Request for Quote

Questions

• The RFP that was sent yesterday, Page 2 reads. “Phones: To clarify the number of physical handsets needed, INAEYC is basing the quote on a total of 35 physical handsets. This number may go up or down prior to placing the final order.”  Do you want physical phones for the users or just softphone/mobile apps?  You can always add physical phones post-installation.

Response: That is an error in the RFQ. No physical phones should be included.

• The answer you provided to the question posed the other day was that the quote should not include phones…but are you using any existing desktop phones or is this going to be 35 app and softphones only?

Response: This is for mobile app and softphones only.  We will not be using any physical phones, existing or otherwise.

• If there are physical phones that will be used, please let us know:

Response: No physical phones are needed.  See https://www.inaeyc.org/rfq

• Faxing:
  1. The RFQ says INAEYC requires five fax numbers, but then says “these four lines,” so is it five or four fax lines?

Response: Five fax lines are needed.

• Is this all E-Fax, given that you said there are no analog lines required?

Response: All of the fax numbers are E-Fax.

• Auto Attendants”
  • How do you plan to use these?

Response: The main auto attendant will be used to answer the main phone line provide a menu of choices for routing the call.  Currently there are eight menu choices.  Three of these lead to additional menus.

• Are they actually auto attendants or are some of the subattendants you mentioned voicemail boxes?

Response: Five of the current menu choices lead to voice mailboxes.  Three lead to additional menus.

• Do you know how many subattendants you would need?

Response: INAEYC envisions simplifying this menu, but no decisions have been made.  The system being proposed should be flexible enough to handle these and future changes.  Regarding pricing information, please state the cost of creating menus or rates for future programming as separate charges.  INAEYC should be able to project costs based on the response.

• 80 Phone numbers
  • DID—What do you use these for?

Response: Each staff member has a DID.  Additionally there are numbers we publish for direct access to certain programs we run and that leads to a voice mailbox.  The balance of the numbers are held in reserve for future expansion.

• Does each extension get a DID?

Response: Each extension gets a DID.

• With a DID, we can add texting to the TelTec mobile app. Would you want users to be able to text from the app?

Response: It is not required.

• If not, do you really need to hold DIDs? There could be cost savings in not holding DIDs. Understanding how you use them would help answer if you really need all those DIDs or if this is thinking tied to the old telcom world.

Response: INAEYC would like to maintain these DID’s as a block for future expansion.  If there is a “maintenance fee” or other charge for managing these unused numbers, it should be included in the response.

• Call Reporting—Do we need to provide monthly reports broken out by extension/DID or is this something we can train INAEYC how to do and break out reports?

Response: INAEYC staff should be trained in report creation.  It is not expected that the vendor will run the reports.  However, support should be available to INAEYC staff.  If there is an additional fee for this report training or support, it should be included in the proposal.

• TRAINING—
  1. Will there be an opportunity for group training?

Response: Yes.  Please note, approximately 40% of INAEYC staff are stationed across the State so virtual training will be required.

• How many admins will there be?

Response: Two to three staff will be trained as admins.

• Any need for call recording, especially related to conference calls?

Response: Yes, call recording will be needed.

• Is there a possibility to provide internet service as well, if for nothing else than to run the phone system on it and have that be a backup to your other internet service.

Response: Internet service is not a part of this RFQ.

• Are you willing to share your monthly usage, at least an average of the last six months, for both phone and e-fax?

Response: Our current Samsung phone system does not produce call reports. Likewise our telecom carrier does not produce call reports. For faxing, we averaged 18 inbound faxes per month over the past six months.  If usage charges apply, please include details on those charges.  It should be noted that INAEYC does not currently pay for local or long distance calls.  The average page count per fax is 12.  Our outbound faxing has been .3 pages per month over the same period.

• Also, do you do any type of phone bank calling?

Response: INAEYC does not utilize phone banking.

• Conference Calling – There is a heading for conference calling, but no details or references to the needs around it. Do you need any conference call bridges?

Response: INAEYC needs the ability to conduct a conference call for the full staff plus contractors .

• • If so, how many individual bridges will be needed and what is the maximum amount of participants that would be needed to join a conference call?

Response: We need the ability for up to 10 users to join a conference call.  For RFQ response purposes, INAEYC would need the ability for up to three simultaneous conference calls.  It is unknown how many bridges this scenario might require.  INAEYC relies heavily on the expertise of the contractor to make these determinations.

• Automated Call Distribution – How many users will need the ability to log in and out of the ACD groups?

Response: 34 of the 35 users will need the ability to log in and out of the ACD groups.

• Do you have a preference for how the users would login (from the phone or a portal)?

Response:  There are no physical phone involved in this RFQ.  Please refer to https://inaeyc.org/rfq for reviewing previously submitted questions. The user would need to login to a portal, softphone or app to accomplish this.

• Will there be a supervisor that will need to monitor these users and log in or out on their behalf?

Response: Yes.

• Will the supervisor need the ability to listen live to the calls?

Response: Yes.

• Do you anticipate callers sitting on hold and needing to build a caller experience with comfort messages, informing callers of their place in line or wait time?

Response: There is no requirement to inform callers of wait time. The ability to customize on-hold messages is required.

• Would there be a desire to utilize a queue call back feature? This would allow the caller to request a call back while holding their place in line.

Response: A call-back feature is not required.

• Would it be possible for us to come by to see your tech room? Your question about the PoE has our tech folks wanting to see your set up.

Response: A visit should not be required. PoE was included in the RFQ when INAEYC was considering the use of handsets on the desktop.  That option is no longer under consideration.

• Does everyone have earpieces/headphones to use with the computer-based softphone?

Response: All staff will have standard headphones provided by INAEYC.

• What is your decision based on?

Response: First, each proposal will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis for the requirements outlined in the RFQ. Proposals that are incomplete or otherwise do not conform to proposal submission requirements may be eliminated from consideration.

Second, each proposal will be evaluated on the basis of:
Management Assessment (25 points)
Quality of the Services to be Provided (45 points)
Quality of the Business Proposal (40 points)
Cost Proposal (35 points)
Total Points Available: 145

• How are the following items weighted?

Response: Please see preceding response.