Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutRFP - P1090 PURCHASING CARDSMason St 2nd floor F clock) November 28 2 Mason Street 2nd Floor Collins 80522-0580 � I �rtiliM t I�3 i t t 7{f r I 7 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL P1090 Purchasing Cards 2007 will be received at the City of Fort Collins' Purchasing Division 215 North ort Collins Colorado 80524 Proposals will be received before 2 30 p m (our 007 Proposal No P1090 If delivered they are to be sent to 215 North Fort Collins Colorado 80524 If mailed the address is P O Box 580 Fort Questions regarding scope of the project or the proposals submittal or process should be directed to James R Hume CPPO Senior Buyer (970) 221-6776 A copy of the Proposal may be obtained as follows Download the Proposal/Bid from the BuySpeed Webpage https //secure2 fcgov com/bso/login isp 2 Come by Purchasing at 215 North Mason St 2nd floor Fort Collins and request a copy of the Bid Sales Prohibited/Conflict of Interest No officer employee or member of City Council shall have a financial Interest in the sale to the City of any real or personal property equipment material supplies or services where such officer or employee exercises directly or indirectly any decision -making authority concerning such sale or any supervisory authority over the services to be rendered This rule also applies to subcontracts with the City Soliciting or accepting any gift gratuity favor entertainment kickback or any Items of monetary value from any person who has or is seeking to do business with the City of Fort Collins is prohibited Collusive or sham proposals Any proposal deemed to be collusive or a sham proposal will be rejected and reported to authorities as such Your authorized signature of this proposal assures that such proposal is genuine and is not a collusive or sham proposal The City of Fort Collins reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive any irregularities or informalities Sincerely James B O Neill II CPPO FNIGP Director of Purchasing & Risk Management 215 North Mason Street 2 " Floor P 0 Box 580 Fort Collins CO 80522 0580 (970) 221 6775 Fax (970) 221 6707 www fceox com 2 15 Ghost Cards The City does not now use ghost cards but might in the future Proposals should include information about the use of ghost card accounts for procurement 216 Inactive accounts The proposed system must include a method of removing inactive card accounts from the active system Card accounts can't be removed until all charges on that card have cleared the system Accounts may have to remain in the active list until the transactions are no longer needed for financial purposes but at some point we would like the management system to contain only active card accounts 2 17 Large Purchase Merchant Fees At some point the City will begin using Purchasing cards to pay large payments especially recurring charges such as utility bills Proposals should indicate the vendor's willingness to reduce merchant fees in order to facilitate large payments 2 18 Sale of Cardholder Information The Service Provider shall not sell rent or otherwise distribute a list of participating cardholders their addresses or any other information to any person firm or other entity for any purpose without the written consent of the Purchasing Card Administrator 2 19 Hosting Information Provide information relating to your firm's hosting capabilities including 1 Hosting location equipment operating system database and security features 2 Capacity limitations if any 3 Length of time card data is maintained 4 Procedures for archiving data either by your firm or the City 5 Describe security and encryption between web client and web server Can the City host the PCard transaction management system on its own servers? If so please provide the following 1 Operating systems supported 2 Database management systems supported 3 Report writing tools 4 Web application servers supported 5 Describe security and encryption used in a City hosted system 220 1099M Information The City would like to receive a file from the PCard supplier listing tax ID information for vendors that need to have a 1099M processed for them at the end of the year Describe in your proposal how this can be accomplished 221 Rebates Annual rebates must be calculated on the total amount of charges made by all entities operating under any agreement resulting from this request for proposal Each entity must receive their rebate individually Describe your rebate structure and processes related to timing and method of payment 2 22 User Conference Describe the vendor's user conferences and other networking opportunities Include a description of how the vendor intends to facilitate attendance by City and other participating entity personnel at such meetings seminars etc 30 PROPOSAL PREPARATION Proposals should be simple in format and provide straightforward concise descriptions of firm capabilities Emphasis should be on completeness brevity and clarity of content Ownership of all data materials and documentation originated and prepared for the City pursuant to this RFP shall belong exclusively to the City and be subject to public inspection in accordance with the Colorado Open Records Act Trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by a Service Provider shall not be publicly disclosed under the Colorado Open Records Act however the Service Provider shall invoke the protection of this section prior to or upon submission of the data or other materials and must identify the data or other materials to be protected and state the reasons why protection is necessary Disposition of material after award is made should be stated by the Service Provider Proposals shall contain the following information in the sequence listed 1 Information requested in the Proposal Submittal section 2 Responses to Requirements in the order presented in this Request for Proposal 3 Responses to Requirements unique to Poudre School District 4 Description of enhancements not specified in the Requirements 5 Work plan for implementation of the firm s proposal with particular emphasis placed on making a smooth transition from City s existing PCard system 6 Pricing information for the City of Fort Collins including proposed rebate structure and the cost to interface with Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne 7 Pricing information for Poudre School District 40 EVALUATION 41 Evaluation and Assessment of Proposal An evaluation committee shall rank the interested firms based on their written proposals using the ranking system set forth below Firms shall be evaluated on the following criteria The rating scale shall be from 1 to 5 with 1 being a poor rating 3 an average rating and 5 an outstanding rating Recommended weighing factors for the criteria are listed adjacent to the qualification The City may make an award based on written proposals or the top ranked firms may be selected to participate in oral interviews Such interviews will be rated the same way as the written proposals as applicable Weighting Qualification Standard Factor 20 Scope of Proposal Does the proposal show an understanding of the project objective methodology to be used and results that are desired from the project? 20 Assigned Personnel Do the persons who will work on the contract have the necessary skills? Are sufficient people of the requisite skills assigned to the contract? 1 0 Availability Can the project be implemented in the time frame required? Are other qualified personnel available if required to assist in meeting the project schedule? 1 0 Motivation Is the firm interested and are they capable of providing the needed services? 20 Cost Do the proposed costs compare favorably with other proposals and with industry practice? 20 Firm Capability Does the firm have the support capabilities the assigned personnel require? Has the firm done previous projects of this type and scope? 42 Reference Evaluation (Top -ranked firms) The Project Managers will check references using the following criteria The evaluation rankings will be labeled Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory 43 Qualification and Standard a Overall Performance - Would you hire this company again? b Timetable - Was the original protect completed within the specified time? Were interim deadlines met in a timely manner? c Completeness - Was the company responsive to client needs did the company anticipate problems? Were problems solved quickly and effectively? d Budget - Was the original project completed within budget? e Job Knowledge - Did company personnel exhibit the knowledge and skills necessary for the efficient completion of the project? 50 PROPOSAL ACCEPTANCE All proposals shall remain subject to initial acceptance 90 days after the day of submittal Administrati— 4ZPv­;ces Purchas7 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL P1090 Purchasing Cards 2007 City of Fort Collins Written proposals, five (5) will be received at the City of Fort Collins' Purchasing Division, 215 North Mason St., 2nd floor, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524. Proposals will be received before 2:30 p.m. (our clock), November 28, 2007. Proposal No. P1090. If delivered, they are to be sent to 215 North Mason Street, 2nd Floor, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524. If mailed, the address is P.O. Box 580, Fort Collins, 80522-0580. Questions regarding scope of the project or the proposals submittal or process should be directed to James R. Hume, CPPO, Senior Buyer (970) 221-6776. A copy of the Proposal may be obtained as follows: Download the Proposal/Bid from the BuySpeed Webpage, https://secure2.fcgov.com/bso/login.osp 2. Come by Purchasing at 215 North Mason St., 2nd floor, Fort Collins, and request a copy of the Bid. Sales Prohibited/Conflict of Interest: No officer, employee, or member of City Council, shall have a financial interest in the sale to the City of any real or personal property, equipment, material, supplies or services where such officer or employee exercises directly or indirectly any decision -making authority concerning such sale or any supervisory authority over the services to be rendered. This rule also applies to subcontracts with the City. Soliciting or accepting any gift, gratuity favor, entertainment, kickback or any items of monetary value from any person who has or is seeking to do business with the City of Fort Collins is prohibited. Collusive or sham proposals: Any proposal deemed to be collusive or a sham proposal will be rejected and reported to authorities as such. Your authorized signature of this proposal assures that such proposal is genuine and is not a collusive or sham proposal. The City of Fort Collins reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive any irregularities or informalities. Sincerely, James B. O'Neill II, CPPO, FNIGP Director of Purchasing & Risk