INSTRUCTIONS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION VOICE DIRECTED WORK / WMS INTEGRATION

Transcription

1 INSTRUCTIONS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION VOICE DIRECTED WORK / WMS INTEGRATION NOVA SCOTIA LIQUOR CORPORATION 93 CHAIN LAKE DRIVE HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA B3S 1A3 NSLC REFERENCE NO: SR-14-H-15 Closing Location: Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation 93 Chain Lake Drive, Bayers Lake Business Park Halifax, Nova Scotia B3S 1A3 NSLC Contact: Stephen Bayer, Manager Procurement & Tendering stephen.bayer@mynslc.com

2 1. The purpose of this Request for Information is to gather information about your company, product offering, proposed solution (including costs), and support model. This will assist us in determining if there is a business case to move forward. 2. The NSLC policy is to ensure that all firms interested in becoming government suppliers shall be given equitable access to contract opportunities, except that consideration may be shown to Atlantic Provinces suppliers, manufacturers and contractors whenever practical and economically feasible to do so, consistent with The Atlantic Procurement Agreement. 3. Proposal documents must be delivered to the NSLC Head Office prior to the RFI closing date of Thursday, August 27, ADT (Halifax local time). Please indicate the Ref. No. SR-14-H-15 on your document and/or envelope or if submitted via in the subject line of your . Mailing/Courier Address: OR Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation Attn: Stephen Bayer Manager, Procurement & Tendering Ref. No. SR-14-H Chain Lake Drive Halifax, Nova Scotia B3S 1A3 submissions to: Tenders@myNSLC.com 4. All respondents are asked to provide their responses in electronic format on a USB flash drive. Documents may be submitted in Microsoft Word or PDF format, however, any spreadsheets must be in Excel format. Submissions may be augmented by brochures and other pertinent literature. Note: If your RFI submission is entirely electronic (i.e. you do not choose to augment it with any hard copy brochures and literature), you may submit via to Tenders@myNSLC.com prior to the closing deadline. 5. All inquiries regarding the RFI Specifications are to be directed to Heather Bennett, Team Lead, Information Technology, NSLC, by at heather.bennett@mynslc.com, or general inquiries to Stephen Bayer, Manager, Procurement & Tendering at stephen.bayer@mynslc.com 6. Responses will not be accepted by fax. 7. The NSLC reserves the right to reject any or all responses. This RFI implies no obligation on the NSLC to accept this or any response submitted and has the right to cancel this RFI if required. 8. The respondent shall ensure that he has in his possession at the time of submission, all addenda that may have been issued. Confirmation can be 2

3 obtained by checking the RFI document as posted on the Public Tenders website at 9. RFI Evaluation Criteria: Not required for this process. 3

4 SPECIFICATIONS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION VOICE DIRECTED WORK / WMS INTEGRATION NOVA SCOTIA LIQUOR CORPORATION 93 CHAIN LAKE DRIVE HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA NSLC REFERENCE. NO. SR-14-H-15 30/06/2015 NSLC Confidential i

5 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction... 3 NSLC Overview... 3 Background and Context Current State Future State... 4 Purpose and Scope of Work... 4 Statement of Needs Response Preparation... 5 Response Format... 5 Respondent Expenses... 5 Required Response Content... 5 NSLC s Planned Approach and Timing Additional Information... 7 Terms Use of Request for Information Confidentiality of Information Request for Information Process and Procedures... 8 Information Inquiries... 8 Review Team... 8 Debriefing Proof of Concept APPENDICE /06/2015 NSLC Confidential ii

6 1 INTRODUCTION NSLC Overview The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC), a Provincial Crown Corporation, invites Requests for Information (RFIs) from firms to provide information for the selection of a voice directed solution with a proven WMS integration. The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation, the largest single banner retail business in Nova Scotia, generates more than half a billion dollars of revenue a year and returns more than $200 million profit annually to the province. It employs more than 1,500 Nova Scotians, offering over 6,000 products from around the globe through 104 retail stores, 2,100 licensees and 60 agency stores. The NSLC is driven to be a sustainable and community focused organization helping to make Nova Scotia an even better place to live. Additional information about the NSLC may be found at its corporate website, Background and Context 1..1 CURRENT STATE The NSLC operates one Distribution Center, which fulfills retail store replenishment orders as well as wholesale sales orders and special orders from individual customers. Order picking is done by the pallet, tier, case and each. Consumers are placing new, omni-channel driven demands on the retail ecosystem for faster deliveries, with tighter delivery time windows and increased value added services. Current WMS lacks functionality to deal with the complexity of the every changing demands of order fulfillment as it pertains to articles; case versus each, and route to market; bricks & mortar versus online versus omni. Bottom line is that the warehouse operation is picking more eaches than ever before without separation from full case pick. Explore the potential to increase the life of our current WMS AS400 platform (which is solid, stable and low maintenance) by adding proven technology to facilitate the need for more robust product handling functionality. As the customer requirements become more complex and just in time, the demands for the perfect order are ever increasing. Average case weight in the DC is 33lbs and the average order selector picks between cases per day with RF technology increasing the hazard for repetitive work strain injuries. Current technology limits the productivity of order selectors. Current WMS is TecSys WMS 6.1, on the iseries (AS400) platform. 30/06/2015 NSLC Confidential 3

