Brazo B os Riv ver A Autho ority Requ uest for f Propo osal Enterprrise Resou R urce Plann ning (ERP P) Sofftwarre RFP R No o. 13-10 0-778
Octobe O er 7, 2 2013 Note: Re esponses to this RF FP are duee by Nove ember 4, 2013
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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2.) PROFILE OF BRAZOS RIVER AUTHORITY
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3.) CURRENT SYSTEMS AND STRATEGIC DIRECTION
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4.) PROJECT SCOPE AND TIMELINE
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5.) VENDOR INSTRUCTIONS
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6.) VENDOR AND SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: VENDOR TECHNICAL FUNCTIONAL
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7.) EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS
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8.) CONDITIONS
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9.) APPENDICES A. CLIENT REFERENCE LIST B. PRICING WORKSHEET C. PROFESSIONAL SERVICES QUESTIONNAIRE D. ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF ADDENDUMS E. W-9 F. VENDOR EXCEPTIONS TO RFP
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Section 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Purpose. Brazos River Authority (BRA) is issuing this Request for Proposal (RFP) for the purpose of obtaining information and proposals for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. It is the BRA’s preference to enter into an agreement with a single Vendor who can provide the complete range of required modules. Third party applications for some of the modules will also be considered but must be fully disclosed in the RFP response. The BRA is seeking a complete response from Vendors who can demonstrate that they possess the organizational, functional, and technical capabilities to perform the services, and meet or exceed the requirements and service levels specified herein. The BRA and the Vendor will negotiate a final contract incorporating pertinent portions of the Vendor’s response to the RFP, a comprehensive list of all deliverables and services to be performed by the Vendor, applicable Vendor documentation, product literature, and pricing information. Information concerning the BRA’s objectives, current environment, project scope and timeline, requirements, RFP response parameters and evaluation criteria are discussed in the balance of this document. Contractual Philosophy. There are inherent risks in assuming responsibility for existing systems, developing new interfaces, and providing enhancements, that go along with implementing and using ERP solutions. These risks are compounded by today’s rapidly changing and highly competitive environment. Because of the uncertainty of the marketplace, the increasing complexity of the solutions, and the increased investment required to develop, deliver and implement these solutions, we will expect the Vendor to be the expert in application of their products and services. The BRA’s intent is to form a long-term alliance with the selected Vendor. This alliance must be mutually beneficial and share the risks the alliance encompasses. Such a relationship would embrace the following principles:
The alliance will contribute to our mutual benefit. The risk of implementing and using technology solutions must be shared. The relationship will promote continuous and measurable improvement in the people, products, and services of both organizations. The Vendor must share our dedication to delivering quality and timely services. Both parties will always strive to eliminate ambiguities and omissions from the spoken and written terms of the relationship by communicating with clarity of purpose and expectations. The terms of the relationship must recognize the mutual commitment and provide for meaningful information exchange to allow each party input to the other’s plans. Each party will live up to its obligations and representations, but both recognize honest mistakes and misinterpretations may occur in the description of the complex business transactions. The terms of the relationship must minimize the likelihood of disputes by having documented standards of performance and quality, clear and specific warranties, and exercisable remedies in the event that one or both parties fail to meet their obligations.
Negotiations Philosophy. Both the Vendor and the BRA will negotiate in good faith to reach a mutually satisfactory contract with terms and conditions that fairly allocate both total costs of ownership and risk. As a result of the negotiations, the BRA and the successful Vendor will develop and enter into an agreement to provide the software and services necessary to meet the project goals. The BRA believes that the agreement should be mutually beneficial whereby both parties receive value. The BRA has a strong interest in the success of the selected Vendor. It is not in the BRA’s best interest to have a Vendor suffer financially
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through its association with the BRA, nor is it the BRA’s responsibility to subsidize poor performance or project management. The contractual relationship will be premised on the Vendor as the expert. The BRA will rely upon the Vendor’s expertise to develop, deliver, implement and maintain solutions that fulfill the defined business requirements. The BRA expects all Vendors to exercise the highest degree of integrity in all dealings with their vendors, employees, and the BRA. Negotiation Methodology and Timeline. It is the intent of the BRA to successfully negotiate a contract by March 31, 2014.
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Section 2 PROFILE OF THE BRAZOS RIVER AUTHORITY The Brazos River Authority was created by the Texas Legislature in 1929 and was the first State agency in the United States created specifically for the purpose of developing and managing the water resources of an entire river basin. Today, the BRA’s staff of 250 develop and distribute water supplies, provide water and wastewater treatment, monitor water quality, and pursue water conservation through public education programs. Although the Brazos River Authority is an agency of the State of Texas, it does not levy or collect taxes. Except for occasional government grants to help pay the costs of specific projects, the BRA is entirely selfsupporting. The BRA maintains and operates its reservoirs and treatment systems using revenues from the customers it serves. For more information about the Brazos River Authority, please visit our website at www.brazos.org.