Management 215 North Mason Street • 2°d Floor • P.O. Box 580 • Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 • (970) 221-6775 • Fax (970) 221-6707 wwNvA%!ov.com CITY OF FORT COLLINS P1090 Purchasing Cards 2007 Opening date: November 28, 2007, 2:30pm (our clock) The City of Fort Collins is soliciting proposals for Purchasing Card services, including cards, card management system, and transaction management system. Proposal Submittal The City of Fort Collins shall not reimburse any firm for costs incurred in the preparation and presentation of their proposal. Firms submitting proposals shall submit five (5) copies of the proposal with the following information: a. Company history and experience in providing Purchasing Cards to government entities, as described in this Request for Proposal. b. The name and contact information for the company representatives responsible for managing the proposal process on behalf of the proposing firm. C. References from five or more organizations which have used your company for similar products and services within the last two years. d. A written description of the proposed products and services as required in Section 3.0, Proposal Preparation. e. Pricing, as requested. The proposal must be signed by a duly authorized representative of the firm submitting the proposal. The signature shall include the title of the individual signing the proposal. Proposal Timeline Solicitation released: October 19, 2007 Vendor questions due: November 9, 2007 (Questions and requests for clarification must be submitted via email to: Ihume(a-).fcgov.com) Addendum issued: November 14, 2007 (Addendum will address vendor queries) Opening date: November 28, 2007 Evaluations complete: Between November 30 and December 14, 2007 Interviews (if needed): After January 15, 2008 * All dates subject to change. 1.0 GENERAL The City of Fort Collins (City) has utilized a Purchasing Card (PCard) Program since 1999. Currently the City has approximately 630 cardholders and generates about $340,000 in purchases each month. In 2006 City employees purchased a total of $3,600,000 in goods and services using PCards. The City estimates 2007 volume to be in excess of $4,000,000 and transactions to number over 30,000. Any transition to a new card provider will occur in 2008, with the exact timing to be negotiated. The City of Fort Collins is seeking a Service Provider with the resources and experience to properly administer a purchasing card system, including above -average customer service and a user-friendly, flexible, powerful management and reporting system. System functionality should include on-line access to card account and current transaction information, for account maintenance and administration; and ability to make real-time updates to accounts. While the PCard Program is an integral part of the City's procurement system, the City cannot guarantee any minimum amount of purchase volume or number of cardholders, even though such numbers are expected to increase over the next few years. Proposals will be accepted from vendors offering a Purchasing Card with either an integrated card and transaction management system or a third party system for card management. Proposals will also be accepted from vendors offering card management systems alone. Award will be for a period of five years with an additional five year period contingent on approval by City Council. 1.1 Poudre School District Participation The Poudre School District (PSD) has elected to participate in the card procurement process. Requirements relating to PSD are the same as for the City of Fort Collins, except as specified in section 2.0, Requirements. The School District will complete a separate agreement with the selected vendor and each agency will receive their own rebates. The Poudre School District R-1 will negotiate directly with the Service Provider with whom the City of Fort Collins contracts. PSD initiated a purchasing card program in July, 2006. The first year of the program generated 219 cardholders and resulted in transactions totaling 8,543. The purchase of goods and services totaled approximately $1,075,750. Continued program growth and development is anticipated in 2008. 1.2 Participation by Other Government Entities Other governmental entities may be extended the opportunity to purchase or participate in any award made as a result of this Bid or Proposal, with the agreement of the successful vendor(s). 2.0 REQUIREMENTS 2.1 Issuing Cards Cards shall be issued upon Service Provider's receipt of a request from Purchasing Card Administrators designated by the City. Requests must be generated using an Internet -based application. Such application must meet the following criteria: 1. The application may be part of the Service Provider's own information technology system or a component of a third -party management system. 2. Card requests generated using the application must be secure. 3. The application must be capable of generating records and reports in electronic format which City Administrators can download for administrative purposes. These would include records of requests, changes to cards, cardholder lists, and other ad hoc reports. 2.2 Cardholder Information Cards will be issued to City and affiliated entities, such as Poudre Fire Authority, Downtown Development Authority, Fort Collins Library District employees, and City Council members. No personal credit information on cardholders will be maintained by the Service Provider. Card requests will contain the following personal information: 1. Cardholder Name. 2. Account Manager name (if needed for card setup in card management system), 3. Phone Number. 4. Other security information as agreed to by the City and Service Provider. 5. Business address and contact information will be the same for each card. 2.3 Compatibility with City Accounting System Service Provider shall provide all transaction records in electronic format for re -allocation of expenses by Account Managers. When that process is complete, the processing system must be able to transmit transaction records directly into Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne 8.11. A file format will be provided. Present plans call for an interface to be established between the transaction processing system and the Accounts Payable (AP) module of the City's finance system. Please discuss your experience interfacing with JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and describe your interface method. Alternatives to transmitting records into AP will be considered. 2.31 Poudre School District Requirement The vendor must demonstrate the ability to provide appropriately formatted data (tab -delimited text files), including the ability to extract at a minimum, the data fields: Date, Amount, Vendor, and Card Number. PSD will not require a system interface to the existing District financial system. 2.4 Liability Proposals shall include details related to the City's liability for charges made on lost or stolen cards and a description of any proposed liability protection plan and costs associated with it. 2.5 Card Design The Service Provider shall work with the City to develop an acceptable card design. The design shall be approved by the Purchasing Card Administrator and shall contain, at a minimum, the following features: 1. The phrase "TAX EXEMPT" and the City's tax exempt number shall be printed on the face of the card, along with the phrase "Commercial Card" or "Purchase Card". 2. The City logo, PFA logo or Library District logo, provided camera-ready. 3. Toll free customer service number shall be printed on the back of the card. 4. There shall be no references to ATM's on the card. 5. Cards should be available in easily distinguishable colors. 2.51 PSD Card Design Poudre School District shall work with the selected vendor in the development of the PSD card design, which must include the individual's name as well as the District name and logo. 2.6 Card Controls and Restrictions The City's Purchasing Card Administrators shall have the ability to set restrictions and controls when cards are initially requested and when changes are needed. Service Provider's customer service representatives may not make changes to card limits unless approved by a City Purchasing Card Administrator. The following controls shall be available 1. Single Transaction Dollar Limitation - Established per individual card, not to exceed the City established individual cardholder maximum dollar limit. 2. Maximum Dollar Limitation per Month - Set by the Purchasing Card Administrator, per individual cardholder. 3. Maximum Number of Transactions per Day - Set by a Purchasing Card Administrator, per individual cardholder. 4. Maximum Number of Transactions per Month - Set by a Purchasing Card Administrator, per individual cardholder. 5. Vendor Blocking - Restrictions on the types of vendors, by Merchant Category Code (MCC), authorized to accept the card. 6. Cash and Gift Cards - Prohibition of cash advances and purchases of gift cards. 7. Additional Controls - Proposals shall describe any additional controls that are available. 2.7 Hierarchy and Cardholder Information The City intends to keep the card program hierarchy as simple as possible. Too many levels lead to increased maintenance. Other entities using the selected card vendor may elect different hierarchy structures. City would like to establish the following hierarchy: 1. The City of Fort Collins 2. Cardholders Cardholders will not have access to the card management system. Account Managers will manage only those cards assigned to them by a Purchasing Card Administrator. The processing system must allow for such assignments. The following information will be entered when setting up a cardholder account. 1. Cardholder name 2. Employee ID number (not SSN) 3. Employee phone number (the City may elect to use a standard contact phone number) 4. Standard address information (the same for all cards) 5. Transaction limits 2.8 Implementation Describe plan for implementation of your proposed card and associated management system. The City will need assistance from the vendor in making the transition from our current card to the new card. Describe the training to be provided for Administrators and Account Managers. 2.9 Training and Support The Service Provider shall provide: 1. Training materials in written or electronic format that may be used, without restriction, by City Staff to train cardholders in proper card use. 2. Initial training for Purchasing Card Administrators and Account Managers. 