Texas Municipal League
INTERGOVERNMENTAL RISK POOL
Underwriting/Policy Administration System Software
Request for Sealed Proposal 15-06
September 18, 2015
Table of Contents
1. Overview
1.1. Statement of Purpose
1.2. TMLIRP Background
1.3. Calendar of Events
1.4. Contact Information
2. Request for Proposal Response Instructions
2.1. Inquiries and Questions
2.2. Submission of Proposal
2.3. Misrepresentation
2.4. Corporate Change
2.5. Proposal Format and Contents
2.6. Evaluation and Negotiation Process
2.7. Prime Contractor Responsibilities
2.8. Use of Partners and/or Subcontractors
3. Project Scope
3.1. Scope of Products and Services for the Request for Proposal
3.1.1.Underwriting/Policy Administration System Software
3.1.2.Data Integration and Migration
3.1.3.Training
3.2. Proposal Format
3.2.1.Table of Contents
3.2.2.Tab 1: Required Documents
3.2.3.Tab 2: Executive Summary
3.2.4.Tab 3: Minimum Qualifying Vendor Criteria
3.2.5.Tab 4: Functional Capabilities
3.2.6.Tab 5: Technology
3.2.7.Tab 6: Project Management Strategy
3.2.8.Tab 7: Pricing
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3.3.
Section 1: Overview
1.1 Statement of Purpose
Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool (“TMLIRP”) is seeking proposals from
Vendors that provide Underwriting/Policy Administration System software.
TMLIRP’s intent is to engage a Vendor or Vendors that can provide a “Best of Breed” software
product that manages the entire underwriting life span of the relationship with TMLIRP’s
Members for multiple commercial lines of coverage, including workers’ compensation, liability,
automobile and property. Members may participate in one or all of these lines of business and
underlying coverages as shown in figure 3-1.
Currently, TMLIRP must utilize multiple Underwriting/Policy Administration Systems to complete
the entire underwriting and contract (policy) issuance process for Members with multiple
coverages. These systems have limited interface capabilities with other TMLIRP systems and have
considerable limitations related to workflow and integrated business rules. Considering these
limitations, TMLIRP has also not yet developed much needed functionality to allow exchange of
data electronically with Members (such as via a Member Portal).
TMLIRP seeks a vendor and related software that will allow:
1. Single system coverage processes (including, at a minimum, rating, contract and document
issuance/storage/retrieval, tracking and reporting).
2. Efficient and integrated sharing of information between the Underwriting/Policy
Administration System, Claims System and Billing System.
3. Implementation of workflow processes and configurable business rules to enhance accuracy
and productivity.
4. Development/inclusion of a Member Portal to allow Members active management of
coverage or schedule attributes, as well as extraction of information on demand.
5. The flexibility to independently adjust components throughout the system to respond to
future needs (such as new or changed coverages, addition or removal of data fields or
contribution calculations).
6. Ease of comprehensive data extraction to be used singularly or in combination with other
Pool-wide data components for analysis and reporting.
TMLIRP provides comprehensive Risk Management Services to Members. A solution that provides
robust reporting, access to centralized data components and that facilitates ease of distribution to
both internal staff and external contacts will be most favorably viewed. Vendors should directly
address the overall functionality of their solution (including the vendor staff and implementation
processes) that will meet the comprehensive needs of TMLIRP.
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TMLIRP may opt to engage one or more Vendors, and as such, may award multiple contracts
depending upon what TMLIRP determines to be in its best interests.
All Vendors shall familiarize themselves with the general requirements before submitting a
proposal.
Note that as a self-insurance pool, TMLIRP uses different terms than standard insurance industry
terms although the overall operational is similar. The terms “contract” or “coverage lines” should be
considered similar to the standard industry term “policy”. TMLIRP provides coverage for Members
(who are “customers” or “accounts”) and a Member may be the “policyholder” on multiple “policies”.
Wherever the terms “policies,” “insurance,” or “policyholders” are used, they are used simply to
provide clarity by referencing common industry terminology.
1.2 TMLIRP Background
The Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool is a unit of local government offering
workers’ compensation, liability, automobile and property coverage to Texas political subdivisions
(called “Members”) including municipalities, water districts, fire districts, councils of government,
tax appraisal districts, fire districts, housing authorities, hospital districts and other special districts
and authorities. As a self-insurance pool, TMLIRP is not regulated by the Texas Department of
Insurance and therefore does not require functionality related to State reporting and filing of
rates, forms or other information.
TMLIRP offers four primary lines of coverage to Members including:
Workers’ Compensation
Liability
General Liability
Errors & Omissions (Public Officials) Liability
Law Enforcement Liability
Aviation Liability
Automobile
Automobile Liability and related coverage (such as medical payments and
uninsured/underinsured motorists)
Automobile Physical Damage
Property
Real and Personal Property
Boiler & Machinery
Mobile Equipment
Crime Coverage
Animal Mortality
As of June 1, 2015, 2,785 Members participate in the TMLIRP. TMLIRP currently has a staff of 240
employees with departments consisting of Executive, Legal, Subrogation, Finance, Personnel,
Accounting, Information Technology, Underwriting, Loss Prevention, Member Services,
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Liability/Property Claims and Workers’ Compensation Claims. In addition to its headquarters in
Austin, Texas, TMLIRP has field offices in Mesquite, Corpus Christi, Harlingen, Houston, Lubbock
and San Antonio.
