CITY OF CHILLICOTHE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Transcription

1 CITY OF CHILLICOTHE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS The City of Chillicothe is accepting sealed proposals for a Financial and Payroll software system for the Chillicothe Auditor s office. Proposal Must Be Sealed, Delivered To, and Received By: CITY OF CHILLICOTHE OFFICE OF PURCHASE AGENT 35 S. PAINT ST. CHILLICOTHE, OH ATTN: AUBREY K. CAMERON For RFP processing questions, please contact: AUBREY K. CAMERON OFFICE OF CITY AUDITOR, LUKE FEENEY CAMERON.AUDITOR@GMAIL.COM (FAX) Proposal Due Date: Refer to RFP Timeline in section 2.6

2 Table of Contents 1. Administrative and General Information RFP Purpose and General Requirements Reserved Rights Proposer s Costs Evaluation of Proposer Proposal Cost and Duration Proposer Disclosures Negotiations Contacts Contractual Obligations Subcontracting City Employees Proposal Rejection Proposal Withdrawal Duties of Service Provider RFP Information RFP Registration RFP Question and Answer Submission RFP Clarification Addenda to RFP First Day to Submit Proposal RFP Timeline RFP Submission Requirements Proposal Response Requirements and Format General Requirements Structure Deadline for Submittal Assignment Proposal Contents Contract Administration Page 2 of 17

3 2.13 Record Keeping Requirements Indemnification Proposal Evaluation Proposal Evaluation Criteria Evaluation Process Page 3 of 17

4 1. Administrative and General Information 1.1 RFP Purpose and General Requirements The purpose of this Request is to solicit competitive proposals for the procurement of Financial and Payroll software, including training and implementation services. The software functions that are anticipated to meet the requirements of this proposal are as follows: General Ledger Budget Preparation & Budget Management Accounts Payable Revenue/Cash Receipting Asset Management Project Accounting Misc. Billing & Receivables Government (GASB) Reporting Purchasing Payroll Processing Business Analytics Proposals will be evaluated using a weighted scoring method. Proposals not in compliance with the specifications will not receive full scoring. 1.2 Reserved Rights The City of Chillicothe reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals, to waive any irregularities in the proposals received, and to accept the proposal deemed most advantageous to the best interests of the City of Chillicothe. The firm selected through this process as the best qualified will then be requested to negotiate a contract. 1.3 Proposer s Costs The Proposer will be responsible for all costs (including site visits where needed) incurred in preparing or responding to this RFP. All materials and documents submitted in response to this RFP become the property of the City and will not be returned. 1.4 Evaluation of Proposer Before a contract will be awarded, the City may conduct reference investigations as necessary to evaluate and determine the performance record and the ability of the top ranked Proposer(s) to perform the size and type of work to be contracted, and to determine the quality of service being offered. By submitting a proposal, the Proposer authorizes the City to conduct reference investigations as needed. 1.5 Proposal Cost and Duration No costs will be paid to the Proposer to cover the cost of preparing a proposal or procuring a contract for services or supplies pursuant to this RFP. The Proposer must certify that the Page 4 of 17

5 proposal and pricing will remain in effect and unchanged for a minimum of ninety (90) days from the date of the proposal opening. 1.6 Proposer Disclosures Proposer must disclose any pending or threatened court actions and/or claims against the Proposer, parent company or subsidiaries. This information will not necessarily be cause for rejection of the proposal; however, withholding such information may be cause to reject the proposal and/or contract. 1.7 Negotiations The City reserves the right to conduct any investigations and meetings as it deems necessary after receipt of proposals to assist in the evaluation of any proposal and to establish the responsibility, qualification, and financial ability of the proposers, proposed subcontractors and other persons and organizations to do the work in accordance with the contract documents to the City s satisfaction within the prescribed time limits. The proposer shall furnish the City any and all such information, documents, and data for this purpose that the City may request. The City also reserves the right to reject any proposal should the information submitted by or the investigation of such proposer fail to satisfy the City that such proposer is sufficiently qualified to carry out any and all obligations of the contract. The City may terminate negotiations with a proposer at any time during the negotiation process if the proposer fails to provide the necessary information for negotiations in a timely manner or fails to negotiate in good faith. If the City terminates negotiations with a proposer, the City will then negotiate with the proposer whose proposal is ranked the next most advantageous to the City. 1.8 Contacts Copies of the RFP are available by contacting the City contact identified below and will also be available on the City website at Proposers are specifically directed NOT to contact any City personnel, other than specified personnel identified in this section, for meetings, conferences or technical discussions that are related to the RFP. Unauthorized contact of any City personnel may be cause for rejection of the proposer s RFP response. The decision to select a proposal is solely that of the City of Chillicothe. For questions regarding this RFP, the process, or to request a copy: Aubrey K. Cameron Chillicothe Auditor s Office Fax: (740) cameron.auditor@gmail.com Page 5 of 17