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Section 3 CURRENT SYSTEMS AND STRATEGIC DIRECTION Systems Overview. The BRA is currently using Infor Lawson software for its Financial Management system. This system was first implemented in 2002, and is currently running on HyperV hosted on a cluster system for failover and disaster recovery. The host machine runs Windows Server and SQL Server 2012. In addition to the current financial system, the BRA operates several applications in various departments that are not integrated with the current financial system. The following table defines all current applications: Application General Ledger, Inventory Control, Purchase Order, Accounts Receivable, Billing, Requisitions, Activity Management, Asset Management, Accounts Payable Microsoft Add-ins for Excel Crystal Reports Asset Management Human Resources / Payroll Lab Information Management System 1099 Dynamics CRM SharePoint
Vendor
Status
Lawson
Replace
Lawson Crystal/Lawson MicroMain ADP LIMS
Replace Replace Keep Keep Keep
1099 Pro Microsoft Microsoft
Possible Replacement Keep Keep
In addition, departments also maintain Excel spreadsheets or Access based systems to manage information specific to their department’s functional requirements that cannot be captured due to either a lack of integration or a lack of fields to contain the information. Business Drivers. The primary business drivers for this selection project are the limitations of the current systems to support the BRA’s operations and include the following: Utilize technology that offers flexibility in navigation, reporting and user modifications, e.g. Excel import/export, Graphical User Interface, etc. Improve financial management and control with proper accounting procedures, offer flexible and timely reporting, and comply with regulatory reporting. Streamline business processes to increase employee productivity and efficiency while maintaining a high level of data integrity and accuracy. Improve services to customers through a real-time system that effectively manages account information on a timely basis and allows for more accessibility and sharing of data between users. Allow employees to work proactively and not reactively; be able to find answers to daily questions faster and analyze business performance with flexible reporting tools. Improve efficiency thorough automation of manual processes (e.g. workflow routing) and integration between modules. It is the BRA’s intent to eliminate many of the paper-based business processes and inefficiencies by implementing a new system that is fully integrated, flexible, and open to allow connection to external systems using integration tools provided by the selected vendor.
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Strategic Plan and IT Technology Directives. The new system should provide end-users with the ability to enter and manipulate data in an online interactive mode, including simultaneous access to files. Both hardware and software must have the ability to be interconnected through the existing network infrastructure that will be modified as required by the new ERP system. All updates should be processed in real time throughout the system wherever possible. This product selection process is the integral step of our strategic plan to achieve the following goals: Partner with a stable and visionary software technology provider for our core systems. Leverage the increased use of alerts, triggers, and workflow throughout all systems. Provide interactivity between core systems and the MS Office Suite. Utilize user-friendly reporting tools to query databases with drill down capabilities. Use a product “out of the box” with minimal customization and implement the Best Practices inherent in the software. Improve usability and accuracy through the implementation of fully integrated systems. Explore benefits of remote vendor support to minimize internal IT costs.
The proposed system must be designed with the recognition that the BRA will have changing requirements. The BRA must be able to amend the product using vendor authorized tools so the application can be tailored to fit the look, feel, and functionality required by different users within the BRA. Any such configurations should not impact the BRA’s ability to stay on the product upgrade path.
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Section 4 PROJECT SCOPE AND TIMELINE The objective of this RFP is to solicit proposals from vendors that can provide an integrated, fully developed, and previously implemented ERP Financial System. The BRA desires a system with a web-based deployment strategy to reduce support and costs that could reduce the learning curve and improve flexibility. We will only consider applications that have a user install base with many references. Scope. The BRA intends to purchase an integrated ERP system that encompasses the following specific modules and functional areas: Required Modules General Ledger Treasury/Cash Management Purchase Order Accounts Payable Accounts Receivable/Miscellaneous Billing Fixed Assets Project Accounting Budgeting Report Writer The Required Modules defined above encompass the core focus of the project and will be implemented using a phased approach as recommended by the selected vendor. The BRA expects some level of process improvement through implementation of a new ERP system and intends to adopt most of the best practices offered by the selected vendor. Vendors who are invited to demonstrate their product should be prepared to discuss the application’s best practices. The BRA believes that completely integrated packaged solutions exist that can meet its core business requirements for this system. Given this premise, the BRA expects to make minimal modifications to the selected package. The intent of this strategy is to minimize vendor costs, expedite implementation, and ensure that the BRA will be able to remain on the application upgrade path offered by the vendor. Key benefits the BRA expects to achieve as a result of this project include:
Position the BRA to meet its current and future strategic objectives. Make information easily and broadly available. Improve responsiveness to customers and board members. Allow the use of best business practices. Easily train new employees. Obtain systems that are user friendly to all levels of users. Support or complement the BRA’s desired technical architecture. Integrate information from multiple systems. Strengthen operational effectiveness and efficiencies.
The BRA will choose an enterprise-wide system that most closely meets the requirements as defined within this RFP, and eliminate as many stand-alone sub-systems and applications as possible. The preference is to select a solution from a single vendor that can provide all of the required modules in an integrated manner. However, vendors that do not offer a full suite of the modules defined in this RFP may respond if they can demonstrate a proven integration strategy with other solutions to complete the functional footprint, verified by references. In this situation, the BRA prefers that the primary vendor responding be responsible for ensuring the integration of all applications. Demonstration of the partnership and implementation experience should be included in the RFP response.
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Timeline. The BRA intends to complete the selection process using the following schedule. However, the BRA reserves the right to modify or reschedule procurement milestones as necessary.
