MODIFICATION
D -- Image Knowledge Base
- Notice Date
- 4/2/2007
- Notice Type
- Modification
- NAICS
- 541519
— Other Computer Related Services
- Contracting Office
- Social Security Administration, Office of Budget, Finance, and Management, Office of Acquisition and Grants, 1st Floor, Rear Entrance 7111 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD, 21244, UNITED STATES
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-SSA-RFI-07-03-19
- Response Due
- 4/11/2007
- Archive Date
- 4/11/2007
- Description
- The closing date for this RFI has been extended one week to April 11, 2007. The following is questions and answers received by interested vendors: 1. Clarify whether the software is required to both scan and classify/extract data from the documents, or only for software to classify/extract data from documents already scanned. Only classify/extract data from documents already scanned. 2. If scanning is required, will scanners be required? Not required. There are existing scan workstations in ODAR that are part of the SSA Front End Capture System (FECS) which are used for manually scanning documents into DMA. a.If so, how many? b.If not, provide information on scanners to be used? 3. In 2003, SSA awarded an imaging software contract to QFI for Kofax's Capture software for the Social Security Administration's requirement to support the Agency's initiative to improve the disability claims process by providing scanning software at DDS offices. Is this RFI for a new and different solution? No, the current scanning environment at SSA will remain. Are the 145 hearing offices using the same imaging software that is available to the DDS offices? Yes. If the hearing offices are using the Kofax capture software, does the software requested in this RFI need to integrate with the Kofax software? The proposed solution will need to integrate into the existing eDIB architecture, not as a standalone service, product or technology. The system and process interfaces have not been defined at this time. However, components of the eDib architecture include WebSphere MQ messaging, XML, and Web Services, and the SSA Intranet. Proficiency in these and similar technologies is beneficial as we explore the best options. SSA envisions the technology implemented as a callable software module, HTTP call, or Web Service through the eDib architecture. The technology may or may not be implemented on SSA hardware and it should be noted that the solution should be architected so that it can be used to support a variety of SSA business processes outside of Disability. 4. In 2004, Panacea Consulting was awarded a contract for the Social Security Administration's requirement for document scanning services to support the Agency's initiative to improve the disability claims process. This contract required document analysis, document separation, classification, and metadata extraction after scanning documents for FO?s, DDS's and hearing offices. How does this RFI relate to the documents being scanned for this contract? The Panacea contract is no longer in place. The current scanning Blanked Purchase Agreement (BPA) is with Lockheed Martin (LM). The objective of this BPA is for the contractor to digitally image paper medical and non-medical evidence and provide related activities, including data transmission and electronic and paper document control. There is no correlation between this RFI and the documents being scanned under the BPA. 5. Why does SSA desire to deploy the technology to the 145 hearing offices? Would a centralized technology at the SSA headquarters be just as acceptable? SSA currently has 145 different sites throughout the country under the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) responsible for holding hearings and issuing decisions as part of the Social Security Administration. The business process requires that the 145 hearing offices be able to perform these tasks locally. These sites have immediate need for this technology; however, other SSA sites, both Disability and Non-Disability related, may be considered for use of this technology in the future. It?s SSA?s preference to centralize the deployment and operation of this technology to the extent it is feasible. If it is more feasible, for reasons of performance, cost, maintenance, usability, etc., to decentralize the technology, the vendor should clearly make their case for this position. 6. What is the available bandwidth between the location that is performing, or would like to perform image analysis and the location that will be the repository? The amount of available bandwidth varies from site to site is based upon workload. According to SSA?s network operations center (DNNSO), most ODAR sites implemented between one and two T-1s between their site and SSA?s National Computing Center (NCC). The ODAR site in Falls Church, VA has the largest bandwidth with 5 T-1s. It must be assumed that the full bandwidth is not available. (DH) 7. In what capacity does the software need to integrate with their SSA Electronic Folder API? (Page 2, ? before last) The software must be able return the results of its document analysis and data extraction as structured data in a format of SSA's choosing. 8. In what capacity does the software need to integrate with, or the images to be viewed through the API? (Page 3, first ?) The viewing of the documents will be done through an existing SSA application. The software must be able return the results of its document analysis and data extraction as structured data in a format of SSA's. 9. Is data correction on OCR extraction results desired? Yes. ODAR employees need the ability to correct the data that is extracted. We would not want or need the contractor to make any data correction. Will this be handled remotely at the hearing office? This correction of the data will be handled at the hearing offices. If remotely, how many validation clients would you need? How many validation clients needed would depend on what a validation client does. If it allows the employee to edit the data extracted from OCR, then we would need to have that on every PC in the hearing offices which is approximately 10,000 PCs. Assume dedicated licensing (not shared). If data validation is done centrally at SSA, how many validation clients would you need? We do not envision that this type of editing would be done centrally?only in the hearing offices. If you want to do both remote and central data validation, how many clients would you need? This type of editing would only be performed at a hearing office. 10. Are the fields to be extracted limited to the structured forms, or both structured and free form documents? Fields to be extracted are both structured and free form documents. Is the handprint limited to the treatment date? The handprint is not limited to the treatment date. If the treatment date can not be OCR?d with current hand writing technology, what other data does SSA believe can be used to organize documents? It will be necessary for human intervention to take place. The ODAR employee will continue doing what they have been doing in the paper world and determine what the data is and record it. Is this data machine print? The data is sometimes machine print. It varies greatly depending on how electronic the medical communities are.
- Place of Performance
- Address: Social Security Administration, Operations Bldg., 6401 Securtiy Blvd., Baltimore, MD
- Zip Code: 21235
- Country: UNITED STATES
- Zip Code: 21235
- Record
- SN01264668-W 20070404/070402224617 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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