3. Customer support to the Purchasing Card Administrator or agent, and cardholders. This support shall include at a minimum: • A toll -free customer service number and a toll -free telephone number for reporting lost or stolen cards. Proposals shall describe the availability of these assistance lines, the services available at each contact point and the hours they are staffed. • The name, title and telephone number of the main customer account representative and at least one alternate who would respond to inquiries by a Purchasing Card Administrator or designee. • The name, title and telephone number of the technical support department responsible to change requests, stolen card reports, or other inquiries by a Purchasing Card Administrator or designee. 2.10 Disputed Items and Fraudulent Charges Service Provider shall provide a method for handling questions concerning disputed charges. Toll -free service for this process shall be available. Proposals should include a description of dispute procedures and processes, including: 1. Procedures to follow when contacting Service Provider about disputed transactions. 2. When provisional credits will be issued to the City's account, pending resolution of the disputed item. 3. How provisional credits will be handled for disputed transactions resolved in the City's favor and how charges will be reinstated for those resolved in favor of the Merchant. Proposals shall provide a time frame for this process. Service Provider must have a procedure in place for handling fraudulent charges reported by a Purchasing Card Administrator or detected by the Service Provider's or card company's own security processes. Proposals shall include a description of fraudulent charge procedures and processes, including: 1. Procedures to follow when contacting Service Provider about fraudulent charges. 2. When and if a police report should be made in relation to the fraud. 3. When and if provisional credits will be issued to the City's account, pending resolution of the fraud investigation. 4. How such provisional credits, if any, will be handled for charges determined to be fraudulent and how charges will be reinstated for those transactions which were either not fraudulent or for which the City, after investigation, is determined to be liable for. Proposals shall provide a time frame for this process and describe the situations under which the City would ultimately be responsible for fraudulent charges. 2.10.1 Card Terminations and Changes The Purchasing Card Administrator or designee may request one or more cards be terminated, or request changes to an individual card, a batch of cards, or all City cards. Such changes may include changes to card spending limits, purchase restrictions, cardholder name, etc. These change requests may be made via email or entered directly into the Service Provider's card management system. Proposals must offer a time frame, preferably one business day or less, between receiving a termination or change request and accomplishing the change. Proposals shall detail the differences in how changes are processed, depending on whether entered directly or requested via email. 2.10.2 Lost or Stolen Cards The cardholder or Purchasing Card Administrator or designee will immediately report lost or stolen cards to the Service Provider. Such reports may be made via telephone or email. The Service Provider shall immediately cancel the lost or stolen card and issue a replacement card with a new account number. Proposals must describe: 1. Procedures to be followed in the event a card is lost or stolen. 2. Time frame between notification and the cancellation of the effected account. 3. How long it will take for a replacement card to be mailed. 4. Processes in place to expedite such replacement, including the ability to send the new card directly to a cardholder who may be traveling at the time of the loss or theft. 2.11 Card Acceptance The Service Provider's card must be issued by a major commercial credit card company. It shall be widely accepted by a variety of vendors used by the City, both locally and nationally. Proposals shall describe: 1. Card's general acceptance both locally and nationally. 2. How Service Provider will work in cooperation with the City to ensure vendors accept the credit card for tax-exempt transactions. 3. Service Provider's program and level of success recruiting new businesses when notified by the City that the Service Provider's card was not accepted by a particular vendor. 2.12 Billing Department Account Managers will need real-time access to assigned card accounts and must be able to generate statements as needed using an online card management system. The Purchasing Card Administrator must have access to a consolidated billing statement via the same system. Individual cardholder invoices are not required. A consolidated invoice covering all PCard transactions for the month must be sent via email or provided via a link to a download site. Such invoice must meet City requirements, including, but not limited to, the following: 1. Cardholder Name. 2. Merchant Name. 3. Transaction Date. 4. Posting Date 5. Transaction Amount, itemized to the extent possible. Backup documentation for each purchase shall be available upon request from the Account Manager or Purchasing Card Administrator. Proposals shall identify the time frame required to provide backup documentation and method required for request (telephone, fax, email, etc.) 2.13 Card Management System Proposals must include a complete description of online card management and transaction management systems, hosted either at a remote site or on a City server. Such systems shall provide online access for Administrators and department Account Managers. 2.14 Online Activities 1. Run Reports • For individual cardholders • For all cards assigned to that Account Manager • For all City cards (Administrator) • Approved transactions • Ad hoc reports 2. Account Managers or Administrators must be able to assign default account numbers for each card, as follows: • One default number for all transactions for that card, and • Additional default numbers for certain Merchant Category Codes, and • Additional default numbers for certain vendors. The goal is to minimize reallocations. 3. Oversee current transactions in order to spot possible fraud or inappropriate charges. After cardholders, Account Managers are the second line of defense against abuse and fraud. 4. Reallocation of charges When reallocation of expenses has to be done, the transaction record must contain the three fields listed below -- Account Number, Sub Ledger, and Sub Type. The first two fields must be formatted with drop -down selection boxes containing alternate account numbers which can be entered as needed by the Account Manager. Reallocation can then be accomplished, in most cases, by selecting one of the alternate numbers. This process will eliminate a primary source of data entry errors. Account Number Sub Ledger Sub Type 370300.544590 42310 W 370300.290290 42320 370300.529290 52410 370300.529310 52640 The importance of the account number field display and reallocation method cannot be stressed enough. Account Managers must be able to enter alternate numbers in a drop -down list as they are needed. The proposed system must include a method of validating account numbers, using Finance system data, as they are entered. Proposals should also include sample images showing screens to be used by Account Managers in completing the above tasks. Provision for online access to a sample system is encouraged. In City's current system, data entry provides the most frequent source of account allocation errors. Any proposed system must have processes in place which minimize such errors. Purchasing Card Administrators will need access to the same system, with enhanced management capabilities. Proposals should include process descriptions, sample images, and (if possible) online access to a sample system. Per section 2.3, the proposed PCard system must include the ability to transmit transaction data into the City's Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne finance application. That interface will link the PCard system to the City's AP module. Alternatives will be considered. Proposals should include: 1. Description of available methods for transmittal of data and what payment parameters are associated with each billing format. 2. List of information that can be attached to each card account. 3. Description of technical support available for electronic billing processes. 4. A description of how card information is kept secure, including the name of encryption method or software used. 5. Describe Service Provider's back-up/restore procedures for billing files and for transaction files related to City accounts. 6. Indicate the availability of electronic billing file. 7. If billing file (invoice) does not match transaction data, describe the tools available to the Purchasing Card Administrator can use to resolve the discrepancy. 8. In the event an individual Account Manager is not available to allocate/approve transactions for assigned cards, describe the ability of the Purchasing Card Administrator to either accomplish the necessary tasks directly or assign the cards to another Account Manager. 9. When an Administrator initiates a change to a card holder via the card management system, how can the Administrator track the progress of that change? 10. File transmission quality control - How will Service Provider control/ensure the following: • That report files are transmitted at the same time and day interval • That no duplicate transactions or files are transmitted • That file contains the accurate and complete set of transactions for the specified time interval Payment shall be automatically debited from the City's bank account monthly on a specified date. 2.15 Ghost Cards The City does not now use ghost cards, but might in the future. Proposals should include information about the use of ghost card accounts for procurement. 2.16 Inactive accounts The proposed system must include a method of removing inactive card accounts from the active system. Card accounts can't be removed until all charges on that card have cleared the system. Accounts may have to remain in the active list until the transactions are no longer needed for financial purposes, but at some point we would like the management system to contain only active card accounts. 2.17 Large Purchase Merchant Fees At some point, the City will begin using Purchasing cards to pay large payments, especially recurring charges, such as utility bills. Proposals should indicate the vendor's willingness to reduce merchant fees in order to facilitate large payments. 2.18 Sale of Cardholder Information The Service Provider shall not sell, rent or otherwise distribute a list of participating cardholders, their addresses or any other information to any person, firm or other entity for any purpose without the written consent of the Purchasing Card Administrator. 2.19 Hosting Information Provide information relating to your firm's hosting capabilities, including: 1. Hosting location, equipment, operating system, database, and security features. 