Event
Date
Release RFP to Vendors Vendor Questions Due Answers to RFP Questions Published to Website RFP Responses Due Finalists Notified Vendor Demonstrations Vendor Reference Checks Contract Review and Negotiation Final Vendor Selection Start Implementation Planning
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October 7, 2013 October 16, 2013 October 18, 2013 November 4, 2013 December 13, 2013 January 2014 January/February 2014 February 2014 February 2014 March 2014
Section 5 VENDOR INSTRUCTIONS Proposal Responses. The BRA must receive responses to this RFP no later than the date specified in Section 4 (November 4, 2013, by 3:00 p.m. CST). Proposals received after the due date will not be accepted. No additional time will be granted to any vendor unless by addendum to this RFP. It is the standard practice of the BRA to collect mail once daily from the US Post Office. Our daily pickup is at approximately 9:00 a.m., Monday thru Friday, excluding holidays. The BRA is NOT responsible for ensuring the delivery of proposals to our offices. The vendor is solely responsible for the timely delivery of their proposal. Vendors must submit one 1 original with signatures, 5 copies, and 1 electronic version of the RFP in MS Word format to the following address (faxed or emailed proposals will not be accepted): Administrative Services Brazos River Authority P.O. Box 7555 Waco, TX 76714-7555 Proposal envelopes must be plainly marked on the outside as follows: SEALED PROPOSAL – DO NOT OPEN PROPOSAL: RFP NO: RFP DUE DATE/TIME:
ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING (ERP) SOFTWARE 13-10-778 3:00 PM, MONDAY NOVEMBER 4, 2013
Proposal Response Format. The RFP response should adhere to the following format: Section Section 1
Title Executive Summary
Contents Overview description of proposed solutions, vendor experience, and contact information (one page). Corporate: Name of Vendor Corporate Office Address Telephone Number, Facsimile Number, Email Address Contact Name for RFP Correspondence
Section 2
Contractual Philosophy and Core Values
Section 3
Requirements
Individual: Name of Vendor Office Address Telephone Number, Facsimile Number, Email Address Contact Name for RFP Correspondence Description of Vendor’s method for supporting the BRA’s contractual philosophy, core values and strategic direction (one to two pages). System Requirements of this RFP provides the specifications/ functionality that must be met by the software application. Please complete the 10
Section 4
Pricing
Section 5
Implementation Methodology
Section 6
Support Strategy
Section 7
Other Information
Requirements Document in Section 6, providing answers and any comments necessary to clarify the functionality and submit as requested in this section. This section must be provided in hard copy, and in electronic Word file format. Do not change the document format or font settings. Estimates that include pricing for software, maintenance, and implementation services that includes installation, configuration, training, and data conversion (list suggested amount of data and history to be converted for each module). Use form from Appendix B from RFP. A summary of implementation methodology that includes a detailed boilerplate implementation plan and a review of recommended data conversion practices (limit 10 pages). Description of strategy to support ongoing training and usability of the system after initial implementation as well as remote support services available. A. Client Reference List (Appendix A from RFP) B. Professional Services Questionnaire (Appendix C from RFP) C. Exceptions to the RFP (Appendix F from RFP) D. W-9 (Appendix E from RFP) E. User Group information: regional and national. F. Copy of vendor contract to be used for software license, services, and maintenance. G. Minimal and recommended system hardware requirements. H. Other information that may provide value to the evaluation of your software.
Vendors that deviate from this format may be deemed unresponsive. Proposals should be prepared simply, providing a straightforward, concise delineation of the capabilities necessary to satisfy the requirements of the RFP. Technical literature and elaborate promotional materials should not be submitted at this time. Emphasis in the proposals should be on completeness, clarity of content and adherence to the presentation structure required by this RFP and not on volume. Costs for developing proposals in response to the RFP are the obligation of the vendor and are not chargeable to the BRA. All proposals and accompanying documentation will become the property of the BRA and will not be returned. Pre-Submittal Questions. There will be no pre-proposers conference. Questions regarding the RFP may be submitted to the BRA by October 16, 2013 (via email) to the following. No phone calls please. Administrative Services Manager Lupe Diaz
[email protected] The Administrative Services Manager will direct any inquiries to appropriate BRA staff, a response will be issued and if warranted, an addendum will be posted on the BRA’s website at www.brazos.org. The list of questions submitted with their respective answers will be posted to our website by October 18, 2013. After RFP responses have been submitted and prior to release of the vendor Short List, inquiries concerning the RFP or the selection process should be directed to:
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Cherish Cruz, Senior Consultant SoftResources LLC Phone: 425-216-4030 Email:
[email protected] Failure to adhere to the above restrictions during the advertising, evaluation, and selection phases will result in rejection of a Vendor’s proposal. The restriction includes, but is not limited to BRA Board Members, previous BRA employees, current BRA employees, and the customers who have a vested interest in this project. RFP Amendments. The BRA reserves the right to request clarification on any proposal or to ask respondents to supply any additional material deemed necessary to assist in the evaluation of the proposal. The BRA reserves the right to change the RFP schedule or issue amendments to the RFP at any time. The BRA also reserves the right to cancel or reissue the RFP. Addenda. Proposers are responsible for checking the Brazos River Authority website for potential updates and/or addendums to the RFP requirements. Rejection of Proposals. The BRA reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any minor informalities or irregularities contained in any proposal, and to accept any proposal deemed to be in the best interest of the BRA. Proposal Validity Period. Submission of a proposal will signify the vendor’s agreement that its proposal and the content thereof are valid for 180 days following the submission deadline and will become part of the contract that is negotiated between the BRA and the successful vendor. Disclaimer. The BRA reserves the right to share, with any consultant of its choosing, the RFP and any resultant proposals in order to secure expert opinion. Non-Obligation. Receipt of proposals in response to this RFP does not obligate the BRA in any way. The right to accept or reject any proposal shall be exercised solely by the BRA. The BRA shall retain the right to abandon the proposal process at any time prior to the actual execution of a contract with a vendor, and the BRA shall bear no financial or other responsibility in the event of such abandonment. Public Disclosure. The Brazos River Authority is subject to the Texas Public Information Act. Any information submitted to the BRA by an Offeror shall be available to the public, unless it is clearly marked “CONFIDENTIAL.” If another party requests access to information so marked by the Offeror, then the BRA shall ask the Offeror if the information may be released. If the release is agreed to, the BRA shall release the information. If the release is denied, the matter shall be referred to the Texas Attorney General’s Office where the Offeror shall be responsible for substantiating its confidentiality. The Attorney General’s Office shall rule on the matter. Pricing information contained in proposals or contracts is not considered confidential under the PIA and will be disclosed without making a request to the Texas Attorney General. Conflict of Interest. Pursuant to Chapter 176 of the Local Government Code, any person or agent of a person who contracts or seeks to contract for the sale or purchase of property, goods, or services with a local government entity (i.e., Brazos River Authority) must disclose in the Conflicts of Interest Questionnaire Form ("Questionnaire") the person's affiliation or business relationship that might cause a conflict of interest with the local government entity. By law, the Questionnaire must be filed with the Brazos River Authority Records Management Officer no later than seven days after the date the person begins contract discussions or negotiations with the Brazos River Authority, or submits an application or response to a request for proposal or bids, correspondence, or another writing related to a potential agreement with the Brazos River Authority. Updated Questionnaires must be filed in conformance with Chapter 176. The Questionnaire is available online at http://www.brazos.org/proservices.asp.
