Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Solution - R068/18

1

Are there any planned clarification meetings?

No clarification meeting is planned.

14 July 2018

2

If there are no planned meetings, are we allowed to request such a meeting?

Such request cannot be entertained. Prospective respondents are encouraged to send any requests for clarifications via email by not later than the 31 July 2018.

14 July 2018

3

As Providers/Consultants of various ERP solutions, are we allowed to submit multiple RFIs?

Yes, an economic operator may submit multiple RFIs as long as each RFI submission is distinct.

14 July 2018

4

Given the recent award of the Government Accounting System (DAS), what is the expected level of integration/overlap between the system requested in this RFI and the DAS system?

This ERP requirement is strictly for MITA operations. No integration/overlap with the Government’s Departmental Accounting System (DAS) and eventually the Corporation Financial Management Solution (CFMS) is being contemplated.

23 July 2018

5

Kindly provide approximate yearly counts for the following transaction types (header level not line items). This data is important to us for commercial/sizing purposes.

a.       Sales Orders

b.       Sales Invoices

c.       Customer Payments

d.       Purchase Orders

e.       Purchase Receipts

f.        Purchase Invoices

g.       Supplier Payments

The approximate yearly metrics are as follows:

a.       Sales Orders: 500

b.       Sales Invoices 1,800

c.       Customer Payments: 1,000

d.       Purchase Orders: 1,700

e.       Purchase Receipts: 600 

f.        Purchase Invoices: 6,000

g.       Supplier Payments: 2,300

h.       Contracts (including amendments and renewals): 150

i.         Goods Received: 1,700

23 July 2018

6

Are MITA open to consider a “best of breed” solution comprising of two (or more) components which are tightly integrated with one another?

Yes, this would be considered as long as the components would be tightly integrated with as little fragmentation as possible.

23 July 2018

7

Can further information be provided regarding MITA’s Service management module, including the integration capabilities that can be offered?

The requirement concerning the Service Management Module is a simple integration and/or import functionality to capture operational data from the system for billing and reporting purposes

23 July 2018

8

In the RFI document, on «Scope and functionality» paragraph, it is stated that:

Through this RFI, MITA is requesting further information on available solutions which shall embrace the following modules and/or functionality:

·       CRM and Billing

·       E-Invoicing and bank payment integration

(i) In the rest of the document there is no additional input about the Billing requirements of the system. Are such requirements those detailed in the receivables section (If so can you elaborate on the type of billing issued by MITA) or can you verify if there is the need only for integration with the current Billing system. 

(ii) For licensing purposes, we would like to request the amount of inbound/ outbound e-invoices which will be processed by the suggested system annually.   Also please provide a definition of what e-invoice technology / standards are currently used / anticipated (e.g. EDI / XML).

(i) The current billing system is part of the software accounting package currently in use. This will be replaced entirely with the new solution. MITA’s customers are Government Ministries and Entities which are billed for projects or services rendered by MITA. The billing requirements are what would normally be expected from a standard off-the shelf accounting software and as further detailed in the Receivables section.

(ii) Currently an average of 1,800 sales invoices are issued and an average of 6,000 purchase invoices are received annually – none of these is in an e-invoice format. However, it is planned that as from next year MITA will start issuing/receiving the majority of invoices as e-invoices. The standard to be used for e-invoicing shall be in conformance with EU requirements as per Directive 2014/55/EU: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/public-procurement/e-procurement/e-invoicing_en

10 August 2018

9

Describe with additional detail the processes which are covered by the current Project Management System.

The project management system should cover the following processes:

·       Project Planning

·       Project Documentation

·       Resource Scheduling

·       Creation of Project deliverables and activities

·       Cost Estimation

·       Time Recording

·       Project Progress Reporting & Monitoring

·       Project Billing per Project type (Fixed / T&M)

These processes will be revisited as part of the business process re-engineering exercise, and the majority are earmarked to be automated through the Workflow Management System.

10 August 2018

10

For licensing purposes some modules are priced in Public Entities by their Budget.  For this reason please define the total annual budget of MITA.

MITA has an annual budget of approximately €30 million.

10 August 2018

11

In the RFI document, on «H. Contracts Management Modules Requirements » paragraph, it is stated that:

To what degree is the Contracts Management Module aligned with the provisions set by the EU Procurement Directive (Directive 2014/24/EU)?

