STATE OF MAINE Department of Transportation Materials Testing and Exploration REQUEST FOR INFORMATION RFI#

Transcription

1 STATE OF MAINE Department of Transportation Materials Testing and Exploration REQUEST FOR INFORMATION RFI# Laboratory Information Management System RFI Coordinator: Richard Bradbury Tel: (207) This RFI is non-binding, for the State and all interested parties, and no contract award will be made as a result of the RFI process. This document is for market research purposes only. All contact with the State regarding this RFI must be made through the aforementioned RFI Coordinator. No other person/state employee is empowered to make statements regarding this RFI. Deadline for Submitted Questions: February 25, 2015, 5:00 p.m. local time Responses Due Date: March 10, 2015, 5:00 p.m. local time Responses are to be submitted to: Richard.Bradbury@maine.gov

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS PUBLIC NOTICE...3 PART I INTRODUCTION...4 A. DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS...4 B. PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND...4 C. GENERAL PROVISIONS...4 D. MAINEDOT'S LIMS NEEDS...5 E. REQUIRED VENDOR QUALIFICATIONS...6 PART II KEY RFI EVENTS...7 A. TIMELINE OF KEY RFI EVENTS...7 B. QUESTIONS...7 C. SUBMITTING THE RESPONSE...7 PART III SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS...8 A. RESPONSE FORMAT...8 B. RESPONSE ORGANIZATION...8 PART IV REVIEW OF RESPONSES RECIEVED...8 PART V APPENDICES...10 APPENDIX A RESPONSE COVER PAGE...11 APPENDIX B RESPONSE FORM...11 APPENDIX C ELECTRONIC LAB BALANCE INVENTORY...15 APPENDIX D DRAFT SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT...16 APPENDIX E POLICY AND STANDARDS REFERENCE DOCUMENTS...20 Page 2

3 PUBLIC NOTICE ************************************************* State of Maine Department of Transportation RFI# Laboratory Information Management System The State of Maine, Department of Transportation s Materials Testing and Exploration section is seeking information regarding off-the-shelf laboratory information management system (LIMS). Thus, the Department is hereby announcing the publication of a Request for Information (RFI) # requesting information of the aforementioned goods and services. A copy of the RFI can be downloaded from the State of Maine Department of Transportation Consultant Information web page: The Department encourages all interested parties to obtain a copy of the RFI and submit a response. Responses must be submitted to: Richard.Bradbury@maine.gov and be submitted by 5:00 pm, local time, on or before March 10, Page 3

4 State of Maine - Department of Transportation RFI# Laboratory Information Management System PART I INTRODUCTION A. Definitions and Abbreviations The following are definitions for the stated terms and acronyms as they relate to this Request for Information: RFI: Request for Information RFP: Request for Proposal FOAA: Maine Freedom of Access Act Respondent: Any individual or organization submitting a response to this RFI. AASHTO: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials ASTM: American Society for Testing and Materials (now ASTM International) B. Purpose and Background This Request for Information (RFI) is an information gathering and market research tool, not a formal solicitation of a specific requirement (such as in a Request for Proposals document). The Department of Transportation ( Department ) is seeking information regarding an off-the-shelf laboratory information management system (LIMS) from interested parties as defined in this RFI document. This is an opportunity for interested parties to help the Department better understand a marketplace and/or specific subject matter. The purpose of the LIMS system is to manage all materials-related information needed by the Department for the design, construction, preservation and maintenance of Maine s highways and bridges. C. General Provisions 1. This is a non-binding Request for Information (RFI). Therefore, no award shall be made as a result of the RFI process. 2. Issuance of this RFI does not commit the Department to pay any expenses incurred by a Respondent in the preparation of their response to this RFI. This includes attendance at personal interviews or other meetings and software or system demonstrations, where applicable. 3. Issuance of this RFI in no way constitutes a commitment by the State of Maine to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP). 4. All responses should adhere to the instructions and format requests outlined in this RFI and all written supplements and amendments, such as the Summary of Questions and Answers, issued by the Department. 5. All submissions in response to this RFI will be considered public records available for public inspection pursuant to the State of Maine Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) (1 M.R.S. 401 et seq.). 6. The Department, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to recognize and waive minor informalities and irregularities found in responses received by vendors in response to this RFI. Page 4