6 1.9 Contractual Obligations The contents of the RFP and the commitments set forth in the proposals shall be considered contractual obligations. Failure to accept these obligations may result in cancellation of the award. Proposals submitted for funding consideration must be consistent with and, if funded, operated according to all applicable federal regulations, State of Ohio policies, and the Auditor s office policies and procedures. The contract award will not be final until the City of Chillicothe and the successful Proposer have executed a mutually satisfactory contractual agreement. No contract activity may begin prior to the execution of a contractual agreement between the successful Proposer and the City of Chillicothe. If the successful Proposer refuses or fails to execute the contract, the City of Chillicothe may award the contract to another Proposer whose proposal complies with all the requirements of the RFP and any addenda thereto. The City of Chillicothe reserves the right to cancel an award immediately if new state or federal regulations or policy makes it necessary to change the service purpose or content substantially or to prohibit such service. Vendors will be held accountable to their verbal commitments as to the capabilities and functionality of their respective services and products Subcontracting The hiring or use of outside services, subcontractors, or consultants in connection with the work presented within this RFP shall not be permitted without prior written approval by the City of Chillicothe. The Provider must agree to seek and obtain written approval by the City of Chillicothe for the use of any subcontractor prior to use of that subcontractor for services to be provided under any resulting contract City Employees The successful Proposer warrants that for the term of any contract with the City of Chillicothe, Proposer shall not solicit City of Chillicothe employees to work for the Proposer Proposal Rejection Ohio Revised Code permits the City of Chillicothe to reject all proposals, waive technicalities, amend the original estimate, and to advertise for new proposals on the required items, products, or services on any basis without disclosure of a reason. The failure to make such a disclosure will not result in the accrual of any right, claim, or cause of action by any unsuccessful Proposer against the City of Chillicothe. Proposers failing to respond to all requirements specified in the RFP may also result in the rejection of the proposal. Page 6 of 17

7 1.13 Proposal Withdrawal Proposers may withdraw their proposals at any time before RFP evaluations begin by providing written notice to the Chillicothe City Auditor s Office before the date set for RFP evaluations. Once proposal withdrawal is accepted in writing by the Chillicothe City Auditor s Office, the proposal shall not thereafter be considered for any reason, and the Proposer may not submit a new proposal unless approved by the City of Chillicothe Duties of Service Provider The successful Proposer, its agents, and its employees must comply with all applicable federal and state laws and perform professional services in accordance with all applicable specifications contained within this RFP and through terms of awarded and executed agreement. 2. RFP Information 2.1 RFP Registration In order to register for the RFP and/or solicit information, contact Aubrey Cameron no later than seven (7) business days prior to the First Day to Submit Proposal specified in the RFP Timeline in section 2.6 with the following information: company name, contact person(s) name, company address, telephone number, address, and fax number. 2.2 RFP Question and Answer Submission Questions must be submitted to Aubrey Cameron in writing. Staff will make every effort to respond to all questions received by the Final Date to Submit Questions & Clarification Requests in the RFP Timeline in section 2.6. However, the ability of the staff to provide a response to questions received after that date can not be guaranteed. All questions received by the Final Date to Submit will be reviewed and answered. The City of Chillicothe will show no favoritism in responding to written questions or followup questions and will respond to all requests in the order in which they are received. Requests for assistance will not be available by phone; all questions must be submitted by fax or RFP Clarification Any prospective Proposer desiring an explanation or interpretation of the RFP or specifications must submit a request in writing no later than five (5) business days prior to the proposal opening date specified in section 2.6. Any information given a prospective Proposer concerning the RFP will be furnished promptly to all other prospective Proposers as an amendment, if that information is deemed necessary for the submitting of proposals or if the lack of it would be prejudicial to other prospective Proposers. Page 7 of 17

