipment, whereby the lessee is "taken out" of the outmoded equipment and then leases the updated equipment. Sometimes a lessee may only need an upgrade of its current equipment as opposed to complete replacement. Many lease contracts today are written with upgrade provisions that allow additional equipment to be added to the existing system. In summary: The reasons for the growing popularity of leasing have been briefly summarized above. The major benefit for the Prescott VA Health Care VAMC facility to lease is to avoid the risks of technological obsolescence; the many options available for upgrades, the benefit of the straight GSA step lease the advantage of the flexible structuring options available that were utilized in the proposed lease. The benefits of leasing to a lessee are numerous and just one of the reasons mentioned above should prove beneficial and motivating to lease rather than to purchase. *Leasing shifts the responsibility, risk and hassle of equipment ownership and disposal from us. Proposal Summary: "GREEN INITIATIVE": The Prescott VA Health Care VAMC is always looking for ways to improve its processes and when it can tie it into a Green Initiative: This equipment supports and assists to reduce adverse impacts to the environment, conserve energy and other natural resources, improve public health and safety, and create new markets and jobs. These products carry the Energy Star rating. "Last longer, run cooler, and use up to 50% less energy. "Operate more efficiently, saving time and money. "Save the Environment with innovative product and package designs. The Prescott VA Health Care VAMC can support the Green Initiative with this equipment. (Our current equipment is not Green.) By the replacement of the antiquated equipment we can display a commitment to assist the VA's goals and performance with the quest of the "Green Initiative".
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