7 Use Stay-Linked for terminal emulation for our hand-held scanners. WMS integrates with SAP ECC for order and inventory data FUTURE STATE With the addition of voice pick technology we will be able to add pick functionality that is inherent in the voice solution that gives us greater flexibility to handle unique demands from the consumer. Addition of multiple order fulfillment scenarios that are not available in our current WMS. Voice solutions have been proven in the industry to add life to legacy WMS (Warehouse Management System). Quality/Accuracy - Less errors as the order selectors will have to listen and respond to voice commands rather than scan and key bar codes. Listen and speak rather than look and scan / key. Right product, in the right place at the right time meets customer expectation, less rework for all stakeholders. Safety/Ergonomics Voice directed picking solution frees up both hands to pick cases. By having both hands free there will be a potential to have less repetitive strain injuries and damages. With the addition of a voice directed picking solution the employee will have both hands free and eyes focused on the work environment. Productivity Not holding and looking at a handheld screen for direction and pick instructions. Separate each pick from case pick as two separate pick streams. o o o o Improved functionality to better equip the order selectors to handle the increased number of article s (proliferation) and products that are less than full case pick. Full case order pickers are not distracted by picking eaches. Batch picking will allow the each order selector to pick multiple eaches for different customers at the same time. Ease of new hire training. Voice can be expanded to all warehouse operations that currently use RF technology. The solution will integrate seamlessly with our current WMS and have the potential to continue to integrate well as the NSLC evolves its Supply Chain platform over time. The solution will provide robust functionality to better equip our employees to ensure each and every article down to the single each, is the right product, in the right place at the right time. Purpose and Scope of Work The purpose of this Request for Information is to gather information about your company, product offering, proposed solution (including costs), and support model. This will assist us in determining if there is a business case to move forward. Any solution will have to meet five criteria: 1. Low capital investment 2. Quick deployment 3. Quick ROI 4. Scalable 30/06/2015 NSLC Confidential 4

8 5. Repeatable Your response to this Request for Information will also assist us in writing a RFP to select the appropriate voice directed work and WMS integration solution service provider. Statement of Needs Please complete the attached Statement of Needs worksheets. For scores of less than 4, please provide information on how the requirement would be satisfied and the associated complexity and effort in the comments section. 2 RESPONSE PREPARATION Response Format The Respondents are asked to provide their responses in electronic format on a USB flash drive. Documents may be submitted in Microsoft Word or PDF format and spreadsheets must be submitted in Excel format. Submissions may be augmented by brochures and other pertinent literature. Respondent Expenses Respondents are solely responsible for their own expenses in preparing, presenting or delivering a submission. Required Response Content The following describes the required content of responses to this RFI. Respondents are asked to organize their submission according to the table of contents below. # Table of Contents 1. Respondent Information a. General i. Official name of your corporation ii. Key members of your management team iii. Number of employees iv. Corporate address, mailing address, and phone number of your company s main office v. Who will be your primary contact during this evaluation process? Please also provide their phone number and address vi. What distinguishes your product from your main competitors? vii. How many years has your company been in operation? 30/06/2015 NSLC Confidential 5