2. Capacity limitations, if any. 3. Length of time card data is maintained. 4. Procedures for archiving data, either by your firm or the City. 5. Describe security and encryption between web client and web server. Can the City host the PCard transaction management system on its own servers? If so, please provide the following: 1. Operating systems supported 2. Database management systems supported 3. Report writing tools 4. Web application servers supported 5. Describe security and encryption used in a City -hosted system. 2.20 1099M Information The City would like to receive a file from the PCard supplier listing tax ID information for vendors that need to have a 1099M processed for them at the end of the year. Describe in your proposal how this can be accomplished. 2.21 Rebates Annual rebates must be calculated on the total amount of charges made by all entities operating under any agreement resulting from this request for proposal. Each entity must receive their rebate individually. Describe your rebate structure and processes related to timing and method of payment. 2.22 User Conference Describe the vendor's user conferences and other networking opportunities. Include a description of how the vendor intends to facilitate attendance by City and other participating entity personnel at such meetings, seminars, etc. 3.0 PROPOSAL PREPARATION Proposals should be simple in format and provide straightforward, concise descriptions of firm capabilities. Emphasis should be on completeness, brevity and clarity of content. Ownership of all data, materials and documentation originated and prepared for the City pursuant to this RFP shall belong exclusively to the City and be subject to public inspection in accordance with the Colorado Open Records Act. Trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by a Service Provider shall not be publicly disclosed under the Colorado Open Records Act; however, the Service Provider shall invoke the protection of this section prior to or upon submission of the data or other materials and must identify the data or other materials to be protected and state the reasons why protection is necessary. Disposition of material after award is made should be stated by the Service Provider. Proposals shall contain the following information in the sequence listed: 1. Information requested in the Proposal Submittal section. 2. Responses to Requirements, in the order presented in this Request for Proposal. 3. Responses to Requirements unique to Poudre School District 4. Description of enhancements not specified in the Requirements. 5. Work plan for implementation of the firm's proposal, with particular emphasis placed on making a smooth transition from City's existing PCard system. 6. Pricing information for the City of Fort Collins, including proposed rebate structure and the cost to interface with Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne. 7. Pricing information for Poudre School District 4.0 EVALUATION 4.1 Evaluation and Assessment of Proposal An evaluation committee shall rank the interested firms based on their written proposals using the ranking system set forth below. Firms shall be evaluated on the following criteria. The rating scale shall be from 1 to 5, with 1 being a poor rating, 3 an average rating, and 5 an outstanding rating. Recommended weighing factors for the criteria are listed adjacent to the qualification. The City may make an award based on written proposals, or the top ranked firms may be selected to participate in oral interviews. Such interviews will be rated the same way as the written proposals, as applicable. Weighting Qualification Standard Factor 2.0 Scope of Proposal Does the proposal show an understanding of the project objective, methodology to be used, and results that are desired from the project? 2.0 Assigned Personnel Do the persons who will work on the contract have the necessary skills? Are sufficient people of the requisite skills assigned to the contract? 1.0 Availability Can the project be implemented in the time frame required? Are other qualified personnel available, if required, to assist in meeting the project schedule? 1.0 Motivation Is the firm interested and are they capable of providing the needed services? 2.0 Cost Do the proposed costs compare favorably with other proposals and with industry practice? 2.0 Firm Capability Does the firm have the support capabilities the assigned personnel require? Has the firm done previous projects of this type and scope? 4.2 Reference Evaluation (Top -ranked firms) The Project Managers will check references using the following criteria. The evaluation rankings will be labeled Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory. 4.3 Qualification and Standard a. Overall Performance - Would you hire this company again? b. Timetable - Was the original project completed within the specified time? Were interim deadlines met in a timely manner? C. Completeness - Was the company responsive to client needs; did the company anticipate problems? Were problems solved quickly and effectively? d. Budget - Was the original project completed within budget? e. Job Knowledge - Did company personnel exhibit the knowledge and skills necessary for the efficient completion of the project? 5.0 PROPOSAL ACCEPTANCE All proposals shall remain subject to initial acceptance 90 days after the day of submittal. Administrati— 4ZPv­;ces Purchas7 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL P1090 Purchasing Cards 2007 City of Fort Collins Written proposals, five (5) will be received at the City of Fort Collins' Purchasing Division, 215 North Mason St., 2nd floor, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524. Proposals will be received before 2:30 p.m. (our clock), November 28, 2007. Proposal No. P1090. If delivered, they are to be sent to 215 North Mason Street, 2nd Floor, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524. If mailed, the address is P.O. Box 580, Fort Collins, 80522-0580. Questions regarding scope of the project or the proposals submittal or process should be directed to James R. Hume, CPPO, Senior Buyer (970) 221-6776. A copy of the Proposal may be obtained as follows: Download the Proposal/Bid from the BuySpeed Webpage, https://secure2.fcgov.com/bso/login.osp 2. Come by Purchasing at 215 North Mason St., 2nd floor, Fort Collins, and request a copy of the Bid. Sales Prohibited/Conflict of Interest: No officer, employee, or member of City Council, shall have a financial interest in the sale to the City of any real or personal property, equipment, material, supplies or services where such officer or employee exercises directly or indirectly any decision -making authority concerning such sale or any supervisory authority over the services to be rendered. This rule also applies to subcontracts with the City. Soliciting or accepting any gift, gratuity favor, entertainment, kickback or any items of monetary value from any person who has or is seeking to do business with the City of Fort Collins is prohibited. Collusive or sham proposals: Any proposal deemed to be collusive or a sham proposal will be rejected and reported to authorities as such. Your authorized signature of this proposal assures that such proposal is genuine and is not a collusive or sham proposal. The City of Fort Collins reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive any irregularities or informalities. Sincerely, James B. O'Neill II, CPPO, FNIGP Director of Purchasing & Risk Management 215 North Mason Street • 2°d Floor • P.O. Box 580 • Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 • (970) 221-6775 • Fax (970) 221-6707 wwNvA%!ov.com CITY OF FORT COLLINS P1090 Purchasing Cards 2007 Opening date: November 28, 2007, 2:30pm (our clock) The City of Fort Collins is soliciting proposals for Purchasing Card services, including cards, card management system, and transaction management system. Proposal Submittal The City of Fort Collins shall not reimburse any firm for costs incurred in the preparation and presentation of their proposal. Firms submitting proposals shall submit five (5) copies of the proposal with the following information: a. Company history and experience in providing Purchasing Cards to government entities, as described in this Request for Proposal. b. The name and contact information for the company representatives responsible for managing the proposal process on behalf of the proposing firm. C. References from five or more organizations which have used your company for similar products and services within the last two years. d. A written description of the proposed products and services as required in Section 3.0, Proposal Preparation. e. Pricing, as requested. The proposal must be signed by a duly authorized representative of the firm submitting the proposal. The signature shall include the title of the individual signing the proposal. Proposal Timeline Solicitation released: October 19, 2007 Vendor questions due: November 9, 2007 (Questions and requests for clarification must be submitted via email to: Ihume(a-).fcgov.com) Addendum issued: November 14, 2007 (Addendum will address vendor queries) Opening date: November 28, 2007 Evaluations complete: Between November 30 and December 14, 2007 Interviews (if needed): After January 15, 2008 * All dates subject to change. 1.0 GENERAL The City of Fort Collins (City) has utilized a Purchasing Card (PCard) Program since 1999. Currently the City has approximately 630 cardholders and generates about $340,000 in purchases each month. In 2006 City employees purchased a total of $3,600,000 in goods and services using PCards. The City estimates 2007 volume to be in excess of $4,000,000 and transactions to number over 30,000. Any transition to a new card provider will occur in 2008, with the exact timing to be negotiated. The City of Fort Collins is seeking a Service Provider with the resources and experience to properly administer a purchasing card system, including above -average customer service and a user-friendly, flexible, powerful management and reporting system. System functionality should include on-line access to card account and current transaction information, for account maintenance and administration; and ability to make real-time updates to accounts. While the PCard Program is an integral part of the City's procurement system, the City cannot guarantee any minimum amount of purchase volume or number of cardholders, even though such numbers are expected to increase over the next few years. Proposals will be accepted from vendors offering a Purchasing Card with either an integrated card and transaction management system or a third party system for card management. Proposals will also be accepted from vendors offering card management systems alone. Award will be for a period of five years with an additional five year period contingent on approval by City Council. 