US Postal Service, Headquarters Automation Purchasing, 8403 Lee Highway, Merrifield, Virginia 22082-8150

A -- DIRECT CONNECT SYSTEM FOR ADVANCED FACER CANCELER SYSTEM -- DELIVERY BAR CODE SORTER DUE 060100 POC Robert D'Orso, C.P.M., A.P.P. (703) 280-7836 E-MAIL: Click here to send an e-mail, rdorso@email.usps.gov. The USPS is seeking to prequalify sources in accordance with USPS Purchasing Manual Section 3.5.2, capable of providing an Advanced Facer Canceler System (AFCS)- Delivery Bar Code Sorter (DBCS) Direct Connect system for participation in a competitive test, and possible future production quantities. This test will be conducted at a designated USPS Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC). The competitive test is planned for the September/October 2000 timeframe and will be approximately six weeks in duration. A USPS prepared interface specification may be provided to enable suppliers to interface their systems to both an AFCS and DBCS. Prequalification Process: The USPS intends to prequalify suppliers for this individual purchase. Prequalification is a process whereby a supplier's ability to meet specific USPS requirements is evaluated. Prequalified suppliers are companies or individuals whose record of performance in the marketplace (commercial or governmental or both) has demonstrated their ability to perform to consistently high standards of quality and reliability. The prequalified suppliers list will remain in effect for a period of one year. Not all qualified suppliers responding to this announcement will necessarily be placed on the prequalified list. The prequalified list may be limited to suppliers considered most qualified to meet the Postal Service's requirements or to a smaller list that will provide adequate competition. A future solicitation for this requirement is intended in the near future. Competition may be limited solely to prequalified suppliers. Description: The AFCS-DBCS Direct Connect system will receive a continuous mail stream of letter mail from the AFCS and transports it overhead (8'6" to 11') above the floor, through a reorientation device to assure that all pieces have the same orientation. It will then send the stream directly into a DBCS, bypassing the normal DBCS feeder. The Direct Connect system will consist of modules which change the height from the 34" (+/-5") stream height of the AFCS up to the required height for overhead transport. It will then send the stream down to a reorientation module which will be connected to the input of a DBCS at a height of 34"+/-5" above the floor. The AFCS receives randomly oriented mail. Approximately 50% of the mail output by the AFCS is oriented with the stamp edge leading and the remaining 50% is oriented with the stamp edge trailing. The reorientation module will remove on the fly each stamp trailing mailpiece and turn it around end-for-end and reinsert it into the stream. At the output, all pieces will be oriented stamp leading and the gap between pieces will not be reduced by more than 6 millimeters. Due to floor space constraints in the USPS processing facilities, the rising module attached at the output of the AFCS cannot be longer than 6 feet horizontally, and the declining section combined with the reorientation module cannot be more than 18 feet long as attached to the input of the DBCS. Minimum Specifications: For a supplier to be prequalified, its Direct Connect system must be able to receive mail from the AFCS at 3.8 meters/sec with a minimum gap between mail pieces of 20 msec, and be able to bypass or reject pieces with less than 20 msec gap without jamming. The Direct Connect system must be able to send mail into a DBCS, which has a transport speed of 4.0 meters per second. The Direct Connect system itself must have a jam rate of less than 1 per 10,000 pieces processed, a damage rate of less than one per 10,000 pieces processed, and cannot increase the jam rate of the AFCS or DBCS. The Direct Connect system must be capable of stopping and starting when the DBCS stops for a jam or emergency (power off) stop without requiring mail to be cleared from the system before the DBCS can be restarted. The Direct Connect system must provide a signal to the AFCS when it stops, to allow the AFCS to stop without a jam or to signal the existing AFCS electronics to divert mail into the existing stackers. All 7 of the existing stackers must remain to allow the AFCS to divert mail to them when the DBCS is unavailable due to jams or maintenance. The desired size range and characteristics of letter mail to be processed by the Direct Connect system includes mail within the full size, weight, and physical characteristic range as defined in the USPS Domestic Mail Manual, C810.2. The dimension and weight ranges for Automation First Class Mail are as follows: Length -- Minimum 5", Maximum 11.5" Height -- Minimum 3.5", Maximum 6.25" Thickness -- Minimum .007", Maximum .25" Weight -- Minimum none, Maximum 3.5 oz Instructions to