TMLIRP provides Workers’ Compensation coverage to 2,385 Members, one or more Liability
related coverage to 2,688 Members and one or more Property related coverage to 2,360
Members. Annual contributions for these coverages exceed $160 million. TMLIRP covers over
80,000 individual property locations and over 70,000 automobiles and mobile equipment.
Members range from very small in size with minimal schedules to larger entities with more
extensive schedules exceeding 1,500 automobiles.
The majority of Members (80%) have a common anniversary date of October 1, with the
remainder of Members having varying anniversary dates throughout the year. TMLIRP’s coverage
is continuous until cancelled with annual re-rating of contributions based on updated exposures
and rates. In most instances, a re-rating for a Member occurs as of October 1st. For October
anniversary dates, the process of re-rating each Member’s contribution begins the preceding
April. Documents related to the coverage elected by the members (including declarations pages,
schedules, endorsements, certificates of coverage, etc.) are provided to each Member annually.
All coverage related documents generated by TMLIRP are considered permanent. This means that
physical or electronic copies must be kept and easily retrieved at any point in time.
The mission of the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool is to offer and provide
Texas municipalities and other units of local government with a stable and economic source of risk
financing and loss prevention services.
TMLIRP’s objectives are to:
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Educate members about avoiding and reducing risks
Control losses with effective legal defense and claims handling
Anticipate emerging risks
Be aware of and anticipate emerging state and national trends
Provide appropriate coverages that meet the needs of the Pool's Members
Serve as an expert source of information on risk management for cities, other units of local
government, and the Texas Municipal League
 Develop, train, and retain highly qualified staff
1.3 Calendar of Events
Listed below are the important dates and times by which the actions are anticipated to be taken
or completed:
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
DATE
TIME
9/18/2015
10/9/2015
10:00 AM CT
10/15/2015
3:00 PM CT
10/27/2015
11/10/2015
12/15/2015
1/11/2016
2:00 PM CT
ACTIONS
Release Request for Proposal.
Pre‐Proposal Conference Call (512) 491‐2300; ask for
ext 7098
(1821 Rutherford Lane, Austin, Texas 78754)
Last day for submission of written questions.
Answers to all questions provided to all interested
Vendors.
RFP response proposals due.
Sealed proposals will be publicly opened and
respondent names read aloud.
Notify Vendors advancing to demonstrations
Scheduled Demonstrations begin (Release of
demonstration instructions 3 work days prior to date
of scheduled demonstration).
1.4 Contact Information
Questions related to the procurement should be addressed to:
Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool
1821 Rutherford Lane
Austin, TX 78754
Attn: Jonathan Herrera
E‐mail: jherrera@tmlirp.org
Section 2: Request for Proposal Response Instructions
2.1 Inquiries and Questions
Vendor(s) shall address all questions regarding this Request for Proposal to the individual
identified in Section 1.4, Contact Information. Questions shall be received no later than the time
and date reflected in Section 1.3, Calendar of Events. Only E‐mails or other written inquiries are
permitted. It is the responsibility of the Vendor to confirm receipt of the questions.
Questions and answers will be posted on the Pool’s website and provided to all prospective
vendors participating in the pre-proposal conference or that have expressed specific interest in
responding to this Request for Proposal by the date set out in Section 1.3, Calendar of Events.
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2.2 Submission of Proposal
The purpose of the proposal submitted is for the Vendor to present a product solution that best
meets the overall functionality identified in Section 1.1 and the project scope described in Section
3 of this Request for Proposal. The proposal submitted should address all questions posed in the
Request for Proposal that are relevant to the Vendor’s proposed solution, as well as the
referenced forms and attachments.
The prospective Vendor hereby certifies, by submission of a proposal in response to this Request
for Proposal, acceptance of the requirements, terms and conditions of this Request for Proposal
and all appendices and any addendum released hereto.
The proposal submitted by a proposer is an offer to contract with TMLIRP for the services
requested in the Request for Proposal.
The selected proposer agrees that TMLIRP has the sole discretion to incorporate by its terms and
references in the contract resulting from this Request for Proposal the terms, conditions, and
other provisions contained in this Request for Proposal, the proposal selected which is acceptable
to TMLIRP and is not in conflict or contravention of the Request for Proposal, and any other
documents, attachments, exhibits, addendums, amendments, or modifications to either this
Request for Proposal or the selected proposer’s proposal.