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If you have any questions about compliance, please consult your own legal counsel. Compliance is the individual responsibility of each person or agent of a person who is subject to the filing requirement. An offense under Chapter 176 is a Class C misdemeanor. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS. The Contractor shall, at Contractor’s sole expense, maintain insurance coverage as set forth below: General liability Bodily Injury $500,000 per person Bodily Injury $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate Property Damage $1,000,000 per occurrence Aggregate $2,000,000 Automobile Liability - $1,000,000 per claim/aggregate Workers Compensation Statutory Employer's Liability $1,000,000 policy limit Professional Liability $1,000,000 per claim/$2,000,000 Aggregate The proposer must acknowledge and/or provide proof that they can obtain the levels of insurance coverage specified. Provide the name, address, and certificates of insurance coverage as specified. INDEMNIFICATION: The Proposer shall comply with the requirements of all applicable laws, rules, and regulations and shall exonerate, indemnify and hold harmless the Authority from any and all Liability or Damages resulting from failure to do so. In addition, the Proposer agrees to keep, save and hold the BRA harmless from any and all actions, liabilities, damages, judgments, costs and expenses including reasonable attorney’s fees, in case an action is filed or does in any way accrue against the BRA, its officials, officers, and employees in consequence of the contract for any negligent act or omission of the vendor in the provision of merchandise under the contract, or that may result from the carelessness or lack of skill of the Proposer or the Proposer’s agent, contractors, assigns or employees. In the event a judgment is recovered against the BRA for any such liability, costs or expenses, such judgment shall be conclusive against the Vendor. It is specifically understood and agreed by the Proposer that such indemnity is indemnity by the Proposer to indemnify and protect the BRA from Liability, Claims, Suits, Losses, Damages or Causes of action due to the Proposer’s Negligence, Error or Omission.
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Section 6 VENDOR AND SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS This section includes the technical and functional requirements to be evaluated in this RFP. This is not a comprehensive list of all of the BRA’s requirements, but includes the key requirements that will be used to evaluate the RFPs and will be included as part of the signed contracts. Responses to each line item should be concise and straightforward.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS For each numbered line item requirement, the vendor must indicate in the “Vendor Response” column Y, 3P, C, F, or N, according to the following legend: Y 3P
Fully supported by the current release of the software. Supported with third party software (i.e. software not directly owned or controlled by the vendor submitting the proposal).
C
Customization is required to meet the requirement (e.g. changes to the underlying code must be made; a new table must be created; etc.) This causes additional upgrade work in order to implement new versions or upgrades.
F
Future functionality: Supported in the next release of the software.
N
Not supported.
1) If the vendor responds with 3P, C, or F, the vendor must provide additional information in the comments column:
For “3P”, the vendor must explain what third party software application or service is required, any integration requirements, and the vendor’s relationship with this third party. Vendor must also provide a cost estimate for the third party software, and also include this as a line item on the Pricing Worksheet in Appendix B.
For “C”, the vendor must explain the nature and amount of customization required, and experience with the same or similar modifications. Vendor must also provide a cost estimate for the customization, and also include this as a line item on the Pricing Worksheet in Appendix B.
For “F”, the vendor must explain the functionality in the new release, the expected general availability release timing and provide surety that the functionality will be included.
This information must be completed and submitted in the format provided. Please do not modify the format or font settings of this template. This section of the RFP response must be provided in hard copy as well as an electronic copy using the MS Word format.
