advanced metering infrastructure, meter data management

ADVANCED METERING INFRASTRUCTURE,

METER DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM,

METER INSTALLATION SERVICES &

CUSTOMER PORTAL

Request for Proposal

Proposal Delivery Due Date:

Thursday, September 19, 2019

3:00 PM Pacific Time

District Contact:

Joe McDermott

Director of Resource Conservation and Public Outreach

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

LVMWD AMI, MDM, Install, Customer Portal RFP

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 ACRONYMS/DEFINITIONS ..................................................................................................... 4 2 SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS ................................................................................................. 6

2.1 Proposal Timeline ...................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Pre-Proposal Conference ........................................................................................................... 6 2.3 Proposer Questions.................................................................................................................... 7 2.4 Proposal Responses Submission ................................................................................................ 7 2.5 Technical Proposal Response Outline ........................................................................................ 7 2.6 Cost Proposal Format ................................................................................................................. 8 2.7 Proposal Evaluation and Award Process .................................................................................... 8

3 GENERAL INFORMATION ..................................................................................................... 9

3.1 Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) Registration .............................................................. 9 3.2 Agreement and Bonds ............................................................................................................... 9 3.3 Other Requirements ................................................................................................................ 10

4 PROJECT OVERVIEW .......................................................................................................... 11

4.1 Project Scope ........................................................................................................................... 11 4.2 LVMWD Background ................................................................................................................ 14 4.3 Project Drivers .......................................................................................................................... 16 4.4 Project Phasing......................................................................................................................... 16

5 ALTERNATIVE METER READING AND DATA COLLECTION SOLUTION ......................... 18

5.1 Alternative Technology Description ......................................................................................... 18 5.2 Alternative Technology Requirements .................................................................................... 18 5.3 Alternative Technology Proposal Submission Requirements .................................................. 18

6 PROPOSAL CONTENTS DETAIL ......................................................................................... 19

6.1 Contractor and Subcontractor Information Form ................................................................... 19 6.2 Executive Summary .................................................................................................................. 21 6.3 Experience ................................................................................................................................ 21 6.4 Product Maturity and Future Roadmap ................................................................................... 23 6.5 Implementation Approach ....................................................................................................... 27 6.6 Requirements ........................................................................................................................... 31 6.7 Cost Proposal ........................................................................................................................... 34

7 ATTACHMENTS .................................................................................................................... 36 8 APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................ 36


List of Tables

Table 1-Acronyms/Definitions ............................................................................ 4 Table 2-LVMWD RFP Schedule ............................................................................ 6 Table 3-Evaluation Criteria ............................................................................... 8 Table 4-Installed Meter Count ........................................................................... 15 Table 5-Current State IT/OT Systems .................................................................. 15 Table 6-Requested Reference Installations Information ............................................. 22 Table 7-Requested Reference Account Information .................................................. 22

List of Figures

Figure 1-LVMWD Water Service Area ................................................................... 14 Figure 2-LVMWD AMI Program Deployment Timeline ................................................. 16 Figure 3-LVMWD Anticipated Future State IT Network Diagram .................................... 29


1 ACRONYMS/DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of this request for proposal (RFP), the following acronyms and terms are defined as:

Table 1-Acronyms/Definitions

Acronym/Term Definition

AMI Advanced Metering Infrastructure

AMR Automatic Meter Reading

AMI Endpoint Device that sends data from the meter to a

collection point

AMI Collector Receives data via RF from AMI Repeater and AMI

Endpoint

AMI Head-end Accepts data from AMI Collectors via Backhaul

Communications for processing

AMI Repeater Relays RF from the AMI Endpoint to the AMI Collector

API Application Programming Interface

Awarded Contractor(s) The organization(s)/individual(s) that is/are

awarded and has/have an approved contract(s) with LVMWD for the services identified in this RFP

Backhaul Communications Facilitates transfer of data from AMI Collector to AMI

Head-end

C&I Commercial & Industrial

CIS Customer Information System

CSR Customer Service Representative

Contractor(s)/Vendor(s)/ Proposer(s)

Organization(s)/individual(s) submitting a proposal in response to this RFP

DIR Department of Industrial Relations

DBE Disadvantaged Business Enterprise

DCU Data Collection Unit

DMZ Demilitarized Zone (Computer Security related)

ESRI Environmental Systems Research Institute

Evaluation Committee

An independent committee comprised solely of representatives of LVMWD established to review

proposals submitted in response to this RFP, evaluate the proposals, and select the contractor(s)

FCC Federal Communications Commission

GIS Geographic Information Systems

Green Button Easy access to energy/water/gas usage data

GUI Graphical User Interface

IT/OT Information Technology/Operational Technology

IVR Interactive Voice Response

May Indicates something that is not mandatory, but is

permissible

MDMS Meter Data Management System

MIU Meter Interface Unit

NDA Non-Disclosure Agreement

NOC Network Operations Center

NSF National Sanitation Foundation


Acronym/Term Definition

ODBC Open Database Connectivity

PCI Payment Card Industry

QA Quality Assurance

RF Radio Frequency

RFP Request for Proposal

SCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition

SD Service Disconnect (also known as Remote

Disconnect)

Shall/Must Indicates a mandatory requirement; failure to meet a mandatory requirement may result in the rejection

of a proposal as non-responsive.

