RFP730-24020 Housing Management System

1.1   GENERAL    The University of Houston System (”University”) comprises the largest Texas state institution system of higher education located in an urban, metropolitan environment. The UH System's research and scholarship is globally significant, nationally competitive, and serve as an engine for economic development, while its public service activities enhance the quality of life in the region. The UH System offers undergraduate and graduates degree programs in a variety of disciplines; courses are conducted throughout most of the calendar year. The student population of the University of Houston (“University” or “Owner”) is comprised of over 46,000 students. The University of Houston employs approximately 2,700 faculty members and 4,000 staff members. The other component universities, in surrounding areas, include: the University of Houston-Clear Lake, located in the far southeast Houston-area, which has a student population of approximately 9,000 students, 800 faculty and 600 staff members; the University of Houston-Downtown, located in downtown Houston, which has approximately 14,000 students, 750 faculty and 600 staff members; and the University of Houston-Victoria is located approximately 100 miles southwest of Houston and serves over 4,300 students, 200 faculty and 300 staff members.   The University invites you to submit a proposal for a Housing Management System. The selected vendor    will be expected to provide the following services: A.    Customer Interface  - Self Service Features for: profile management, applications, roommate matching, room management (room retention, room selection for individuals and groups, room changes), various request forms, electronic signing of agreement, etc. B.    Administrative Interface – Robust features for: Communication, billing, invoicing, reporting, payment gateway integration for credit card processing, documentation management,  room/living area inventory management C.    Data Integration – Robust features for data integration with other systems, such as, PeopleSoft, Plant Operations, Maxient etc. D.    Architecture and Support – Robust architecture based on industry-standard database and web technologies.  E.    Other Features – Appealing user interfaces (customer & administrative) for both web and mobile devices with ability to utilize other social media (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc) F.    Total cost of Ownership: One-time cost for hardware, software licensing, training and implementation; and recurring annual cost for maintenance/support with escalation percentages.   Respondents are encouraged to propose contractual arrangements offering the maximum benefit to the University in terms of (1) services to the University, (2) total overall cost to the University, and (3) project management expertise. Proposers should describe all educational, state, and local government discounts, as well as any other applicable discounts that may be available to the University in a contract for Services.   RESPONDENTS ARE CAUTIONED TO READ THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS RFP CAREFULLY AND TO SUBMIT A COMPLETE RESPONSE TO ALL REQUIREMENTS AND QUESTIONS AS DIRECTED.