REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ABOUT COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING SYSTEMS

Notice Date

January 26, 2001

Contracting Office

National Institute of Standards & Technology, Acquisition & Assistance Div.,100 Bureau Drive Stop 3572, Bldg. 301, Rm B117, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-3572

ZIP Code

20899-3572

E-Mail Address

NIST Contracts Office (Contract@nist.gov)

Description

This is a Request for Information (RFI) being released by the U. S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on behalf of its sister agency, the U. S. Department of Commerce, National Technical Information Service (NTIS). NTIS is the central collection and distribution point for government-sponsored research and development reports, business studies, statistical information, and other Scientific and Technical Engineering Information (STEI). NTIS is mandated by Congress to collect, archive, organize, and disseminate scientific, technical and business information to business, industry, and educational centers. NTIS is interested in exploring the technology and systems that are currently available in the publishing field with a view to upgrading its current order fulfillment system. NTIS intends to employ new technology in hardware, software and networking areas and move to an "e-world" processing environment. The transformation to e-business will be fundamental and profound, going far beyond e-commerce to change the technology, structure, processes and culture of NTIS. NTIS' legacy system hosts a commercial-off-the-shelf order processing, inventory and accounts receivable software package developed by a Contractor and customized to NTIS' specifications. It was originally developed for the commercial publishing industry and consists of an integrated accounting, order processing, inventory, and data base package. NTIS processes about 300 demand orders per day, using an inventory consisting of more than 3 million items and fulfills approximately 400 subscription items and standing orders. NTIS charges a user fee for sale of its products and services to the public and other federal agencies as authorized by Title 15, USC 1151-1157, as amended. The Order Processing System has been in place for over 5 years and requires continual maintenance. This system for all practical purposes has become technologically stagnant, burdensome, extremely costly to maintain while severely limiting NTIS' ability to respond quickly and easily to the sophisticated needs of doing business in today's global market. Current hardware consists of HP-UX O/S with shared disk space and multiple computer access. Other options will be considered. NTIS wants software solutions that use "open system architect" solutions that will provide significant improvements in customer service, productivity, reliability and resource utilization while taking advantage of the price/performance economies of E-commerce solutions. NTIS is planning for an integrated and streamlined organizational database. The single characteristic that most distinguishes NTIS from other publishers is the size of its inventory. Complex data element relationships must be capable of being accessed by NTIS end-users. NTIS offers more than three million products in its automated inventory, using a 6 digit General Ledger identification as well as an up to 30 digit product number. Direct, secure, and real-time access into the order management system must provide NTIS with instant access to the information demanded, when it is needed. Required elements of this publishing system include: 1) Order Entry functions; 2) E-commerce capability; 3) Inventory Management; 4) Purchasing; 5) Manufacturing; 6) Royalty Payment; 7) Marketing; 8) Shipping; 9) Customer Service; 10) General Ledger; 11) Subscriptions; 12) Accounts Receivable; 13) Accounts Payable; 14) System Security; 15) End of Day, Month, and Year processing; and 16) Report Writer. This RFI seeks to identify existing, commercially available order processing systems capable of meeting NTIS' requirements. NTIS requests comments on commercially available systems that could address these basic modules. Specifically, please discuss the financial modules and how they could address the requirement for a 6 digit General Ledger identification, an up to 30 digit product number, and a minimum of 2 Debits and 2 Credits in a transaction for Accounts Payable. Also, discuss how your system would address the Federal environment regulations (i.e., JFMIP compliant). http://www.financenet.gov/financenet/fed/jfmip/jfmip.htm. NTIS further request a description of a possible methodology and approach that could be feasible for use by NTIS. Additionally, please provide references (names, addresses and phone numbers) of government and/or non-government environments that use the referenced system. THIS RFI IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT TO ISSUE A SOLICITATION OR ULTIMATELY AWARD A CONTRACT. RESPONSES WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED AS PROPOSALS NOR WILL ANY AWARD BE MADE AS A RESULT OF THIS SYNOPSIS. Neither NIST nor NTIS is interested in specific company capability information and will not entertain such submissions. All information contained in the RFI is preliminary, as well as subject to modification, and is in no way binding on the Government. FAR clause 52.215-3, Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (OCT 1997), is incorporated by reference into this RFI. NO PROPRIETARY DATA SHOULD BE SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO THIS RFI. ANY SUBMISSIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED TO BE PUBLIC INFORMATION AND MAY BE HANDLED BY NON-GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL. NTIS will acknowledge receipt of information submitted in response to this RFI but will not provide feedback to the originating party. Responses to this RFI should be no more than 10 typewritten pages. Please provide an original and 4 copies of the your response by mail to: NTIS, Attn: Ms. Betty Lagundo, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161. PLEASE PROVIDE ALL RESPONSES TO THIS RFI BY 28 FEBRUARY 2001.

Web Link

NIST Contracts Homepage (http://www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/contract.htm)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010130/SPMSC001.HTM (W-026 SN50B9U5)