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FBO DAILY - FEDBIZOPPS ISSUE OF SEPTEMBER 19, 2015 FBO #5048
DOCUMENT

D -- SAS Server SW for Pre-prod - Attachment

Notice Date

9/17/2015
 

Notice Type

Attachment
 

NAICS

334111 — Electronic Computer Manufacturing
 

Contracting Office

Department of Veterans Affairs;Technology Acquisition Center;23 Christopher Way;Eatontown NJ 07724
 

ZIP Code

07724
 

Solicitation Number

VA11815Q0708
 

Archive Date

12/23/2015
 

Point of Contact

Amy Schmalzigan
 

E-Mail Address

hmalzigan@va.gov<br
 

Small Business Set-Aside

N/A
 

Award Number

GS-35F-0170K VA118-15-F-0464
 

Award Date

9/15/2015
 

Awardee

EXECUTIVE INFORMATION SYSTEMS, LLC;6901 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE STE 600;BETHESDA;MD;20817
 

Award Amount

$743,125.00
 

Description

On September 15, 2015, the Technology Acquisition Center awarded Delivery Order VA118-15-F-0464 under the terms and conditions of General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule 70 Contract GS-35F-0170K with Executive Information Systems (EIS), 6901 Rockledge Drive, Suite 600, Bethesda, MD 20827-0076. EIS will be providing Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) software licenses. The period of performance is September 30, 2015 through September 29, 2016, the total order value of $743,125.00. ? LIMITED SOURCES JUSTIFICATION 1. Contracting Activity:Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Acquisition Operations Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way Eatontown, NJ 07724 2. Description of Action: The proposed action is for a firm fixed price delivery order for Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) Institute Incorporated licenses and associated maintenance. This effort will be awarded as a delivery order under General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Information Technology 70 contract number GS-35F-0170K with Executive Information Systems LLC, (EIS). 3. Description of the Supplies or Services: VA, Office of Information and Technology, Service Delivery and Engineering, Field Operations Region 5, in support of Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Office of Performance Analysis & Integrity (OPA&I), has a requirement for additional SAS software licenses and maintenance. The SAS software will be installed on a SAS pre-production server used throughout VBA for development and testing predictive analytics, simulation, optimization studies, and ad hoc reporting capabilities of current claims processing functions. SAS is a proprietary product, and as such, technical software support and maintenance is required from SAS for software updates, patches, phone and email support, and on-line self-help. The period of performance shall be from September 30, 2015 through September 29, 2016. 4. Statutory Authority: This acquisition will be conducted under the authority of the Multiple-Award Schedule Program. The specific authority providing for a limited source award is Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(B), "Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized." 5. Rationale Supporting Use of Authority Cited Above: The proposed source for this action is EIS, LLC, 6901 Rockledge Drive, Suite 600, Post Office Box 34076, Bethesda, Maryland, 20827-0076. OPA&I has an existing production server run SAS software that is currently being used throughout VBA to provide OPA&I with predictive analytics, simulation, optimization studies, and ad hoc reporting capabilities of current claims processing functions. The SAS software that is currently installed in this production environment provides for advanced analytical tools for predictive analysis, data mining, and claims workload forecasting. OPA&I intends to establish a pre-production environment to replicate the current production environment. In meeting the demands of an often chaotic and unpredictable production software environment, it's necessary to test new functions as thoroughly as possible. When systems are placed in production, their operational characteristics (and flaws) are on display for all users to see and encounter, whether it is an internal information technology product that relies on authentication and profile data, or an externally-facing mission-critical system. This pre-production environment will be utilized to test new software features and newly released reports; perform software performance and acceptance testing; and test the ability to migrate systems, software, and data to new vendor software deployed in support of Veteran claims processing. The pre-production environments are vital to expose the systems, software, and data to rigorous testing in advance of deployment to the production systems. For this reason, the pre-production environment must mirror the actual production environment. In order to meet this requirement VA must procure the same SAS software that currently runs on the production environment. Running alternate brand software that performs similar functionality will not provide for an accurate test environment, ultimately degrading the integrity of any tests performed in pre-production. The result would be installing new software in the production environment without knowing its real impacts. This would negatively impact all facets of the deployed claims processing systems, including functionality, performance, and security. Additionally, the software includes maintenance support so the software will remain up-to-date and consistent with the production system. Only SAS can provide these updates as only SAS has the intellectual property rights to modify the code on its software. No other brand has the source code in order to develop and push software patches and updates. Similarly, no other source has the ability to perform phone, email, and online support for the product. Therefore, only the aforementioned SAS software with maintenance, procured through SAS' exclusive Federal reseller, EIS, will meet VA's needs. 6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: Market research was conducted, details of which are in the market research section of this document. There is no competition anticipated for this acquisition. Based on market research, EIS is the only authorized reseller of SAS software. The ordering activity will post the justification along with the request for quote to the GSA E-Buy website in accordance with FAR 8.405-6(b)(3). Additionally, in accordance with FAR 5.301, the resulting notice of award will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities Page within 14 days after award and this justification will be made publicly available. 7. Actions to Increase Competition: The Government will continue to conduct market research to ascertain if there are changes in the market place that would enable future actions to be competed. 8. Market Research: Market research was conducted August 2015 by performing an internet search to determine if there was other software available that could serve the purpose of replicating OPA&I's current production environment. Though there are other products from Boulette Moores Cloer (BMC), International Business Machines, and Hewlett Packard that offer data visualization and simulation, SAS JMP and Simulation Studio for JMP are already integrated into the OPA&I production infrastructure supporting current analytical processes, so no other brand product can be used to create a pre-production environment. Additionally, VA performed further market research in August 2015 by conducting a search on the GSA e-Library. Market research indicated only EIS has exclusive rights to sell and support all SAS software licenses and maintenance to Government customers. 9. Other Facts: None.
 

Web Link

FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/3c021beafc102b7115dcf57d8ea8ca40)
 

Document(s)

Attachment
 

File Name: GS-35F-0170K VA118-15-F-0464 GS-35F-0170K VA118-15-F-0464_1.docx (https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=2321843&FileName=GS-35F-0170K-013.docx)

Link: https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=2321843&FileName=GS-35F-0170K-013.docx

 

Note: If links are broken, refer to Point of Contact above or contact the FBO Help Desk at 877-472-3779.
 

Record

SN03892638-W 20150919/150918001101-3c021beafc102b7115dcf57d8ea8ca40 (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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