84 -- U.S. CUSTOMS SERVICE NATIONAL UNIFORM PROGRAM

Notice Date

January 18, 2001

Contracting Office

Department of the Treasury, United States Customs Service (USCS), Procurement Division, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Room 4.2-E, Washington, DC, 20229

ZIP Code

20229

Solicitation Number

CS-2001-027

Point of Contact

Mark Weinstein, Contracting Officer, Phone (202) 927-0567, Fax (202) 927-7593, Email mark.j.weinstein@customs.treas.gov -- Mark Weinstein, Contracting Officer, Phone (202) 927-0567, Fax (202) 927-7593, Email

E-Mail Address

Mark Weinstein (mark.j.weinstein@customs.treas.gov)

Description

This notice is a resynopsis of the requirement for the U.S. Customs Service National Uniform Program. The requirement for the U.S. Customs Service National Uniform Program was originally posted to the Commerce Business Daily on April 13, 2000 as Solicitation Number CS-2000-031. This requirement is for full program management of the Uniform Program, including establishing and managing individual uniformed employee accounts, tracking of funding for these accounts, tracking of orders/returns/cancellations placed against these accounts and maintaining detailed balances. The contractor shall be fully responsible for providing all uniform items including, but not limited to, ceremonial, dress, rough duty, air and marine uniforms, outer wear, footwear, and accessories. The contractor shall provide a seamstress to measure each new individual uniformed employee to ensure that that individual is properly attired and fitted. The contractor shall either manufacture and/or acquire all items required under this contract. The contractor shall be responsible for providing warehousing and tracking of all inventories either manufactured or acquired. The contractor shall provide shipping, handling, and delivery of all goods directly to all employee locations. The contractor shall provide an automated ordering process, specifically an automated on-line ordering process available 24 hours a day/7 days a week, and customer service during at least 8 core hours 5 days a week. The contractor shall provide, on an as-needed basis, professional services for redesigning of uniform items. There are currently approximately 10,000 uniformed employees stationed throughout all 50 states, U.S. possessions and territories, and some in foreign countries. From time to time new/revised uniform items shall require a fast turn-around time. Under this requirement, we are seeking to hire a business partner who is a SERVICE PROVIDER rather than simply a MANUFACTURER. This business partner should be an expert program manager and integrator who focuses on customer satisfaction. Consequently, we intend to acquire a contractor/service provider who can stress the overall management (e.g. marketing, distribution, delivery) of the uniform program. Most important, The U.S. Customs Service plans to solicit input from industry on using performance based contracting techniques with incentives and disincentives designed to reward superior performance. Under this requirement, we will solicit industry_s best ideas of (1) how to effectively balance inventories with customer demand; (2) how to effectively assure quality control in the manufacturing process; (3) how to effectively assure customer satisfaction in the product lines; (4) how to effectively manage warranties and product returns; specifically we will determine and discuss the types of warranties that industry normally gives to its commercial customers for uniforms; (5) how to effectively manage the introduction or termination of certain product lines, from time to time; (6) how to effectively operate within constraints imposed by the U.S. Customs Service, notably the ordering processes; (7) how to construct positive and negative incentives into the overall contract structure. We intend to work with industry to use performance based and award term contracting techniques to establish performance incentives focusing on criteria such as early deliveries/timeliness, extending the term of the contract to reward exceptional performance, and the use of surveys to measure customer satisfaction and quality. (The results of the surveys would be used by Customs to award incentives or apply deductions); and (7) how to create incentives normally used as industry commercial practices which we may be able to apply to the overall contract structure. Proposals shall be evaluated based upon (1) Organizational Experience -- experience in managing similar programs (management skills, familiarity with textile industry and product lines); (2) Unique and Innovative Technical Approach -- Proposed solutions to challenges identified above (i.e. offeror_s innovative and creative technical approach, responsiveness to emerging needs); (3) Current and Past Performance; (4) Cost; (5) Small Business Utilization, and (6) Transition Plan from incumbent contractor to the new contractor/service provider. Technical factors shall be considered more important than cost. The award will result in Best Value to the Government. Technical proposal shall consist of an oral presentation in lieu of industry submitting a written technical proposal. Details on the oral presentation process shall be provided in the solicitation. The U.S. Customs Service anticipates awarding one multi-year firm fixed price, indefinite delivery indefinite quantity type contract for a base year plus nine (9) options years (i.e. 120 months) with the last five years to be awarded to the contractor based on satisfactory performance using award term contracting techniques. The solicitation will be available on the Internet at the time of issuance at: http://www.customs.treas.gov. Solicitation CS-2001-027 will be issued on or about February 14, 2001. See Note 26.

Web Link

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Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010122/84SOL001.HTM (D-018 SN50B252)