Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Portal

EVALUATION

Utility Management System and Services

Last updated by Addendum #2 on Sep 5, 2024 8:55 PM

Solicitation

Transportation Planning

5112, 518, 519

Project ID: S24094

Release Date: Monday, July 15, 2024

· Due Date: Friday, September 6, 2024 2:00pm

Posted Monday, July 15, 2024 11:00am

All dates & times in Pacific Time

Question & Answer

Questions and clarifications about the project

The question submission deadline has passed. No more questions can be submitted.

1. Utility Info Aug 5 2024 at 2:49 PM

Anonymous Aug 5 2024 at 2:49 PM
User information is private
Names of 19 utility providers and number of accounts per provider and are there any other accounts to be tracked outside of this scope?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
All of the major local utility providers in Santa Clara County like PG&E (296 accounts), San Jose Water (134 accounts), other city utility providers like City of Palo Alto, City of Sunnyvale, City of Santa Clara, West Valley Sanitation District, United Pacific Energy, Zanker Recycling, San Jose Water Co., Great Oaks Water Co. etc

2. Historical Data Aug 5 2024 at 2:49 PM

Anonymous Aug 5 2024 at 2:49 PM
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How many files will the historical data going back to 2007 be delivered on and can you provide an example file?
Aug 21 2024 at 9:18 AM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Yes, we can provide an example of historic bill records. Historic data are similar to the current standard utility bills. Please refer official notice #1 for the example file.

3. Solar Power Aug 5 2024 at 2:50 PM

Anonymous Aug 5 2024 at 2:50 PM
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How many solar arrays/inverters is VTA tracking the generation data of and who are the solar providers/vendors?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
5 installations. Solar Star and PG&E.

4. AP Configuration Aug 5 2024 at 2:51 PM

Anonymous Aug 5 2024 at 2:51 PM
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Can you provide an example Accounts Payable file so we can assess how we can map your data from our platform to the fields you require?
Aug 21 2024 at 9:18 AM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Please refer official notice #1 for the example file.

5. Sample Contract Aug 5 2024 at 2:51 PM

Anonymous Aug 5 2024 at 2:51 PM
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Does VTA require redlines to its contracts as a part of the initial submission or can that be done upon award?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
The proposer may submit redlines to the contracts along with their technical proposal.

6. # meters Aug 6 2024 at 5:59 AM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 5:59 AM
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What is VTA’s total meter count?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Approximately 650 active meters in the system.

7. project timing Aug 6 2024 at 6:02 AM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 6:02 AM
User information is private
Does the VTA have an anticipated project start date? Does the VTA have an anticipated Go-Live target date(s)?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
See RFP deadlines. We would expect a transition of 3 – 6 months if a new vendor is chosen upon completion of the RFP process.

8. Special Processing Aug 6 2024 at 12:57 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 12:57 PM
User information is private
Please elaborate on the “Special Processing” mentioned on RFP page 14.
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
For the Light Rail Traction Power bill, the system uses a combination of a usage statement and cost invoice to calculate and distribute cost and usage to the dozens of individual Substation accounts. This is a consolidated bill where multiple meters grouped by city are billed as if they are one meter.

9. Solar Bills Aug 6 2024 at 12:58 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 12:58 PM
User information is private
Please elaborate on solar assets and describe how you’re currently getting your solar bills.
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
5 solar installations at different facilities owned and operated by VTA. Solar bills are provided by email and mailed directly.

10. Data + Bill Images Aug 6 2024 at 12:58 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 12:58 PM
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Per page 15 of the RFP, will all data, including bill images going back to 2007, be provided?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
VTA would want to capture the historic data and any images currently available.

11. Parameters for Data Export Aug 6 2024 at 12:58 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 12:58 PM
User information is private
Please elaborate on the meaning of this statement: “Allow parameters for data export of a seasonality reports.” Can you provide a sample of the desired export?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Yes. These types of reports use complex inputs to account for seasonal changes, weather data.

12. Weekly Tasks Aug 6 2024 at 12:58 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 12:58 PM
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Can you provide a description of VTA staff energy analysts’ weekly tasks?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Not weekly but yearly, energy usage is used for VTA’s Annual Sustainability Report. We respond to requests for reports from Way, Power, and Signal, Facilities, and Cost Managers about utility cost and usage.

13. Q1 Aug 6 2024 at 1:02 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:02 PM
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Can you provide more details on the integration requirements with existing systems, such as CRM, ERP, or any other upstream or downstream system for the seamless billing process automation
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
We currently do not have an API nor system integration but we are interested in exploring these solutions.

