Request for Proposal Outsourced IT & Managed Services Issue Date: January 2, 2015 Submission Deadline: January 30, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. CST
RFP Coordinator: Katie Kosseff, Operations Manager
[email protected] 612-224-9565
Table of Contents
Organizational Background Overview of Current Environment Project Description and Requirements Selection Criteria Communications and Response Timeline Application Process
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Organizational Background WomenVenture is a mid-sized nonprofit organization located in Northeast Minneapolis. Founded in 1978, our mission is to help women attain economic self-sufficiency through the creation and growth of sustainable and profitable businesses. For more than 36 years, WomenVenture has been improving the economic position of women in the Twin Cities. Our target market is low and moderate income women interested in pursuing business ownership as a means of self-sufficiency. We support women business owners by providing the following services:
CLASSES: educational guidance through the conception and growth phases of a business ONGOING CONSULTATION: one-on-one advice and expertise to help women, who tend to face unique obstacles to business ownership CAPITAL: access to microloans ($500-$50,000) for start-up and expansion costs which are specifically designed for clients unable to access capital from traditional lenders
In fiscal year 2014, we helped 416 established and emerging entrepreneurs to: • • •
Start or expand 259 small businesses Create or retain 944 jobs, with an average wage of $23.63 per hour Achieve $18.9 million in gross revenue
WomenVenture has 15 FTE’s, all of whom work at least part-time in our main office. In addition, we have approximately four interns at any given time and a large number of volunteers who deliver services directly to clients. WomenVenture is a certified Community Development Financial Institution through the U.S. Department of the Treasury and a certified Women’s Business Center through the U.S. Small Business Administration. We receive grant money and loan funds from both of these institutions as well as from state and local government sources and from private and corporate donors. For more information about WomenVenture, visit www.womenventure.org.
Overview of Current Technical Environment
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PC environment 20 current users, mix of PCs and laptops All computers on 5-year replacement schedule 3 servers—CRM, SQL and SBS. All three servers are mid-way through lifecycle, scheduled for replacement in late 2016 All servers on-site at WomenVenture Remote access to network through Windows SBS platform Off-site back-up at current Managed IT provider site Wi-fi using sonic points within office environment
Key software applications: MS Office Suite, Quickbooks, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Adobe Design Suite, TEA Loan Servicing Software Onsite IT management by Operations Manager Use of smart phones with synced Outlook accounts Inter-Tel Axxess Digital (non-VOIP) phone system, approximately 15 years old External connectivity with one full T1I, 100/20 HSI.
Detailed information regarding WomenVenture IT environment will be sent as a separate document, via email, to all invited applicants. If you would like to submit a Letter of Intent and did not receive this information, please contact Katie Kosseff, Operations Manager, WomenVenture,
[email protected] or 612-245-2637l Project Description and Requirements Since 2011, WomenVenture has outsourced all IT services. WomenVenture is seeking an IT managed service provider to provide comprehensive support including the following.
Network management and infrastructure support Comprehensive system monitoring and support Network security (including anti-virus, security updates and patch management) Management of network back-up software and regular back-up processes Workstation set-up and comprehensive helpdesk support for workdays and some evenings Email software support Hardware management and support (for servers, desktops, laptops and printers) Application management and support Remote communications support (remote network access from PC’s, laptops and smart phones) On-site support for systems that require in-person attention (e.g., setting up PCs) Network, system and work-station set-up documentation License, warranty and asset tracking Ongoing IT enhancement consultation/insights into new trends and best practices Quarterly reporting on system monitoring, help desk activities, software updates and patch management Communication and collaboration as needed with other WomenVenture technology vendors (e.g., database development partner, copy vendor)
Value added service requirements: As part of this RFP, the following services are current priority items for WomenVenture:
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Advise and assist WomenVenture in evaluation of and planning for potential shift to partially or fully cloud-based computing system In collaboration with database partner, Support WomenVenture in major software upgrade (JulySeptember 2015) of Microsoft Dynamics CRM database (from V2011 to V2015)
Selection Criteria
Industry expertise and experience (10%) o Demonstration of sound and continuously improving practices around data privacy and security o History of firm, year founded o Financial stability of firm o No major lawsuits or judgments against firm and any pending legal actions against firm can be explained
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Positive feedback from requested references
Demonstrated customer service quality and support (25%) o Demonstrated industry best-practices in help ticket management o Formal ticketing and escalation system o Ability to meet WomenVenture’s helpdesk and support needs in a timely manner Reporting and Recording-keeping (15%) o Established systems for communicating account-related issues to customers o Sound and thorough documentation processes for client system configurations o Formal reporting tools for regular reporting on client system health Fit with WomenVenture’s technology goals and needs (20%) o Relevant nonprofit experience o Ability to help WomenVenture with stated short and mid-range IT goals o Demonstrated expertise in WomenVenture key software applications o Relevant training and/or IT strategic planning services o Availability of and new computer ordering and set-up o Ability to provide or facilitate off-site system back-up services o Demonstrated systems for ongoing monitoring of client system health Overall price/Financial considerations (20%) o managed IT services and related products/services Alignment with WomenVenture mission and values (10%)
Communications and Response For any information relative to this RFP, please direct all inquiries to Katie Kosseff Operations Manager WomenVenture
[email protected] 612-224-9565
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Timeline: RFP Released Proposals Due Review of proposals, interviews with qualified candidates Applicant award notification Contract negotiation/transition Contract begins