Should

Indicates something that is recommended but not mandatory; if a Contractor fails to provide

recommended information, the Utility may, at its sole option, ask the Contractor to provide the

information or evaluate the proposal without the information

SLA Service Level Agreement

SMS Short Message Service

SSO Single Sign-On

Subcontractor Third-party not directly employed by the Contractor

who will provide services identified in this RFP

LVMWD/Utility/The District Las Virgenes Municipal Water District

VEE Validation, Estimation, and Editing

WAN Wide Area Network

WOMS Work Order Management System


2 SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS

2.1 Proposal Timeline

Table 2 presents the tentative schedule for this RFP. LVMWD reserves the right to modify these dates at any time, with appropriate notice to the prospective Proposer(s). Any change in the scheduled dates will be advertised in the form of an addendum to this RFP. The awarded vendor(s) will be notified following Board approval.

Table 2-LVMWD RFP Schedule

Event Estimated Date

RFP Release August 05, 2019

Pre-Proposal Conference/sample site visits August 27, 2019

Proposer Questions Due September 5, 2019

Proposal Responses Due September 19, 2019

Shortlist Presentations/Interviews November 5, 2019

Final Vendor Selection November 2019

Contract Approvals January 2020

Target Project Kickoff February 2020

2.2 Pre-Proposal Conference

A pre-proposal conference will be held at 1:00 PM Pacific Time, Tuesday, August 27, 2019. The pre-proposal conference is not mandatory, but participation is strongly encouraged. The pre-proposal conference will take place on site and via Go-To-Meeting. Interested firms will have an opportunity to submit questions regarding the requirements outlined in this RFP.

The in-person meeting will take place at 4232 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, CA 91302. Those attending remotely can access the meeting via the Go-To-Meeting link below:

https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/447613869 Or dial in via phone number +1 (872) 240-3212, access code 447-613-869 To make the meeting more effective for all participants, attendees are encouraged to read this document thoroughly prior to the meeting. Substantial clarifications or changes required as a result of the meeting will be issued in the form of a written addendum to the RFP. A list of attendees will be distributed to all those who attended the pre-proposal meeting.

A site visit will be made available after the pre-proposal conference, starting approximately at

2:00 PM Pacific Time. The site visits will be conducted in no more than 2 hours, with 2 personnel

maximum from each vendor. Vendors that are interested in participating must RSVP at least 24

hours in advance. Note that only a limited number of sites will be offered for viewing.

https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/447613869


2.3 Proposer Questions

For questions regarding this RFP, submit all inquiries via email to [email protected] at any time up until 3:00 PM Pacific Time Thursday, September 5, 2019. Responses will be published via an addendum(s).

2.4 Proposal Responses Submission

LVMWD requires proposals to be submitted electronically via email. The proposal should be submitted as a single zipped package which contains two main folders: (1) Technical Proposal folder and (2) Cost Proposal folder. All electronic documents submitted must be in a searchable and bookmarked .pdf file format, with section headings. A filled-out, Microsoft Excel-format copy of Attachment 1, Attachment 2, Attachment 3, Attachment 4 shall be provided in the Technical Proposal folder. A filled-out, Microsoft Excel-format copy of Attachment 1, Attachment 2, Attachment 3, Attachment 4 shall be provided in the Cost Proposal folder. Proposers must use a minimum of 11-point size, standard font.

Proposers may submit their proposal at any time prior to the deadline (3:00 PM Pacific Time, Thursday, September 19, 2019); however, these proposals will not be assessed until the deadline. Proposals that do not arrive by the specified date and time will not be accepted. Facsimile or telephone proposals will NOT be considered.

Proposals are to be emailed to:

Joe McDermott, Director of Resource Conservation and Public Outreach [email protected]

If your proposal zipped package exceeds 20 MBs in size, contact Joe McDermott via email so a Dropbox link can be provided for proposal submission.

Technical Proposal Submission:

Limit the total RFP Technical Response to 50 pages excluding attachments and appendices.

Cost Proposal Submission:

The cost proposal must be included in the Cost Proposal folder in the specified Excel file format. The cost proposal will not be evaluated until the evaluation committee finished their technical proposal evaluation process.

2.5 Technical Proposal Response Outline

This section describes the required technical proposal response outline. See Section 6 for required content. Proposers are instructed to follow this structure without deviation. The Technical Proposal shall include the following sections:

i. Title Page

ii. Table of Contents

iii. Contractor and Subcontractor Information Form

iv. Executive Summary

v. Experience




vi. Product Maturity and Future Roadmap

vii. Implementation Approach

viii. Attachments

See Section 6 for all required attachments.

ix. Appendices

Including but not limited to:

a. Resumes

b. Annual reports and/or financial statements

c. Service level agreements

d. Training schedule & sample training plan

e. Installer employee safety program

f. High-level test plan

g. Product cut-sheets

2.6 Cost Proposal Format

The Cost Proposal shall include Attachment 5 – Cost Proposal Workbook. See Section 6.7 for additional details.

2.7 Proposal Evaluation and Award Process

Each proposal submitted shall be reviewed by the Evaluation Committee. Proposers shall include sufficient information to allow the Committee to thoroughly evaluate proposals. The Evaluation Committee will review the Proposer’s responses to determine that all mandatory submittal requirements have been met (e.g., proposal submitted on time, required attachments completed, etc.). Proposals that have not met the mandatory requirements may be deemed non-responsive at LVMWD’s sole discretion.

LVMWD also reserves the right to contact all or any of the references provided in response; contact any Proposer to clarify any response; contact any current user of a Proposer’s services or products; solicit information from any available source concerning any aspect of a proposal; and seek and review any other information deemed pertinent to the evaluation process.