9 # Table of Contents viii. What was the date of the first implementation using your product? ix. Number of voice users? x. Number of installs in North America? xi. Number of installs in Canada? xii. What industry awards and accolades has your company or product received in the past two years? xiii. Please list any certified implementation partners and highlight those with a Nova Scotia as well as Canadian presence. xiv. Please provide three (3) references with at least one in the beverage alcohol industry and one with a Canadian installation. b. Value Proposition Please provide your expertise and experience in the subject matter related to the NSLC objectives and requirements. 2. Statement of Needs Please complete the accompanying Statement of Needs worksheets. 3. Proposed Solution Description of the proposed software / hardware / services / costs. Please use the accompanying Cost Breakdown worksheet in outlining the estimated costs associated with the proposed solution. 4. Technical Information High level overview required to tie directly to the Statement of Needs section a. Provide information on the architecture of your software platform and minimum system requirements, including, but not limited to, information on key components of the product, required middleware, required hardware, required customization, ability for virtualization, supported operating systems, databases, and application servers, etc. b. Hosting models (on-premise vs hosted), including description of security around hosted model if offered. c. Is your solution dependent on any 3 rd party products? d. Number of customers on the current version of your product e. List of major clients on the current version of your product f. Identify compatibility with current NSLC systems g. Identify additional proven systems integrations 5. Support Model Description of support models offered 6. Any relevant attachments: brochures, guides, other literature NSLC s Planned Approach and Timing Activity Targeted Date Issue RFI June 30, 2015 Proponents Meeting/Conference Call July 23, 2015 Site Visit to NSLC Head Office August 3 to August 13, 2015 Response Due (by 2:00 pm Atlantic Time) August 27, 2015 Review Responses September 30, 2015 NSLC s Internal Approval to move forward October 2, /06/2015 NSLC Confidential 6

10 Activity Targeted Date Approved Release RFP October 8, 2015 Response Due (by 2:00 pm Atlantic Time) November 12, 2015 Vendor Presentations November 23 to 27, 2015 Site Visits and NSLC Proof of Concept January to 11 to 29, 2016 Vendor Selection February 29, 2016 Contract Negotiations (Memorandum of March 31, 2016 Undertaking.) Project Planning and Implementation April 4, 2016 Start Project Dates and times are subject to change and all proponents will be notified. Conference call will be July 23 rd, 1-2:30pm ADT (Toll Free) (local) Conference ID: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION As a follow up to the RFI, the NSLC may request any or all of the following information: Software demo or vendor presentation of services Qualification of estimates of purchase, implementation and ongoing cost Qualification of estimated timeline for implementation Respondents should be prepared to provide this information if requested. Terms 2..2 USE OF REQUEST FOR INFORMATION This document or any portion thereof may not be used for any purpose other than the submission of responses CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION Information pertaining to this RFI or any material obtained by the respondent as a result of participation in this RFI is confidential and must not be disclosed without written authorization from the NSLC. Vendors should identify what is proprietary information, as the information gathered during this process might help shape the definition of future NSLC requirements. 30/06/2015 NSLC Confidential 7

11 3 REQUEST FOR INFORMATION PROCESS AND PROCEDURES This Request for Information is being used as an information tool only and will not eliminate potential vendors from bidding on any related future public RFP. This process may or may not result in an RFP. The submissions to this RFI will not be weighted, scored or utilized in any way as is not meant to be a pre-qualifying mechanism for vendors. Respondents to this RFI will receive direct notice of any related RFP issued in future. Information Inquiries Inquiries regarding the RFI Specifications are to be directed by to Heather Bennett, Team Lead, Information Technology, NSLC at heather.bennett@mynslc.com, or general inquiries to Stephen Bayer, Manager, Procurement & Tendering, NSLC at stephen.bayer@mynslc.com Review Team Submissions will be reviewed by a committee formed by the NSLC. Debriefing No debriefings will be given as a part of this RFI as this is being used as an information tool only. 4 PROOF OF CONCEPT Please provide an overview of proposed proof of concept (POC) methodology. Expectation of costs for the NSLC Modifications and or configurations in current WMS POC will be done in NSLC test environment Any other anticipated impact to the NSLC 30/06/2015 NSLC Confidential 8

12 5 APPENDICE Statement of Needs 1 Industrial Voice Solution Requirements Interface / Integration REQUIREMENT VENDOR COMPLIANCE VENDOR COMMENTS SS01 Describe recommended methodology of interface between a WMS application on the IBM iseries and Voice System. SS02 Describe the portability, flexibility and adaptability of your solution if and when the NSLC decides to change platforms with a B.o.B. or SAP EWM. SS03 Provide information on 2 implementations completed by your company, on the iseries, including notes on any customization required SS04 Identify any implementations that have been completed that integrate with TecSys WMS on the iseries (AS400) SS05 Identify any implementations that have migrated from the iseries platform to a different platform. SS06 If the voice pick system went down at anytime, provide information on the ability to revert back to the manual process (RF only) 4 = Fully Supported Out of the Box 3 = Supported Via Configuration 2 = Supported Via Customization 1 = Supported Via 3rd Party 0 = Not Supported 30/06/2015 NSLC Confidential 9

