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NEP2: Choosing a Vendor Request for Proposal
Request for Proposal
Endothon Inc.
555 Peachtree Circle, Atlanta, GA 30301
TO: INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS OR FIRMS
FROM: MEI LEE, CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER
SUBJECT: INVITATION TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS TO ENDOTHON, Inc., USA, TO
PROVIDE ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING SYSTEM, CONFIGURATION, IMPLEMENTATION, AND SUPPORT
DATE: MARCH 19
The attached Request for Proposals (RFP) describes the general project background and scope of services for developing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system for Endothon, Inc. (Endothon). The current ERP system implementation was completed in 1995. The full RFP document will also be available electronically, at no cost, at Endothon’s website.
Interested parties are invited to submit proposals electronically to [email protected] with the email subject line of “Proposal – ERP System”.
Solicitation: JP14001 (This solicitation code is required on all response correspondence.)
If submitted in writing, mark the envelope as follows:
“Proposal to Provide ERP System” and address to the following:
Endothon, Inc.
Purchasing Director Office
Attention: Sally Jones
555 Peachtree Circle
Atlanta, GA 30301
Proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 18, XXXX
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING SYSTEM
Table of Contents
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING (ERP) SYSTEM 3
DEADLINE 3
INTRODUCTION 3
BACKGROUND 3
PROJECT OBJECTIVE 4
GENERAL INFORMATION 4
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - SPECIFICATIONS 5
SCOPE OF SERVICES 5
RISK ASSESSMENT 6
6
VENDOR QUALIFICATIONS 6
CONTRACT AND INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS 7
EVALUATION AND AWARD PROCESS 7
ORAL PRESENTATION/INTERVIEWS 7
PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS 8
PROPOSAL AS PUBLIC RECORD 8
QUESTIONS/ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 9
SIGNATURE SECTION 9
TELEPHONE: 555-237-3888
FAX: 555-237-4000
Endothon Inc.
Website: www.Endothon.com
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING (ERP) SYSTEM
DEADLINE
May 18, xxxx
INTRODUCTION
Endothon is seeking proposals from qualified vendors for the following services:
the selection, configuration, implementation of an ERP system
maintenance and technical support coverage for the ERP system over the next two years
This project has been budgeted in the company capital plan over the next four years. A professional calculation of the time required for selection, configuration, implementation, and support should be part of the proposal. Any additional funding would require a recapitalization plan for the company. The vendor agrees to complete a fully functional implementation of the ERP system no later than 10 months after signing the statement of work (SOW).
It is the intent of this RFP to have the successful firm enter into a master services agreement with Endothon to supply the services as outlined herein.
BACKGROUND
Endothon is a full-service company of over 4,600 employees and is headquartered in the scenic rolling hills of central Georgia, which is rich with a history of wine, agricultural production, and business entrepreneurialism. Endothon is situated inside the greater Atlanta metropolitan area, which is a gateway to the thriving metropolitan areas of the South and mid-eastern coast of the United States.
Information technology (IT) systems that support the delivery of the company’s services are routinely evaluated and updated, but viable system refurbishment or replacement has not been completed for more than 20 years. The company’s IT department offers a wide variety of services to employees, including but not limited to the following: physical and virtual servers, desktop PCs, notebooks, copiers/multifunction printers, MDCs, GIS, public PCs, and telecommunications across a secured and segmented network of campuses. Offered and supported software includes financial ERP, product billing, customer management, communications and networking, email, and international sales and servicing. While the IT Department has significant experience in its current ERP system (Epicor), it does not have sufficient experience in other more advanced systems or the various types of platforms these systems may reside in.
PROJECT OBJECTIVE
The overall objective of this project is to assess the current environment and to develop and articulate a plan to select, configure, implement, and then support an effective ERP system to improve the work of Endothon. The company intends the completed ERP system to serve as the cornerstone of its efforts to improve the international growth of its manufacturing business while helping to balance the demand for more and better technology with the need and availability of in-house IT resources, capital, and operating funds.
