23--COMBAT, ASSAULT, AND TACTICAL VEHICLES, TRACKED

Market Survey of Interest. Abrams System Technical Support Services. 1. Sources Sought Notice. The Program Executive Office for Ground Combat Systems (PEO GCS), Program Management Office Heavy Brigade Combat Team (PM HBCT) is conducting a market survey to identify, as potential sources, companies that may possess the expertise, capabilities, and experience to competently and competitively respond in providing logistics, engineering, software integration, support services to the Abrams Family of Vehicles (AFV). 2. Clarification of this Action. This request is a Market Survey. It is an inquiry intended to measure the level of industry interest and determine the appropriate acquisition strategy for a potential future acquisition. Planned Acquisition: base year with two option years (Jan 12 - Dec 14) Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) Contract. This Market Survey neither constitutes a Request for Proposal or Invitation to Bid, nor does it restrict the Government to an ultimate acquisition approach. Additionally, as a Market Survey, this inquiry does not bind the Government to solicit for or award a competitive contract. Participation in the survey is also wholly voluntary on the part of the contractor as no reimbursements will be made to any contractor for ANY costs associated with their participation in the survey. Data submitted in response to this market survey will not be returned. Lastly, participation in this Market Survey, while important to Army acquisition planners, is neither mandatory nor is it requisite to future participation by the contractor in this or a similar contract RFP. You may address any part or portion of this Market Survey. However, the Government reserves the right to award all or parts of these requirements in the best interest of the Government. 3. Assumptions. The United States Government (USG) may not furnish a complete Technical Data Package (TDP) for the vehicles identified. The contractor is expected to tell USG what information is needed to accomplish each task. 4. Scenario. The requirement for this proposed contract is to provide logistics and engineering support for the AFVs. Below each subpart please provide a response based on your experience in the area, knowledge of subject matter, and manpower capabilities. Contractors who deem themselves qualified; please take the time to respond to the questionnaire below. We are interested to see who is capable and experienced in meeting any or all areas of interest. QUESTIONNAIRE Instructions for Completing the Questionnaire: Telephone or email inquiries will not be honored. Please submit hard copy responses to: US Army Contracting Command Program Management Heavy Brigade Combat Team ATTN: Dennis Pekar SFAE-GCSS-HBCT-C Mail Stop 506 6501 E. Eleven Mile Rd. Warren, MI 48397-5000 Responses are due NO LATER than close of business on 22 March 2011. All Responses shall be post marked by 22 March 2011. Response Format. Submittal will be in text format only. Respondents to this market survey are specifically instructed to refrain from submitting any type of proprietary data, trade secrets, or other business sensitive information. If desired, responses may address the question number so as not to repeat the question in each response. Please spell out acronyms in their first instance. Also, clearly mark any confidential information per the guidance listed on page 8. Respondents to this questionnaire may be contacted directly in the future for additional comment and information as the requirements develop. Administrative Information 1. Company Name 2. Mailing Address and Website 3. Location of facilities 4. CAGE Code (if applicable) 5. North America Industry Classification System (NAICS) number 6. Business size and eligibility under USG socio-economic programs and preference 7. Does your company use a cost system that has been certified by the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA)? Person Responding to Questionnaire 8. Name 9. Title 10. Company Responsibility/Position 11. Telephone Number/Fax Number 12. E-Mail Address LOGISTIC SUPPORT. The following subparts are required under logistic support: Depot Maintenance and Strategy Planning Electronic Technical Manuals, Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals, National Maintenance Work Requirement (NMWR), and Depot Maintenance Work Requirement (DMWR) Management, maintenance, operation, and security of USG Property in the Possession of the Contractor Logistics Support Analysis (LSA)/Logistics Management Information (LMI) Objectives New Equipment Training (NET) Fielding & Deprocessing using Property Book Unit Supply Enhanced (PBUSE) Supportability Integrated Product Team (SIPT) Support Update, Maintain Supportability Strategy Documentation Computer Resources, Test Measurement Diagnostic Equipment (TMDE) Quality Deficiency Reports (QDR) Modification Work Orders (MWOs) Perform Maintenance and Maintain Vehicle Electronic Logbooks Foreign Military Sales Field Service Representative and Technical Support (FSR/FST) Logistic Support Questions: 13. Please describe your experience with electronic vehicle logbooks. 14. What is your expertise in planning for depot level material maintenance and repair requiring the overhaul, upgrading, or rebuilding of parts, assemblies, or subassemblies and the testing and reclamation of end item/equipment thereof? This includes aligning Maintenance Operations Metrics with Customer Outcomes. 15. Describe capability and experience in development of technical data for the operation, maintenance, testing and/or evaluation, and repair parts support of materiel systems. Include processes for participation in logistics demonstrations. 16. What experience do you have in managing, maintaining, securing, and using Government Furnished Property (includes Contractor-Acquired Property)? 