13 2 IM01 IM02 IM03 Industrial Voice Solution Requirements Implementation REQUIREMENT VENDOR COMPLIANCE VENDOR COMMENTS Describe recommended methodology of implementation of your Voice System. Provide expected timelines from beginning to end. Identify list of requirements that must be met before implementation can start. 4 = Fully Supported Out of the Box 3 = Supported Via Configuration 2 = Supported Via Customization 1 = Supported Via 3rd Party 0 = Not Supported 3 Industrial Voice Solution Requirements Software Functionality REQUIREMENT VENDOR COMPLIANCE VENDOR COMMENTS 4 = Fully Supported Out of the Box 3 = Supported Via Configuration 2 = Supported Via Customization 1 = Supported Via 3rd Party 0 = Not Supported Solution Performance: SW01 Average end-user productivity improvement (provide client references) SW02 Average end-user accuracy improvement (provide client references) SW03 Average error rate achieved (provide client references) SW04 Average payback period Input Modalities Supported? SW05 Voice SW06 RF scanning SW07 Screen/display SW08 Keyboard 30/06/2015 NSLC Confidential 10

14 Output Modalities Supported? SW09 Voice SW10 Handheld screen/display SW11 PC or tablet screen Distribution Center Application (Workflow) Software: Identify those that apply to your proposed solution SW12 Enables worker interaction with multiple host applications SW13 Enables device interaction with multiple applications (WMS, dashboards, labor standards, etc.) SW14 Availability of off-the-shelf workflows SW15 Receiving SW16 Put-Away SW17 Selection - Case, piece, batch and cluster-picking SW18 Put-to-Store / Flow- Through SW19 Replenishment SW20 Back Stocking / Flow Rack Replenishment SW21 Transfers SW22 Cycle Counting / Physical Inventory SW23 Inventory Control SW24 Loading SW25 Packing Stations SW26 Supports real-time system updates (e.g., change orders, assignments) SW27 Supports real-time worker updates (e.g., let-down requests) SW28 Supports product traceability SW29 Application language options (list languages) SW30 Programmable messages and alerts for device alarm/error states SW31 Ability for supervisor to listen to worker's voice dialog during training and troubleshooting 30/06/2015 NSLC Confidential 11

15 SW32 User-triggered logging of worker activity history for troubleshooting/maintenance SW33 Record worker comments on exceptions SW34 Label printing integration Device and Voice Management console software (describe support for the following) SW35 Browser-based option SW36 Device management SW37 Operator management SW38 Configuration management SW39 System diagnostics SW40 Configurable notifications SW41 Asset tracking for headsets and batteries Performance Management Visibility SW42 Metrics Visibility (Are Dashboards available to support these?) SW43 Ability to define custom metrics SW44 Pre-packaged dashboards/scorecards SW45 Ability to develop custom dashboards/ scorecards SW46 Ability to define custom reports SW47 Data Source SW48 Support for getting data from multiple warehouses in a single dashboard SW49 Support for getting data from multiple types of data sources (e.g. Oracle, SQL, Access, Excel, etc.) SW50 Ability to generate alerts when negative trends are observed and escalate if remedial action is not taken Voice Application Development (describe IDE used in proposed solution) SW51 Uses open-standards programming languages (specify) 30/06/2015 NSLC Confidential 12

16 SW52 Supports both inbound and outbound real time transactions SW53 Fully-integrated testing, debugging and source code control environment SW54 Automation test framework SW55 Application customizations portable from release to release Data Security SW56 For communications between voice device and host system (specify) SW57 For communications between middleware and host system and to device (specify) SW58 For communications between middleware and voice device (specify) Configuration Options (describe capabilities for each) SW59 Centralized / decentralized deployment options for middleware SW60 Centralized / decentralized deployment options for device and operator management software SW61 High Availability SW62 Archiving 4 Industrial Voice Solution Requirements Speech Technology REQUIREMENT VENDOR COMPLIANCE VENDOR COMMENTS 4 = Fully Supported Out of the Box 3 = Supported Via Configuration 2 = Supported Via Customization 1 = Supported Via 3rd Party 0 = Not Supported Speech Input (Recognition) TSS01 Describe how proposed system supports worker's choice of language TSS02 Describe how proposed system can be tuned to each speaker 30/06/2015 NSLC Confidential 13