5 7. All applicable laws, whether or not herein contained, shall be included by this reference. It shall be Proposer s/vendor s responsibility to determine the applicability and requirements of any such laws and to abide by them. 8. Response to this RFI in no way impacts the responders ability to respond to any subsequently issued RFP or the scoring of those responses. D. MaineDOT s LIMS needs The purpose of the LIMS is to manage all materials testing-related information needed by the Department for the design, construction, preservation and maintenance of Maine s transportation network. The Department collects and processes data throughout the project life cycle including: Preliminary engineering Subsurface geotechnical investigations Pavement deflection testing Ground penetrating radar pavement thickness Soils testing Asphalt/concrete materials mix design evaluation Bridge deck evaluation Project construction quality assurance Soils and aggregate testing Asphalt testing (mix and binder) Structural materials testing (concrete, steel, pipe, etc.) Production facilities inspections In-place density tests Pavement smoothness Pavement warranty inspections Independent Assurance testing and inspections Manufactured materials verification Pay adjustments Dispute resolution Maintenance/Preservation Paint testing Salt testing The LIMS specification will include, but not limited to, the following: Centralized web-based system Browser-based user interface Online analytical processing tools Page 5

6 Data analysis tools Ability to support field data collection and retrieval on portable hardware Ability to capture data directly from electronic lab balances and other lab equipment Vendor-hosted as software-as-a-service OR State-housed and vendor-maintained OR State-hosted An off-the-shelf system already in use by at least 2 customers. The Department strongly prefers not to purchase a custom-built system. A mature software management strategy to maintain the functionality and quality of the software as standards evolve. The Department has provided the following information to clarify what we are seeking. Appendix C - Electronic Lab Balance Inventory Appendix D Draft System Requirements Document Appendix E Reference Documents E. Required Vendor Qualifications: We seek information from Vendors who: 1. Have provided LIMS systems to public transportation agencies, consultant testing labs, material producers, general contractors, and/or Design-Build projects. 2. Are thoroughly familiar with AASHTO and ASTM sampling and testing standards and specifications. 3. Are thoroughly familiar with the requirements of the AASHTO Accreditation Program. 4. Have expertise and experience with deploying their LIMS on portable devices for field use. 5. Have expertise designing web applications to display reports and data. 6. Have expertise and experience with integrating their LIMS with electronic lab balances and other lab equipment for the purpose of automated data capture. Page 6

7 PART II KEY RFI EVENTS A. Timeline of Key RFI Events Event Name Due Date for Receipt of Written Questions Due Date for Responses Event Date and Time February 25, 2015 at 5:00pm, local time March 10, 2015 at 5:00pm, local time B. Questions 1. General Instructions a. It is the responsibility of each interested party to examine the entire RFI and to seek clarification, in writing, if they do not understand any information or instructions. b. Questions regarding the RFI must be submitted via and received by the RFI Coordinator listed on the cover page of this RFI document as soon as possible but no later than the date and time specified in the timeline above. c. For ease of reference, please include the RFI Number and Title in the subject line of the . Be sure to refer to the page number and paragraph within this RFI relevant to the question presented for clarification, if applicable. 2. Summary of Questions and Answers Responses to all substantive and relevant questions will be compiled in writing and posted as a document available on the State of Maine Department of Transportation Consultant Information web page ( with the RFI.. The Department reserves the right to answer or not answer any question received. C. Submitting the Response 1. Responses Due Responses must be received no later than the date and time listed in the timeline above. 2. Delivery Instructions Responses must be submitted to the RFI Coordinator, via , listed on the cover page of this RFI document. Page 7

8 PART III SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS This section contains instructions for Respondents to use in preparing their responses. It is requested that all responses follow the outline suggested below, including the numbering, section, and sub-section headings as they appear here. The Department seeks detailed yet succinct responses. As this is not a competitive RFP process, Respondents should not provide any specific cost or customized pricing documentation in their response. A. Response Format 1. For clarity, the response should be typed or printed. Responses should be single-spaced with 1 margins on white 8 ½ x 11 paper using a font no smaller than 12 point Times New Roman or similar. 2. Please number all pages consecutively beginning with number 1 on the first page of the narrative (this does not include the cover page or table of contents pages) through to the end, including all forms and attachments. 3. For clarity, the Respondent s name should appear on every page, including Attachments. Each Attachment should reference the section or subsection number to which it corresponds. 4. Please present information in the order and format described in the RFI. Number each response to correspond to the relevant question or instruction of the RFI. If you have no response to a specific question/instruction, please respond with NR for clarity. Please include the Cover letter (Appendix A) form and Response Form (Appendix B) provided in the package, or reproduce them as closely as possible. 5. Please provide all information requested in the RFI package at the time of submission. B. Response Organization 1. Complete Cover Page (provided as Appendix A to this RFI) 2. Complete Response Form (provided as Appendix B to this RFI) 3. Provide an itemized list of attachments/brochures 4. Provide attachments/brochures in the order listed and marked identifiably against the itemized list Page 8