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R = Required I = Important N = Nice to Have E = Explore
Brazos River Authority Key Requirements
Vendor and Software Data 1. Contact Information Company Name Name and Title of Contact Person Address Phone and Email Company Website 2. Company Information Year Founded Private vs. Public; Listing and Exchange Revenue and Income: Current and Prior Year Regional offices closest to Waco, Texas 3. Vendor Employee Counts Product Development Implementation Support Help Desk Support Sales Administration/Other 4. Number of Customers Total Similar to Brazos River Authority 5. Target User Profile Vertical Industries Target: Number of Employees and Operating Budget 6. Implementation Model – Direct or VAR 7. Version Schedule Current version and release date Typical release schedule, Number of prior versions/or years supported Pricing Information 1. Software – 250 employees with the following user counts: Total users: Named=125, Concurrent=45 2. Implementation – define as ratio of services cost to software cost 3. Annual Maintenance – define as % of software license 4. Database – additional license and maintenance 5. Other – specify, e.g. hardware, 3rd party applications, etc. General R 1. User-configurable menus screens and fields. I 2. Workflow - rules-based routing with online approvals (requisitions, POs, work orders, invoices, etc.). MAPI or SMTP compliant preferred. I 3. Workflow - Flags, alerts, and triggers throughout all modules. R 4. Query across modules with drill down capability to source transactions. QBE is preferred. R 5. Unlimited notes or text fields. R 6. Unlimited characters on detail text fields (e.g. item description). R 7. Full audit trail: date, time, user stamp. R 8. Real-time data updates; with batch posting option. I 9. Online user’s manuals. Context sensitive help would be Nice to Have. Technology R 1. Platform: MS Windows Server. List % of installs by platform. I 2. Database: MS-SQL Server. List % of installs by database. I 3. Prefer web-based user interface. R 4. Bi-directional integration with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook. R 5. IPV6 Compliance for VPN access. R 6. Run software on Virtual Machines, HyperV. R 7. Support Microsoft Active Directory. R 8. Group and User level security to the menu level (field level security is a Nice to
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R = Required I = Important N = Nice to Have E = Explore
R I I R
R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R I R R R E R R R
R I R R N N I N R R R
Brazos River Authority Key Requirements
Have). Scan and attach images and documents to transactions in database or link to external data repository. 10. Mobile device support; iPad, Windows 8, iPhone, etc. 11. Open integration architecture, e.g. APIs, Web Services. 12. Discuss integration experience with: ADP (Human Resources/Payroll) MicroMain (Asset Management) Microsoft SharePoint (Document Management) Ventanex (Online ACH Payments) LIMS (Lab Information Management System) Voyager (Fuel Card) 1099 Pro (1099 Tracking/Reporting) Microsoft Dynamics CRM .NET Homegrown Application (Water Contract Maintenance) Compass Bank Desk Top Check Scanner System Required Modules 1. General Ledger 2. Treasury/Cash Management 3. Purchase Order 4. Accounts Payable 5. Accounts Receivable/Miscellaneous Billing 6. Fixed Assets 7. Project Accounting 8. Budgeting 9. Report Writer General Ledger 1. Describe chart of account structure; current digits are 4-8-5-2 = unit, account/sub-account, activity, category 2. Support Enterprise Funds and Agency Funds. 3. Inter-company/fund transactions; due-to/due-from. 4. Journal Entry import from Excel. 5. Auto Reversing Journal Entries and Recurring Journal Entries. 6. Fiscal Year (September 1 – August 31); 12 periods + 1 closing period. 7. Security driven soft and hard close for period end. 8. Ability to edit journal entries after posting. 9. Cash basis accounting with ability to convert at year end to accrual basis for GASB and CAFR reporting. 10. CAFR report tool, indicate if 3rd party. 10. Review and approval steps before posting (e.g. Journal Entries). 11. Encumbrances (Purchase Order, and Accounts Payable). 12. Allocations - system driven and user definable (e.g. overhead to departments based on headcount, IT based on PC count, management fees based on percentage, etc.). Treasury/Cash Management 1. Electronic bank reconciliation with exception reporting. 2. Funds management: Operating, Repair and Replace, Reserve, Operating Reserve, Interest and Sinking 3. Management and transfers for 4 bank accounts. 4. Track investment 1 – 2 year CDs; purchase date, maturity, funds, etc. 5. Track municipal bonds (currently 2). 6. Cash and investment account balance reporting by investment, by fund. 7. Cash and investment forecasting. Purchase Order 1. Purchasing: chemicals, equipment, services, construction, office supplies, other. 2. Create requisition, route for approval, and convert to purchase order, with option 9.
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R = Required I = Important N = Nice to Have E = Explore
I I R I R I R I R R R R I R I I R I I
I N R R R R R R R N R R N I R R R R E N N R R
Brazos River Authority Key Requirements
to start at purchase order (no requisition). Ability to replicate an existing purchase order to create a new one. Alert for budget/blanket PO thresholds at the creation of a requisition or purchase order with manager approval and override. 5. Full requisition sent to approver, including notes. 6. Consolidated email alerts when requisitions are approved for a user defined period of time. 7. Alert to requester when requisition is converted to purchase order. 8. User defined requisition status (e.g. hold). 9. Standard items, descriptions and purchase quantities. Standardized commodity descriptions (e.g. NIGP) is Nice-to-Have. 10. 5 digits after the decimal point for quantities and pricing on purchase orders. 11. Single item with multiple ship-to and a single bill-to. 12. Multiple units of measure (e.g. drum, gallon, etc.) 13. Pricing - purchase volume discounts. 14. Budget, encumbered and actual reporting. 15. Flag purchase order line item as a Fixed Asset. 16. Blanket purchase orders across multiple years. 17. Purchase order tied to supplier contract by location. 18. Individual purchase orders by ship-to location (even if from the same vendor for the same product). 19. Receiving - full contents of PO visible to the receiver. 20. Contract Tracking: contractor, sub-contractor, deliverables, insurance/expiration, renewal and extensions, increase requests (CPI), payments, etc. 21. Track co-op purchases based on approved contract items (e.g. purchase from a vendor that has a contract to provide special pricing to members of the co-op). Co-Op Examples: TIPS, TCPN, HGAC, TPAS, Buy Board, DIR 22. Supply purchase orders for co-op purchases to the co-op to qualify for rebates. 23. Bid and quote management. Accounts Payable 1. Vendor attributes: type, commodity, parent, default account code, default GL distribution, classification (legal, medical, directors). etc. 2. Support user defined vendor classes including co-op and one-time vendors. 3. 1099 vendor tracking and reporting or interface with 1099 Pro. 4. 2-way and 3-way matching (PO, Receipt, Invoice). 5. Support Positive Pay. 6. Support for P-Cards. 7. Alert for budget overage on P-Cards. 8. Manual check issuance (outside of check batch run). 9. Support for Wells Fargo P-Card interface format. 10. Interface with ADP for one-time payroll check (e.g. termination check). 11. Interface with ADP for benefit check issuance (e.g. Aflac, United Way, Texas Life, etc.). 12. Utility invoice dollar allocations and descriptions by line item to distribute to GL accounts by location. 13. Recurring invoices with ability to change amounts and payment dates monthly. 14. Support multiple remittance departments and addresses. 15. Invoice payment through Wells Fargo/Compass program. 16. Support employee expense management. 17. Configurable check stub format (e.g. PO #, GL Account Code). 18. AP to AR Interface so a Credit memo or negative balance in AP can be converted to a Receivable in AR. Accounts Receivable/Miscellaneous Billing 1. Customer billing types: Water contracts, contract services, work-barge contracts, transportation fees, vendor boat-use fees, residential water permits, airport hangar leases and parking permits, commercial leases, commercial dock facilities 3. 4.