14. Q2 Aug 6 2024 at 1:03 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:03 PM
User information is private
What API's are currently in use or preferred for data exchange in the existing IT landscape?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
None are preferred. Please propose API’s that are best suited for this project.

15. Q3 Aug 6 2024 at 1:03 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:03 PM
User information is private
What types of data (structured and unstructured) will need to be managed within the the expected system?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Our data is structured around standard utility billing cost and usage. We have a few accounts where data are manually entered.

16. Q4 Aug 6 2024 at 1:04 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:04 PM
User information is private
Are there any specific requirements for data migration from existing systems to the Billing System?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
The billing system is separate. No current requirement other than producing a file to upload into the billing system for payment of utility bills.

17. Q5 Aug 6 2024 at 1:05 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:05 PM
User information is private
What specific regulatory and compliance requirements must Billing System adhere to (e.g., data confidentiality, privacy, accessibility)? Or do you have any specific security protocols that must be implemented?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
No. We want to emphasize the system must allow access to historical records. We should be able to retrieve invoices based on the VTA retention schedule.

18. Q6 Aug 6 2024 at 1:05 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:05 PM
User information is private
What user roles and access levels will be required within Billing System for different stakeholders?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
VTA has a few groups of users: Admins; Accounts Payable; general access. The ability to manage roles and access would be enough. If we need to go through the vendor for roles and access, this would not be a problem.

19. Q7 Aug 6 2024 at 1:05 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:05 PM
User information is private
Are there any specific metrics or KPIs that required to be displayed on our dashboards?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
No. We would like more dynamic, customizable dashboards specific to role. GIS mapping of all meters would be fantastic.

20. Q8 Aug 6 2024 at 1:06 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:06 PM
User information is private
Are there any particular analytics or reporting tools currently in use?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
VTA regularly use many reports related to cost and use by account, meter, commodity, vendor for the month or year, and similar comparison reports month over month and year over year. We use reports to perform audits for missing bills or billing gaps. We also use reports that adjust results for weather data and seasonal changes. We also use reporting tools to prepare monthly accruals which are preferred in a specific format to import into our financial accounting system.

21. Q9 Aug 6 2024 at 1:06 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:06 PM
User information is private
Can you provide more details on the envisioned processes for Billing/Invoice management?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Bills are mailed or emailed to the vendor where they are processed and recorded in the database. The database produces a ledger, logs of our bills and produces a file for Accounting to pay the bill through SAP. Accounting codes to attribute payments to department budgets are manually managed by VTA in the system.

22. Q10 Aug 6 2024 at 1:07 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:07 PM
User information is private
What are the current server and hosting environments used or do you have any preferred vendor?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
VTA primarily utilizes MS Azure.

23. Q11 Aug 6 2024 at 1:07 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:07 PM
User information is private
Are there any SLAs that need to be adhered to?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
The bills would be processed in a manner to pay the bill on time allowing time for our Accounting Department to collect the needed information to pay the bill through SAP. There are occasional requests to expedite processing due to month-end or quarter-end, or a large bill is nearing the due date and has not yet been received in the mail.

24. Q12 Aug 6 2024 at 1:07 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:07 PM
User information is private
Are there any particular workflows or processes that need to be configurable?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Accounting workflow ledgers, logs, payments etc to attribute cost to the correct budget and pay the bill through SAP; auditing workflows for missing bills, gaps, high cost and use, rate changes; and workflow or features/functionality to process complex billing scenarios that may require multiple inputs and calculations.

25. Q13 Aug 6 2024 at 1:08 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:08 PM
User information is private
Does this app should support any Single Sign on ?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Yes

26. Q14 Aug 6 2024 at 1:08 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:08 PM
User information is private
Does this app foresee to integrate with any AD?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
The question is not clear. (If AD refers to Active Directory then VTA has no current plans)

27. Q15 Aug 6 2024 at 1:09 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:09 PM
User information is private
How many named users will access the system?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
We currently have 47 users.

28. Q16 Aug 6 2024 at 1:09 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:09 PM
User information is private
Are there any specific challenges or pain points you are looking to address with this new system?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
We are looking for this system to process all bills with few if any errors that require VTA staff time to resolve. This system should also proactively identify missing bills and obtain these missing bills from the vendor.

29. Q17 Aug 6 2024 at 1:09 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:09 PM
User information is private
Can you provide details on your current billing system and its limitations?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
SAP is the billing system.

30. Q18 Aug 6 2024 at 1:09 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:09 PM
User information is private
What existing hardware, software, and network infrastructure will the new system need to integrate with?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
It is preferred that this new system be cloud-based, but it will need to be able to create files that can be imported into Sharepoint and SAP.