17 TSS03 Describe how proposed system enables recognition with no degradation when dealing with 'less typical' voices, in terms of accent, pitch, volume, illness/fatigue TSS04 Describe how proposed system adapts automatically over time to individual worker TSS05 Describe how proposed system would be designed and implemented with improved work flow efficient voice dialogs TSS06 Describe how proposed system avoids 'falserecognition' insertions in high noise conditions Speech Output TSS07 How many Synthesized (TTS) voice languages are available? (provide list) TSS08 Describe how proposed system supports recorded human (Personal) voices TSS09 Describe how proposed system supports automatic TTS speed adjustment based on dialog type or situation TSS10 User-adjustable speed? Y/N TSS11 User-adjustable pitch? Y/N TSS12 User choice of voice gender? Y/N 5 Industrial Voice Solution Requirements: Hardware (mobile device and headset) REQUIREMENT VENDOR COMPLIANCE VENDOR COMMENTS 4 = Fully Supported Out of the Box 3 = Supported Via Configuration 2 = Supported Via Customization 1 = Supported Via 3rd Party 0 = Not Supported Voice Device TSH01 Current RF handhelds compatible with voice 30/06/2015 NSLC Confidential 14

18 TSH02 Device types supported without additional development/customization: TSH03 Purpose-built wearable for voice TSH04 Handheld computer TSH05 TSH06 Vehicle-mount PC computer TSH07 Equipment life TSH08 Ingress Protection (IP) rating TSH09 Drop rating TSH10 Range of temperatures (Celsius) TSH11 Humidity (condensing) TSH12 Optimization of operating system configuration/performance for the particular device TSH13 Optimized audio circuitry for speech recognition (Describe) TSH14 Optimized OS/microprocessor for environmental conditions TSH15 Wi-Fi antenna specifically designed for body-worn configuration TSH16 Optimized battery/power management TSH17 Ability to manage WiFi "dead zones" TSH18 Ability to operate temporarily outside WiFi zone (i.e., do not require continuous connection with host system) TSH19 Average battery runtime TSH20 Average battery lifetime TSH21 Hands-free scanner option (Y/N Describe) Headset TSH22 Headset form factors supported: TSH23 Over the head TSH24 Behind the head / hard-hat TSH25 Full cup (high-noise) options TSH26 Light industrial 30/06/2015 NSLC Confidential 15

19 TSH27 Wireless (Bluetooth) TSH28 Interchangeable module for headset sharing across shifts TSH29 Wearable on left or right ear TSH30 Sealed, noise-cancelling microphone TSH31 Average headset lifetime TSH32 Average battery runtime TSH33 Recognition system optimized for headset/microphone characteristics TSH34 Headset connector permits automatic template/preference load by operator TSH35 Headset connector provides controlled break-away TSH36 Headset operation ensures sufficient volume for worker functioning while ensuring peak and cumulative volume don't exceed safety regulations for sound exposure Device Management TSH37 Ability to determine remaining battery life TSH38 Ability to determine remaining battery runtime (before re-charging) TSH39 Ability to manage and load individual operator profiles TSH40 Automatic pairing between wireless headsets and mobile device TSH41 Deploy device to the network simply touching it to another device already connected 30/06/2015 NSLC Confidential 16

20 Cost Breakdown Table Please complete one table for each costing scenario, i.e. internal hosting, on-premise hosting etc. Please specify the nature of anything added to the 'other' category and provide any assumptions made to complete your calculations. Description # Required Cost Per Frequency Estimated Costs Comment / Clarification Software Complete professional services for 0 $0 $0 consultation, design, development, implementation, training, and refinement of the Voice solution and interface to AS400 Ongoing purchase/licenses 0 $0 $0 If needed Maintenance & Support 0 $0 $0 Specify annual, monthly or other model Other- please specify 0 $0 $0 Please itemize third party software required Hardware (adjust description as necessary) Noise Cancellation, voice 0 $0 $0 recognition, wireless headsets Batteries for terminals 0 $0 $0 Batteries for headsets 0 $0 $0 Chargers for terminals 0 $0 $0 Chargers for headsets 0 $0 $0 Required belts 0 $0 $0 Required holsters 0 $0 $0 Training devices and aids 0 $0 $0 Consumable accessories 0 $0 $0 Motivational and training aids 0 $0 $0 Other Cost Factors Premium Support (if available) 0 $0 $0 Add lines for available models Other - please specify 0 $0 $0 Total $0