The Evaluation Committee will evaluate all proposals using the following criteria:

Table 3-Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Categories

Proposal Completeness

Experience

Product Maturity and Future Roadmap

Implementation Approach


Requirements and Capabilities

Level of acceptance to the contractual language in Appendix 4 and 4a

Cost (for a 20-year lifecycle)

LVMWD reserves the right to consider other factors and adjust the weighting and/or categories at its discretion.

Shortlist proposers shall be notified in advance of the shortlist date for presentations/interview. Shortlisted proposers should expect to come to the meeting prepared with a presentation and the following: software available for demonstrations, metering hardware, etc. A detailed agenda and items to be addressed during the meeting will be provided to each shortlist vendor in advance.

The selected vendor(s) will be notified via email. Any award is contingent upon the successful negotiation of final contract terms. Negotiations shall be confidential and not subject to disclosure to competing Contractors unless and until an agreement is reached. If contract negotiations cannot be concluded successfully, LVMWD reserves the right to negotiate a contract with another Contractor or withdraw the RFP.

3 GENERAL INFORMATION

3.1 Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) Registration

No Contractor or Subcontractor may be listed on a proposal for a public works project submitted on or after March 1, 2015 unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Labor Code section 1725.5. No Contractor or Subcontractor may be awarded a contract for public work on a public works project awarded on or after April 1, 2015 unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Labor Code section 1725.5. Effective January 1, 2016, no Contractor or Subcontractor may perform on a contract for public work on a public works project unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Labor Code section 1725.5. This project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the DIR. The District has applied for and was granted a Special Wage Determination for Water Meter Technicians, Determination S-2019-1 Reference 61-47-4. This Determination is presented as Attachment 8 – LVMWD Special Prevailing Wage Determination for Water Meter Technician in this RFP.

Proposals shall be accompanied by proof of Contractor’s and Subcontractor’s current registration with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Labor Code section 1725.5. Proposers can satisfy this requirement by including their DIR registration number on the enclosed Proposal form where noted.

3.2 Agreement and Bonds

The essential items of contract which the successful Contractor will be required to execute is included as Appendix 4 to this RFP entitled “Agreement for Services” and should be carefully examined by the firms that submit a Proposal. In addition, the proposer shall also review Appendix 4a – Additional Terms and Conditions to the Agreement of Services which will be part of the final agreement. The Proposer can offer its own form of contract or supplemental forms in lieu of the form provided by the District; however, will need to identify any exceptions to the “Agreement for Services” in its Proposal. The agreement, bonds, and other documents to


be executed by the successful Contractor shall be executed in original triplicates stamped according to law, one of which original triplicate shall be filed with the District, one with the District’s Attorney and the other will be furnished to the successful Contractor.

The successful Contractor, simultaneously with the execution of the agreement, shall furnish and maintain a payment bond in an amount equal to 100% of the contract price and a faithful performance bond in an amount equal to 100% of the contract price. The bonds shall be secured from a surety company satisfactory to the District and whose name is on file with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County as an approved and financially sound surety company, authorized to transact business in this State.

The bonds shall meet all of the requirements and contain the conditions required by Sections 3247 and 3248 inclusive, of the Civil Code, and other applicable provisions of the law and regulations of the State of California.

Failure to execute the contract and file acceptable bonds and proof of insurance coverage as provided therein within the time set forth herein shall be just cause for the annulment of the award.

3.3 Other Requirements

Before entering into a contract, the firm to whom the contract has been awarded shall furnish satisfactory evidence of workers’ compensation insurance and public liability and property damage insurance as specified in the special provisions.

Department of Industrial Relations Labor Code section 1773.3 requires that public agencies notify the DIR when public projects are awarded within 30 days of award and the imposition of a fine at a rate of $100 per day, not to exceed $10,000, was authorized for failure to provide notification. At the time of award, the successful Contractor will be requested to provide DIR Award Notification Data for each General Contractor and for each Sub-contractor performing work on the project which data will be necessary to notify DIR of the award. If the Contractor fails to provide the requested DIR Award Notification Data within 30 days after the issuance of the Notice of Award/Notice to Proceed, thereby causing District to incur the imposition of a fine by the DIR, such fine will be imposed upon the General Contractor for reimbursement.

Contractor’s License requirement for this project is: Class A or C36 (Plumbing).


4 PROJECT OVERVIEW

4.1 Project Scope

LVMWD is soliciting proposals for a hybrid fully-automated, two-way, fixed-base Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system with simultaneous one-way drive-by reading (Automatic Meter Reading – AMR) capability, meters, associated equipment and installation services. LVMWD is also seeking a Meter Data Management System (MDMS) with the capability to provide detailed analytics and an optional Customer Portal. The scope of the program will include the deployment of all hardware and systems, integrations, testing, training, and support services.

LVMWD is also interested in soliciting proposals for alternative technology besides AMI that can provide water meter reading information at the minimum, without the need of changing out the water meter/register or hardwiring to the meter. Review Section 5 for more details.

LVMWD will consider proposals for an entire turnkey solution or proposals for a specific component(s) of the solution that meet the functional and technical requirements set forth in this RFP and best meet the business needs of LVMWD. The four (4) components are the: (1) AMI System with Metering Equipment, (2) MDMS, (3) AMI meter installation services and (4) Customer Portal (optional).

LVMWD is highlighting the following general requirements, utility preferences, and circumstances surrounding this effort:

• LVMWD is seeking “tried-and-true” proven technology. LVMWD is not looking to

implement “bleeding edge” technology.

• The proposed AMI system must be two-way between the AMI head-end and the data

collection unit (DCU) but must also be capable of a one-way drive-by reading (AMR).