31. Q19 Aug 6 2024 at 1:10 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:10 PM
User information is private
What types of users (e.g., internal staff, customers) will interact with the system, and what are their specific needs?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Admins will manage user access, user groups, manage more complex functions, work with Customer Support; Accounting will lookup billing information, utilize reports and work with Customer Support; general users can have access to view all accounts and run reports on all accounts.

32. Q20 Aug 6 2024 at 1:10 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:10 PM
User information is private
What types of data will need to be migrated to the new system, and what are the data sources?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
VTA would produce data from the current system like all historic bill records from invoices, bill images, accounting codes, account details, facilities and their meters, meter locations, a few custom fields data, vendors and rates.

33. Q21 Aug 6 2024 at 1:10 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:10 PM
User information is private
What are the expected transaction volumes and peak usage times for the system?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Peak usage time are normal business hours PST. Bills are received Monday – Friday in small batches. We received ~250 bills this month so far and 375 bills last month.

34. Q22 Aug 6 2024 at 1:10 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:10 PM
User information is private
What is the desired timeline for the implementation of the new billing system?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
VTA expect a transition of 3 to 6 months upon contract award.

35. Q23 Aug 6 2024 at 1:10 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:10 PM
User information is private
Are there any critical milestones or deadlines we should be aware of?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
For details, please see RFP deadlines.

36. Q24 Aug 6 2024 at 1:11 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:11 PM
User information is private
What level of training and support will be required for your staff during and after the implementation?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
VTA would require transitional project support of at least a PM, Trainer, and Technical Staff as needed to facilitate a transition. Our staff would be fully trained to manage, operate and use the system. After the implementation, we would require Customer Support as well as Account Management and/or Analyst to support the solution.

37. Q25 Aug 6 2024 at 1:11 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:11 PM
User information is private
Are there any specific training formats or materials preferred (e.g., online courses, on-site training)?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Both online and on-site options depending on the need and purpose of the training.

38. Q26 Aug 6 2024 at 1:11 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:11 PM
User information is private
What is the budget range for this project?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
The budget range is confidential and not able to be provided.

39. Q27 Aug 6 2024 at 1:11 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:11 PM
User information is private
What are your expectations for post-implementation support and maintenance?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
VTA expects vendor to regularly maintain their system by fixing bugs and deploying system updates as needed.

40. Q28 Aug 6 2024 at 1:11 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:11 PM
User information is private
What are your preferred payment terms and licensing models?
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
VTA prefers to pay monthly based on actual usage. Proposer may propose their payment terms and licensing model.

41. Q29 Aug 6 2024 at 1:12 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:12 PM
User information is private
Please confirm, if the Authority has a service desk or ticketing tool in place. If so, let us know if this tool can be leveraged.
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
VTA has an IT ticketing system for internal use only.

42. Q30 Aug 6 2024 at 1:12 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:12 PM
User information is private
Is there any specific timeline expected by Authority for the implementation
Aug 20 2024 at 2:18 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Please refer Q22

43. Q31 Aug 6 2024 at 1:12 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:12 PM
User information is private
Please confirm if Small Business Enterprise (SBE) or Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) utilization is mandatory for this engagement.
Aug 8 2024 at 3:33 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
VTA has not established a contract specific SBE goal for this project. Please refer to RFP Pg. 12, Paragraph C. Business Diversity Program Policy

44. Q32 Aug 6 2024 at 1:12 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:12 PM
User information is private
Is it mandatory to involve subcontractors for this engagement. Please confirm
Aug 8 2024 at 3:33 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
No, it is not mandatory to involve subcontractors. However, if a proposer does use subcontractors for any part of the project work, they must list the subcontractor firms and include them in the administrative submittal form.

45. Q33 Aug 6 2024 at 1:13 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:13 PM
User information is private
We assume the ethnicity and gender column in the table on Form 5 are to be filled out for the key personnel allocated by the subcontractor. Please confirm if this is accurate.
Aug 8 2024 at 3:33 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
No, the ethnicity and gender column is for the owner of the firm.

46. Q34 Aug 6 2024 at 1:13 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:13 PM
User information is private
Are bidders allowed to provide exceptions & deviations to any of the terms and conditions mentioned in the RFP document? Please confirm.
Aug 8 2024 at 3:33 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Proposers may include any exceptions to the terms and conditions in their technical proposals.

47. Q35 Aug 6 2024 at 1:13 PM

Anonymous Aug 6 2024 at 1:13 PM
User information is private
Please confirm, if digital signature is acceptable on proposal submission forms
Aug 8 2024 at 3:33 PM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Digital signature is acceptable on the administrative submittals forms.

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