SOURCES SOUGHT
65 -- Request for Information - Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) Medical Surgical and Veterinary Items
- Notice Date
- 9/9/2013
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 423450
— Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
- Contracting Office
- Defense Logistics Agency, DLA Acquisition Locations, DLA Troop Support - Medical, 700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19111-5096, United States
- ZIP Code
- 19111-5096
- Solicitation Number
- RFI090913-VMIMEDSURG
- Archive Date
- 10/5/2013
- Point of Contact
- Melissa McMichael, Phone: 2157374296
- E-Mail Address
-
Melissa.McMichael@dla.mil
(Melissa.McMichael@dla.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ANNOUNCEMENT Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support SUMMARY The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Troop Support Medical Directorate is issuing a Request for Information (RFI) for a potential follow on acquisition for the Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) program. The VMI program establishes partnerships between the Department of Defense (DoD) and distributors to ensure that the industrial base is prepared to respond to the Military Services increased demand for items designated as critical during times of mobilization, war, contingency and military or other operations, to include humanitarian, emergency or urgent relief of efforts. These long term contracts would purchase access to medical/surgical and veterinary material inventories versus the Government expending scare dollars to purchase, warehouse and manage the "readiness" designated items. PROGRAM OVERVIEW DLA Troop Support is examining the potential for a follow on acquisition for the VMI program for medical/surgical material and veterinary items; other than pharmaceuticals. These products include but are not limited to items listed under Federal Stock Classes 6510, 6515, 6520, 6525, 6530, 6532, 6540, 6545, 6550, 6630 and 6640, and identified as consumables, laboratory chemicals and reagents, surgical, dental, x-ray instruments, blood analyzers, bandages, catheters, sponges, gauze, wraps, drapes, gowns and blood and urine products which the Military Services have identified as critical readiness items. The intent of the program is to buy access to material by partnering with industry instead of purchasing material and storing it in Government warehouses, thereby losing out on technological changes and experiencing losses due to shelf life expiration and obsolescence. The vendor(s) would be responsible for ensuring the availability, inventory control and rotation of stock for line items potentially awarded on a contract. The vendor would be compensated for these services by receiving an inventory management fee to include any costs associated with managing the program such as storage costs, inventory accounting, insurance, packing and labeling, shipment preparation associated costs, disposal costs, replenishment costs, contract administration, execution and ordering of material, etc. Customer orders for these medical products can be generated against a contract; however, there is no guarantee of sales. RFI Questions •A. Company Information •1. Is your company considered a small or large business? •2. What is your core business? Are you considered to be a manufacturer or a distributor of medical products? •3. Does your company sell veterinary items? •4. Is your company currently registered in System for Award Management (SAM)? •5. Does your company currently have any contract/s with other commercial or government activities that require storage and distribution of material? •B. Warehousing •1. How many storage/distribution centers does your company have? Do they all hold medical/surgical and/or veterinary products? •2. Describe your procedures for managing/recording the product's shelf-life. The current contract requires a minimum six (6) month expiration dating or if manufactured with less than 6 months, 75% of the full manufacturer's dating requirements at time of delivery to the Government. Is your company capable of handling this requirement? •3. The current contract requires replenishment of a product within thirty (30) business days of shipment of material to the Government. Is your company capable of replenishing the product 30 days after an order has been shipped? •4. The contract would require an on-site physical inventory verification of all product line items on contract once per year. Government personnel will normally give the company two weeks' notice, but reserves the right to notify the company two working days advance notification of its intent to conduct a physical count. Is your company capable of conducting/hosting this on-site inventory verification? •C. Distribution •1. Is your company authorized to distribute medical surgical items such as consumables, laboratory chemicals and reagents, surgical, dental, x-ray instruments, Blood Analyzers, bandages, catheters, sponges, gauze, wraps, drapes, gowns and blood and urine products, etc.? •2. Describe your current procedures for reporting shipping/tracking information to the customer. •3. What are your capabilities for shipping material OCONUS (outside contiguous United States) if the request was overseas? •4. What is your company's normal shipping time after receipt of an order for material? Are there products that you manufacture/distribute that would be considered exceptions to your own normal shipping times? •5. Is your company capable of shipping material to anywhere in CONUS within 3 business days after receipt of order (FOB Destination)? •6. Is your company capable of shipping material to the contractor's dock within 3 business days after receipt of order (FOB Origin)? •7. Can your company ship material within 24 hours after receipt of order and ensure delivery to CONUS activities plus Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico within 48 hours? •D. Pricing •1. Product Pricing: The current solicitation's concept for pricing assumes a vendor will be able to obtain of the following types of pricing vehicles: Distribution and Pricing Agreement (DAPA), Electronic Catalog (ECAT) and DoD National Contract. Are you familiar with these pricing concepts? Do you currently maintain any of these pricing vehicles? If so, please identify which ones? •2. Does your company have experience with cross-referencing National Stock Numbers (NSNs) to Part Numbers? •3. What is your customary method for updating your commercial prices? What basis does your company use to change these prices? •E. Assembly Management Component Support Program •1. The VMI program also provides component items in support of contingency operations for Medical assemblies (kits). These products require a longer shelf life to the customer. Would your company be capable of shipping material that has at least an 18 month expiration date? •F. DATA Management •1. What type of data systems do you currently use and do you see any concerns with integrating your IT systems with other industry partners and government agencies? •2. Describe your IT capabilities as it pertains to accepting/processing customer orders. •3. Does your company have Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) capability? Does your company have the ability to use American National Standards Institute (ANSI) X12 standards? •G. Miscellaneous •1. Is your company capable of providing an offer with the requirements listed above? •2. Describe any risks/obstacles you foresee with this initiative and how you would mitigate those risks. Please send your responses to the RFI questions to the following P.O.C.s : Melissa McMichael, Acquisition Specialist, Email: mailto:melissa.mcmichael@dla.mil. cc: Rosemary Adams, Team Lead, Email: mailto:rosemary.adams@dla.mil. DISCLAIMER. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for information received in response to this RFI. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. Information provided in response to this RFI will be used to assess tradeoffs and alternatives available for determining how to proceed in the acquisition process. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.
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