17. Describe your organization's experience, skill, and capability of developing (1) Logistics Product Data, (2) Logistics Product Data Summaries, (3) Logistics Management Information (LMI) using DoD adopted industry standard GEIA-STD-0007 (Logistics Product Data) and military standard MIL-PRF-49506 (Logistics Management Information). Identify computer-based tools and systems (ADP) utilized to manage and generate these product data items. 18. Describe your experience in planning and developing New Equipment Training (NET) Packages, and executing training in field and facility environments? 19. What is your organization's capability and experience in materiel fielding and materiel transfer processes, which includes use of PBUSE system? 20. Describe your organization's experience as a member of Supportability Integrated Product Teams (IPT) as a participating member. Identify programs and associated contributions. 21. Explain your experience in maintenance of an end item Supportability Strategy (SS) and associated documentation? 22. Describe your capability and experience in developing and identifying manpower to support Total Package Fielding (TPF), requirements, requisitions, planning, fielding, facilities, management, NMIBs, and unit negotiations. 23. Describe your experience with software development, security, calibration, interfacing and operations with Test Measurement Diagnostic Equipment, BIT/BITE, Software Loader Verifier (SLV), Maintenance Support Device (MSD), Embedded Diagnostics and Prognostics, Test Program Sets and Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) and the reduction of TMDE. 24. Describe your experience with submitting PQDRs/EIRs (SF368) the process of reporting. 25. Describe you experience in determining the type of MWO, the developing, reporting and fielding MWOs. 26. Please describe your experience deploying field service resources to CONUS and OCONUS locations. 27. Describe your experience concerning International Armor for Foreign Military Sales (FMS) cases. 28. Describe your experience and knowledge of the Army Export Control Act. 29. Describe your experience handling business in an International arena. 30. Describe your experience working in the Synchronized Predeployment and Operational Tracker system. 31. Describe your experience in the development of a MWO publication. 32. Describe your experience in the application of MWO's in a military installation environment. 33. Describe your experience in updating the Modification Management information System (MMIS) with MWO application data. 34. Describe your experience in the storage, shipping and kitting of hardware. 35. Describe your experience with scope of work input and development. 36. What is your organizations capability and experience in training aids, devices, simulation, simulators? This includes being a member of a supportability integrated product team (IPT). Identify programs and associated contributions. ENGINEERING SUPPORT. The following subparts are required under Engineering support: Environmental Engineering Support Mechanical and Electrical Obsolescence Quality Engineering (Qualification and Environmental Stress Screening (ESS) Testing, Vehicle and Subcomponent Testing, and First Article Test) Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability (RAM) Software Engineering Systems Engineering System Safety System Test Integration System Validation and MANPRINT Integration Training and Maintenance Engineering Unique Identification (UID) Engineering Support Questions: 37. Please describe any similar STS services in the last three years provided for any USG agency, to include but not limited to the following: examples of service(s) performed, timeframe, and location of performance. 38. Please describe how your company would manage the daily operations for each of the engineering support services (C4ISR, logistics engineering support, systems engineering support, and SIL support to include component SIL, system SIL and facility vehicle support). 39. Please describe your Systems Engineering Plan. 40. Please identify your experience with and successful application of conducting Design Failure Mode Effects Analysis, Problem Resolution and Implementing Corrective Actions both in production and in the field. Please identify the products utilized. 41. Please indentify your experience with design, development, test and qualification of subsystems and components for combat vehicles including but not limited to armor, suspension, power train, environmental control, firepower, fire control, ammunition stowage and handling, human factors, fire suppression, power management, etc. 42. Describe your company's software engineering process and its management. Please also address your software engineering experience, your technology management to handle new technologies and software, and lifecycle software management. Your process should clearly describe all software aspects: (1) resource management, (2) requirement, (3) development, (4) reviews, (5) test and integration, (6) risk, (7) configuration management, (8) schedule, (9) metrics, (10) quality, (11) reliable cost estimate, (12) tools and techniques, and (13) documentation. 43. Please describe your ability to work Interface Control Documents (ICD) and requirement and/or data exchange with GFE suppliers. 44. Please identify if you have facility clearance and what level of classification you process at your contract facility. Describe how your company handles classified, Sensitive Compartmented Information ISCI) and Special Access Program (SAP) data. Response must discuss information, facilities, materials, equipment, armor packaging and personnel. 45. Please describe your experience in system level testing and engineering analysis. 46. Please describe your experience in engineering analysis and test. Configuration Management Questions: 47. Please describe your Configuration Management System. 48. Please describe your experience in maintaining configuration control of a fleet of vehicles. 