• LVMWD prefers a ‘hosted’ AMI head-end with a ‘hosted’ MDMS, however an on-premises

option should also be presented in the cost proposal if it is available.

• The vendors selected need to provide full system redundancy and adhere to security

best practices.

• LVMWD has a preference for the AMI vendor to provide backhaul via available cellular

network from DCUs provided by vendor.

• LVMWD will provide a list of existing meter locations and LVMWD assets (preferred for

the AMI network devices placement) after vendors sign and submit an NDA (see

attachments).

• In order that proposals are equitably evaluated, LVMWD requires AMI vendors to perform

a site and propagation study across the entire meter population to determine the

number and placement of AMI network devices and the suitability of the frequencies

used in LVMWD’s service area (given the availability of existing infrastructure and the

local use of licensed or unlicensed frequencies).

• Criteria for the collector antenna mounting on top of LVMWD assets (e.g. water tanks,

pump stations):

o Welded mounts are not allowed. Corrosion resistant, stainless steel mechanical

fasteners are preferred.

o Attachments must withstand at least 80 miles per hour wind.


o Collectors should be located near the ground – only antenna to be mounted on

top of assets.

o Per our Cultural Resources Study, the preferred maximum antenna height is 11

ft. However, a deviation to the maximum height requirement will be allowed on

a case by case basis if needed.

• This project will replace all water meters up to and including 2” meter size

(approximately 15,233 count) to AMI meter technology, except for the newer meters

(approximately 5,095 count) that will be retrofitted.

• Meter reads will be registered and transmitted in 0.01 cubic feet increments or less.

• Positive displacement water meters (nutating disc, multi-jet) are preferred.

• Water meters that rely on battery power to take measurements (e.g. ultrasonic flow

meter) are not desired by LVMWD.

• Polymer composite body water meters and/or polymer composite threads will not be

accepted by LVMWD.

• Water meters must have a register that can continue to measure flows and can be read

manually in the event of battery failure.

• LVMWD prefers meter interface units (MIUs) that are compatible with a variety of meter

manufacturers.

• LVMWD is interested to receive pricing and information on the following additional

equipment and services, if offered, which will be treated as contract options that

LVMWD may select at its sole discretion:

o Remote disconnect modules

o Water distribution pressure sensors

o Water leak detection sensors

• All equipment and services provided must meet all federal, state, and local regulatory

requirements (including, but not limited to, Federal Communications Commission

regulations). Water meters must meet the latest edition American Water Works

Association standards. All water meter components and ancillary materials (e.g.

gaskets) that will be in contact with potable water must be NSF Standard 61 certified.

• LVMWD will use an installation contractor under this proposal for the beta and full

deployment phases. LVMWD staff will install the smaller subset of meters for the alpha

testing phase as described in Section 4.4.

• There is an area nearby LVMWD headquarters (near Rancho Composting Facility) which

can be utilized to setup Conex boxes for working space and potential warehouse. Power

is available in the area.


Figure 1-LVMWD Headquarters and Rancho Composting Facility

• The meter installation contractor will return all removed meters back to LVMWD

headquarters at the end of each work shift.

• The MDMS will be the system-of-record for meter consumption information. It will

receive information from the head-end system and send data to LVMWD’s CIS.

• LVMWD is seeking options to utilize a Customer Portal for its customers to display

interval water usage, water budget info from its CIS, compare usage to water budget,

integrate web payments (with rich functionality) and mobile optimized options including

leak alerts.

• The Customer Portal will receive data from the CIS but is not intended to override any

data in the CIS.

• LVMWD requires single sign-on (SSO) capability for its customers between the Customer

Portal and Payment Portal.

• Working in conjunction with LVMWD or its contracted Program Manager, all contractors

will participate in recurring status meetings and provide adequate representation and

timely responses.

• The pricing provided by contractors shall include a 10-year agreement for all

maintenance required of the DCUs and AMI network. The District will use this pricing in

addition to the cost of AMI network, DCUs, MDMS, Customer Portal, meters and meter


installation to determine the 20-year life-cycle cost for the project from each vendor,

for comparison of proposals.

The objective of the procurement effort is to evaluate and select the products and services that meet the functional and business requirements for LVMWD at the best value. An Evaluation Committee consisting of several LVMWD staff members will review proposals and make the selection. The final selection and award of an agreement will be through a negotiation process.

4.2 LVMWD Background

LVMWD provides potable water, recycled water and sanitation services to the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Westlake Village, Hidden Hills and unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County including the Santa Monica Mountains and Chatsworth. There are approximately 20,328 water meter connections in a 122-mile service area that are to be replaced under this contract. The service area of LVMWD can be best described of having the combination characteristics of rolling hills, bowl areas, canyons and flatlands. Thus, the result of the propagation study is critical in determining the appropriate AMI network configurations that suits LVMWD.

Figure 2-LVMWD Water Service Area

Metering LVMWD has approximately 21,108 installed meters which are read monthly using UMS handhelds by Radix corporation. Refer to Appendix 1 for a complete list and details of the water meters.


In 2005, LVMWD began deploying a Datamatic AMR/AMI system to where 40% of the meters were upgraded in a seven-year period. Starting in 2011, the District started seeing failures in the system – specifically the Firefly MIUs. Datamatic subsequently filed for bankruptcy and LVMWD reverted to manually reading the upgraded meters.