January 2, 2015 January 30, 2015, 5 pm CST Feb 2-Feb 20, 2015 By Feb 27, 2015 March 1-14, 2015 March 15, 2015
Please note: This RFP does not obligate WomenVenture to complete the proposed process. WomenVenture reserves the right to reject all proposals and/or cancel the solicitation at our sole discretion. WomenVenture has full discretion over our selection of applicants to interview. The submission of a proposal shall not in any manner oblige WomenVenture to enter into a contract or to be responsible for the costs incurred by your organization in responding to this request. WomenVenture makes no guarantee of future volumes and offers volume information for directional purposes only, to assist vendors with proposal preparation. Application Process Invited and interested applicants must submit a full proposal by January 30, 2015. Please address the following questions in your RFP proposal. Proposals should be submitted electronically in MS Word or PDF format the email address listed in the above “Communications and Response” section. Along with responses to the questions below, please provide a sample contract for your services, including any addendums and a copy of your company’s certificate of liability insurance. 1. General Company Information a. Provide an overview of your company, including: i. The number of years providing managed IT services. ii. Number of customers and average size of customers’ organizations. iii. Number of employees. iv. In your corporation’s last five completed fiscal years, how many showed a net profit? v. Background, history and organizational structure vi. Documentation (financial statements, etc.) of financial stability b. Are there any lawsuits, judgments or liens pending against your organization that would negatively impact your company’s ability to provide managed IT services to WomenVenture? c. Is your company under investigation by any entity? If yes, include an explanation. 2. Staffing and organizational structure 4
a. Provide the number of staff at your company as well as an overview of the organizational structure or a copy of your organizational chart. b. Describe the relationships that different types of staff have with a typical customer (e.g. Account Manager, NOC staff, help desk staff) and the ways that these staff coordinate their efforts on behalf of a customer. c. Describe your job requirements for helpdesk staff and provide the number of helpdesk staff. d. Describe your staff development and training programs. 3. Security a. Does your company hold any security certifications? If so, list current certifications. b. Provide details of your company’s practices for staying current on legislation, certifications and compliance. c. Describe background checks performed for all staff. Is your staff bonded? d. Include a copy of your company’s security policies as relates to client access. e. Describe your strategy for securing your clients’ data i. How does your company stay informed regarding security alerts or events? ii. How does your company notify and manage security events for your clients? iii. How does your company manage mobile device security? iv. How does your company ensure that best security practices are being followed at client sites? v. Is an annual security assessment and report included in your service? f. Does your company carry cyberliability or privacy security insurance? If so, list coverage types and limits. 4. Services/Support a. What desktop support to you provide to clients (hardware and software)? b. Describe the support you provide for network hardware and operating systems. c. Describe the support you provide to end users having problems on-site and with remote access to our system. d. Describe your work order/ticketing system. e. Describe your system to escalate chronic or advanced problems. f. Describe the hours of operation for help desk staff and the guarantee call-response time. g. Describe your staffing model for providing after-hours support. What is the guaranteed response time? What is the average response time? h. Provide help desk statistics such as average time to respond to calls, average length of time for successful resolution, nature of support calls, etc. i. Is your company open to contracts that include SLAs for response times or case resolution times? j. Describe specific staff skill sets, if any, to support Quickbooks, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Windows Small Business Server. In addition, describe any experience you have had assisting clients with moving to cloud computing environments. k. If staff doesn’t have a specific skill set needed by a client, describe what you do to onboard or otherwise access those skills. 5
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Describe any training your organization provides to clients, including security best practices, etc. m. Describe any systems back-up support you offer. n. Describe any disaster recovery support you offer. o. Describe how software upgrades will be applied. Are there extra fees for upgrades? If so, please describe. p. Describe patch management – how are updates and patches applied to the servers and desktops? Who is responsible for doing updates? How often are they done? q. How are network downtimes for maintenance scheduled and communicated? r. Do you provide computer/IT equipment purchasing services? How do those work? Monitoring a. Describe your tools to monitor and ensure the stability of the computing environment. Account management a. Describe how you will report back to WomenVenture about status of systems, needs of users, help desk ticket history, recommendations for system updates/change, etc. b. Describe any IT strategic planning provided. Documentation, record keeping and reporting a. Describe how you will document and record maintenance, installation and changes to the WomenVenture’s network and IT systems. b. Describe the documentation you will make available to WomenVenture at the end of the contract period to assist with transition, if necessary. Fees a. Describe your pricing structure and describe all fees that would be associated with a Managed IT contract with WomenVenture including: i. Initiation/set-up fees ii. Monthly fees iii. Any other regular or recurring fees iv. Fees for any services not included in the main contract but that might come up (for example, on-site maintenance service or new computer set-up fee) Transition a. Describe the steps needed to transition to IT services with your company. Miscellaneous a. Describe any other features of your company that make it well-suited to provide Managed IT services to WomenVenture. b. Describe the ways, if any, that your company embraces or supports WomenVenture’s mission and values. References a. Provide contact information for three references. Ideally, please include at least one nonprofit organization and one organization of a similar size to WomenVenture among your references. b. Provide a list of your company’s technology partners.