49. Please describe your experience in providing overarching configuration coordination over production and fielded vehicles. 50. Please describe the database your company would use to track configuration management of the current fleet of Abrams vehicles. 51. Please describe how your company would manage a configuration management database for the baseline configuration of the Abrams vehicles by serial number, update for deployment history, and adjust during Reset maintenance of the platform. Product Assurance and Test (PAT) Questions: 52. Please describe the quality system your company has in place. 53. Give examples of continuous improvement in accordance with a quality system. 54. Please describe how you would manage your supplier quality control. 55. Please elaborate on the process controls used by your company. 56. Please describe your Quality Management System for performing vehicle maintenance. 57. Please describe how you would maintain quality control for spare parts obtained from vendors, produced in house, coming from repair, or obtained by any other means. 58. Please describe the Design For Six Sigma (DFSS) tools and processes your company has in place. 59. What is your knowledge of Reliability Growth? How does your company apply Reliability Growth to your programs? 60. Does your company have a comprehensive systems engineering process that includes Design for Reliability (DFR)? 61. Do you have knowledge of the Failure Reporting and Corrective Action System (FRACAS) process? Does your company have a problem resolution tracking program? Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Questions: 62. What is your CMMI level? 63. Please describe your experience preparing and submitting Cost and Software Data Reporting (CSDR) in accordance with DoD 5000.4M1 (CSDR Manual). 64. Describe any process improvement strategies that you currently have in place that apply to the following process areas: a. Requirements Management b. Project Monitoring and Control c. Project Planning d. Configuration Management e. Measurement and Analysis (Metrics) f. Process and Product Quality Assurance g. Organizational Process Definition and Management h. Causal Analysis of Defects i. Software Engineering 65. Please explain your Earned Value Management Process. Please explain how you would support the scenario below. 66. OBSOLESCENCE. Avoidance & Management Scenario: Describe how you would support an Obsolescence and Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) Management Plan for managing the loss, or impending loss, of manufacturers or suppliers of parts and/or material required for performance of a potential new requirement (e.g. TRADOC Capability Manager, Change Memorandum, or Operational Needs Statement). At a minimum, the plan shall address the following: Means and approach to PM-HBCT with information regarding obsolescence and DMSMS issues Planned resolution of current obsolescence and DMSMS issues Parts list screening Parts list monitoring Communication with and availability of information to USG GENERAL INFORMATION: The Government appreciates the time and effort taken to respond to this survey. The Government acknowledges its obligations under 18 U.S.C. 1905 to protect information qualifying as "confidential" under this statute. [To avoid possible confusion with the meaning of the term "confidential" in the context of Classified Information, "we will use the term "PROPRIETARY."] Pursuant to this statute, the Government is willing to accept any PROPRIETARY (e.g., trade secret) restrictions placed on qualifying data forwarded in response to the survey questions and to protect it from unauthorized disclosure subject to the following: 1. Clearly and conspicuously make qualifying data with the restrictive legend (all caps) "PROPPRIETARY" with any explanatory text, so that the Government is clearly notified of what data needs to be appropriately protected. 2. In marking such data, please take care to mark only those portions of the data or materials that are truly proprietary (over breadth in marking inappropriate data as "PROPRIETARY" may diminish or eliminate the usefulness of your response - see item 6 below). Use circling, underscoring, highlighting or any other appropriate means to indicate those portions of a single page which are to be protected. 3. The Government is not obligated to protect unmarked data. Additionally, marked data that is already in the public domain or in the possession of the Government or third parties, or is afterward placed in the public domain by the owner or another party through no fault of the Government will not be protected once in the public domain. Data already in the possession of the Government will be protected in accordance with the Government's rights in the data. 4. Proprietary data transmitted electronically, whether by physical media or not, whether by the respondent or by the government, shall contain the "PROPRIETARY" legend, with any explanatory text, on both the cover of the transmittal e-mail and at the beginning of the file itself. Where appropriate for the only portions of an electronic file, use the restrictive legends "PROPRIETARY PORTION BEGINS:" and "PROPRIETARY PORTION ENDS." 5. In any reproduction of technical data or any portions thereof subject to asserted restrictions, the government shall also reproduce the asserted restriction legend and any explanatory text. 6. The Government sometimes uses support contractors in evaluating responses. Consequently, responses that contain proprietary information may receive only limited or no consideration since the Respondent's marking of data as "PROPRIETARY" will preclude disclosure of same outside the Government and therefore will preclude disclosure to these support contractors assisting the evaluation effort. The Government will use its best efforts to evaluate those responses that contain proprietary information without using support contractors consistent with the resources available.