Table 4-Installed Meter Count

SIZE COUNT

3/4" 493

3/4" x 1” 16,571

1" 2,405

1 1/2" 841

2" 798

TOTAL 21,108

Note that LVMWD has about 56 meters on the potable water system larger than 2-inch that will not be included in this water meter replacement project. The larger meters will be converted by LVMWD with in-house forces or under a separate contract on a separate timetable. The system of record for inventory characteristics (including install date, make and model, and size) is CIS Infinity (Advanced Utility Systems).

The majority of LVMWD water meter boxes in the field are in a good condition and will not need a replacement. The meter box lids in the field will need replacement and will have to meet the specifications included in Appendix 3 – LVMWD Meter Box Lids Specification. LVMWD has approximately 600 water meter box lids with MIU antenna holes in stock that shall be used to replace old meter box lids provided the holes are the correct size. The installer will need to order the remaining quantity of lids.

Information Systems

A table of existing IT/OT systems in place at LVMWD is summarized below.

Table 5-Current State IT/OT Systems

Function System Name Manufacturer

Accounting/Financial/ Purchasing JD Edwards* Oracle

CIS/Billing/Service Orders CIS Infinity Advanced Utility Systems

Customer Web Portal Infinity Link Advanced Utility Systems

Customer Web Bill Pay Portal Invoice Cloud Invoice Cloud

GIS ArcGIS Esri

IVR Call-Em-All Call-Em-All

Meter Reading UMS Radix Corp.

SCADA- Water Wonderware Aveva

WOMS AMMS Microwest Software

WAN AT&T and TPX

*Transitioning to Tyler Munis, which is scheduled to be in place by 2022.


4.3 Project Drivers

LVMWD expects to receive numerous benefits with the implementation of the AMI, MDMS and Meter Installation effort (the AMI program). The key AMI project justification that LVMWD has identified include the following:

• Improved customer service

• Timely leak detection

• Improved monthly billing efficiency

• Water budget compliance (LVMWD implemented water budgets for its customers in

2015)

• “20% x 2020” and “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” compliance

• Transparent claims resolution and billing disputes

• Enhance personnel safety

• Greenhouse gas reduction

4.4 Project Phasing

The AMI Program will commence with an initial deployment phase that is further sub-divided into “Alpha” and “Beta”. The underlying philosophy of the initial deployment is to minimize financial risk to the utility while reaching basic system functionality (Alpha) and complete integration (Beta) as early as possible in the project. This approach allows LVMWD to work with each vendor to identify and address issues, to test the necessary interfaces with other systems, and to design, develop, and test the future-state business processes and stakeholder engagement strategies prior to full deployment. See below for an anticipated high-level timeline.

ID LVMWD AMI Program Deployment Start Finish Duration2021

Q4Q3Q4 Q1 Q2

1 75d1/27/202010/15/2019Planning

4 130d10/30/20205/4/2020 Beta

260d10/29/202111/2/2020Full Deployment

2020

Q1 Q3Q2

5

2 195d10/30/20202/3/2020Initial Phase

3 63d4/29/20202/3/2020 Alpha

Figure 3-LVMWD AMI Program Deployment Timeline

LVMWD will incorporate specific milestones into the contract(s) that will be tied to a payment structure during the initial deployment phases. For example, payment milestones may be established that tie to scheduled activities: software installation, CIS-MDMS integration, testing of installation procedures, etc.

A holistic summary of each deployment phase is as follows:

i. Alpha Initial Deployment


The Alpha Initial Deployment Phase involves the installation and testing of: a limited number of collectors (1 to 3), repeaters, and endpoints (up to 100) in a controlled environment; the AMI head-end software; the MDMS software; and the integration of meter data from the AMI head-end to the MDMS. Meter and endpoint installations will be performed by LVMWD. The Alpha Phase is estimated to begin February 2020 and complete in approximately 2-3 months. It will commence after the preliminary planning period which is anticipated to begin February 2020 directly after the contract is approved.

ii. Beta Initial Deployment

The Beta Initial Deployment Phase will involve the installation and testing of: the balance of all collectors/repeaters and backhaul infrastructure, field deployment of endpoints by the installation contractor, and the balance of systems interfaces representing basic MDM functionality, including integration with the CIS (i.e. proving “read-to-bill” functionality). The Beta Initial Deployment meters are expected to be geographically dispersed and incorporate multiple sizes/types of meters with a total of approximately 2,000 meters. LVMWD intends to finalize the Beta Initial Deployment area with the selected vendor during contracting. Prospective locations will be throughout the District’s service area that are representative of the variety of geographical terrain and proximity to DCUs (hilly areas, canyons, flat areas, etc.). This phase is estimated to begin following Alpha Initial Deployment completion and complete in a 6-month timeframe.

iii. Full Deployment Phase

Before proceeding to Full Deployment, LVMWD intends to give authorization to proceed based on mutually agreed-upon acceptance criteria underlying the Alpha and Beta phases of the Initial Deployment.

Following the successful completion and full system acceptance of the Initial Deployment, deployment of the AMI system endpoints across all metered accounts will commence, to cover all service connections.


5 ALTERNATIVE METER READING AND DATA COLLECTION SOLUTION

5.1 Alternative Technology Description

LVMWD is also interested in soliciting proposals for alternative technology besides AMI that can provide water meter reading information at the minimum, without the need of changing out the water meter/register or hardwiring to the meter. Examples of alternative technology may include the following, but not limited to:

• Devices or sensors that can be physically attached to existing water meter without the need of hardwiring to the meter. These devices/sensors will be capable of capturing meter reads and potentially detect leaks.