1.1 Poudre School District Participation The Poudre School District (PSD) has elected to participate in the card procurement process. Requirements relating to PSD are the same as for the City of Fort Collins, except as specified in section 2.0, Requirements. The School District will complete a separate agreement with the selected vendor and each agency will receive their own rebates. The Poudre School District R-1 will negotiate directly with the Service Provider with whom the City of Fort Collins contracts. PSD initiated a purchasing card program in July, 2006. The first year of the program generated 219 cardholders and resulted in transactions totaling 8,543. The purchase of goods and services totaled approximately $1,075,750. Continued program growth and development is anticipated in 2008. 1.2 Participation by Other Government Entities Other governmental entities may be extended the opportunity to purchase or participate in any award made as a result of this Bid or Proposal, with the agreement of the successful vendor(s). 2.0 REQUIREMENTS 2.1 Issuing Cards Cards shall be issued upon Service Provider's receipt of a request from Purchasing Card Administrators designated by the City. Requests must be generated using an Internet -based application. Such application must meet the following criteria: 1. The application may be part of the Service Provider's own information technology system or a component of a third -party management system. 2. Card requests generated using the application must be secure. 3. The application must be capable of generating records and reports in electronic format which City Administrators can download for administrative purposes. These would include records of requests, changes to cards, cardholder lists, and other ad hoc reports. 2.2 Cardholder Information Cards will be issued to City and affiliated entities, such as Poudre Fire Authority, Downtown Development Authority, Fort Collins Library District employees, and City Council members. No personal credit information on cardholders will be maintained by the Service Provider. Card requests will contain the following personal information: 1. Cardholder Name. 2. Account Manager name (if needed for card setup in card management system), 3. Phone Number. 4. Other security information as agreed to by the City and Service Provider. 5. Business address and contact information will be the same for each card. 2.3 Compatibility with City Accounting System Service Provider shall provide all transaction records in electronic format for re -allocation of expenses by Account Managers. When that process is complete, the processing system must be able to transmit transaction records directly into Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne 8.11. A file format will be provided. Present plans call for an interface to be established between the transaction processing system and the Accounts Payable (AP) module of the City's finance system. Please discuss your experience interfacing with JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and describe your interface method. Alternatives to transmitting records into AP will be considered. 2.31 Poudre School District Requirement The vendor must demonstrate the ability to provide appropriately formatted data (tab -delimited text files), including the ability to extract at a minimum, the data fields: Date, Amount, Vendor, and Card Number. PSD will not require a system interface to the existing District financial system. 2.4 Liability Proposals shall include details related to the City's liability for charges made on lost or stolen cards and a description of any proposed liability protection plan and costs associated with it. 2.5 Card Design The Service Provider shall work with the City to develop an acceptable card design. The design shall be approved by the Purchasing Card Administrator and shall contain, at a minimum, the following features: 1. The phrase "TAX EXEMPT" and the City's tax exempt number shall be printed on the face of the card, along with the phrase "Commercial Card" or "Purchase Card". 2. The City logo, PFA logo or Library District logo, provided camera-ready. 3. Toll free customer service number shall be printed on the back of the card. 4. There shall be no references to ATM's on the card. 5. Cards should be available in easily distinguishable colors. 2.51 PSD Card Design Poudre School District shall work with the selected vendor in the development of the PSD card design, which must include the individual's name as well as the District name and logo. 2.6 Card Controls and Restrictions The City's Purchasing Card Administrators shall have the ability to set restrictions and controls when cards are initially requested and when changes are needed. Service Provider's customer service representatives may not make changes to card limits unless approved by a City Purchasing Card Administrator. The following controls shall be available 1. Single Transaction Dollar Limitation - Established per individual card, not to exceed the City established individual cardholder maximum dollar limit. 2. Maximum Dollar Limitation per Month - Set by the Purchasing Card Administrator, per individual cardholder. 3. Maximum Number of Transactions per Day - Set by a Purchasing Card Administrator, per individual cardholder. 4. Maximum Number of Transactions per Month - Set by a Purchasing Card Administrator, per individual cardholder. 5. Vendor Blocking - Restrictions on the types of vendors, by Merchant Category Code (MCC), authorized to accept the card. 6. Cash and Gift Cards - Prohibition of cash advances and purchases of gift cards. 7. Additional Controls - Proposals shall describe any additional controls that are available. 2.7 Hierarchy and Cardholder Information The City intends to keep the card program hierarchy as simple as possible. Too many levels lead to increased maintenance. Other entities using the selected card vendor may elect different hierarchy structures. City would like to establish the following hierarchy: 1. The City of Fort Collins 2. Cardholders Cardholders will not have access to the card management system. Account Managers will manage only those cards assigned to them by a Purchasing Card Administrator. The processing system must allow for such assignments. The following information will be entered when setting up a cardholder account. 1. Cardholder name 2. Employee ID number (not SSN) 3. Employee phone number (the City may elect to use a standard contact phone number) 4. Standard address information (the same for all cards) 5. Transaction limits 2.8 Implementation Describe plan for implementation of your proposed card and associated management system. The City will need assistance from the vendor in making the transition from our current card to the new card. Describe the training to be provided for Administrators and Account Managers. 2.9 Training and Support The Service Provider shall provide: 1. Training materials in written or electronic format that may be used, without restriction, by City Staff to train cardholders in proper card use. 2. Initial training for Purchasing Card Administrators and Account Managers. 3. Customer support to the Purchasing Card Administrator or agent, and cardholders. This support shall include at a minimum: • A toll -free customer service number and a toll -free telephone number for reporting lost or stolen cards. Proposals shall describe the availability of these assistance lines, the services available at each contact point and the hours they are staffed. • The name, title and telephone number of the main customer account representative and at least one alternate who would respond to inquiries by a Purchasing Card Administrator or designee. • The name, title and telephone number of the technical support department responsible to change requests, stolen card reports, or other inquiries by a Purchasing Card Administrator or designee. 2.10 Disputed Items and Fraudulent Charges Service Provider shall provide a method for handling questions concerning disputed charges. Toll -free service for this process shall be available. Proposals should include a description of dispute procedures and processes, including: 1. Procedures to follow when contacting Service Provider about disputed transactions. 2. When provisional credits will be issued to the City's account, pending resolution of the disputed item. 3. How provisional credits will be handled for disputed transactions resolved in the City's favor and how charges will be reinstated for those resolved in favor of the Merchant. Proposals shall provide a time frame for this process. Service Provider must have a procedure in place for handling fraudulent charges reported by a Purchasing Card Administrator or detected by the Service Provider's or card company's own security processes. Proposals shall include a description of fraudulent charge procedures and processes, including: 1. Procedures to follow when contacting Service Provider about fraudulent charges. 2. When and if a police report should be made in relation to the fraud. 3. When and if provisional credits will be issued to the City's account, pending resolution of the fraud investigation. 4. How such provisional credits, if any, will be handled for charges determined to be fraudulent and how charges will be reinstated for those transactions which were either not fraudulent or for which the City, after investigation, is determined to be liable for. Proposals shall provide a time frame for this process and describe the situations under which the City would ultimately be responsible for fraudulent charges. 2.10.1 Card Terminations and Changes The Purchasing Card Administrator or designee may request one or more cards be terminated, or request changes to an individual card, a batch of cards, or all City cards. Such changes may include changes to card spending limits, purchase restrictions, cardholder name, etc. These change requests may be made via email or entered directly into the Service Provider's card management system. Proposals must offer a time frame, preferably one business day or less, between receiving a termination or change request and accomplishing the change. Proposals shall detail the differences in how changes are processed, depending on whether entered directly or requested via email. 2.10.2 Lost or Stolen Cards The cardholder or Purchasing Card Administrator or designee will immediately report lost or stolen cards to the Service Provider. Such reports may be made via telephone or email. The Service Provider shall immediately cancel the lost or stolen card and issue a replacement card with a new account number. Proposals must describe: 1. Procedures to be followed in the event a card is lost or stolen. 2. Time frame between notification and the cancellation of the effected account. 3. How long it will take for a replacement card to be mailed. 