NORTH NORFOLK DISTRICT COUNCIL
HOLT ROAD CROMER NORFOLK NR27 9EN
www.northnorfolk.org
PLEASE NOTE
The deadline for receipt of completed proposals is:
12pm on Thursday 28 April 2016
to ensure your proposal is valid please take note of the tender proposals section
below.
If you have any queries about this tender please contact:
Kate Rawlings, Kate.Rawlings@north-norfolk.gov.uk, 01263 516174
Invitation to Tender: Supply of Customer Contact Centre Software
North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) request a price and specification
information for the provision of software to facilitate a Customer Contact Centre
as detailed below.
Background
NNDC provides local authority services to a large rural area of 373 square miles
and a population of approximately 102,000.
Our Customer Services team provides advice, information, direction and
resolution to our customers on a wide range of council services. The customer
service that our team provides is via all access channels including telephone,
face to face, email, fax, text phone, social media and letter.
NNDC aims to deliver a fully transactional customer contact centre to realise
efficiencies available through business process re-engineering and channel shift
following the introduction of appropriate electronic/digital systems and
transactional processes. The customer contact centre once fully operational is
expected to enable customer enquiries to be completed at the first point of
contact where practical to do so.
North Norfolk District Council requirements:
The Council requires Customer Contact Centre software to service the contact
centre which meets the following essential criteria
a) is compatible with the North Norfolk District Council's current Lync 2013
and Skype for business unified comms system.
b) provides an auto-attendant
c) provides a single integrated transaction queue regardless of the initial
source of the enquiry into the council (voice, web contact form, web chat,
email or text)
d) queues and distributes transactions regardless of entry point
e) routes calls according to longest idle distribution, uniform call and
according to agent skills base.
f)
provides flexible call queueing and messaging including at least: you are
the xth caller; leave a message; request a call back (keeping your place
in the queue)
g) generates customer and system transaction log information saved on a
per customer basis and provides call recording
h) allows NNDC users (agents) to:
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i)
allows NNDC supervisors to:
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j)
hot desk - taking their extension/account with them
view the caller’s call history in their browser as their phone rings
Forward transaction and log to another user
monitor call queue
monitor agent status as ready/not ready
manage calls - Listen-in, Busy override, Whisper, Intrude, Barge etc.
access real time web based activity reports, statistics and alerts
including call queuing
add users and set up agent groups
Will allow future integration with back office data from other NNDC
databases through a published/open bidirectional API
In addition the following criteria are desirable:
a) is an on premise or hybrid solution
b) provides interactive voice response
c) provides a single integrated transaction queue which includes social
media, face to face, electronic post (from digital mailroom) and 3rd party
apps in addition to essentials in c) above
d) provides priority routing for VIP calling
e) provides PCI compliant call recording
f)
Allows agents to easily access scripts and information stored in the
NNDC website and sharepoint document management system
g) allows NNDC supervisors to:
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monitor agent status by an increased variety of statuses including wrap
up and Lync based statuses
control log in/out
h) is fully browser based
i)
has Active Directory integration with the council's existing systems for
authentication and privileges.
j)
provides a customer service feedback facility
k) Is a lync/Skype For Business native application
NNDC is inviting providers to consider this tender brief, and offer an
economically advantageous solution for NNDC.
The above deliverables are set, but may be subject to minor variances as the
delivery of the tender progresses and in response to consultation feedback and
other unforeseen factors.
Training and Support
Training and support should be provided as a separately costed option within
the tender.
As a minimum remote support must be available 9am-5pm Monday – Friday.
Please detail the nature, level and availability of support e.g. if you can take over
software remotely in the Installation, Configuration, Training and Support section
of the response document.
On-site training will be required for IT staff responsible for maintaining the
system and super-users from our Customer Service team. The later will require
“train the trainer” type training to get all the Customer Service Team familiar with
the system.
Please detail training you will provide in the Installation,
Configuration, Training and Support section of the response document.
Indicative Timetable
Issue of Invitation to Tender
Final date for clarification questions
Final date for submission of tenders
Evaluation of tenders
Short-listed/Preferred Tenderer(s)
presentation (if required)
Award of contract
24 March 2016
21 April 2016
12pm on Thursday 28 April 2016
w/c Monday 2 May 2016
w/c Monday 16 May 2016
w/c Monday 30 May 2016
The council will not consider requests for extension to the closing time and date.
The council may at its absolute discretion extend the closing date and time and
change any of the other dates specified above.
Indicative Budget
NNDC have approximately £40,000 to spend on this project. This budget is to
cover licences, installation, training and support for 2 years.
