Sources Sought for an Automated Weight-Based Inventory Management System

THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) / SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ISSUED SOLELY FOR INFORMATION AND PLANNING PURPOSES. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION. SUBMISSION OF INFORMATION ABOUT PRICING, DELIVERY, THE MARKET, AND CAPABILITIES IS HIGHLY ENCOURAGED AND ALLOWED UNDER THIS RFI FOR PLANNING PURPOSES IN ACCORDANCE WITH (IAW) FAR 15.201(e). DISCLAIMER This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. IAW FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. SOURCES SOUGHT/RFI DESCRIPTION This is NOT a solicitation announcement. This is a Sources Sought Notice / RFI only. The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice / RFI is to gain information about potential qualified sources and their size classification relative to NAICS code is 334519 - Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing, with an SBA small business size standard of 600 employees. Responses to this Sources Sought Notice / RFI will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. After review of the responses to this Sources Sought Notice / RFI, further RFIs and/or a solicitation or other announcements may be published. The purpose of this procurement is to acquire and install a fully automated, weight-based inventory management system, brand name or equal to PAR Excellence, for the VA Phoenix Healthcare System. The system is intended to provide accurate, real-time perpetual inventory visibility while minimizing end-user data entry and supporting timely replenishment of medical and surgical supplies. The anticipated requirement includes all equipment, scales, controllers, storage products, mounting hardware and accessories, software licenses, interfaces, implementation services, installation, configuration, testing, training, warranty, monitoring, maintenance, and technical support necessary to deliver a fully operational system at the facility's designated primary and secondary supply locations. For market-research and planning purposes, the anticipated configuration is approximately 26 PAR Bins Replenish software licenses, 3,571 scales of various types and capacities, 27 Ethernet replenishment controllers, related hardware accessories, storage bins, shelving, cabinets, mobile louvered panel units, and associated implementation and training services. Final quantities and configurations are subject to change. At a minimum, the proposed solution must provide an HL7 interface that communicates with the VA Generic Inventory Package (GIP) in VistA and must have an approved VA Information Technology Authority to Operate (ATO) at the time of offer. Contractors must be able to validate interoperability with VA GIP through the HL7 interface prior to award. The system must support unlimited users and multiple permission levels; provide access from multiple points on VA-furnished computers; produce Excel or text-delimited reports; display equipment and materials-management status; provide item-location, PAR-level analysis, consumption data, order, reconciliation, due-in/due-out, discrepancy, and inventory-value reporting; and generate pick-ticket information based on PAR levels, reorder points, and emergency stock levels. The system must be compatible with existing shelving, cabinets, carts, and other storage infrastructure; accommodate medical and surgical products of varying size, thickness, and weight, including products up to approximately 3 feet long by 2 feet wide and 20 pounds; and permit VA employees to recalibrate the system for different package quantities. The contractor must install and configure the required software on VA-furnished equipment, provide staff training, furnish a one-year license agreement with software upgrades, and provide 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year support. Support must include at least four remote equipment-functionality checks every 24 hours, response to service calls within 24 hours, and repair or replacement of covered equipment or hardware within 48 hours when damage or defect is not attributable to VA personnel. Installation is anticipated to begin no later than 70 days after contract award and be completed no later than 400 days after award, subject to facility deployment planning and required facility tasks. Deliverables will be shipped to VA Phoenix Healthcare System, Main Warehouse (ATTN: Prentiss Logan), 650 E Indian School Road, Phoenix, AZ 85012, with notice to the Contracting Officer's Representative five business days before shipment. The current independent planning estimate derived from the attached vendor quotation is $1,502,945.49, inclusive of turnkey installation. This amount is provided solely to describe the anticipated magnitude of the requirement for market-research purposes and does not constitute a Government estimate, commitment, or solicitation price. STATEMENT OF WORK 1. Background VA Phoenix Healthcare System has used cabinet-based Point of Use (POU) systems to manage inventory levels within our facility s supply areas. Our facility s current supply system process relies heavily on clinical staff entering quantities as they pull product. When they fail to enter, or enter incorrect quantities, our process fails. This leads to workload issues, as Supply Techs must be pulled from current duties to perform urgent resupply requests to affected areas. This also presents potential patient safety issues during emergency situations if stock is not available due to inaccurate stock level information. Further, the current supply process is labor and time intensive. This is compounded in times of heavy workload due to availability of supply personnel and/or hospital patient load, increasing risks associated with patient care / safety. VA Phoenix Healthcare System is looking for a fully automated weight-based