(i) Explain if the suggested system will also be used for e-Sourcing purposes or if the eProcurement Platform of Malta will be used instead. If yes, please describe the estimated number of suppliers which will have access to the Cloud Service.

(ii) Define the number of imported documents to the ERP from 3^rd party platform like the e-Procurement platform of the Maltese Government.

(i) MITA shall continue to make use of the Electronic Public Procurement System (EPPS – www.etenders.gov.mt)

(ii) No importation of documents is envisaged from the eventual connection between the EPPS and the ERP. At this juncture, MITA is looking at the eventual parsing of data.

10 August 2018

12

In the RFI document, on «E. Underlying Solution Requirement» paragraph, it is stated:

Describe briefly the document management capabilities of the solution, including 

- the ability to integrate with other systems (project management system and email alerts)

- the ability to implement multi-level access controls on folders and documents - whether it allows seamless integration with scanners and printers to facilitate workflow

- version control and storage of historical versions of same file

Describe the type and amount of documents which will be archived in the suggested system.

The type of documents shall be standard human readable format files (.pdf, .docx,.xlsx etc).

The actual amount of documents that will be archived shall be determined once the business process re-engineering has been finalized. MITA invites interested parties to provide suggested options, cost models and recommend best practices in this regard.

10 August 2018

13

In the RFI document, on the «Other» paragraph, it is stated that:

MITA also has a service management system which also is not envisaged to be replaced. Some form of integration or import functionality within the ERP Solution is required to capture operational data both for billing and reporting purposes. Can you elaborate on how this would be tackled in the solution being proposed?

Define the number of imported documents (per annum) which the service management system will provide to the ERP.

The actual number of documents that will be imported shall be determined once the requirements are further scoped. MITA invites interested parties to provide suggested options, cost models and recommend best practices in this regard.

10 August 2018

14

In the RFI document, on the «CRM» paragraph, it is stated:

Does the solution enable the creation of a portal where clients can have access to their account /contracts data with the appropriate access controls?

Can you clarify if the clients will be departments within the government of Malta, or can they be external 3^rd parties?  Also therefore please indicate approximately the number of portal users / entities who can access their accounts / contracts.

MITA’s clients are Government Ministries and Entities. It is estimated that around 50 users will be granted access to their accounts/contracts as specified in the RFI (Item 2 in Section C of Requirements).

10 August 2018

15

In the RFI document, on the «E. Underlying Solution Requirement» paragraph, it is stated:

Describe briefly the BI functionality available within the solution. Does it support KPI dashboards, the modelling of what-if scenarios, KPI reports based on saved templates, and predictions based on historical data trends?

Please explain the types of what-if scenarios that must be covered by the system. Furthermore, regarding prediction, what kind of predictive scenario would be followed?

The purpose of the RFI is to allow interested parties to provide detail and showcase the BI functionalities of their solution. The type of what-if and prediction scenarios are the typical scenarios as one would expect from an off the shelf solution as a standard functionality.

10 August 2018

16

Is the Time Recording module only used for the staff to record their time, or is there additional functionality?

In the absence of a proper project management system, the current Time Recording System is not solely used to record time entries but also to create and assign teams, deliverables and activities to created projects. This functionality should be part of the Project Management module in the new solution, with the required integration to the Time Recording module if they are separate modules.

10 August 2018

17

Please explain what is meant that 50 users within CIO offices need to have access to client related information.

Please refer to answer to Question 14.

10 August 2018

18

Please indicate the number of users who will need access to the development workbench in order to create workflows as well as other enhancements.

It is estimated that these users should not be more than 10.

10 August 2018

19

Describe briefly the document management capabilities of the solution, including:

• the ability to integrate with other systems (project management system and email alerts)
• the ability to implement multi-level access controls on folders and documents
• whether it allows seamless integration with scanners and printers to facilitate workflow
• version control and storage of historical versions of same file

Could you kindly clarify further on what your expectations are in relation to document management capabilities of the solution and each of the above four points. Do you currently have SharePoint Online implemented at MITA?

At this information gathering stage, the requirements in relation to the document management related capabilities are still in the process of being defined. MITA invites interested parties to provide suggested options, cost models and recommend best practices in this regard.

MITA does not currently have an implemented document management system.