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R = Required I = Important N = Nice to Have E = Explore
R
R R R R N R N R
R R R I R R R R R R R
R I R I R R R R R
Brazos River Authority Key Requirements
with & without minimum charges, grass leases, encroachments, compost/mulch, septic hauler fees, convenience station, administrative fees, others. 2. Water contract tracking (250-300 contracts) attributes: effective date, expiration date, acre-feet sold, next time price changes, water use type, over-use fee structure, lake, basin, etc. 3. Ability to generate and schedule recurring invoices by type and cycle (e.g. water contracts = annual, monthly, quarterly; contract services = monthly, semi-annual cycles etc.) with ability to change intervals. 4. Ability to manually invoice outside of the regular billing process. 5. Support multiple miscellaneous billing types with user definable fee structure by item and various units of measure. 6. Support taxable and non-taxable fee billings based on customer’s tax status and able to have multiple tax rates for various locations. 7. User definable invoice templates based on customer. 8. Categories within the customer database to differentiate between customers for various lakes/projects and ability to run reports (like aging and dispute reports) by location. 9. Ability to add a payment to a customer’s account (posting directly to revenue and cash) without having to create a receivable first. 10. Ability to bill a negative line amount on an invoice that allows posting to an expense account then ‘nets’ with revenue line amounts to produce a positive amount for the invoice. 11. Interface with AP to convert negative balance in AR to a payment in the AP system. 12. Forms of payment include cash, check, wire, ACH (Ventanex), EFT. Credit Card, future. 13. Ability to interface/upload payments from Excel into the AR system and auto-post to customers’ balances. 14. Collection management tools and reporting including dunning letters. 15. Decimal amounts need to be 6 digits for Quantity and Price in the billing system. 16. Ability to generate late fees and finance charges at various percentage rates and flat fees determined by customer and contract type by item on the past-due invoice. 17. Ability to create disputes on invoices to remove from finance charge process, dunning process, and other aging-type reports. 18. Reportable user defined data dimensions for accounts (acre ft., usage, contract dates, etc.). 19. System generated statements on customer accounts. Fixed Assets 1. Track asset types: building, automobiles, tools and equipment, furniture, land, intangibles, other. 2. Asset attributes: purchase order, vendor, invoice, class, location, number, department, account, funding source, acquisition date, depreciation method or non-depreciable, warranty, disposal date, insurance, replacement value, serial number, etc. 3. Straight-line depreciation method applied at end of year. 4. Track and depreciate assets within an asset (sub-asset) separately tied to useful life in asset management (MicroMain). 5. Ability to add assets after depreciation is posted for the year. 6. Group assets by project or department. 7. Group assets to a classification of capitalized asset (meeting $5,000 cumulative cost threshold). 8. Ability to flag and search on the disposition of an asset (e.g. retired, destroyed, auction, etc.). 9. Attach pictures and documents of assets to the asset record. 10. Track assets by location. 11. Asset location transfers input.
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R = Required I = Important N = Nice to Have E = Explore
R R R R R I I I N I R R I R R I I R R I R R I R R R R R R R R R I N N R I
Brazos River Authority Key Requirements
Project Accounting 1. User definable project attributes. 2. Maintain detailed line-item budget for CIP projects. 3. Track project actual by life-to-date, year-to-date, current fiscal year actual. 4. Track grants (10 per year). 5. Link to ADP Timekeeping for labor hours applied to project. 6. Track actual labor time (shift differentials, overtime, etc.) to activity by location by date work performed. 7. Track activities to account categories with ability to report on category across projects (e.g. travel and expense, overhead, etc.). 8. Track labor by hours and dollars with secure access. 9. Convert CIP project/sub-projects to asset/multiple assets at completion. Budgeting 1. Build and maintain capital and operating budgets. 2. Maintain position budget, including vacancies, (extract information from ADP). Indicate if HR modules needed. 3. Budget baseline based on prior year history with ability to manually update changes such as insurance, benefits, etc. 4. System driven budget broadcasting, department edit, edit collection, consolidation for creation of baseline budget. 5. Restrict budget line items for edits/updates for departments. 6. Hide personnel budget at individual line-item level with ability to report on all positions at the department level. 7. Maintain unlimited budget history for trend analysis. 8. Import budget data from Excel spreadsheets. 9. Multiple budget iterations with version control (before/after system rate calculations). 10. Budget versus actual reporting. 11. Budget line item detail. 12. Tools for budget book creation including graphs, charts and word processing, etc. (e.g. board presentation). Report Writer 1. Indicate reporting tools offered; if 3rd party; discuss integration to core suite and strategy to stay current with version releases. 2. Report or query from all fields in database. 3. Parameter driven reports. 4. Drilldown and around from reports. 5. Exception reporting. 6. Support for Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS). 7. Save a query as a report or pull previously executed queries from a library. 8. Modify report templates or standard reports and save new format. 9. End user report formatting (e.g. headers, columns, etc.). 10. Graphical drag and drop reporting. 11. Email reports internally and externally. 12. Configurable Executive Dashboard with drilldown down capabilities. 13. Mash-up data on Executive Dashboard (data from external sources).