9 PART IV REVIEW OF RESPONSES RECEIVED General Information 1. The Department will review responses received for the purpose of gathering information and market research. The Department will not score or rate responses received. 2. The Department reserves the right to communicate and/or schedule interviews/presentations with Respondents, if needed, to obtain clarification of information contained in the responses received. Page 9

10 PART V APPENDICES Appendix A Response Cover Page STATE OF MAINE Department of Transportation RESPONSE COVER PAGE RFI# Laboratory Information Management System Lead Point of Contact for Response - Name/Title: Respondent s Organization Name (if applicable): Tel: Page 10

11 Appendix B Response Form STATE OF MAINE Department of Transportation RESPONSE FORM RFI# Laboratory Information Management System GENERAL INFORMATION Company Name Address Website URL Main products/services Main market/customers Product(s) pertinent to this RFI Main market/customers for that product Company location(s) Location Serving Maine QUESTIONS Please answer the following questions in the space provided. Feel free to leave blank where the question is not appropriate to your role. If additional space is required, please reference the question number in the attached response. No. 1 Please describe your Company s role in regard to this product (e.g. owner, developer, implementer, hosting/support, other) What is the name and owner of the LIMS products which you will be describing in this RFI response? Please briefly describe the LIMS (and differentiate between them if you are describing more than one LIMS product). Please provide names and contact information for customers using this product. Please provide a rough number of companies using this LIMS (order of magnitude). How long as this LIMS been on the market? Page 11

12 Is there more than one company providing implementation, or support/hosting of this LIMS? MaineDOT expectations Please provide feedback on the draft System Requirements outlined in Appendix D. We are extremely interested in understanding where our vision is not well aligned with the product; or where there are better more effective ways to achieve our goals than what we ve described; where we may be attempting to do something especially risky or challenging or expensive; or what we SHOULD be asking that we are not. What challenges are we likely to encounter in attempting to integrate our electronic lab balances (inventoried in Appendix C)? In your opinion, what are the primary challenges encountered in attempting to implement an LIMS and integrate the electronic lab equipment? In your opinion, what factors are most important to a successful implementation of an LIMS with integrated electronic lab equipment? Product Availability What is the average lead time from receipt of order to system delivery? Please describe the availability of technical support. System Details What technology is the system built with? If this is customer-hosted, what are the recommended system specifications for hardware and software to run the system? How is it normally licensed e.g. number of named users, number of concurrent users, number of tests, number of active sites, etc.? What browsers will the system run on? Is there client software that must be downloaded such as ACTIVEX controls or Java forms? Are the data collection forms standard, configured for the customer by the vendor, or customer-configured? Are workflows standard, or configured for the customer by the vendor, or customerconfigured? Are there graphical or map user interfaces? Page 12

13 Are there batch jobs/processes? How rapidly is the system updated when standards change? What types of other data processing systems is it usually integrated with, if any? (Project management, HR, Active Directory, Outlook /calendars, etc.? How frequently are major upgrades released? What major system work is planned for the next year to this system? Data analysis tools Does it require additional software, such as Crystal Reports? Does the license permit SQL reading of database for extraction to data warehouses? Does it require specialized data analyst training in software, such as Crystal Reports development or SQL? Ability to support field data collection and retrieval on portable hardware What device OS and screen sizes are supported? Do you use HTML5 or a different strategy for coding for the various devices? Does it support store-and-forward or rely on a real time connection? Does it support field printing of barcoded labels? Ability to capture data directly from electronic lab balances and other lab equipment What lab devices are supported is it brand-specific or specific to a particular standard? Does it rely on wires, Bluetooth, WIFI or what other communications technology? How does the user know if the data was captured successfully is there real time feedback? Approximately what percent of the electronic balances listed in Appendix C are currently supported by your system? Page 13

14 IT Hosting Do you host this LIMSas software-as-a-service? To your knowledge, do other vendors host this LIMS as software-as-a-service? If so, do you get any of the following audits: SSAE 16 SOC 2 Type II FISMA Level 3 ATO FedRAMP CSP ISO/IEC 27001:2005 US-EU Safe Harbor Framework SkyHigh CloudTrust PCI-DSS Are there any particular risks or benefits in using cloud-hosting for an LIMS system that we should take into consideration? Page 14

