Request for Information, Competitive NSNs

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ANNOUNCEMENT Defense Logistics Agency Defense Supply Center Richmond PROGRAM OVERVIEW The Defense Supply Center Richmond (DSCR) is seeking information on the best business practices for entering into long-term supply chain partnerships with companies for multiple, competitive items in the Aviation commodities. Presently, DSCR issues tactical buys for single competitive items and uses a multitude of sources, storage facilities, and delivery methods to satisfy its customers worldwide demand for competitive items. DSCR's intention is to gather information and research the best way to leverage the commercial industry's practices and structure acquisitions which assure readiness, safety, and efficiency for product support while maintaining or enhancing small business prime contracting opportunities. Ultimately, DSCR's goal is to improve lead-times for competitive items, reduce costs of product production and acquisition handling, increase customer satisfaction, and maintain opportunities for small businesses as prime contractors. It is not the intent of the Government to request pricing proposals on any particular items at this time. We are requesting comments and ideas from industry. The NSNs provided at the end of this announcement are a sample only to be used for understanding the types of products we wish to gather information on to best support long term arrangements. These DSCR managed competitive items consist of multiple Federal Supply Groups and random commodities. For some items drawings are available, for other items we have multiple approved sources of supply. Research is being conducted to determine the best acquisition path for supply chain partnerships supporting competitive items. The supply chain partnership should involve the contractor and DLA working together to achieve the following: Forecasting collaboration with customers - Accurately predict future customer requirements/demand patterns. Procurement/Purchasing - acquisition planning, solicitation, evaluation, negotiations, contract award, contract administration, and contract management functions. Inventory Management/Storage/Warehousing - The direction and control of activities with the purpose of getting the right inventory in the right place at the right time in the right quantity in the right form at the right cost. Customer Direct - Ship directly to joint warfighter customers across a broad spectrum of locations both CONUS and OCONUS. Deliver items using shipping methods defined by terms and conditions of the contract (i.e. required delivery date, packaging requirements, delivery address, special instructions for emergency or other needs). Track the delivery of items. Data Management - to include interoperability with industry and government systems. Responses to this RFI, while unlimited, should generally be one of two types: Type 1: Ideas/strategies/methodologies for grouping competitive items Type 2: Proposed groupings of items that could be solicited together for competitively-awarded supply chain partnership LTCs and that, preferably, are suitable for award to small businesses. The following questions are posted to prospective respondents solely to provide some depth and insight into what DLA expects from RFI responses. Respondents should not feel limited by these questions, but should address as many of them as appropriate for their particular responses. RFI Questions Type 1 Responses: A) What is the best way to identify candidate items for single long-term contracts? B) How should items be grouped or what would be the proposed solution to support availability efforts for products (i.e., by FSC, common component/material, common weapon system, or some other method)? C) How would you suggest DLA data-mine government and commercial information systems to identify item groupings? D) What is the best way to align acquisition packages with the product mix that you distribute/manufacture? Type 2 Responses: A) Please identify the items you have grouped by NSN, and explain the steps you took to identify the items in the proposed grouping B) Would it be best to support the group of items under a single "world-wide" support contract or by multiple contracts awarded by regions, state, customer or some other methods? If multiple contracts, how would you structure the breakout? C) Should items be supported through Customer Direct (direct from contractor/supplier to customer) or DLA Direct (stocked in DLA warehouses)? D) Which services (forecasting, purchasing inventory management, distribution, data management) do you envision would be or should be included in acquisition packages for support of items? E) Would a cost type contract or a firm fixed price contract be preferred? F) What is the maximum number of years that you would recommend for the base period and total life of a contract? G) What small businesses are capable of supporting the group of items you identify? H) What do you envision as the major risk areas associated with product support today and how might those risks be reduced by the grouping of items? Please provide any additional feedback/comments you feel would be helpful in formulating a package for long term supply chain support of multiple competitive items in a single effort. SUMMARY Please send your responses to the RFI questions to the following P.O.C by 24 Dec 2008: Dolores O'Brien, Acquisition Specialist, Email: Dolores.obrien@dla.mil. DISCLAIMER In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for information received in response to this RFI. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly; however, concepts or ideas contained in the responses may be used by the government without restriction to develop competitive acquisition strategies. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. Information provided in response to this RFI will be used to assess tradeoffs and alternatives available for determining how to proceed in the acquisition process. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. Sample NSNs: Reminder we are not requesting pricing at this time, only information. 1680011033179 1560010447809 1560010448941 1560010512921 1560010513550 1560010513553 1560010520824 1560010525328 1560010718331 1560010751688 1560010763778 1560010763781 1560010851875 1560011013647 1560011185275 1560011408483 1560012803125 1560013332249 1560014202401 1560014443646 1560015511866