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Section 7 EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS The BRA’s project team and SoftResources LLC will evaluate the RFPs. SoftResources LLC has been engaged by the BRA to assist with the selection process based on their unbiased software selection methodology and expertise. The evaluators will consider how well the proposed solution meets the BRA’s requirements as described in the RFP. It is important that the responses be clear and complete to ensure that the evaluators can adequately understand all aspects of the proposal. Evaluation Factors. Selection of finalists will be primarily according to the following criteria:
Quality, clarity, and completeness of the proposal. Adherence to requirements for RFP preparation. Vendor viability and strength. Ability to meet functional and technical requirements. Software scalability, flexibility, and ease of use. Compatibility and integration with existing hardware and software. Vendor’s experience on similar projects. Software demos. Total cost of ownership.
The evaluation factors identified above reflect a wide range of considerations. While cost is important, other factors are also significant. The BRA may select other than the lowest cost solution. The objective is to choose a vendor capable of providing a reliable and integrated solution within a reasonable budget. All proposals will be evaluated using the same criteria. In accordance with the policies of the BRA, details of the findings of the BRA’s project team and SoftResources LLC concerning any respondent will not be made available. Notification. Based on the evaluation of the RFPs the BRA will select a Short List of three or four vendors and invite them to participate in Pre-Demo Meetings and Software Demos. The selected vendors will be notified in writing or email by the date indicated in Section 4. Pre-Demo Meetings. Once the Short List of vendors has been identified, the short-listed vendors will be invited to participate in a Pre-Demo Meeting with the Project Team. The purpose of this meeting will be to allow the vendor time to acquire additional information about the scope of the project and to review any questions about the Demo Script presented to the vendors. Scripted Demos. The functional and technical product Demos will be presented to the BRA by the top three to four Short Listed vendors according to a pre-defined script issued by the BRA. All vendors must follow this script during their Demo process. The evaluation criteria for the Demo process will include adherence to the script as well as the ability to successfully demonstrate the product’s ability to meet the functional and technical requirements. The BRA reserves the right to request additional information, interviews, follow-up demonstrations, or any other type of clarification of proposal information it deems necessary to evaluate the final vendors. Post-Demo Technical Evaluation. In addition to scripted functional demonstrations, the BRA may request a more extensive technical Demo. This Demo will be scheduled on an as-needed basis for specific applications. Implementation Vendor Selection. Once the BRA has completed the selection of the software, they will determine if a separate implementation vendor selection project is necessary. The BRA reserves the right to not
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select the implementation partner that responds to the RFP or demonstrates the software on behalf of the vendor. Site Visits. The BRA may choose to conduct site visit(s) to the software vendor’s headquarters and/or vendor’s clients as part of the evaluation process. The site visits may be used to determine the successful vendor, and will be conducted following scheduled software demonstrations of the Short Listed vendors. Evaluation of the vendor client sites will be based on the following:
Assessment of the vendor’s service during system implementation. Assessment of the quality and timeliness of vendor’s ongoing support. Overall user satisfaction with the system.
Contract Award and Execution. The BRA reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the proposal submitted. The BRA shall not be bound or in any way obligated until both parties have executed a vendor contract. The BRA also reserves the right to delay contract award and/or not to make a contract award.
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Section 8 CONDITIONS Prime Vendor. It is recognized that multiple Vendors may wish to combine their resources in responding to this Request for Proposal. A Proposal with such a combination is acceptable, provided that the complete Proposal contains all required information, and indicates which Vendor shall be responsible for each of the components that make up the complete system. In addition, one of the Vendors shall be designated as responsible for the complete definition, delivery, integration, implementation, and maintenance of the system, referred to as the prime vendor. Proposers must warrant to the BRA that software specifications, capabilities, and performance characteristics are as stated in the proposal and accompanying documentation. Submission of a Proposal will represent your agreement to these conditions.
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Section 9 APPENDICES
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APPENDIX A CLIENT REFERENCE LIST List five references that most closely reflect similar ERP consulting projects to the Brazos River Authority scope of work within the past five years. Reference sites should be fully implemented. 1. Name of Agency
______________
Population: Contact Name and Title:
______
Concurrent Users: _________________ _________
Telephone number:
Modules:_____________ Go Live Date: _____________________________________
2. Name of Agency
____________
Population: Contact Name and Title:
Concurrent Users: _________________ _________
Telephone number:
Modules:_____________ Go Live Date: _____________________________________
3. Name of Agency
____________
Population: Contact Name and Title:
Concurrent Users: _________________ _________
Telephone number:
Modules:_____________ Go Live Date: _____________________________________
4. Name of Agency
____________
Population: Contact Name and Title:
Concurrent Users: _________________ _________
Telephone number:
Modules:_____________ Go Live Date: _____________________________________ 5. Name of Agency
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Population: Contact Name and Title:
Concurrent Users: _________________ _________
Modules:_____________ Go Live Date: _____________________________________
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Telephone number:
APPENDIX B PRICING WORKSHEET
Vendors may attach additional pricing information; please use this template to summarize pricing. Software – Primary Modules Required Modules: General Ledger Treasury/Cash Management Purchase Order Accounts Payable Accounts Receivable/Misc. Billing Fixed Assets Project Accounting Budgeting Report Writer Sub-Total Software Implementation Implementation Data Conversion Training Integration Travel Other: Sub-Total Implementation Maintenance Per Year Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Sub-Total Maintenance Total
$
Assumptions: Licensing for user counts
$
Assumptions: Ratio of services to software
$
Assumptions: Percent of software
$
Grand Total
Software, Implementation, Maintenance
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APPENDIX C Professional Services Questionnaire To Be Completed By All Firms All questions must be answered and the data given must be clear and comprehensive. This statement must be notarized. If necessary, questions may be answered on separate attached sheets. The Firm may submit any additional information it desires. 1.
