99 -- EDPUBS

The United States Department of Education intends to issue a six (6) months sole source extension to Aspen Systems contract number ED-98-CO-0007. The extension will allow the department to re-compete the EDPUBS contract. ED Pubs Project Background - Business Problem or Opportunity and Causing Conditions: The U.S. Department of Education has a requirement to control its inventory, reduce warehousing and shipping costs, promptly process customer requests and track order histories. In 1995, the Department looked at results of customer surveys and decided that a major initiative was needed to get the right information to the right people on time. The ED Pubs project was competed in early 1998. The procurement was written as a five-year performance-based, fixed price, indefinite quantity project. An incentive program was installed under the performance-based portion of the contract. The ED Pubs contract was awarded on March 13, 1998. The current contract expires September 08, 2003. ED Pubs Project Description - The ED Pubs project serves as a one-stop publications center for the Department of Education. It is designed to deliver exceptional customer service, quality assurance reduce duplication, and save money. The project offers centralized customer service, mailing list maintenance, storage and dissemination of information products for all ED Principal Offices, the National Institute For Literacy (NIFL), and the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB). Other services offered to ED staff include: customer satisfaction survey and feedback, kit building, public awareness of ED products and services, and seamless ordering. The ED Pubs project, a centralized Call and Fulfillment Center for Department of Education's projects, is an administrative support service. This project serves as an example of established management excellence of a centralized workplace operation for internal and external customers. ED Pubs is a centralized integrated order and fulfillment system designed to save money and avoid costs. ED Pubs' customers benefit from the following improved quality workplace components which are provided by the following administrative support services: * centralized customer service for information products, mailing list maintenance, and product storage and dissemination; * Exceptional customer service with improved business and communication processes; i.e. financial integrity and management controls; * A cost effective fully automated integrated and fulfillment system. The annual operation of ED Pubs typically involves: * Shipping over 90 million products within a 2-3 business days; * Answering over 170,000 phone calls within 25 seconds; * Responding to over 165,000 written/fax/email requests within 2 business days. These labor-intensive tasks managed by ED Pubs have allowed ED staff to focus on their primary duties. In addition to alleviating Department staff from labor-intensive tasks involving over 1,500 mass mailings, ED Pubs has arranged for shipping materials and exhibits to and from over 150 conferences across the U.S. resulting in considerable cost savings to the Department. ED Pubs' centralized automated information management system, serving a database of over 700,000 customers, provides integrated budgeting, performance, and accounting information systems for all principal offices. The ED Pubs COR provides reports and works closely within the Office of Management regarding labor, storage, shipping, and postage costs for the Department. ED Pubs' extensive database also provides pertinent customer profile and performance indicator information to the Department for reporting on GPRA Customer Service and other High Performance Organization requirements.