• Devices or sensors that can be physically attached to the bottom of existing or new water meter lids and automatically take pictures of the water meter register dial. The devices/sensors will be capable of recognizing the dials in the picture, and automatically convert them into a water meter reading.

• Other alternative technology that is available.

5.2 Alternative Technology Requirements

The alternative technology must adhere to the following minimum requirements:

• Must not require water meter replacement.

• Must not require hardwiring to the meter.

• Must not require modification to the water service line (cutting into the pipe to retrofit device).

• Must not require the use of customer’s communication network (e.g. Wi-Fi). All data transmission must be via a secured network system and meet the other requirements specified for data transmission in accordance with the requirements specified in the Requirements and Capabilities Workbooks. Vendor must provide its own communication and backhaul network to transmit data back to LVMWD.

• Meter reads must be in compliance with accuracy requirements specified in the AMI Requirements and Capabilities Workbook (i.e. 0.01 cubic feet increments or less).

5.3 Alternative Technology Proposal Submission Requirements

Vendors that are interested in submitting a proposal for an alternative technology solution must follow the same Technical Proposal outline and note any areas that are not applicable for the vendor. The vendor submitting an alternative technology proposal are subject to the Requirements and Capabilities marked “Mandatory” in the Requirements and Capabilities Workbooks with exception to items that pertain to the physical replacement of meters.

The vendors proposing alternative technology may submit cost proposals in their own format that covers the comprehensive deployment of the technology/device in lieu of the Cost Proposal Worksheets for Meter Equipment and Installation Contractor. The Cost Proposal Worksheets provided in the RFP for AMI, MDMS, and Customer Portal should be used.

LVMWD will conduct its own business case analysis in comparison with AMI technology to determine, at its sole discretion, whether the alternative solution is economically viable and whether the functionality will meet LVMWD’s needs.


6 PROPOSAL CONTENTS DETAIL

What follows is an outline of the contents of the proposals to be submitted.

6.1 Contractor and Subcontractor Information Form

PROPOSAL

TO

LAS VIRGENES MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT

FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF

Advanced Metering Infrastructure, Meter Data Management System, Meter Installation Services & Customer Portal

Name of Firm: ____________________________________________________________________

License Number and Class: __________________________________________________________

DIR Registration Number: ___________________________________________________________

Business Address: _________________________________________________________________

Phone No.: _______________________________________________________________________

The site of the work to be constructed and referred to herein is in the County of Los Angeles, California.

The work is to be in accordance with the specifications and contract documents and as described in the Request for Proposal entitled:

Advanced Metering Infrastructure,

Meter Data Management System,

Meter Installation Services &

Customer Portal

Contractor shall submit to District the following information as part of the Proposal:

1. The name and location of the place of business of each subcontractor performing work, labor or render construction services and each subcontractor licensed by the State of California specially fabricating and installing improvements according to detailed drawings or the plans and specifications, in an amount in excess of one-half of one percent of the Contractor’s total proposal.


2. The portion of the work to be done by each subcontractor.

3. California Contractor’s license number of its listed subcontractors under the requirements for subcontractor listing and shall be solely responsible to correct any errors in the listing of the California Contractor’s license number. Contractor shall submit corrected California Contractor’s license number information within 24 hours of request by the District or upon discovery by Contractor by submitting the correction to the District representative provided within the Request for Proposals. Contractor’s failure to submit a corrected California Contractor’s license number in compliance with the process set forth above will cause the proposal to be nonresponsive.

The Contractor shall list only one subcontractor for each portion of the work identified in the Request for Proposal.

DIVISION OF WORK OR TRADE NAME OF SUBCONTRACTOR

(LICENSE# / CLASSIFICATION) (DIR REGISTRATION NO.)

LOCATION OF MILL SHOP, OR OFFICE


6.2 Executive Summary

Provide the following information in the executive summary:

• A summary of your proposal, confirming whether you are submitting a turnkey or AMI, MDM, Installation Services only.

• Why your firm is qualified to handle this project – differentiators and strengths of your company and project team.

• Which subcontractors, if any, are part of the proposed project team.

• An affirmation of no conflict of interest/non-collusion.

• An original authorized signature.

6.3 Experience

i. Company Information

Provide the following information in your response:

a. Name of firm and mailing address, phone, and fax number of the Proposer’s principal place of business.

b. A brief company history, including ownership, size, and number of national offices. Recent acquisitions or changes in ownership must be clearly disclosed.

c. Overall company experience in AMI, MDM, network operations, systems integration, and meter installations (use the appropriate categories).

d. The employee turnover rate within the last 5 years.

e. Confirmation that your company and personnel are legally allowed to work in the state of California.

f. The company’s capital position and financial health. Provide annual reports and/or financial statements for the division of the company directly responsible for the products and services proposed in this RFP for each of the last three fiscal years as an appendix.

g. State whether there are pending or prior legal disputes or lawsuits with any existing or previous clients. If so, state all such disputes, including dates, as well as any facts and outcomes regarding these disputes.

h. State the standard method or methods of resolving disputes, should they arise.

ii. Subcontractor Information

If proposals include the use of subcontractors, the Contractor must:

a. Identify the subcontractors and the specific requirements of this RFP for which each proposed subcontractor will perform services.

b. Provide the name of the firm, the name of a contact person, mailing address, phone, and fax number of the Subcontractor’s principal place of business.

c. Describe the relationships amongst the different entities proposing jointly, how long you have worked together, what projects were successfully implemented


jointly, projects that were not successful, and whether any of the companies submitting jointly have vested interest in one another.

iii. Proposer References

Prime contractors shall provide a minimum of three (3) references from similar projects performed for client utilities within the last seven (7) years.