No oral statement of any person shall modify or otherwise change or affect the terms, conditions,
or specifications stated in the Request for Proposal or the resulting contract. The Vendor is to
submit the proposal and any accompanying attachments in a sealed envelope to the TMLIRP
address provided below and in Section 1.4. The Vendor shall include the Request for Proposal
number (15-06) and the phrase “Underwriting/Policy Administration System Software” on all
correspondence, on the sealed envelope, and on the cover page of the submitted proposal. In
addition, the Vendor should supply one (1) hard copy of their proposal (originally signed) as well
as a complete electronic copy on CD or other portable media. The copy of the proposal submitted
by electronic copy shall be included in the sealed envelope. These copies (hardcopy and
electronic) will be used in the evaluation of the vendor’s proposal.
Vendor shall also include in their proposal a copy of Vendor’s proposed contract as an attachment.
PROPOSALS SHALL BE RECEIVED AT TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE INTERGOVERNMENTAL RISK
POOL, Attn: Jonathon Herrera, 1821 RUTHERFORD LANE, AUSTIN, TX 78754, ON OR BEFORE THE
DUE DATE AND TIME AS SPECIFIED IN SECTION 1.3, “CALENDAR OF EVENTS,” OR THE BID WILL
BE REJECTED AS NONRESPONSIVE.
TMLIRP reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals as a result of this Request for
Proposal, to negotiate with any qualified proposers, or to cancel in part or its entirety the Request
for Proposal if found to be in the best interest of TMLIRP. This Request for Proposal does not
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commit TMLIRP to award a contract, issue a purchase order, or pay any costs incurred in the
preparation of a proposal in response to this Request for Proposal.
In addition, TMLIRP expressly reserves the following:
a. waive any defect, irregularity, or informality in any proposal or proposal procedure;
b. extend the Request for Proposal closing time and date;
c. reissue this Request for Proposal in a different form or context;
d. procure any item by other allowable means;
e. waive minor deviations from specifications, conditions, terms, or provisions of the Request for
Proposal, if it is determined that waiver of the minor deviations improves or enhances TMLIRP’s
business interests under the Request for Proposal; AND/OR
f. extend any contract when most advantageous to the TMLIRP, as set forth in this Request for
Proposal.
2.3 Misrepresentation
All information provided and representations made by the Vendor are material and important and
will be relied upon by TMLIRP in awarding the contract. Any misrepresentation will be immediate
grounds for termination of any contract related to this Request for Proposal and said Vendor will
not be able to participate in future Request for Proposals or other business opportunities with
TMLIRP for the duration of any contract term related to this Request for Proposal, including any
renewal period.
2.4 Corporate Change
If Vendor, or any partners identified in proposal, are involved in or planning a change in control,
sale, purchase, merger, bankruptcy, reorganization or similar transaction (“Change”) that will in
any way alter the Vendor’s legal entity, structure, financial status or business operations, Vendor
shall submit with its proposal under Tab 1 : Required Documents (see Section 3.2.2):
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A section disclosing all current entities involved in the Change, when the Change is
anticipated to take place, the surviving entity, and any information related to the Change
that may affect the proposal;
Each area in Vendor’s Proposal (All Tabs) should contain a separate section that discusses
whether the Change will alter, modify or otherwise affect the Vendor’s Proposal; and
If this is not applicable to your Proposal, Vendor should provide a statement that this
section is “not applicable” behind Tab 1.
2.5 Proposal Format and Contents
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Each proposal submitted should provide the information and completed attachments requested in
Section 3.2, Proposal Format.
2.6 Evaluation, Demonstration and Negotiation Process
TMLIRP shall conduct a comprehensive and impartial review and evaluation of all proposals
submitted in response to the Request for Proposal meeting the requirements of this Request for
Proposal.
Only timely submitted proposals shall be reviewed by staff to determine if they comply with the
required forms and documents submission requirements listed in the Request for Proposal.
Failure to meet any of the requirements may render a proposal non‐responsive and result in
rejection of the entire proposal.
Evaluation: An Evaluation Committee, whose members have expertise in various coverage,
technology and project management disciplines, has been selected to evaluate the proposals.
Using the evaluation criteria specified below, TMLIRP shall evaluate and rank proposals and, at
TMLIRP’s sole discretion, proceed to the Demonstration Phase of this Request for Proposal with
the selected Vendor(s). Only selected Vendor(s) who have been determined by the Evaluation
Committee to offer the product(s) that meet the largest percentage of functionality, service and
strategic requirements and who have shown ability to deliver products that meet TMLIRP’s needs
will be eligible to advance and participate in the Demonstration Phase of this Request for
Proposal.
For the purpose of reviewing and evaluating the submitted proposal forms and documents,
evaluation criteria have been divided into multiple sections. The evaluation criteria are shown
below, and with respect to relative importance, are listed in descending order:
Minimum qualifying Vendor Criteria
Functional Capabilities
Technology
Project Management Strategy
Pricing
TMLIRP reserves the right to seek clarifications and request any information deemed necessary for
evaluation of proposals. TMLIRP reserves the right to require attendance by particular named
representatives of the Vendor during the Request for Proposal process. Any written summary of
presentations or demonstrations should include a list of attendees, a copy of the agenda, and
copies of any visuals or handouts, and may, in TMLIRP’s sole discretion, become part of the
Vendor’s proposal.