Proposals should reflect the stated objectives and the resources likely to be required to support it as well as any related recommendations that will set the direction for the company’s use of an ERP system for the next three to five years. The scope of the effort shall encompass all company departments both domestically and internationally.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Endothon is a full-service company with offices located in the following cities, states, and countries:
United States
Atlanta, GA – Headquarters
Memphis, TN – Factory Plant #1
Mesa, AZ – Factory Plant #2 & Testing Facility
Dallas/Fort Worth, TX – Alliance Testing Facility
Seattle, WA – Field Office
Chicago, IL – Field Office
San Francisco, CA – Field Office
Great Britain
Stansted, UK – Field Office
King’s Lynn, UK – Factory Plant #3
Western Europe
Pantin, FR – Factory Plant #4
Paris, FR – Field Office
Saint-Cloud, FR – Field Office
Frankfurt, DE – Field Office
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - SPECIFICATIONS
To be considered, interested parties should provide one electronic copy of their proposal to [email protected] with the email subject line of “Proposal – ERP System” by 5:00 p.m. (PST) on Friday, May 18, XXXX.
The vendor’s personnel to be used for this project shall be knowledgeable in their areas of expertise. We reserve the right to perform investigations as may be deemed necessary to ensure that competent persons will be utilized in the performance of the contract.
Endothon reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, or parts of proposals, when it is judged to be in the best interests of Endothon.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
The vendor's response shall demonstrate an understanding of the subject matter and describe the approach that will be taken to accomplish the services requested.
Endothon anticipates the ERP project may include the following activities; however, vendors should propose the project plan and activities they feel will most effectively meet the objective:
Evaluate and assess Endothon’s current business, manufacturing, finance, sales, human resources, customer service, and technology environment, including services provided, application software, infrastructure, funding, and technology service methodology.
Evaluate Endothon’s organizational structure and staffing to ensure that these are positioned to support and properly meet Endothon’s current needs and the next five years of ERP needs with the necessary reporting relationships.
Assist Endothon in establishing a governance framework and approach to guide and ensure optimal project decisions and investments with regard to the ERP project. This framework and approach should support the company’s business objectives, including the most appropriate service provisioning agreements and management oversight.
Collaborate with all levels of management in all company departments and other key ERP stakeholders, as well as the IT staff, to determine current and future functionality needs and the company’s desired business systems’ end state.
Document the appropriate application and infrastructure requirements based on the company’s priorities. Research options for meeting the discovered needs. Make project recommendations that will help ensure the company’s ability to effectively select, configure, implement, and maintain a highly functional ERP system that meets and supports the company’s current and future business needs.
Prioritize recommended actions and plans that ensure projects are based on industry standards and best practices.
Conduct workshops tailored to company departments to present draft findings and elicit additional business needs.
Develop a findings report that provides the following:
a five-year plan and detailed budget to install and support the ERP environment
an outline of strategies, goals, and objectives aligned to provided functionality of the recommended system
projected costs associated with ongoing staffing to support the system
an outline of the key project methods and processes that use best practices and a standards-based approach
project timelines, hardware and software needs, implementation costs, and project dependencies and benefits
staff resources and training required to implement the entire ERP plan
guidance and direction for the company’s ongoing IT governance and implementation of this ERP Plan
Present the final plan to company departments, IT staff, and executive senior management
Agree to complete a fully functional implementation of the ERP no later than 10 months after signing the SOW.
RISK ASSESSMENT
Use IT industry standards to perform a risk assessment and gap analysis on the effectiveness of the current ERP system, infrastructure, security, and resourcing to identify and mitigate potential risk vulnerabilities in the implementation of a new system. This should also include an overview gap analysis of the current system functionality, the demands of the business as determined through due diligence research, and the functionality of the proposed system and its configuration.
The risk assessment shall include the following:
international business requirements, goals, and objectives review
review of workstation, server, and network device configuration infrastructure
review of a sampling of network traffic, data storage, data handling, data management, manufacturing data movement, financial data movement, sales data movement, and customer service data telemetry
review of a sampling of desktop traffic (max 4) and laptop traffic (max 2) configurations to ensure usable network capability of the proposed system on the current infrastructure
review of security protocols, firewalls, encryption, the use of AES-256 standards, and SOC1 and SOC2 standards applied to the current environment, which will include a future look at leveraging all of these elements for the planned environment
For each risk, perform a gap analysis that will outline weaknesses versus best practices and applicable international policies and laws.
VENDOR QUALIFICATIONS
Respondents to this RFP shall have the following qualifications:
vendor or consulting firm must have a minimum of ten years of experience in developing, configuring, and implementing ERP systems
vendor or consulting firm must be 100% independent, which is defined as receiving no fees or commissions from any manufacturer, vendor, or organization that could potentially be considered as a qualified provider of hardware or software to the company
vendor or consulting firm must have prior experience and have completed at least three (3) IT strategic plans or similar projects over the last five (5) years in the public sector
vendor or consulting firm must maintain errors and omissions insurance as well as workers’ compensation policies that meet or exceed the minimum requirements of the company as designated in the company’s master services agreement
CONTRACT AND INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
The successful vendor will complete the attached company’s master services agreement. The vendor will describe any exceptions to the scope of services of the master services agreement. Proposers will be deemed to have accepted all terms and conditions other than those addressed in the proposal.
