Business Intelligence (BI) Analytics Consulting Services

Request for Information for Business Intelligence (BI) Analytics Consulting Support This is a Request for Information (RFI) for the Social Security Administration (SSA), Office for Telecommunications and Systems Operations (OTSO). This RFI is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or award a contract as a result of this request. This RFI is issued for planning purposes only, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10. SSA contemplates awarding a firm fixed price 5 year Blanket Purchase Agreement to meet the requirements specified below. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is currently conducting market research to identify capable sources that can provide technical, management, and administrative support services to support SSA's business intelligence tool strategy. The contractor shall provide highly skilled, expert technical support services for the analysis, configuration, migration, deployment, and support of the OEEAS BI ToolSet. OBJECTIVE: The objective is to identify commercial sources with the capability to perform the following functions: evaluate current Office of Earnings, Enumeration and Administrative Systems (OEEAS) Business Intelligence (BI) Tools against the Agency BI Tool requirements; provide a long-term strategy plan; provide support for conversions from one tool to another; provide ongoing technical support. BACKGROUND: The Office of Earnings, Enumeration and Administrative Systems (OEEAS) located within the Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Systems, provides the IT resources needed to support new and ongoing initiatives in SSA's enumeration and earnings processes, workload management and management information (MI), and in the financial, human resources and other administrative activities of the Social Security Administration. OEEAS provides a wide variety of technology support services, including agency wide Business Intelligence (BI) Tool support, to users inside and outside of the Office of Systems. OEEAS develops and maintains software systems, provide training, and support users agency wide with their MI needs using Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) BI Tool products. The current environment for the OEEAS BI ToolSet includes the following products: Oracle EPM: Oracle EPM is a secured-web deployment within the Agency's intranet. The environment incorporates application servers and database servers in an all windows environment. Oracle EPM's capabilities include intuitive dashboards, report building and in-depth data analysis. It currently supports over 80 projects and initiatives agency-wide with a user base of 5,000. Focus: Mainframe Focus handle large files and non-relational data. It is primarily used to create ad-hoc and recurring reports at SSA. It runs interactively or in batch using JCL in SSA's mainframe environment. It supports over 120 reports and initiatives agency-wide with a user base of 4,000. WebFocus: WebFocus is a graphical development tool on a developer's workstation used to create and deploy code. WebFocus capabilities include managed reporting through dashboards, mainframe-based, secure email service, and a self-contained reporting system for communities of end users. The WebFocus client and reporting servers run on Unix System Services under Websphere. It supports overs 20 projects and initiatives agency-wide with a developer user base of 200. MicroStrategy: Acquired in 2012, MicroStrategy will be a secured-web deployment within the Agency's intranet. It will incorporate application servers and connects to database servers in an all windows environment. MicroStrategy capabilities include intuitive dashboards, report building and in-depth data analysis. It was introduced to support the Disability Case Processing System (DCPS). It has an expected user base of at least 5,000. SCOPE OF SERVICES: Evaluation, Implementation and migration technical consulting services: SSA requires contractor provided technical consulting services to support the evaluation, migration, configuration, deployment, and maintenance of the OEEAS BI Toolset. SSA requires consultants to be familiar with current versions of each BI tool software, the software APIs, the repositories to which it connects, relational and multi-dimensional database concepts, dashboard or application development, SQL, system monitoring, query performance tuning, system log files, troubleshooting techniques, installation and configuration of the software, system life cycle, scheduling, load balancing, replicated services, security methods, conversion and migration strategies for converting from a BI Tool structure to a new BI Tool Structure, and data access strategies. Infrastructure support technical consulting services: SSA requires contractor provided technical consulting services to support the BI Toolset infrastructure and provide a stable environment which includes performance, availability, and scalability. This may include providing a portal for one-stop access to all BI Tools offered. The consultants must be familiar with the current version of each BI Tool underlining architecture and infrastructure, security methods, Storage Area Network environments, ODBC, performance tuning techniques, Unix (Solaris 10), Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition, XP, VISTA, and Windows 7 operating systems, servlet engines (Websphere), Unix System Services, Mainframe TSO functions, Internet Explorer (IE7 and IE8), networks, HTTP servers (IBM), Active Directory (LDAP), single sign on technologies, stress testing, monitoring tools, load balancing, and backup/recovery techniques. Training consulting services: SSA requires contractor provided technical consulting services to support the development and deployment of a customized training curriculum for the BI Toolset. The consultant must be familiar with current version of each of OEEAS' BI Tools training techniques, training delivery methods, building lab exercises, documentation, and Section 508 requirements. Any party capable of providing the support services that meets the requirements listed above is invited to respond. Interested parties who believe they possess the expertise and experience shall submit technical capabilities in writing by 3:00 p.m., est., July 9, 2012. Detailed responses to each of the above requirements (with substantiating documentation) are required. All responses shall include detailed information of how they will meet each requirement specified above. Vendor submissions of simple marketing materials or brochures, incomplete responses that do not conform to the elements of this request for information, or references to vendor websites will not be considered by the Government. The Government also requests interested parties to submit a brief description of their business size (i.e. small business, 8(a), HUB Zone, woman owned, etc.), anticipated teaming agreements, whether services are available on GSA Federal Supply Schedules or any other Government-wide Agency Contracts (GWACs). Vendors may submit cost and/or pricing data with your response. Respondents should refer to RFI Number SSA-RFI-12-1041. Submittal of information ELECTRONICALLY is the preferred and faxed information will not be accepted. The size limitation for e-mail attachments is 5 megabytes. MS Word 2002 is the standard word processing software. NO FORMAL SOLICITATION IS BEING ISSUED AT THIS TIME and the Government does not intend to award a contract solely on the basis of this notice, or pay for the information submitted. This information will be used in SSA's assessment of capable sources. SSA will not provide acknowledgement of responses received nor will respondents be notified of any evaluated results from the information received. All proprietary information shall be marked as such. Any questions should be submitted via e-mail only by 1:00 p.m., est., July 6, 2012 (no phone calls please), to the Contracting Officer listed as the contact point of contact for the RFI posting.