Vendor Demonstrations: Vendors advancing to the Demonstration phase will be invited to make a
presentation to TMLIRP and conduct a comprehensive product demonstration of the proposed
solution which will be evaluated and scored. Scripts and sets of questions will be provided to the
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Vendor to guide the demonstration and presentation content.
Vendors selected for
demonstrations will be asked to submit the completed “Appendix A” if not already provided in the
proposal response.
Negotiations: Vendor(s) advancing through the Request for Proposal Evaluation and
Demonstration phases will enter the Negotiation phase. This phase includes an invitation to a
selected Vendor or Vendors to participate in negotiations and an assessment of TMLIRP business
and IT readiness.
2.7 Prime Contractor Responsibilities
The selected Vendor(s) (Prime Contractor(s)) shall be required to assume responsibility for all
items and services offered in its proposal whether or not the Vendor produces or provides them.
TMLIRP shall consider the selected Vendor to be the sole point of contact with regard to
contractual matters, including payment of any and all charges resulting from the contract.
2.8 Use of Partners and/or Subcontractors
Each contractor shall serve as the single prime contractor for all work performed pursuant to its
contract. That prime contractor shall be responsible for all deliverables referenced in this Request
for Proposal and the subsequently executed contract, regardless of any subcontractor use.
Section 3: Project Scope
3.1 Scope of Services for the Request for Proposal
The following information is presented to provide an overview of the scope of products and services
sought by TMLIRP.
3.1.1 Underwriting/Policy Administration System Software
TMLIRP seeks off‐the‐shelf Underwriting/Policy Administration management software and
supporting services. The proposed solution must be configurable, scalable, flexible, reliable,
manageable, and available to meet TMLIRP’s day‐to‐day demands, and be capable of interfacing
with surrounding systems and information services, as shown in the Context Diagrams provided
below.
Vendors are invited to respond to this Request for Proposal by completing the Minimum
Qualifying Vendor Criteria and technology sections, which are described more fully below.
 Minimum Qualifying Vendor Criteria include questions regarding background information and
points of contact, as well as basic product functions.
 Functional Capabilities – Broken into several different sections to encompass the global usage
of the system as well as general management of the lifespan of the relationship with the
Member from proposal through contract issuance and workers’ compensation payroll audit.
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Functions must include: user setup and access control; report and document management
(including issuance of declarations, endorsements and certificates); customer support
functions including contact management for employees, members, vendors and other thirdparties; output of data in electronic format, paper, or bulk export; reporting designed for
performance and managerial tasks and for regulatory requirements, which should include preprogrammed output as well as ad hoc design capabilities.
 Technology includes general technical and interface requirements with an overall goal of
simplifying processes, increasing efficiency, and eliminating redundancy of data and
duplication of effort.
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3.1.2 Data Integration and Migration
To maintain business continuity during the transition from TMLIRP’s legacy systems to a new
Underwriting/Policy Administration management solution, Vendors’ products will need to access
data maintained in existing TMLIRP systems for an indeterminate period of time. It is anticipated,
however, that all legacy system data required to be maintained for business and regulatory
purposes will be run off of legacy systems or migrated to the new environment no later than 24
months after the new system is implemented.
Multiple points of integration will be required for a successful implementation. The major systems
we anticipate a vendor’s solution will need to replace or interface with are depicted in the Context
Diagram below.
Arrows indicate the direction of data flow within the current systems to support the lines of
coverage offered. If the vendor’s solution offers replacement functionality for any of the items
below, please provide detail.
Fig. 3-1
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Within TMLIRP, the relationship between Underwriting and other departments is described in this
diagram. Again, arrows indicate the direction of data flow:
Fig 3-2
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This diagram outlines required communication between the Underwriting/Policy Administration System
and outside vendors, as well as the desired portal for Members to interact. Arrows indicate direction of
data flow:
Fig 3-3
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3.1.3 Training
TMLIRP will require, at a minimum, initial project team training (including a technical overview
and configuration training), “train the trainer” training and end user training to complete the
implementation of a new core system or systems.
3.2 Proposal Format
This section prescribes the format in which the proposals are to be submitted. There is no intent
to limit the content of the proposals. Additional information deemed appropriate by the Vendor
may be included, and must be placed within the relevant section. Information submitted in tabs
outside of those designated in this section will not be evaluated.
Proposals are required to be limited to a page size of eight and one‐half by eleven inches (8‐1/2” x
11”), loose leaf pages, no spiral or special binding (so product can easily be reproduced if
necessary). All proposals should contain the sections outlined below. TMLIRP is under no
obligation to look for responsive information contained in incorrectly labeled sections. If
responsive information is also contained in other sections, Vendors should specifically reference
the tabbed section and corresponding page number(s) that responsive information and
documentation can be found.