4. Processes in place to expedite such replacement, including the ability to send the new card directly to a cardholder who may be traveling at the time of the loss or theft. 2.11 Card Acceptance The Service Provider's card must be issued by a major commercial credit card company. It shall be widely accepted by a variety of vendors used by the City, both locally and nationally. Proposals shall describe: 1. Card's general acceptance both locally and nationally. 2. How Service Provider will work in cooperation with the City to ensure vendors accept the credit card for tax-exempt transactions. 3. Service Provider's program and level of success recruiting new businesses when notified by the City that the Service Provider's card was not accepted by a particular vendor. 2.12 Billing Department Account Managers will need real-time access to assigned card accounts and must be able to generate statements as needed using an online card management system. The Purchasing Card Administrator must have access to a consolidated billing statement via the same system. Individual cardholder invoices are not required. A consolidated invoice covering all PCard transactions for the month must be sent via email or provided via a link to a download site. Such invoice must meet City requirements, including, but not limited to, the following: 1. Cardholder Name. 2. Merchant Name. 3. Transaction Date. 4. Posting Date 5. Transaction Amount, itemized to the extent possible. Backup documentation for each purchase shall be available upon request from the Account Manager or Purchasing Card Administrator. Proposals shall identify the time frame required to provide backup documentation and method required for request (telephone, fax, email, etc.) 2.13 Card Management System Proposals must include a complete description of online card management and transaction management systems, hosted either at a remote site or on a City server. Such systems shall provide online access for Administrators and department Account Managers. 2.14 Online Activities 1. Run Reports • For individual cardholders • For all cards assigned to that Account Manager • For all City cards (Administrator) • Approved transactions • Ad hoc reports 2. Account Managers or Administrators must be able to assign default account numbers for each card, as follows: • One default number for all transactions for that card, and • Additional default numbers for certain Merchant Category Codes, and • Additional default numbers for certain vendors. The goal is to minimize reallocations. 3. Oversee current transactions in order to spot possible fraud or inappropriate charges. After cardholders, Account Managers are the second line of defense against abuse and fraud. 4. Reallocation of charges When reallocation of expenses has to be done, the transaction record must contain the three fields listed below -- Account Number, Sub Ledger, and Sub Type. The first two fields must be formatted with drop -down selection boxes containing alternate account numbers which can be entered as needed by the Account Manager. Reallocation can then be accomplished, in most cases, by selecting one of the alternate numbers. This process will eliminate a primary source of data entry errors. Account Number Sub Ledger Sub Type 370300.544590 42310 W 370300.290290 42320 370300.529290 52410 370300.529310 52640 The importance of the account number field display and reallocation method cannot be stressed enough. Account Managers must be able to enter alternate numbers in a drop -down list as they are needed. The proposed system must include a method of validating account numbers, using Finance system data, as they are entered. Proposals should also include sample images showing screens to be used by Account Managers in completing the above tasks. Provision for online access to a sample system is encouraged. In City's current system, data entry provides the most frequent source of account allocation errors. Any proposed system must have processes in place which minimize such errors. Purchasing Card Administrators will need access to the same system, with enhanced management capabilities. Proposals should include process descriptions, sample images, and (if possible) online access to a sample system. Per section 2.3, the proposed PCard system must include the ability to transmit transaction data into the City's Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne finance application. That interface will link the PCard system to the City's AP module. Alternatives will be considered. Proposals should include: 1. Description of available methods for transmittal of data and what payment parameters are associated with each billing format. 2. List of information that can be attached to each card account. 3. Description of technical support available for electronic billing processes. 4. A description of how card information is kept secure, including the name of encryption method or software used. 5. Describe Service Provider's back-up/restore procedures for billing files and for transaction files related to City accounts. 6. Indicate the availability of electronic billing file. 7. If billing file (invoice) does not match transaction data, describe the tools available to the Purchasing Card Administrator can use to resolve the discrepancy. 8. In the event an individual Account Manager is not available to allocate/approve transactions for assigned cards, describe the ability of the Purchasing Card Administrator to either accomplish the necessary tasks directly or assign the cards to another Account Manager. 9. When an Administrator initiates a change to a card holder via the card management system, how can the Administrator track the progress of that change? 10. File transmission quality control - How will Service Provider control/ensure the following: • That report files are transmitted at the same time and day interval • That no duplicate transactions or files are transmitted • That file contains the accurate and complete set of transactions for the specified time interval Payment shall be automatically debited from the City's bank account monthly on a specified date. 2.15 Ghost Cards The City does not now use ghost cards, but might in the future. Proposals should include information about the use of ghost card accounts for procurement. 2.16 Inactive accounts The proposed system must include a method of removing inactive card accounts from the active system. Card accounts can't be removed until all charges on that card have cleared the system. Accounts may have to remain in the active list until the transactions are no longer needed for financial purposes, but at some point we would like the management system to contain only active card accounts. 2.17 Large Purchase Merchant Fees At some point, the City will begin using Purchasing cards to pay large payments, especially recurring charges, such as utility bills. Proposals should indicate the vendor's willingness to reduce merchant fees in order to facilitate large payments. 2.18 Sale of Cardholder Information The Service Provider shall not sell, rent or otherwise distribute a list of participating cardholders, their addresses or any other information to any person, firm or other entity for any purpose without the written consent of the Purchasing Card Administrator. 2.19 Hosting Information Provide information relating to your firm's hosting capabilities, including: 1. Hosting location, equipment, operating system, database, and security features. 2. Capacity limitations, if any. 3. Length of time card data is maintained. 4. Procedures for archiving data, either by your firm or the City. 5. Describe security and encryption between web client and web server. Can the City host the PCard transaction management system on its own servers? If so, please provide the following: 1. Operating systems supported 2. Database management systems supported 3. Report writing tools 4. Web application servers supported 5. Describe security and encryption used in a City -hosted system. 2.20 1099M Information The City would like to receive a file from the PCard supplier listing tax ID information for vendors that need to have a 1099M processed for them at the end of the year. Describe in your proposal how this can be accomplished. 2.21 Rebates Annual rebates must be calculated on the total amount of charges made by all entities operating under any agreement resulting from this request for proposal. Each entity must receive their rebate individually. Describe your rebate structure and processes related to timing and method of payment. 2.22 User Conference Describe the vendor's user conferences and other networking opportunities. Include a description of how the vendor intends to facilitate attendance by City and other participating entity personnel at such meetings, seminars, etc. 3.0 PROPOSAL PREPARATION Proposals should be simple in format and provide straightforward, concise descriptions of firm capabilities. Emphasis should be on completeness, brevity and clarity of content. Ownership of all data, materials and documentation originated and prepared for the City pursuant to this RFP shall belong exclusively to the City and be subject to public inspection in accordance with the Colorado Open Records Act. Trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by a Service Provider shall not be publicly disclosed under the Colorado Open Records Act; however, the Service Provider shall invoke the protection of this section prior to or upon submission of the data or other materials and must identify the data or other materials to be protected and state the reasons why protection is necessary. Disposition of material after award is made should be stated by the Service Provider. Proposals shall contain the following information in the sequence listed: 1. Information requested in the Proposal Submittal section. 2. Responses to Requirements, in the order presented in this Request for Proposal. 3. Responses to Requirements unique to Poudre School District 4. Description of enhancements not specified in the Requirements. 5. Work plan for implementation of the firm's proposal, with particular emphasis placed on making a smooth transition from City's existing PCard system. 6. Pricing information for the City of Fort Collins, including proposed rebate structure and the cost to interface with Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne. 7. Pricing information for Poudre School District 4.0 EVALUATION 4.1 Evaluation and Assessment of Proposal An evaluation committee shall rank the interested firms based on their written proposals using the ranking system set forth below. Firms shall be evaluated on the following criteria. The rating scale shall be from 1 to 5, with 1 being a poor rating, 3 an average rating, and 5 an outstanding rating. Recommended weighing factors for the criteria are listed adjacent to the qualification. The City may make an award based on written proposals, or the top ranked firms may be selected to participate in oral interviews. Such interviews will be rated the same way as the written proposals, as applicable. Weighting Qualification Standard Factor 2.0 Scope of Proposal Does the proposal show an understanding of the project objective, methodology to be used, and results that are desired from the project? 