Suppliers: Interested suppliers are required to submit the following prequalification Direct Connect system capability information: (1) written material, drawings, floor space requirements, photos, videos, and other operating statistics that demonstrate the machine specifications listed above; (2) the location and use of currently deployed machines in US or foreign postal facilities; (3) a list of all postal or commercial contracts performed within the last 3 years for similar size requirements including the contract number, dates of performance, customer's and Contracting Officer's name and phone number, and the dollar value of the contract; (4) quality and reliability data relating to the supplier's Direct Connect design. Prequalification Testing: During the pre-qualification process, the USPS reserves the right and intends to visit an installation site identified by the supplier to physically evaluate machine attributes, and to perform prequalification testing using USPS test mail decks. Minimum Capability Requirements: The transport and reorientation technology to be proposed must be in use in letter mail processing in a U.S. or foreign postal facility for a period of at least six (6) months. Prequalification Criteria: The USPS will evaluate the pre-qualification statements based on the following factors: (1) technical capability to meet USPS requirements; (2) system quality and reliability; (3) supplier capability; and (4) past performance. Regarding the prequalification criteria, technical capability is significantly more important than, quality and reliability, supplier capability, and past performance. System quality and reliability, past performance, and supplier capability are equal in importance. The sub-factors for past performance and supplier capability provided below are listed in descending order of importance. Supplier Capability: To be deemed capable, the supplier must: (1) Have, or have the ability to develop, a sound quality control program that complies with solicitation requirements. (2) Be able to meet the required or proposed delivery schedule, considering all existing commitments, including awards pending. (3) Have the necessary organization, experience, accounting and operational controls, technical skills, and production and property controls. (4) Have, or have the ability to obtain, the necessary production, construction, and technical equipment and facilities. (5) Have, or have the ability to obtain, resources (financial, technical, etc.) adequate to perform the work. (6) Be otherwise qualified and eligible to receive an award under applicable laws and regulations. (7) Have a sound record of integrity and business ethics. Past Performance: So that the USPS can evaluate past performance, the supplier must address: (1) timeliness -- consistent on-time delivery and adherence to contract schedules including the administrative aspects of performance. (2) quality -- documented quality system, demonstrated quality initiatives, conformance to contract requirements, and standards of good workmanship; reliability through goods or services that perform well throughout their anticipated service life. (3) cost control -- a record of forecasting and containing costs. (4) supply chain management -- the management of total materiel flow from all levels of subcontractors. (5) business relations -- a history of being reasonable and cooperative with customers; commitment to customer satisfaction;integrity and ethics. Subsequent Actions: The USPS plans to issue a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) for the competitive test to those suppliers that are found to be prequalified. These suppliers will be asked to submit a firm-fixed price (FFP) proposal for the transport and test of their Direct Connect systems (no development costs will be paid by the USPS). Potential Production Requirements: Approximately 200 Direct Connect systems in FY 2001 with the potential for future additional orders. Only those prequalified suppliers that receive test contracts will be considered for participation in the production award. The results of the competitive test will be used in the evaluation and source selection of any Direct Connect production contract. Contract award is anticipated in FY 2001. This announcement does not in any way commit the USPS to the test of any equipment, or create an obligation to provide for any procurement award. Each discussed acquisition is contingent upon USPS funding approval. Interested suppliers may send the required information to Robert D'Orso, Contracting Officer, Automation Purchasing, 8403 Lee Hwy -- Dewey Bldg., Merrifield, VA 22082-8150, no later than June 1, 2000. The qualification statements must be in sufficient detail to adequately address the criteria in the order listed, and not exceed 100 pages. Elaborate submissions are neither desired nor encouraged. Posted 05/05/00 (W-SN451926). (0126)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0004 20000509\A-0004.SOL)