For proposal purposes, vendors must submit copies of certificates of insurance for general liability and workers’ compensation (if applicable). The successful vendor must provide original certificates prior to commencing services.
EVALUATION AND AWARD PROCESS
Endothon specifically reserves the right to evaluate, at its absolute discretion, the total proposal of each vendor so as to select the services which best serve the needs of the company.
The following are Endothon’s criteria for selection of a finalist:
total cost for the services proposed
past experience and track record in completing projects of similar scope and complexity for international manufacturing companies
financial stability to provide the requested resources, scope, and duration of work
demonstrated understanding and subsequent documentation of requirements and needs of Endothon, along with viable and cost-effective solutions based on submitted response
feedback from referenced customers and accounts
Issuance of this RFP and receipt of proposals does not commit Endothon to award a contract. Endothon reserves the right to postpone the receipt date, to accept or reject any or all proposals received in response to this RFP, to negotiate with any of the brokers/firms submitting an RFP, or to cancel all or part of this RFP at any time.
ORAL PRESENTATION/INTERVIEWS
Firms submitting a proposal in response to this RFP may be required to give an oral presentation of their proposal. Additional technical and/or cost information may be requested for clarification purposes but in no way will change the original proposal submitted. Interviews are optional and may or may not be conducted at the sole discretion of Endothon.
PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS
By submitting a proposal, the vendor agrees that they have (1) thoroughly examined and become familiar with the scope of services outlined in this RFP and (2) are capable of performing quality work to achieve Endothon's objectives.
The following information must be included in or with the vendor’s proposal:
Total Cost: Identify the total cost to provide each of the two services defined in this document. Endothon has a budgeted amount set aside for this project. The successful vendor will partially be determined by the close proximity to that number in the final proposal.
Executive Summary: Provide a summary of the vendor’s proposed services and methodology and describe how the vendor will ensure that the company’s objectives for this project are met.
Technology Service Provider's Qualifications: Provide, in detail, the vendor’s credentials as related to this project. The response must include information that documents successful and reliable experience in past performances, especially those performances related to the requirements of this project. It must also include the geographic location where the vendor is legally registered, the location of the vendor offices assigned to this project, and the number of years the vendor has been in business.
Services Offered and Methodology Used: Fully describe the services and methodologies, including phases, the vendor will perform to meet the criteria outlined in this document.
References: Provide the names of at least three (3) clients for whom the vendor has provided a similar scope of services. Include the name of the organization, name of a contact person, phone number, email address (if available), description of services provided, and date/dates of service. Endothon prefers vendor references from companies the vendor provided products and services to that are similar to those the vendor proposes to provide to Endothon. Endothon also prefers vendor references from companies that are similar to Endothon in that they are international companies and are of a similar size to Endothon.
Example of Work: Provide an example of a completed ERP selection and implementation plan, along with an executed risk assessment.
Project Work Plan and Proposed Schedule: Provide a proposed work plan and schedule/timeline for all phases of the project. Include estimated hours for each phase, including estimated hours and positions of your firm’s project team for each phase.
Payment Terms: Include proposed payment terms.
PROPOSAL AS PUBLIC RECORD
Pursuant to applicable state law, proposals/bids submitted in response to this solicitation shall be held confidential by the company and shall not be subject to disclosure under the Georgia Open Records Act until after either the company and the successful vendor have completed negotiations and entered into an agreement or the company has rejected all proposals or opted not to proceed with the project. All correspondence with the company, including responses to this RFP will become the exclusive property of the company and will become public records under the Georgia Open Records Act. Furthermore, the company will have no liability to the vendor or other parties as a result of any public disclosure of any proposal or the agreement.
QUESTIONS/ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Questions or requests for additional information should be directed to Mei Lee, Chief Information Technology Officerer, Endothon at [email protected]. Questions and requests for additional information regarding the RFP are due in writing no later than May 18. Questions/answers and addenda issued in response to queries for additional information will be provided to all solicited parties and posted on the Endothon website no later than April 30.
SIGNATURE SECTION
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the ERP project manager and the purchasing director (“the Parties”) have executed this RFP as of the date indicated below:
ERP Project Manager - Sponsor
By: _________________________
Title: ________________________
Date: ________________________
Approved – Purchasing Director
By: _________________________
Title: ________________________
Date: ________________________
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