10 August 2018

20

MITA also has a service management system which also is not envisaged to be replaced. Some form of integration or import functionality within the ERP Solution is required to capture operational data both for billing and reporting purposes. Can you elaborate on how this would be tackled in the solution being proposed?

Could you confirm which Service Management System is MITA currently using? Could you also elaborate further on what integration is required with the proposed solution?

The requirement concerning the Service Management Module is a simple integration and/or import functionality to capture operational data from the system for billing and reporting purposes.

The current service management system is Marval Service Management System v14.

10 August 2018

21

What functionality can be offered by the Contracts Management Module to keep track of procurement/contracting activities, including; business owner, project manager, procurement manager, values, timeframes etc.?

What level of functionality is required for the Contracts Management Module. Can you elaborate further on the tracking of procurement/contracting activities?

MITA is seeking a Contracts Management Module that matches and possibly improve on the functionalities of its current Supplier Relationship Management System (SRMS). This System is the repository of MITA’s procurement contracts through which all reporting is generated while also serving to share contract information (with the exception of employment contracts) with other stakeholders within the Agency. It is primarily to store active and archived (expired or terminated) contracts. The SRMS allows the collation of data and information, the collection of contract-related scanned documentation, the inclusion of comments and annotations, the storing of suppliers’ contact information, and the generation of management reports.

10 August 2018

22

Would the Contracts Management Module integrate with Content Management Systems, facilitating the integration with front-facing websites?

Could you identify the Content Management Systems and front-facing websites that will be integrating with the Contracts Management Module and please elaborate further on the integration required?

No particular functionality requirements can be identified at this RFI stage. Such an integration would allow for contracts-related information to be made available online for transparency and general information purposes, as is being (manually) carried out currently on the Agency’s procurement-focused website, https://procurement.mita.gov.mt/

10 August 2018

23

Can the solution support smart contracts using distributed ledger technologies (DLTs)?

Could you please clarify what exactly is required by MITA here in relation to smart contracts and DLTs?

With the onset of Distributed Ledger Technology, MITA would like to place itself strategically to use an ERP solution that may support and integrate with this emerging technology, including the possible utilisation with regards to public contracts and other contractual purposes where applicable.

10 August 2018

24

Scope and functionality : Why is HRM not included in the scope? Since the services are people driven it seems like an important module.

It is confirmed that the Human Resources Module (HRM) does not fall part of the requirements of the sought Solution. Any HRM would be part of the Agency’s  Dakar Payroll System, which (as noted in Section G – Financial Management Modules Requirements – of the ERP Document) does not form part of the ERP Requirements.

The ERP would eventually require to integrate with a third-party HRM. Any issues related to this requirement should be detailed in the RFI response.

10/08/2018

25

High level illustration : Mention of hybrid cloud, what is the reason hybrid cloud is requested as a deployment option? Can the ERP run 100% cloud?

At this RFI stage, MITA is not prescribing the type of hosting and all options (on-premise, cloud or a mix of both) are being considered.  

10 August 2018

26

High level illustration : What will be the applicability for blockchain support?

With the onset of Distributed Ledger Technology, MITA would like to place itself strategically to use an ERP solution that may support and integrate with this emerging technology, including the possible utilisation with regards to public contracts and other contractual purposes where applicable.

10 August 2018

27

How will MITA manage the change management of the projects, including process re-engineering?

MITA shall allocate the relative resources in order to manage the project. MITA shall require the eventual Solution Provider to provide assistance – both technical and business knowledge and expertise, during the Business Process Re-engineering phase.

10 August 2018

28

Will MITA allow staff members for the project to be allocated sufficiently next to their day time jobs?

Yes.

10 August 2018

29

What will be the purpose of the Document management system? Does it need to work with other systems as well? Does it need to be able to email etc?

At this RFI stage, MITA is seeking additional information on the functionalities and capabilities of the Document Management System (refer to Section E3 of the RFI Document). MITA invites interested parties to provide suggested options, cost models and recommend best practices in this regard.

10 August 2018

30

What service management are you using today and how are service or work orders processed in this system? Does it allow integration and how?

The current service management system is Marval Service Management System v14.

The requirement concerning the Service Management Module is a simple integration and/or import functionality to capture operational data from the system for billing and reporting purposes (refer to Section G28 of the RFI Document).

Integration will be scoped further during the eventual tendering stage.

10 August 2018