Tender proposals
This section provides detailed information on the procurement process for the
appointment of a supplier to provide software on a 2 year agreement as detailed
elsewhere in this document, please ensure you have reviewed this section prior
to submitting a tender proposal as it provides details of the requirements for
submission of a tender proposal and more information on the Council’s
requirements and process.
Tender Submission
Your tender proposal should be set out on the attached proposal form. If the
question does not apply to you, please state clearly “Not Applicable”, or if you do
not know the answer, please state clearly “Not Known”. Failure to do so may
lead to exclusion of your tender submission.
The proposal form also requests a list of other documents we require. Please
do not send additional information about your company or products. All
questions in the Form of Tender must be completed and requests for additional
information adhered to.
A tender proposal will not be valid unless it has been delivered to North Norfolk
District Council at:
The Council Offices,
Holt Road,
Cromer,
Norfolk,
NR27 9EN
by 12pm on Thursday 28 April 2016. The envelope should be addressed to the
Council’s Solicitor and marked “Customer Contact Centre tender” but there must
be no other name or mark to indicate the sender as this may invalidate the
tender proposal. Tenders submitted by fax or email will not be considered.
Tender Evaluation
Returned proposals will be assessed in accordance with the evaluation criteria
below:
 30% price based on the whole life costs over the contract life
 50% match of product to essential criteria
 10% match of product to desirable criteria
 10% approach to installation, configuration, training and support
Please note: The Council reserves the right to reject tender proposals submitted
after the time and date shown, and the formal signed tender should be
submitted in hardcopy format and not by fax or e-mail (an electronic copy may
be requested following the tender deadline.)
No tender proposal will be considered for acceptance if the tenderer has
indulged or attempted to indulge in any corrupt practice or canvassed the tender
with any member or officer of the Council. If a tenderer is found to have indulged
or attempted to indulge in such practices and the tenderer is appointed as
Supplier, then grounds shall exist for the termination of the Contract and the
claiming of damages from the Supplier.
It is unlikely that any tender proposal will be accepted which (a) is incomplete or
inaccurately or inadequately completed or which purports to impose conditions
other than those provided in the contract documents and (b) is delivered out of
time or in a manner other than specified in this.
Tenderers shall bear all their own costs and expenses incurred in the
preparation and submission of tender bids and the Council will in no case be
responsible or liable for those costs, or any arising out of the tender process,
regardless of the outcome in relation to individual bids. The Council also
reserves the right to cancel the procurement process at any time up to the
award of contract stage. Tenderers should therefore ensure they hold adequate
professional indemnity, public liability and employer’s liability insurance.
General tender requirements
Tenderers are required to keep their tenders open for acceptance for a period of
120 days from the closing date for the receipt of tenders.
Tenderers should not disclose the tender content, price or any other figure or
particulars concerning the tender to any other party except where such a
disclosure is made in confidence for a necessary purpose.
If a Tenderer has indulged or attempted to indulge in such practices and the
tender is accepted, then grounds shall exist for the termination of the contract
and the claiming of damages from the Supplier.
Acceptance of tender proposals
Acceptance of the successful tender will be made by the Council depending
upon the outcome of the tender proposal evaluation, although submission of a
tender proposal does not commit the Council to the use of a tenderers services
and the Council is not bound to accept the lowest or any tender proposal.
The Tender and its acceptance by the Council will constitute a binding Contract.
The Contract will be awarded on the Council’s standard terms and conditions, a
copy of which are attached.
Other information
Information supplied to tenderers as part of this procedure is supplied in good
faith. However, tenderers must satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of such
information and no responsibility is accepted for any loss or damage of whatever
kind or however caused, arising from the use by the tenderer of such
information.
All information supplied in connection with this Invitation to Tender shall be
regarded as confidential. By submitting a tender the tenderer agrees to be
bound by the obligation to preserve the confidentially of all such information.
This Invitation to Tender and its accompanying documents are and shall remain
the property of the Council and must be returned on demand.
Prior to the submission date the Council may clarify, correct, modify or add to
the Tender Document or provide supplementary information. If an amendment
to the Tender Document or supplementary information has been added this
information will be available on the Council’s website, the Contract Finder
website and in the EDP.
North Norfolk District Council has a procedure that enables employees and
contractors to "blow the whistle" on any activity which may be illegal, dangerous
or constitute unacceptable conduct. Engaging in this process is completely
confidential. More information is available in the Council's Whistle Blowing
Policy, a copy of which can be downloaded from the website at
http://www.northnorfolk.org/files/Whistleblowing_Policy.pdf
If arithmetical errors are found within tender proposals these will be notified to
the tenderer who will be asked to confirm or withdraw their tender.
At any stage prior to entering contract the tenderer can choose to withdraw their
tender proposal by advising the Council in writing, marked for the attention of
Kate Rawlings, that the tender has been withdrawn.