inventory management system that does not require end users to input data or interface with the system to increase or decrease material items stocked or consumed by the user. The station requires a system that removes or heavily limits the amount of human interface required to maintain accurate and real time inventories. This creates a more accurate and efficient system while simultaneously addressing the patient safety / care concerns mentioned above, eliminating the frequent emergent supply requests created by inadequate inventory management systems. A fully automated weight-based inventory management system will augment the supply chain s management effectiveness and timeliness with resupply inventory while decreasing the workload of supply personnel. It will also improve the overall patient care throughout the facility, particularly in the cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology labs, by effectively maintaining appropriate periodic automatic replacement levels. 2. Scope The scope of this requirement is to obtain and install an automated inventory management system at VA Phoenix Healthcare System, ensure system is fully operational, and fully train staff to be knowledgeable on the use of system. This is a brand name or equal requirement; a Fully Automated Weight-Based Inventory Management System or equal to PAR Excellence. Contractors must provide a brand name or equal that meets or exceeds the physical, functional, and performance of listed characteristics described in this Statement of Work. Contractor must show clear and compelling, and convincing evidence that all equal to items meet all required salient characteristics including brand name and model numbers IAW FAR 52.211-6 Brand Name or Equal. The proposed software must have HL7 interface at the time of offer. Contractors must validate and prove that the system communicates to VA Generic Inventory Package (GIP) in VistA through HL7 interface prior to award. Software must have an approved IT Authority to Operate (ATO) on the VA system at the time of offer. 3. Specific Tasks 3.1. Installation To supply and install all equipment and parts, to include mounting hardware, if necessary for a weight-based inventory management system at VA Phoenix Healthcare System s primary and secondary locations. Installed equipment shall have a one-year full equipment replacement warranty for defects or damage not caused by VA personnel. Installation shall not include disassembly of existing storage devices. Installation shall include costs on any additional equipment required for new inventory management system. 3.2. Hardware and Software 3.2.1. Install: Install the program and software packages used to add, delete, and edit items stored in the storage/dispensing stations on VA owned desktops or laptop computers at each designated facility. Install software on 1 (one at minimum) VA owned laptop for system set-up and installation. Install and prepare VA-owned server for transmission of information between Contractor and VA for maintenance and monitoring of equipment in use. Part Number (Set/Kit) Description SOFTWARE LICENSE FEES PX9186 PAR Bins Replenish License SCALE PRODUCTS Scale - Avg Cost for PAR Individual Scales SCALE PRODUCTS Scale - Avg Cost for PAR Individual Scales (15k) SCALE PRODUCTS Small & Medium Platform Scales SCALE PRODUCTS Large Platform Scales SCALE PRODUCTS Controller, Replenish, Ethernet HARDWARE PAR Hardware Accessories STORAGE PRODUCTS Plastic Storage Bins STORAGE PRODUCTS SC182472-5 18" D x 24" W x 72" H Chrome Wire Shelving Unit STORAGE PRODUCTS SC246084-5 24" D x 60" W x 84" H Chrome Wire Shelving Unit STORAGE PRODUCTS SC247284-5 24" D x 72" W x 84" H Chrome Wire Shelving Unit STORAGE PRODUCTS Bridge Allocation (unit plus sides/front) STORAGE PRODUCTS PX7532 Double-Wide Mass Med Cabinet and Louver Cart Panel STORAGE PRODUCTS PX7532-C Double-Wide Mass Med Cabinet and Louver Cart Pane STORAGE PRODUCTS QS-LR36 qwikSIGHT Mobile Louvered Panel Units, 36" STORAGE PRODUCTS QS-LR18 qwikSIGHT Mobile Louvered Panel Units, 18" IMPLEMENTATION SERVICES Onsite Implementation Services 3.2.2. Access: The system shall be accessible from multiple access points throughout the facility. Grant accesses and train VA employees for the program that shall have unlimited user access and provide reports and data mining capability of current inventory including, but not limited to, current stock levels, recommended order levels, and average usage levels. Software must support multiple users with different levels of permission. The system should be capable of producing reports in Excel or text delimited format using commercially available software. 3.2.3. Capabilities Including Physical, Function, and Performance Characteristics: The inventory management system shall have a HL7 Interface that communicates with VA GIP in VistA. The system must be an approved IT Authority to Operate (ATO) on the VA system at the time of offer. The system shall produce accurate real-time perpetual reading of quantities on-hand, accessible on VA provided computers via automated inventory management system software and provide data mining capabilities that shall include at a minimum current stock level, recommended order points, average usage levels per item. The periodic automatic replacement bin System must interface with Generic Inventory Package (GIP). The primary purpose of the interface is to accurately report on-hand quantities in real time for each secondary supply area for restocking purposes, and to identify out of balance on hand quantities and values between GIP and the periodic automatic replacement system. Periodic automatic replacement system will identify any out of balance on hand quantities and values, accounting for any due-outs or due-ins. If the out of balance condition is caused by a pending due in or due out, it will be displayed separately to easily identify. Periodic…