Proposals submitted for consideration should follow the format and order of presentation
described below:
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Table of Contents
Tab 1: Required Documents
Tab 2: Executive Summary
Tab 3: Minimum Qualifying Vendor Criteria
Tab 4: Functional Capabilities
Tab 5: Technology
Tab 6: Project Management Strategy
Tab 7: Pricing
3.2.1 Table of Contents
Organize the content according to the instructions and in the same order provided in Section 3.2
(i.e., Table of Contents, Tab 1, Tab 2, etc.) and identify each content section with a page number
location.
3.2.2 Tab 1: Required Documents
Under Tab 1, the Vendor should provide the following documents:
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Completed Conflict of Interest Questionnaire (Form CIQ). AS REQUIRED UNDER CHAPTER
176, TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, VENDORS SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL SHALL ALSO
COMPLETE AND SUBMIT WITH THE PROPOSAL A CONFLICT OF INTEREST QUESTIONNAIRE.
(A blank Form CIQ can be found after the last page of this Request for Proposal).
Corporate Change (– see section 2.4, Corporate Change, for details).
Assurance. All respondents MUST include the assurance provided on the last page of this
Request for Proposal in their proposal and provide an original signature.
3.2.3 Tab 2: Executive Summary
Vendor should submit an Executive Summary of their overall proposal under Tab 2. This section
will present a high‐level synopsis of the Vendor’s proposal to the Request for Proposal. The
Executive Summary should be a brief overview of the engagement, and should identify the main
features and benefits of the proposed applications and services. This section should exhibit the
Vendor’s understanding and approach to the project. It should contain a summary of Vendor’s
ability to perform the services described in the Request for Proposal and confirm that Vendor is
willing to perform those services and enter into a contract with TMLIRP.
Vendor must provide a clear and concise summary of the product functionality and the benefits
that can be achieved. Include with any product solutions supporting professional services and
timeframes needed for successful product implementation that results in successful product
usage. Also provide a summary of pricing structure options, the details of which are to be covered
later in the proposal content. Structure the Executive Summary in a manner that allows it to serve
as a standalone summary when separated from other sections of the proposal.
3.2.4 Tab 3: Minimum Qualifying Vendor Criteria
In Tab 3 of the proposal, provide a written response to each of the items below regarding the
company, points of contact and basic information regarding the product(s) proposed as part of the
solution.
1)Sales Contact
2) Company History
3)Financial History
4)Underwriting/Policy Administration System Functions
a) Has Vendor's Underwriting/Policy Administration System been successfully implemented for
commercial lines in three (3) United States based insurance companies and/or
intergovernmental risk pools? For each such company, please indicate the lines of business
supported.
b) What is the average length of time from contract acceptance to “go live” status?
c) How many insurers are currently running your Underwriting/Policy Administration System in
production today??
d) How many of these insurers write in Texas?
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e) Please provide the number of production clients and size of clients running each of the
following lines of business. Please use the following size categories based on direct written
premium – Small is under $100M; Midszie is $100M to $1B; Large is over 1B.
Line of Business
Workers' Compensation
Liability
General Liability
Errors & Omissions Liability
Law Enforcement Liability
Aviation Liability
Automobile
Automobile Liability
Automobile Physical Damage
Property
Real & Personal Property
Boiler & Machinery
Mobile Equipment
Crime
Animal Mortality
f)
Number of
Clients
Size
Is Vendor's Underwriting/Policy Administration System solution accessible through a
common web browser for all non‐administrative functions?
g) Is Vendor's Underwriting/Policy Administration System scalable to accommodate 250
concurrent users (underwriters, customer service representatives, adjusters, etc.) without
noticeable performance degradation?
h) Does Vendor's Underwriting/Policy Administration System include a rating engine, quote
management, conversion of quotes to policy, audit and rerate functionality?
i) Does Vendor’s solution provide the ability to add mid-term endorsements and changes to
policies, and then to carry forward these items into the next rerate cycle?
j) Does Vendor’s solution include the ability to create, store and print proprietary
forms/documents?
k) Does Vendor’s solution have the ability to track third party policies that the Pool might not
necessarily provide but should be apprised of? For example, the ability to associate a
separate flood policy written through the National Flood Insurance Program by another
broker to a corresponding TMLIRP policy.
l) Are all basic policy administration transactions included, such as New Business; Proposal
Issuance; Renewal; Non-Renewal; Cancellation; Reinstatement; Endorsement; Audit
processing?
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m) What configuration tools are included? To what extent will these tools allow TMLIRP to
maintain and extend the environment independently?
n) Please describe the major items on your product roadmap for the next 6 to 18 months.
3.2.5 Tab 4: Functional Capabilities
In general terms, the proposed system should have ease-of-use as a primary underlying concern.
Overall, TMLIRP is seeking a unified system that:
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Allows users with proper access to manage the system through an easy-to-use web-based
interface and navigation.
Is not based on any platform- or browser-specific technology that could hinder
performance or use on any particular platform.
Employs tools that allow greatest ease-of-use whenever possible (calendar widgets for
selecting dates, required field validation on data entry screens, mathematical validation or
automation on arithmetic fields, etc.).
Stores data gathered from current or prospective Pool Members within the system until
deliberately excised.
Allows for import of multiple data elements to reduce manual entry.