LVMWD prefers references for water utilities of comparable size and terrain to LVMWD (at least 10,000 service connections in a challenging terrain).

The Evaluation Committee may contact or conduct site visits for shortlisted AMI and MDM solution providers.

These references shall be provided with the following information:

Table 6-Requested Reference Installations Information

Utility Name

Address

Location (City/State/Zip)

Contact Name

Telephone

E-mail Address

Project Name

Project Start Date

Project End Date

Project Scope

Number of AMI Meters Installed

Option for a Site Visit? (Yes/ No)

Proposers shall also provide a comprehensive list of the AMI, MDM, installation and/or Customer Portal services that are being proposed or pending in the following format:

Table 7-Requested Reference Account Information

Utility Name Location Installation Date Account Size


6.4 Product Maturity and Future Roadmap

Provide information on products and future roadmaps for your proposal. This section does not pertain to meter installation services.

i. AMI System (Hosted or On-Premises)

a. Provide a narrative description of the AMI solution, from meter to software systems.

b. Include a discussion of cyber-security measures applicable to protect: LVMWD’s network, equipment, software, and customer data.

c. For a hosted AMI solution, an overview of respective NOCs, including third-party cloud services, uptime percentage, physical locations, security (both physical and cyber), and redundancy.

d. Proposer should provide documentation to support future scalability and expandability beyond what is initially required to support LVMWD’s implementation.

e. Provide the implementation process for releasing and applying software and firmware upgrades, bug fixes, and patches. Include overall implementation timeframe, vendor effort/time/resources, and client effort/time/resources. Discuss the quality assurance (QA) procedures currently in place to ensure bug fixes, patches, and upgrades are fully tested and validated prior to release. Discuss QA procedures currently in place to ensure the identification and correction of system security vulnerability.

f. Summarize the system maintenance agreement including terms and conditions. Provide a copy of Proposer’s user support Service Level Agreement (SLA) as an appendix. The SLA should clearly indicate the severity levels, description of each level, guaranteed response times, availability of maintenance and support staff, and associated cost.

g. Software hosting is preferred. Specify the differences in hosting versus on-premise (if proposer can provide either solution).

ii. Meter and Endpoint Details

a. Provide the product cut sheet as an appendix to the proposal.

b. Specify the meter types being proposed and provide product information/brochures.

c. Describe how the product is configured (e.g. using handheld with IR port).

d. Confirm the product can be pre-configured in the factory.

e. Describe the maximum number of digits that can be transmitted for a meter read.

f. Describe ability to re-program registers in the field and hardware that is required to support this activity.

g. Provide a complete list of events and alarms supported by the head-end system and endpoints.


h. Provide a detailed water meter compatibility matrix.

i. Provide the battery life warranty provided (in years). Describe the conditions of this warranty. Provide the reading frequency that the battery life warranty is based on. Explain if On-Demand Reads affect this warranty and, if so, to what extent.

j. Describe any accessories that are necessary for operation and maintenance with the product. Verify that the production capacity for meters and endpoints can satisfy the number and timeline identified in this RFP.

k. Provide radio frequency information to be used by the endpoints and whether licensing with FCC is required.

For the pit-installed products, provide:

l. Preferred mounting method.

m. Minimum requirements of the meter pit lid (material construction, maximum thickness, and diameter of hole if required).

n. Minimum clearance needed between the top of meter to bottom of pit lid.

o. Description of how the radio is wired to the register (e.g. splice, connector).

iii. AMI Network Devices

a. Provide the product cut sheet as an appendix to your proposal.

b. State the locations of AMI network devices and the antenna height (in reference to the preferred 11 ft maximum antenna height).

c. State any special mounting requirements, including minimum height, pole, tower, and bracing restrictions, the recommended sighting, and the minimum separation from other radio, cellular, microwave, or other sources of interference.

d. Explain (if pole- or tower-mounted) if the unit can be installed at the base with the antennae mounted on the tower.

e. Describe the backhaul transports that are supported (e.g., Wi-Fi, cellular).

f. Explain if the product has the capability to store multiple readings in the case of a receiver being unavailable. If so, provide the storage limit of backup reads.

g. Describe any maintenance requirements for the collection units.

h. Verify that the production capacity for network devices can satisfy the number and timeline identified in this RFP.

iv. MDM System (Hosted or On-Premises)

Provide, for the MDMS being proposed, the following information regarding the application and the application vendor:

a. The formal name and software version being proposed for implementation.

b. A narrative description of the proposed MDMS, system components, and capabilities. Clearly state what is included in the base offering. Include:

i. A discussion of Validation, Estimation, and Editing (VEE) capabilities.


ii. A concise list and description of all operational reports (e.g., system monitoring, meter status, VEE exceptions, etc.) and analytics (e.g., historical use trends, revenue forecasting, leak detection, etc.) available.

iii. A discussion on virtual metering capabilities:

1. Can user-defined aggregated meters be individually configurable, depending on the user, and can the individual configurations be stored? Can a virtual meter be selected by any attribute within the billing system, such as residential, commercial, etc.? Can a user define stored alerts/alarms for each virtual meter? Can each user define multiple virtual meters?

2. Describe the methods for defining virtual meters. Can virtual meters be selected based on attributes synchronized with the billing system such as customer classes (residential, commercial, industrial) or account status or meter size? Can ESRI GIS-generated meter numbers be imported to define a virtual meter such as each water meter within a water pressure zone? Can user-generated lists of meter numbers be imported to define a virtual meter? Describe any other methods/tools available to define virtual metering.