2.0 Assigned Personnel Do the persons who will work on the contract have the necessary skills? Are sufficient people of the requisite skills assigned to the contract? 1.0 Availability Can the project be implemented in the time frame required? Are other qualified personnel available, if required, to assist in meeting the project schedule? 1.0 Motivation Is the firm interested and are they capable of providing the needed services? 2.0 Cost Do the proposed costs compare favorably with other proposals and with industry practice? 2.0 Firm Capability Does the firm have the support capabilities the assigned personnel require? Has the firm done previous projects of this type and scope? 4.2 Reference Evaluation (Top -ranked firms) The Project Managers will check references using the following criteria. The evaluation rankings will be labeled Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory. 4.3 Qualification and Standard a. Overall Performance - Would you hire this company again? b. Timetable - Was the original project completed within the specified time? Were interim deadlines met in a timely manner? C. Completeness - Was the company responsive to client needs; did the company anticipate problems? Were problems solved quickly and effectively? d. Budget - Was the original project completed within budget? e. Job Knowledge - Did company personnel exhibit the knowledge and skills necessary for the efficient completion of the project? 5.0 PROPOSAL ACCEPTANCE All proposals shall remain subject to initial acceptance 90 days after the day of submittal. CITY OF FORT COLLINS P1090 Purchasing Cards 2007 Opening date November 28, 2007, 2 30pm (our clock) The City of Fort Collins is soliciting proposals for Purchasing Card services including cards card management system and transaction management system Proposal Submittal The City of Fort Collins shall not reimburse any firm for costs incurred in the preparation and presentation of their proposal Firms submitting proposals shall submit five (5) copies of the proposal with the following information a Company history and experience in providing Purchasing Cards to government entities as described in this Request for Proposal b The name and contact information for the company representatives responsible for managing the proposal process on behalf of the proposing firm c References from five or more organizations which have used your company for similar products and services within the last two years d A written description of the proposed products and services as required in Section 3 0 Proposal Preparation e Pricing as requested The proposal must be signed by a duly authorized representative of the firm submitting the proposal The signature shall include the title of the individual signing the proposal Proposal Timeline' Solicitation released October 19 2007 Vendor questions due November 9 2007 (Questions and requests for clarification must be submitted via email to Ihume anfcgov com) Addendum issued November 14 2007 (Addendum will address vendor queries) Opening date November 28 2007 Evaluations complete Between November 30 and December 14 2007 Interviews (if needed) After January 15 2008 * All dates subject to change 10 GENERAL The City of Fort Collins (City) has utilized a Purchasing Card (PCard) Program since 1999 Currently the City has approximately 630 cardholders and generates about $340 000 in purchases each month In 2006 City employees purchased a total of $3 600 000 in goods and services using PCards The City estimates 2007 volume to be in excess of $4 000 000 and transactions to number over 30 000 Any transition to a new card provider will occur in 2008 with the exact timing to be negotiated The City of Fort Collins is seeking a Service Provider with the resources and experience to properly administer a purchasing card system including above -average customer service and a user friendly flexible powerful management and reporting system System functionality should include on-line access to card account and current transaction information for account maintenance and administration and ability to make real-time updates to accounts While the PCard Program is an integral part of the City s procurement system the City cannot guarantee any minimum amount of purchase volume or number of cardholders even though such numbers are expected to increase over the next few years Proposals will be accepted from vendors offering a Purchasing Card with either an integrated card and transaction management system or a third party system for card management Proposals will also be accepted from vendors offering card management systems alone Award will be for a period of five years with an additional five year period contingent on approval by City Council 1 1 Poudre School District Participation The Poudre School District (PSD) has elected to participate in the card procurement process Requirements relating to PSD are the same as for the City of Fort Collins except as specified in section 2 0 Requirements The School District will complete a separate agreement with the selected vendor and each agency will receive their own rebates The Poudre School District R 1 will negotiate directly with the Service Provider with whom the City of Fort Collins contracts PSD initiated a purchasing card program in July 2006 The first year of the program generated 219 cardholders and resulted in transactions totaling 8 543 The purchase of goods and services totaled approximately $1 075 750 Continued program growth and development is anticipated in 2008 12 Participation by Other Government Entities Other governmental entities may be extended the opportunity to purchase or participate in any award made as a result of this Bid or Proposal with the agreement of the successful vendor(s) 20 REQUIREMENTS 21 Issuing Cards Cards shall be issued upon Service Providers receipt of a request from Purchasing Card Administrators designated by the City Requests must be generated using an Internet -based application Such application must meet the following criteria 1 The application may be part of the Service Provider's own information technology system or a component of a third -party management system 2 Card requests generated using the application must be secure 3 The application must be capable of generating records and reports in electronic format which City Administrators can download for administrative purposes These would include records of requests changes to cards cardholder lists and other ad hoc reports 22 Cardholder Information Cards will be issued to City and affiliated entities such as Poudre Fire Authority Downtown Development Authority Fort Collins Library District employees and City Council members No personal credit information on cardholders will be maintained by the Service Provider Card requests will contain the following personal information 1 Cardholder Name 2 Account Manager name (if needed for card setup in card management system) 3 Phone Number 4 Other security information as agreed to by the City and Service Provider 5 Business address and contact information will be the same for each card 23 Compatibility with City Accounting System Service Provider shall provide all transaction records in electronic format for re -allocation of expenses by Account Managers When that process is complete the processing system must be able to transmit transaction records directly into Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne 8 11 A file format will be provided Present plans call for an interface to be established between the transaction processing system and the Accounts Payable (AP) module of the City's finance system Please discuss your experience interfacing with JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and describe your interface method Alternatives to transmitting records into AP will be considered 231 Poudre School District Requirement The vendor must demonstrate the ability to provide appropriately formatted data (tab -delimited text files) including the ability to extract at a minimum the data fields Date Amount Vendor and Card Number PSD will not require a system interface to the existing District financial system 24 Liability Proposals shall include details related to the City liability for charges made on lost or stolen cards and a description of any proposed liability protection plan and costs associated with it 25 Card Design The Service Provider shall work with the City to develop an acceptable card design The design shall be approved by the Purchasing Card Administrator and shall contain at a minimum the following features 1 The phrase TAX EXEMPT and the City tax exempt number shall be printed on the face of the card along with the phrase Commercial Card" or Purchase Card 2 The City logo PFA logo or Library District logo provided camera-ready 3 Toll free customer service number shall be printed on the back of the card 4 There shall be no references to ATM s on the card 5 Cards should be available in easily distinguishable colors 2 51 PSD Card Design Poudre School District shall work with the selected vendor in the development of the PSD card design which must include the indmdual's name as well as the District name and logo 26 Card Controls and Restrictions The City Purchasing Card Administrators shall have the ability to set restrictions and controls when cards are initially requested and when changes are needed Service Providers customer service representatives may not make changes to card limits unless approved by a City Purchasing Card Administrator The following controls shall be available 1 Single Transaction Dollar Limitation - Established per individual card not to exceed the City established individual cardholder maximum dollar limit 2 Maximum Dollar Limitation per Month Set by the Purchasing Card Administrator per individual cardholder 3 Maximum Number of Transactions per Day Set by a Purchasing Card Administrator per individual cardholder 4 Maximum Number of Transactions per Month - Set by a Purchasing Card Administrator per individual cardholder 5 Vendor Blocking - Restrictions on the types of vendors by Merchant Category Code (MCC) authorized to accept the card 6 Cash and Gift Cards Prohibition of cash advances and purchases of gift cards 7 Additional Controls Proposals shall describe any additional controls that are available 27 Hierarchy and Cardholder Information The City intends to keep the card program hierarchy as simple as possible Too many levels lead to increased maintenance Other entities using the selected