Makes the production of quotes, coverage certificates, and rerate packages as
streamlined as possible.
Keeping the ease-of-use needs outlined above in mind, please provide a broad description of how the
solution addresses the topics shown below. If there are areas that may only be achieved by
incorporating other third party products, please describe how this will be integrated and include
previous experience with such integration. It is imperative for the solution to perform all of the
functions shown below and it is expected that each of these areas will be addressed in full during the
demonstration phase.
1. Concept of a Member (Customer)
a. Establishment and maintenance of multiple policies/submissions in the system
b. Management of contact information for Members or prospective Members (past,
current, future).
c. Roles and Security – Including Web-Based Portal with Member Access
2. Customer Facing Capabilities
a. “Out-of-the-box” Functionality
b. Other methods by which current clients have leveraged your system to enable
customer-facing capabilities
3. Quotes and Policies
a. Management of quotes from initial request (including requested iterations) through
binding to contract.
b. Management of coverages (contracts) from initial issuance through annual rerating.
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4.
5.
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7.
8.
9.
10.
c. Rating Engine (including readily configurable algorithms and rate updates)
d. Business Rules
Workflow
a. Integrated workflow across multiple functions (policy, billing, claims)
b. Workflow within policy processes (automated task creation, predefined transactional
workflow, process metrics, automated assignment, etc.)
Tracking
a. Diaries
b. Unified document storage for notes, documents, etc., across all users
c. Dates – Due dates, process flow
Document Generation, Attachment, Storage and Management
a. Document generation, distribution, storage and retrieval
b. Automatic document production based on process (ie – connecting standardized
documents to completed processes)
c. Document archiving and retrieval
d. Attachment, cataloguing and retrieval of externally generated documents
Reporting
a. Operational reporting functionality
b. Business Intelligence
c. Standard and Ad Hoc Reporting (various levels of complexity - basic business user and
data mining specialists)
Data Import/Export
a. Allow transfer of data into the system via import
b. Allow extraction of data via export
Integration with Current Systems
a. Claims and Accounting
Configuration:
Please describe configuration of the following items in detail. Please indicate what
configuration tool is used and who typically does the configuration (business SME, business
analyst, IT analyst, carrier developer, vendor developer, etc.).
a. Rates, coverages and product rules
b. Roles, access and authorization
c. Existing screen modifications
d. New screens
e. Screen navigation
f. Documents
g. New data elements
h. Workflow (predefined tasks, automated assignment, etc.)
i. Rules
j. Inbox
k. Billing/payment plans
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l. General look and feel
m. Table maintenance, list of values, etc.
n. Other configurable items in your system
11. The ability to designate a midterm endorsement as “premium waived” for the current term
(without charging premium for this term), but include and charge premium on renewal.
12. Pool Specific Business Needs:
a. Tracking of proposal process (as currently performed by MTrack) at the Account,
proposal or individual line of business level
b. Proprietary calculation of experience modifiers for Liability and Workers’ Compensation;
surcharges for Property. (Integrating claims information valued as of 6 months prior to
the renewal date.)
c. Policy set up to allow departmental allocation of premium by department for reporting
or billing
d. Roll-over billing when on a provisional renewal
Additionally, an “Appendix A” accompanies this Request for Proposal that lists individual requirements
desired by TMLIRP. It is preferred that the table be completed and accompany the proposal response in
Tab 4, however, it is not mandatory until the demonstration phase (if the vendor’s solution is slected to
proceed to the demonstration phase). The scripts associated with the demonstration phase will be
based on these requirements. When completing “Appendix A”, place an “X” in the appropriate column
to indicate the level of effort needed for executing the requirement. For purposes of this Request for
Proposal, “Out of the Box” means the feature indicated by the requirement is currently a component of
the solution that can be turned on or off and requires less than 1 hour of work. Items marked as
“Configurable or Customizable” are those that require more than 1 hour of work to complete the task.
The ultimate goal of the Underwriting/Policy Administration System is to transition as much as possible
from the existing labor-intensive process that involves repetitive and redundant work in a paper-based
environment to one more or less fully electronic, so that all transactions from initial contact to coverage
quotes to coverage binding to annual rerating can be done within a single system. These requirements
are defined with that goal in mind.
3.2.6 Tab 5: Technology
A. Application Architecture
1. Generally describe the product’s application architecture. Provide a high‐level diagram,
if feasible.
2. List all programming languages (open or proprietary) used in the product, supported by
the product and Software Development Kit (SDK) and/or Application Programming
Interface (API) available. Include versions.
3. Describe how the product handles logging of activities and where and when logging
takes place.
4. Does the product offer an extensions API? Integration API? Web services?
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5. When a product configuration change is made, are there any cases that require APIs to
be changed, or new APIs to be added? Does a production configuration change
require development or other software development lifecycle (SDLC)‐level effort?
6. Can all code generated during product configuration be debugged (break points, step
through code, view variable values, etc.) with a standard development tool, or a tool
that is included with the product?
7. Are there any restrictions to the number of people that can work in the product
configuration tool at once?
