February 4, 2015

Please note the RFP Opening Date has been changed to February 12, 2015.  Please use the attached revised RFP Cover Sheet when submitting your response.  If you have already submitted your RFP or your RFP is in transit, Lake County will accept your proposal as submitted.

January 30, 2015

Question 1:In general: RFP mentions we have to communicate through Wonderware Data Server, May we communicate to PLCs via RSLinx Enterprise for bandwidth and efficiency purposes

Response 1:  The second sentence of Item 1 under 2.01 Historian - Data Collection Software in Appendix “A” indicates the data collection software must interface with the Wonderware DA servers to limit the network traffic and preserve bandwidth.  We do not believe the existing network, which in many segments is limited to 500kbs due to industrial wireless Ethernet hardware has the bandwidth to support both the DA Server and RSLinx accessing the PLCs directly.  If the proposer strongly disagrees with this statement, please provide a calculation or logical reasoning that indicates the network is capable of supporting the proposed communication.

Question 2:In general: It looks like there are 3 PCs we need to be connected with to collect data. May we use 3 Historian collectors and 1 historian server?

Response 2:  Yes.  Three data collectors and one historian server is the preferred configuration.

Question 3:In general: It looks like the Historian server will be hosted by a third party (page 27, chap 12). Who is it? Do they take the responsibility in term of availability? Will they host the dashboard tool too?

Response 3:  Yes, the intent is the Historian server will be he hosted by a third party.  This third party hosting service won’t be known until a qualified firm is retained to install and  configure the Historian software following purchase as the result of this RFP.  The firm that implements the historian and provides the hosting service will be responsible for availability.  The entity that hosts the historian will also host the dashboard tool.

Question 4:Page 7: The price must include all equipment, software, installation, training, and software maintenance on all equipment being installed. Who is going to implement the solution? Does software vendor have to install everything on a server and then they will configure everything, after training?

Response 4:  The solution will be implemented by a qualified firm that is retained by Lake County based on a separate specification that is developed after the software specified in this RFP has been purchased.  The software vendor does not have to install any software.

Question 5:Page 11, chapter 5: In addition, the Proposer will be expected to provide design, technical support in the installation, training and maintenance of the solution, if necessary. This chapter says we don’t install but we can provide support for the installation. Can you clarify?

Response 5:  The intent is to purchase all software, support services, and training as part of this RFP.  Once the software purchase has been finalized, a separate specification will be written to obtain the services of a qualified firm to install and configure the software based on Lake County Public Works specific requirements.  The supplier of the software will be expected to provide technical support services to the company performing the installation and configuration.  Technical support services are expected to include phone support to answer installation, configuration, and/or implementation questions from the company performing the installation/configuration and supply of software upgrades and patches required to support the installation, configuration, and maintenance of the software.  

Question 6:Page 17: Please explain the difference between “Historian Server and Client Support Cost for Year 1” and the annual maintenance cost for “Historian Server and Client Support cost”.

Response 6:  The “Historian Server and Client Support Cost for Year 1” is the cost actually included in your proposal.  The annual maintenance cost for “Historian Server and Client Support” is the annual maintenance cost that would be charged to provide support, upgrades, patches, etc. to maintain operation of the software.

Question 7:Page 23: what do they mean by “Is the training allowance large enough to cover all labor and equipment costs required by the specification”?

Response 7:  Response:  This question is intended to determine if the required training noted in paragraph 2.04 in Appendix “A” on page 30 will actually cost more than the allowance.

Question 8:  Page 24: “Archive real-time process data from OWNER’s existing SCADA system”. Please indicate -  from InTouch, from PLCs or from an existing historian which will be removed once we install ours?

Response 8:  Response:  Item 1 under 2.01 - Data Collection Software in Appendix “A” on page 27 indicates the data shall be collected from the Wonderware DA Server.  There is no existing historian.