8 2.4 Addenda to RFP During the proposal process, the City of Chillicothe may modify this RFP by the issuance of one or more addenda up to five (5) days preceding the first day to submit proposal. Any modification or amendment will be issued as an addendum to the RFP and will become a part of the contract document. Any addenda issued for this RFP will be forwarded to all prospective Proposers who registered for the RFP as described in the RFP Registration section First Day to Submit Proposal First Day to Submit Proposal is specified in the RFP Timeline, section 2.6 of this document. 2.6 RFP Timeline RFP Milestone Completion Date RFP issued and advertised in Chillicothe Gazette and City October 27, 2014 website Questions Received from Vendors November 14, 2014 Answer and addenda deadline (5 p.m. EST) November 21, 2014 Proposals Due (5 p.m. EST) December 10, 2014 Public Opening of Sealed Proposals (11 a.m. EST) December 11, 2014 Vendor Notification of Demonstration Dates TBD Software Demonstrations TBD Vendor Selections TBD 2.7 RFP Submission Requirements By submitting a proposal, the Proposer will be held accountable to know the specifications and conditions under which the resulting contract will be accomplished, including but not limited to the contents of all proposal documents, regulations, and applicable laws. There shall be no disclosure of any vendor s information to a competing vendor prior to award of the contract. After award of contract, materials received constitute public information as a matter of statutory law and will be made available for public inspection and copying upon request by members of the public pursuant to ORC Any portion of the proposal to be held confidential should be marked PROPRIETARY in the upper right corner and will not be considered public record if it clearly falls within an exemption enumerated in ORC Pricing pages of the proposal document shall be considered public information. Proposer must submit: One (1) original proposal, Three (3) identical copies of the proposal One (1) copy of a CD containing the entire contents of the proposal. Page 8 of 17

9 The name, title, address, and telephone number of individuals with authority to contractually bind the proposer. The name of a designated person(s) who can be contacted by the City of Chillicothe, Ohio during the proposal evaluation period. This information shall include the person s name, title, address, telephone number, FAX number, and address. The original of the proposal must be marked as such on the cover and must bear the actual original signature(s) of the person(s) authorized to sign the proposal. Proposal packets are to be sealed and each packet shall bear on its face the Name and Address of the Proposer and shall be plainly marked Proposal Financial and Payroll System. All proposal packets must be received on or before the Proposal Due date identified in section 2.6. Proposals will be time and date stamped upon receipt. Timely submission of proposals is the sole responsibility of the Proposer. Late proposals will not be considered for contract award. 2.8 Proposal Response Requirements and Format In order to facilitate the analysis of responses to this RFP, proposers are required to prepare their proposal responses in accordance with the instructions outlined in this section. Proposals should be prepared as simply as possible and provide a straightforward, concise description of the proposer s capabilities to satisfy the requirements of the RFP. Emphasis should be concentrated on accuracy, completeness, and clarity of content. All parts, pages, figures, and tables should be numbered and clearly labeled General Requirements The core software applications anticipated to meet the requirements of this RFP are as follows. Please address the capability of your software to provide: General Ledger Accounts Payable Budget Management and forecasting Business Analytics Revenue Receipting Inter-Departmental Purchase Requisition System Web-based dashboard capability for all applications proposed Payroll processing and direct deposit Treasurer Reconciliation Function Employee self-service Secure blank stock check printing 8 concurrent users for each application proposed 1 user for Treasurer Reconciliation Function 18 additional concurrent inter-departmental users for Purchasing Requests and Revenue Receipting only Data conversion from current accounting, payroll and asset management systems Page 9 of 17

10 Current System Background TRANSACTION & OPERATING VOLUMES CURRENT Organization City of Chillicothe Population 21,901 Number of Concurrent Financial and Human Resource System Users 9 Fiscal Year Starts January 1 Number of funds 52 Number of departments 111 Number of regular purchase orders (average monthly) 75 Number of purchasing/ap vendors 6287 Number of accounts payable checks (average monthly) 513 Number of accounts payable EFT payments (monthly) 8 Frequency of accounts payable check runs 2/week Human Resources Number of employees 265 Payroll frequency Bi-weekly Structure Proposers are required to follow the outline below when preparing their proposals: Section 1 Executive Summary Provide a brief narrative highlighting the proposal. Summary should contain as little technical language as possible. It should instead be oriented toward non-technical personnel and should be no more than 5 pages. Section 2 General Vendor Qualifications and Background 1 ITEM How many years has your company been providing software to Ohio municipal governments? 2 How many Accounting and Payroll installations do you have in Ohio municipalities? 3 Please describe your company's ownership structure. 4 Where is your company's headquarters? 5 Where is the support office that is most closely located to the City of Chillicothe? 6 How many employees does your company have? Does your contract specify the purchase of the software outright or does the City of Chillicothe pay an annual 7 renewal license for the right to use the software therefore never owning the software? RESPONSE Page 10 of 17