8. Is the application architecture server platform agnostic? Database agnostic? Language
neutral?
9. Is application programming API /web service API documentation, along with samples,
available?
10. Is the web user interface based on Web 2.0 or Web 3.0 standard? What browsers are
supported? Are there special browser requirements (plug-ins/ActiveX controls, etc.)?
11. Does the product support/provide scheduling platform for batch process execution?
12. Does the product provide reporting infrastructure for online, canned/ parameterized,
ad hoc and batch reports?
13. Are the business rules externalized for flexible and easy modifications?
14. Does the product offer an adequate diagnostic tool set (monitoring tools, knowledge
base articles, community forums, tech support, and professional services) for quick
and independent resolution of production issues?
B. Data
1. Specify what data access tools are needed by product. Document the version, level and
associated fixes the data access tool needs to support your product.
2. Please provide a high level overview of your data model and sample data dictionary.
3. Provide a sample set of data for those tables represented in the provided data model
and data dictionary.
4. When accessing a data element from the database, does the application need to access
the data dictionary to locate the data element in the database?
5. Can the database be read directly through structured query language (SQL) and be
understood without requiring translation through a data dictionary?
6. Can the referential integrity be checked at the database level, or are the cardinality rules
generated in code based on product configuration?
7. When a product configuration change is made, are there any cases that require data to
be unloaded and reloaded. If so, please describe.
8. Specify which database management system (DBMS) is needed by product. Document
the version, level and associated fixes the DBMS needs to support your product.
9. Document the version, level and associated fixes any integrated (including third‐party)
reporting tools need to support your product. If your product is not supported on or
does not use reporting tool standards, document your reporting tool requirements.
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C.Integration
1. Specify the messaging tools and standards used to support messaging for
close‐to‐real‐time and asynchronous processing.
2. Describe how product triggers an integration transaction when an event occurs.
3. Specify any tools required to support input and output of data to or from a
schema‐based extensible markup language (XML) format.
4. Describe how and in what formats rating and valuation data might be imported, and if
different sets of imported data can be maintained across multiple years.
5. Describe how the product ensures triggered events are properly committed, rolled back,
or not triggered until the commit is complete.
6. Describe any included or third‐party output (Document) generation engine(s) used
throughout the product offering.
7. Describe any included or third‐party Enterprise Content Management (ECM) or
document archive software used throughout the product offering.
8. Describe any included or third‐party rules engine(s) used throughout the product
offering.
9. Describe any included or third‐party portal technology used throughout the product
offering.
10. Describe your preferred approach for migrating or accessing legacy data. Include any
third‐party tools that can facilitate such data migration or access.
11. Describe how front end integration is accomplished and what front end integration
has been utilized by other clients (ie, GoogleEarth).
D. Information Technology Process
1. Describe your change management processes and procedures.
2. Describe your configuration management processes and procedures.
3. Describe your policies and processes for supporting and customizing the product.
Include definitions of “bug” versus “enhancement,” “in‐scope” versus “out of scope,”
etc.
4. Provide samples of requirements and design documents that are representative of the
level of detail that would be used for implementation at TMLIRP. Include API
reference guides, user guides and support portal (knowledgebase), community
support, etc.
5. Describe components of the required development environment necessary to support
the product.
6. Provide a glossary of terms related to your product.
7. Define your typical approach for a project of this size, including requirements analysis
inputs and deliverables, development methodology and deliverables, test
methodology and deliverables, deployment approach and project management
methodology employed.
8. Provide an overview of the software development lifecycle (SDLC) methodology
employed by your team for product development.
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9. Describe the process used for estimating development and project management costs.
10. Where and how will project work be performed (e.g., locations, team structure, etc.)?
11. Describe the roles and responsibilities of all team members required for this project.
12. What are the specific skills that your team brings to the project, and how will these
drive to success?
13. What TMLIRP resources will be required throughout the project? Include estimated
TMLIRP staffing skills and full time equivalent (FTE) resources required to support your
staffing plan.
14. Due to the dependence on critical skills, will you name those specific individuals that
you will commit to this effort? If not, why not?
15. Describe the processes and procedures employed to ensure quality assurance (beyond
testing).
16. Describe your release management processes and procedures, including the
frequency of releases to customers.
17. Describe your policies and processes for your client to upgrade product to a newer
version. What tools are available to your customers to ease your product upgrade
process?
18. Describe the means by which you provide knowledge transfer for ongoing use,
maintenance and configuration of the product. Include samples or training curricula, if
available.
19. Describe training requirements and associated costs to enable TMLIRP to host the
product internally.
20. Describe the availability of documentation, support and professional services. Would
support be provided by the vendor or third-party, and how would support be
requested (phone, ticket system, email, etc.)?
E. Platform
1. Specify the server hardware standards supported and recommended for your product
based on role(s). Provide scalability requirements and describe possibilities for
clustered/distributed environment. Are 64‐bit environments fully supported?
2. Specify the storage standards required by your product. Document the version, initial
storage requirements and growth projections with a degree of probability.