15 Appendix C Electronic Lab Balance Inventory Electronic Lab Balance Inventory Page 15

16 Appendix D DRAFT SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT DRAFT SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT The following is an excerpt from a draft Requirements Document the may become part of a future Request For Proposals. MaineDOT is looking for feedback on your ability to meet these possible requirements. SECTION 2: SYSTEM, TECHNICAL AND OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS Section 2.1 General Architectural Requirements The new IMS will employ the following technology: Centralized, Web-based system Browser-based user interface Windows-based interface Open database connectivity (ODBC) compliance Online analytical processing tools Data analysis tools The system will be owned and operated by MaineDOT. The high level architectural components are: The State of Maine has standardized on Microsoft and Oracle software, and Intel/AMD-based servers, so the IMS must be consistent with these standards. Users will connect with the system over TCP/IP based networks. The end user will access the system through a Web browser. As a minimum, the system will support Microsoft Internet Explorer, but may support additional browsers. 2.2 Performance Response Time Response times should be almost immediate when performing functions such as generating reports and conducting queries. Screens will display with minimal delay, and will not be a hindrance to utilizing the IMS (assuming negligible delay related to network speed). Reports will be sent to the selected printer in a matter of seconds (< 1 minute) Availability The system will be available to all users at all times (24/7/365) except when performing system maintenance. System maintenance and upgrades must be scheduled in advance and sufficient notice given prior to any scheduled system outage. Sufficient notice will be defined as five working days. Page 16

17 Updates will be scheduled in such a manner so that work flow is not impeded. Prior to release, updated versions will operate in a test environment to ensure that all functions are operating correctly Data Currency Data will be available to users immediately after being entered into the system System Recoverability In the event of a system failure, functionality must be restored within one working day. The IMS must be restored to the condition existing immediately prior to the system failure. Data will be backed up at least daily Scalability The current system has approximately 40 active users, with an additional 150 +/- occasional users (typically project staff accessing test reports). The new system must accommodate this level of Department personnel; additionally, there will be approximately 100 additional external users in the contracting and consultant communities Adaptability/Flexibility The system must be capable of evolving with technological advances. The system administrator must be able to provide new or edited data entry screens, computations or reports in response to customer needs within five working days Reliability The minimum level of availability is 99.95% Capacity The IMS must be able to store, provide access to, and generate reports as needed. The TIMS system is composed of 273 tables, and currently holds over 875,000 records Data Retention All records must be retained permanently. 2.3 Security General Security The Department will have the capability for defining rights to the data. No interface can be added to the system without prior approval of the Department. The system will comply with all State of Maine OIT Page 17

18 information security policies User Identification and Authentication Use of the system by Department users will be controlled through a secure login process that utilizes one of the following: User ID and password (with appropriate constraints for password parameters) Individual keycards Biometrics Similar ID/authentication controls acceptable to the Department Use by external partners will be controlled through use of user ID and password. The password parameters will be configurable, including length of password, use of specific character types, password expiration and reuse, and account lockout due to failed login attempts. The Department and/or OIT will have the ability to administer and reset passwords Audit Trail The system will have the ability to log events such as entry, editing and deletion of data records. The audit trail will provide a chronological record of system activities including user identity, time and date of occurrence to enable system managers to reconstruct and examine a sequence of IMS events Alerts The system will be capable of generating alerts for selected significant events, such as alteration/deletion of records Permissions MTEx will have the ability to assign user permissions based on need Software Environment The State of Maine has standardized on Microsoft and Oracle software, including the Microsoft Office suite of applications, Microsoft Internet Explorer, as well as Adobe Reader and Acrobat Pro Hardware Environment The State of Maine has standardized on Intel/AMD-based desktop and laptop pcs Physical Operating Environment Field data collection will occur on active highway and bridge construction projects, and during geotechnical investigations on existing assets. The data collection device must have a screen that provides visibility in both bright sunlight and at night. Hardware will potentially be exposed to the following conditions: Page 18

19 Ambient temperatures between 0 and 100 degrees F Light rain, mist, snow or fog Vibration from heavy equipment Dust Incidental exposure to materials such as soil, asphalt and concrete Hardware will be exposed to the following conditions in the testing laboratories: Dust Vibration from testing equipment Incidental exposure to materials such as soil, asphalt and concrete Page 19

20 Appendix E Policy and Standards Reference Documents REFERENCE DOCUMENTS DOCUMENT State of Maine Department of Transportation Standard Specifications November 2014 Edition State of Maine Department of Transportation Supplemental Specifications Maine DOT Policies and Procedures for HMA Sampling and Testing AASHTO Standard Specifications for Transportation Materials and Methods of Sampling and Testing WEB LINK /index2014.shtml 3&an=1 8&an=1 Page 20