Name of Individual/Firm
2.
Permanent main office address
3.
Date Organized
4.
If a Corporation, where and when incorporated
5.
Do you operate under an assumed name(s)? No.___ Yes ___ If yes, please list:
6.
How many years engaged in professional services under present firm or trade name? Give former names of firm or trade names, with dates of operation under each.
7.
General character of work performed by your company.
8.
Have you ever defaulted or failed to complete any work/contract awarded to you within the past five years under your current company name or any other company name? No___, Yes___, If yes, where and why? Give name and telephone number of Client(s).
9.
Has your firm filed or been named in any litigation involving your firm and a Client(s) on a professional services project within the last five years under your current company name or any other company name? No___, Yes___, If yes, provide details of the issues and resolution if available. Include lawsuits with subconsultants where Client(s) was involved.
10.
A list and description of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software installed within the last five years under your current company name or any other company name similar in cost and schedule to this project. This should include the name of each project, the location of the project, the size of the project, a brief description of scope of services, the contract price, and a contact name and telephone number, including area code, of a client reference for each project. Specifically list the firm’s roles and responsibilities as the owner’s representative for the projects.
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11.
On the construction related projects listed in response to question #10 above, a) what were the final project change order amount, b) were there any cost over runs and amounts, c) were the projects completed within the specified timeframe (this includes both substantial completion and interim milestone dates)? If not, why not, and were any damages or liquidated damages paid to the Client(s) as a result of the late completion? DOES NOT APPLY
12.
List the names of Clients with contact names and telephone numbers for whom you/your firm have/has professional service projects within the preceding 24 months.
13.
Have you been terminated by a Client for a project within the past 5 years? No__, Yes___,_ If yes, where and why? Give name and telephone number(s) of Clients(s).
Pursuant to the advertisement for proposals and information for prospective proposers for the above mentioned project, the undersigned is submitting the information as required with the understanding that the purpose is for confidential use, only to assist in determining the qualifications of the firm to perform the type and magnitude of work designated, and further, guarantee the truth and accuracy of all statements made. The information provided, answers given and signatures affixed are provided to the BRA as an inducement to the BRA to further consider the firm to provide services to the BRA for which the firm expects to receive monetary compensation. Date on this
day of
Company name (please type or print) Signature
Title
Date
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APPENDIX D ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF ADDENDUM(S) ADDENDA: The undersigned acknowledges receipt of Addenda No. ___ thru ___ issued during the time of solicitation of RFP and proposal includes the changes. FIRMS MUST ACKNOWLEGE RECEIPT OF ADDENDUM (S) BY SIGNING BELOW AND SUBMITTING THIS EXECUTED DOCUMENT WITH PROPOSAL RESPONSE. FAILURE TO SUBMIT THE ABOVE INFORMATION MAY BE SUFFICIENT GROUNDS FOR REJECTION OF PROPOSAL OR DELAY ISSUANCE OF CONTRACT. This Addendum shall become part of your Firms’ response and the subsequent contract documents if applicable. Name of Firm: ________________________________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________________________ Telephone No: _______________________________________________________ E-mail Address: ______________________________________________________ Signature/Printed Name: _______________________________________________
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APPENDIX E Please fill out and return the attached W-9 as part of Section 7, “Other Information.” Double click on the icon below for W-9 form.
W9Dec2011Page1.p df
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APPENDIX F VENDOR EXCEPTIONS TO THE RFP It is the BRA’s intent to contract with a private Vendor. All Vendor representations, whether verbal or written, will be relied on by the BRA in its evaluation of the responses to this Request for Proposal. The BRA’s reliance on the Vendor’s represented expertise is to be considered as incorporated into any, and all, formal Agreements between the parties. PRINT THE WORDS "NO EXCEPTIONS" HERE _________________ IF THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TAKEN TO ANY OF THE TERMS, CONDITIONS, OR SPECIFICATIONS OF THESE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS. IF THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TAKEN TO ANY OF THESE TERMS, CONDITIONS, OR SPECIFICATIONS OF THESE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS, THEY MUST BE CLEARLY STATED ON THE “EXCEPTIONS TO THE BRA’S RFP FOR ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING SOFTWARE” TABLE BELOW AND RETURNED WITH YOUR PROPOSAL. IF YOU PROVIDED A SAMPLE COPY OF YOUR CONTRACT YOU STILL NEED TO IDENTIFY IN THIS DOCUMENT (“VENDOR EXCEPTIONS TO THE RFP”) ANY AND ALL EXCEPTIONS YOU HAVE TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
Firm or Individual Title Telephone Email Address
PRINT NAME AND TITLE ______________________________________________________________________ AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE ______________________________________________________________________ DATE _______________________________________________________ OTHER NOTES:
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_______
Add any additional line items for exceptions as necessary and reference any explanatory attachments within the line item to which it refers.
EXCEPTIONS TO THE BRAZOS RIVER AUTHORITY’S RFP FOR ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING SOFTWARE RFP Section #, Page #
Exception Describe the nature of the Exception
Explanation of Why this is an Issue
1
2
3
4
5
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Your Proposed Alternative to Meet the BRA Needs