11 Will the City of Chillicothe pay license fees for new or upgraded versions of the software as it becomes available, or is that included in our support plan? What is the software's solution for interacting with the Treasurer's office for monthly and annual cash reconciliations? What are the reporting capabilities of your software in regards to general ledger, trial balance, cash balance, journal entries, and payroll? If the City of Chillicothe ends the relationship with your company, does the city get to keep the software and the data included? 12 Have your clients in Ohio been through successful Auditor of State audits using the proposed software? Section 3 Customer References Please provide five (5) Ohio customer references of the requested system running your proposed solution in live operations, including name of the government entity as well as the name, phone number, and address of the appropriate contact person. Section 4 Technology Please provide a response of the following general software technology questions. ITEM 1 Is the system web-based with the ability to use either Google Chrome or Microsoft Internet Explorer? Does the system allow for self-hosting, cloud-based hosting, 2 or both? Please identify the different cost associated with each type of hosting in Sec 6: Cost Information 3 Describe your database platform & requirements. 4 Does licensing provide for concurrent licensing model? Is a concurrent license a global license allowing users to get to all applications such as Accounting, Payroll, and 5 Purchasing, etc. or do we need to buy a concurrent license for each application? 6 Is security set up role-based? 7 Does the system allow a user to have multiple browser tabs open on multiple monitors with just one concurrent license? 8 Does the system allow for alerts based on pre-defined user settings? 9 Does your software integrate with Microsoft Office? 10 Describe the capabilities of your business analytics RESPONSE Page 11 of 17

12 Section 5 Implementation and Support Answer the following items and/or provide the necessary documentation for each item listed below. ITEM Describe the approach and resources required to implement the proposed software. Attach a proposed implementation schedule with key activities and estimated milestones. RESPONSE * The City of Chillicothe intends to redesign business processes as part of the system implementation. The Vendor is expected to participate in process redesign sessions although the municipality will be responsible for leading these sessions and implementing the redesigned processes. Describe your data conversion process and how many years of data, if more than one, you recommend converting. Describe your overall user training approach. * It is desired to have the selected Vendor take the lead on development of the end-user and technical training material. The Vendor is expected to provide user manuals in digital format for use by The City of Chillicothe as part of the initial training and on-going operational support. Describe your company's service & support philosophy, how it is carried out, and how success is measured. Describe ongoing services and support, such as a toll-free customer service number, annual training classes, online customer service website and online software maintenance. How do you service and troubleshoot problems for your current clients? Will the vendor provide all periodic enhancements to the software at no additional charges, beyond the annual support agreement? Does the vendor provide product upgrades automatically or on demand? How does the vendor normally release product upgrades or enhancements? Page 12 of 17

13 Section 6 Cost Information Please review the specific software applications described in the General Requirements. The following costs associated with these applications must be included in your response: Application software license fees Various hosting cost Annual maintenance costs Implementation, Training and Support Services Costs Other anticipated costs (i.e. travel, data file conversions, etc.) Available Financing or Installment Payment Options Costs should be reflected in various pricing structures for each component/module as noted in Attachment A.2. Section 7 License Agreement Please provide a sample of the proposed License Agreement. Section 8 Hardware Requirements Please provide the hardware requirements to run the proposed system. Section 9 Exceptions to the RFP All requested information in this RFP must be supplied with the proposal. Respondents may take exception to certain requirements in this RFP. All exceptions shall be clearly identified in this section and the written explanation shall include the scope of the exceptions, the ramifications of the exceptions for the City, and the description of the advantages or disadvantages to the City as a result of such exceptions. The City, at its sole discretion, may reject any exceptions or specifications within the proposal. 2.9 Deadline for Submittal In order to be considered a valid proposal, the entire Proposal packets must be hand delivered, delivered via U.S. Postal Service or other mail delivery service by the Final Date and Time to Submit Proposal provided in section 2.6 to the following address: City of Chillicothe Office of Purchase Agent ATTN: Aubrey Cameron 2.10 Assignment Proposer may not reassign, transfer, convey, sublet or otherwise dispose of any award made as the result of this RFP, without prior written consent from the Chillicothe Auditor s Office. Page 13 of 17