3. Specify the application server standards supported by your product. Document the
version, level and associated fixes the servers need to support your product.
4. Specify the web server standards supported by your product. Document the version,
level and associated fixes the servers need to support your product.
5. Specify the database server standards supported by your product. Document the
version, level and associated fixes the servers need to support your product.
6. Specify the network standards supported by your product. Document the version, level
and associated fixes the servers need to support your product. Document all
requirements your product has for a typical installation on these networks. Document
any known issues your product may have in a typical install on these networks.
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7. Describe desktop system requirements, including computing power, memory, operating
system, ancillary applications, connectivity, local storage, etc. Are 64¬bit
environments fully supported?
F. Security
1. Document all requirements your product has for a typical installation using lightweight
directory access protocol (LDAP) and Active Directory. Document any known issues
your product may have in a typical install using these services.
2. Document all requirements your product has for a typical installation for Single Sign On
services. Document any known issues your product may have in a typical installation
using these services.
3. Document all requirements your product has for a typical installation for platform
authentication services. Document any known issues your product may have in a
typical installation using these services.
4. Describe how granular user access control can be within the product, and how it is
managed.
G. Systems Management
1. Describe your recommended method and tools to achieve parallel development and
testing of concurrent releases.
2. Specify what software distribution requirements/products your product needs for
remote issue resolution.
3. Describe the recommended backup and recovery process for your product.
4. Describe your standard integration process for systems management tools, and the
tools that your product best integrates with. As part of your proposal, include
real‐time management (availability, performance and utilization), event management,
job scheduling and capacity management.
5. Generally describe the disaster recovery capabilities of the product.
3.2.7 Tab 6: Project Management Strategy
Under Tab 6 Vendor should answer the questions below regarding the Vendor’s proposed
approach to the solution implementation project.
A. Project Approach
a. Given your understanding of the project, describe the overall approach you would take,
including phases, major milestones and deliverables along with the scope of your
proposed project management services. (ie. Does your project management approach
include any or all of the following aspects of the project; integration with other
software, data migration, and reporting?)
b. Describe Vendor’s expectation of Pool’s staffing requirements for successful
implementation of the product (both business and IT).
B. Service Level Agreements
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a. Describe any aspects of your service offering during implementation and
post‐implementation that is subject to service level agreements. Describe what those
service levels are.
C. Project Metrics
a. Describe any financial or other metrics you feel appropriate to monitor during the
project to ensure it is on track, and describe how such metrics will be monitored,
evaluated and reacted to.
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3.2.8 Tab 7: Pricing
Under Tab 7 Vendor should answer the questions below regarding the proposed solution’s
financial costs.
A. Cost Considerations
1. Product license fees. Indicate how pricing is derived for your proposed solution,
including license fee type (perpetual, term, per seat, per CPU, premium‐based, other)
and provide your best estimate of anticipated license fees given TMLIRP’s profile.
2. Ancillary software. Please describe any and all software required to implement your
solution, including operating systems, database management systems, middleware or
other required third‐party software.
3. Hardware requirements. Describe all hardware required to implement your solution,
including type and number of servers, server specifications, storage requirements
(given TMLIRP’s profile), connectivity appliances or other hardware required given
your recommended system configuration.
4. Training. Please describe the approximate cost and duration of training required for
a) Utilization of TMLIRP’s staff on project teams, including IT staff to be used
during implementation
b) User acceptance testing
c) Post‐implementation user orientation
5. Professional Services. Please describe the approximate cost and duration of all
recommended professional services required to implement your proposed solution,
including project management, configuration, customization, data migration, testing
or other resources you propose to provide. Provide a roster of resource types
expected for the project (programmer, business analyst, database architect, etc.) and
their hourly, per diem or other fees. (The table below is provided as an example.)
Resource
Estimated Duration (Hrs)
Rate
Program manager
$x per hour
Project manager
$x per hour
Business analyst
$x per hour
Senior developer
$x per hour
Junior developer
$x per hour
Systems architect
$x per hour
Other
$x per hour
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6. Support and Maintenance. Describe the types of support and maintenance packages
you offer and the approximate cost of services for post‐implementation support and
maintenance.
7. Contingency Pricing. How would license fees be impacted, if at all, by significant changes
in member contributions (i.e., written premium), Member counts or other parameter?
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Assurance
Respondents must include the following language under Tab 1 in their proposal with an original
signature: “TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE INTERGOVERNMENTAL RISK POOL UNDERWRITING/POLICY
ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM SOFTWARE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL #15-06.”
The proposal shall contain the following assurance: “The information in this Proposal is true and correct,
and the Officer Signing Below is Duly Authorized to Bind this company to such Proposal.”
Signed this __________ day of ______________________, 2015. By:
Name of Officer:
Title of Officer:
COMPANY INFORMATION
Company Name: _________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________________
City, State, Zip: __________________________________________________
Telephone Number: ______________________________________________
Name of Person Authorized
To Sign Proposal: _________________________________________________
Signature: ______________________________________________________
Title: __________________________________________________________
Date: __________________________________________________________
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