card vendor may elect different hierarchy structures City would like to establish the following hierarchy 1 The City of Fort Collins 2 Cardholders Cardholders will not have access to the card management system Account Managers will manage only those cards assigned to them by a Purchasing Card Administrator The processing system must allow for such assignments The following information will be entered when setting up a cardholder account 1 Cardholder name 2 Employee ID number (not SSN) 3 Employee phone number (the City may elect to use a standard contact phone number) 4 Standard address information (the same for all cards) 5 Transaction limits 28 Implementation Describe plan for implementation of your proposed card and associated management system The City will need assistance from the vendor in making the transition from our current card to the new card Describe the training to be provided for Administrators and Account Managers 29 Training and Support The Service Provider shall provide 1 Training materials in written or electronic format that may be used without restriction by City Staff to train cardholders in proper card use 2 Initial training for Purchasing Card Administrators and Account Managers 3 Customer support to the Purchasing Card Administrator or agent and cardholders This support shall include at a minimum • A toll -free customer service number and a toll -free telephone number for reporting lost or stolen cards Proposals shall describe the availability of these assistance Imes the services available at each contact point and the hours they are staffed • The name title and telephone number of the main customer account representative and at least one alternate who would respond to inquiries by a Purchasing Card Administrator or designee • The name title and telephone number of the technical support department responsible to change requests stolen card reports or other inquiries by a Purchasing Card Administrator or designee 2 10 Disputed Items and Fraudulent Charges Service Provider shall provide a method for handling questions concerning disputed charges Toll -free service for this process shall be available Proposals should include a description of dispute procedures and processes including 1 Procedures to follow when contacting Service Provider about disputed transactions 2 When provisional credits will be issued to the City s account pending resolution of the disputed item 3 How provisional credits will be handled for disputed transactions resolved in the Citys favor and how charges will be reinstated for those resolved in favor of the Merchant Proposals shall provide a time frame for this process Service Provider must have a procedure in place for handling fraudulent charges reported by a Purchasing Card Administrator or detected by the Service Providers or card companys own security processes Proposals shall include a description of fraudulent charge procedures and processes including 1 Procedures to follow when contacting Service Provider about fraudulent charges 2 When and if a police report should be made in relation to the fraud 3 When and if provisional credits will be issued to the City s account pending resolution of the fraud investigation 4 How such provisional credits if any will be handled for charges determined to be fraudulent and how charges will be reinstated for those transactions which were either not fraudulent or for which the City after investigation is determined to be liable for Proposals shall provide a time frame for this process and describe the situations under which the City would ultimately be responsible for fraudulent charges 2 10 1 Card Terminations and Changes The Purchasing Card Administrator or designee may request one or more cards be terminated or request changes to an individual card a batch of cards or all City cards Such changes may include changes to card spending limits purchase restrictions cardholder name etc These change requests may be made via email or entered directly into the Service Providers card management system Proposals must offer a time frame preferably one business day or less between receiving a termination or change request and accomplishing the change Proposals shall detail the differences in how changes are processed depending on whether entered directly or requested via email 2 10 2 Lost or Stolen Cards The cardholder or Purchasing Card Administrator or designee will immediately report lost or stolen cards to the Service Provider Such reports may be made via telephone or email The Service Provider shall immediately cancel the lost or stolen card and issue a replacement card with a new account number Proposals must describe 1 Procedures to be followed in the event a card is lost or stolen 2 Time frame between notification and the cancellation of the effected account 3 How long it will take for a replacement card to be mailed 4 Processes in place to expedite such replacement including the ability to send the new card directly to a cardholder who may be traveling at the time of the loss or theft 211 Card Acceptance The Service Providers card must be issued by a major commercial credit card company It shall be widely accepted by a variety of vendors used by the City both locally and nationally Proposals shall describe 1 Card s general acceptance both locally and nationally 2 How Service Provider will work in cooperation with the City to ensure vendors accept the credit card for tax exempt transactions 3 Service Providers program and level of success recruiting new businesses when notified by the City that the Service Providers card was not accepted by a particular vendor 212 Billing Department Account Managers will need real time access to assigned card accounts and must be able to generate statements as needed using an online card management system The Purchasing Card Administrator must have access to a consolidated billing statement via the same system Individual cardholder invoices are not required A consolidated invoice covering all PCard transactions for the month must be sent via email or provided via a link to a download site Such invoice must meet City requirements including but not limited to the following 1 Cardholder Name 2 Merchant Name 3 Transaction Date 4 Posting Date 5 Transaction Amount itemized to the extent possible Backup documentation for each purchase shall be available upon request from the Account Manager or Purchasing Card Administrator Proposals shall identify the time frame required to provide backup documentation and method required for request (telephone fax email etc ) 2 13 Card Management System Proposals must include a complete description of online card management and transaction management systems hosted either at a remote site or on a City server Such systems shall provide online access for Administrators and department Account Managers 2 14 Online Activities 1 Run Reports • For individual cardholders • For all cards assigned to that Account Manager • For all City cards (Administrator) • Approved transactions • Ad hoc reports 2 Account Managers or Administrators must be able to assign default account numbers for each card as follows • One default number for all transactions for that card and • Additional default numbers for certain Merchant Category Codes and • Additional default numbers for certain vendors The goal is to minimize reallocations Oversee current transactions in order to spot possible fraud or inappropriate charges After cardholders Account Managers are the second line of defense against abuse and fraud 4 Reallocation of charges When reallocation of expenses has to be done the transaction record must contain the three fields listed below - Account Number Sub Ledger and Sub Type The first two fields must be formatted with drop -down selection boxes containing alternate account numbers which can be entered as needed by the Account Manager Reallocation can then be accomplished in most cases by selecting one of the alternate numbers This process will eliminate a primary source of data entry errors Account Number Sub Ledger Sub T e 370300 544590 42310 W 370300 290290 42320 370300 529290 52410 370300 529310 52640 The importance of the account number field display and reallocation method cannot be stressed enough Account Managers must be able to enter alternate numbers in a drop down list as they are needed The proposed system must include a method of validating account numbers using Finance system data as they are entered Proposals should also include sample images showing screens to be used by Account Managers in completing the above tasks Provision for online access to a sample system is encouraged In City s current system data entry provides the most frequent source of account allocation errors Any proposed system must have processes in place which minimize such errors Purchasing Card Administrators will need access to the same system with enhanced management capabilities Proposals should include process descriptions sample images and (if possible) online access to a sample system Per section 2 3 the proposed PCard system must include the ability to transmit transaction data into the City s Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne finance application That interface will link the PCard system to the City's AP module Alternatives will be considered Proposals should include 1 Description of available methods for transmittal of data and what payment parameters are associated with each billing format 2 List of information that can be attached to each card account 3 Description of technical support available for electronic billing processes 4 A description of how card information is kept secure including the name of encryption method or software used 5 Describe Service Providers back-up/restore procedures for billing files and for transaction files related to City accounts 6 Indicate the availability of electronic billing file 7 If billing file (invoice) does not match transaction data describe the tools available to the Purchasing Card Administrator can use to resolve the discrepancy 8 In the event an individual Account Manager is not available to allocate/approve transactions for assigned cards describe the ability of the Purchasing Card Administrator to either accomplish the necessary tasks directly or assign the cards to another Account Manager 9 When an Administrator initiates a change to a card holder via the card management system how can the Administrator track the progress of that change? 10 File transmission quality control How will Service Provider control/ensure the following • That report files are transmitted at the same time and day interval • That no duplicate transactions or files are transmitted • That file contains the accurate and complete set of transactions for the specified time interval Payment shall be automatically debited from the City s bank account monthly on a specified date