14 2.11 Proposal Contents Proposer should use the following checklist to ensure that the proposal is complete: Proposer s name and address must be clearly marked on all copies of the proposal, including the electronic files. Per section 2.7 of this document, proposer must submit one (1) original proposal, three (3) identical copies of the proposal, and one (1) copy of a CD containing the entire contents of the proposal. The original of the proposal must be marked as such on the cover and must bear the actual original signatures(s) of the person(s) authorized to sign the proposal. Proposal packets are to be sealed and each packet shall bear on its face the Name and Address of the Proposer and shall be plainly marked Proposal Financial and Payroll System 2.12 Contract Administration The City of Chillicothe will administer the contract Record Keeping Requirements The provider will keep all financial records consistent with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) during the period covered by the contract. The provider is also required to provide the Chillicothe Auditor s Office, and any other person or agency instrumentally involved in providing financial support for the contract work, access and right to examine any books, documents, papers, or records related to this contract Indemnification The provider shall assume the defense of, indemnify, and save harmless any Chillicothe agency receiving services under this contract from any claims or liabilities of any type or nature to any person, firm, or corporation arising in any manner from the provider s performance of the work required under this contract and the provider shall pay any judgment obtained or growing out of said claims or liabilities. 3. Proposal Evaluation 3.1 Proposal Evaluation Criteria The following criteria are the general areas in which each proposal will be evaluated. CRITERIA Best Long-Term Position - Measured by the ability of the vendor to provide a sustainable solution that, in the opinion of the Chillicothe Auditor, best integrates with City operations. Best Application Capability and Support - Measured by the extent and variety of features offered by the new system and availability of support options. Page 14 of 17

15 Lowest Cost - Measured by the estimated total cost of owning the system for a 5 - year period. Best Organization Acceptance - Measured by the ability of the solution to fulfill the requirements across the various City departments. Lowest Technical Skill Requirements - Measured by the relative ease for the City to acquire, develop, and maintain the necessary technical skills to support the option. Best Technical Architecture - Measured by the compatibility of the system with City needs and system scalability and response time. Contract(s) will be awarded to the lowest and best Proposer whose proposal meets the requirements and criteria set forth in the RFP. Factors that determine the lowest and best proposal include, but are not limited to (listed in order of relative importance): 1. The above table of proposal evaluation criteria. 2. Price, terms, and conditions. 3. Service agreement conditions. 4. References and/or indicators of satisfactory past performance of service delivery. 5. Responsiveness to proposal. 3.2 Evaluation Process Step 1: All timely responses will be reviewed to ensure Proposer submitted all required proposal documents and attachments as specified in the RFP. Step 2: Proposals will be evaluated and rated by a City Auditor Luke Feeney and/or designees using the Proposal Evaluation Criteria. Step 3: The City Auditor may request one or more Proposers to present their proposals to the committee at, Chillicothe, OH, at a date to be determined. Though it is hoped and expected that the eventual Provider selection for the contract will be selected from this review process, the City of Chillicothe reserves the right to discontinue the selection process at any time and begin the entire RFP process anew or to not make any awards based on this proposal. ATTACHMENT A.1 Page 15 of 17

16 PROPOSAL SIGNATURE FORM The undersigned, as proposal responder, declares that he/she has carefully examined all the items of the Specification and Instructions herein that he/she fully understands and accepts the requirements of the same, and he/she agrees to furnish the specified items and will accept, in full payments therefore, the amount specified below. Proposals shall include installation services and the successful responder shall obtain all required permits and pay fee required. Note: terms are firm for 90 days. Total Price $ Firm Name: Date: Address: Telephone Signature (Person executing response & official capacity) ATTACHMENT A.2 Page 16 of 17

17 PROPOSAL COST SUMMARY FORM Please complete this form along with any other applicable pricing details. A. SUMMARY OF COSTS a. Accounting Module b. Treasurer Module c. Payroll Module d. Purchasing Module e. Revenue Module f. Budget Management Module g. Business Analysis Module h. Data Conversion 1 Year i. Implementation Costs j. Training Costs k. User Licenses as Outlined in Section l. Secure Blank Stock Check Printing m. Employee Self-Service - Direct Deposit and W2 n. Third-Party Fees o. Maintenance Costs p. Software Assurance Fees q. Additional Fees i. ii. iii. TOTAL PROPOSAL $ Page 17 of 17