3. Is any training or assistance available to support definition of virtual meters for the Utility?

4. Once a virtual meter is created, can the user define the name of the virtual meter and store it in a library for others to use?

5. Can virtual metering data be exported for use in ESRI GIS or third-party reporting applications?

iv. Describe individual user ability to establish user-defined alarms based on user-defined thresholds for operational reports and virtual metering.

c. Discuss methodology and roll-out approach. Include:

i. A discussion on what interface mechanisms are available to facilitate integration with other utility systems (e.g., MultiSpeak, REST API, etc.).

ii. Describe your recommendations regarding the number and purpose of the environments that will be required during implementation and after go-live (e.g., production, development, testing, etc.).

d. Include discussion of cyber-security measures applicable to protect LVMWD’s software and customer data.

e. For a hosted MDMS solution, an overview of respective NOCs, including third-party cloud services, uptime percentage, physical locations, security (both physical and cyber), and redundancy.

f. Proposer should provide documentation to support future scalability and expandability beyond what is initially required to support LVMWD’s implementation.

g. Provide the implementation process for releasing and applying software and firmware upgrades, bug fixes, and patches. Include overall implementation


timeframe, vendor effort/time/resources, and client effort/time/resources. Discuss the QA procedures currently in place to ensure bug fixes, patches, and upgrades are fully tested and validated prior to release. Discuss QA procedures currently in place to ensure the identification and correction of system security vulnerability.

h. Summarize the system maintenance agreement including terms and conditions. Provide a copy of Proposer’s user support SLA as an appendix. The SLA should clearly indicate the severity levels, description of each level, guaranteed response times, availability of maintenance and support staff, and associated cost.

i. Software hosting is preferred. Specify the differences in hosting versus on-premise (if proposer can provide either solution).

v. Customer Portal (Hosted or On-Premises)

Provide, for the Customer Portal being proposed, the following information regarding the application and the application vendor:

a. The formal name and software version being proposed for implementation.

b. A narrative description of the proposed Customer Portal, system components, and capabilities. In addition to online presentment, provide details regarding utility-to-customer communication channels (e.g., emails, SMS messaging, etc.), including automated messaging/alerts and the degree of messaging customizability. Also, include information regarding any additional, integrated services that are offered as a part of the proposed customer portal. Clearly state what is included in your base offering.

c. List Customer Portal solutions deployed to date. List instances where the utility uses water consumption budget billing.

d. Include discussion or use cases where leak detection notification has been part of your customer portal offering.

e. Include discussion of cyber-security measures applicable to protect LVMWD’s software and customer data.

f. For a hosted Customer Portal solution, an overview of respective NOCs, including third-party cloud services, uptime percentage, physical locations, security (both physical and cyber), and redundancy.

g. Software hosting is preferred. Specify the differences in hosting versus on-premise (if proposer can provide either solution).

vi. Research & Development Activities/Strategic Product Direction

Provide for the AMI and MDMS systems:

a. A discussion on the evolution of the proposed AMI and MDM product from the first major release of the product through to the present. Include a historical timeline.

b. A discussion of the AMI and MDM product development roadmap outlining the vision and strategy for the future of the proposed system. Include a description of the upgrades/enhancements that are in the planning or design stage.


c. Past and future research and development budgets. What percent does the company invest of its profit into research and development for future products?

d. An overview of additional sensors (vendor-owned or third-party) supported by the system.

6.5 Implementation Approach

i. Project Team

Provide the following regarding the proposed project team:

a. An organizational chart outlining the structure of the proposed project team (including subcontractors) to be assigned to support this project.

b. Names and positions of persons to be assigned to this project, including a description of their chief role. Indicate desirable certifications such as Project Management Professional, Six Sigma, etc. Resumes of key staff are to be included in the appendices. All personnel proposed for the project are subject to approval by LVMWD.

c. Proposer shall attest to the availability of key staff to fulfill the obligations of this engagement in a professional and timely manner. If there are any scheduling issues of concern, then proposing firms shall disclose those other commitments in its Proposal and indicate how such other commitments will be addressed to mitigate their effect on services rendered to LVMWD.

d. Confirm your company’s commitment to having an on-site presence as required to fulfill project scope and deliverables.

ii. Project Management

Provide your published methodology or describe at a high level your general approach to the management of an AMI, MDM and Installation Services Project. Ensure the following topics are covered in your response:

a. Risk management and risk mitigation. Please describe your methods of identifying, assessing, and mitigating project risks.

b. Problem resolution and exception management. Describe the problem identification and resolution process employed during the project. Describe how exceptions are managed, such as instances where installation cannot occur as there is no access to the property.

c. Communications and Reporting. This project will involve multiple vendors and multiple LVMWD departments. LVMWD anticipates having weekly project status meetings and written status reports. Confirm you will provide representation and proactive communication for these activities.

d. Quality Assurance. Describe how quality is measured, reported, and enforced. Consider the following in your response: data quality, quality of installation, success of training.

e. Schedule. Describe how plans are monitored and maintained in order to keep the project on track.


f. Scope Change. Describe how changes in scope are managed.

iii. Testing

Describe the proposed test plan/ strategy and testing tools to be employed to support and ensure user acceptance. Include Proposer’s high-level test plan as an appendix. Please note, there is no template being provided by LVMWD. Proposers should provide test plans in their preferred format.

iv. Training

Provide a list of all applicable training courses to be provided on-site, via the Internet, and at off-site locations. The training must be comprehensive enough to ensure that Utility staff can effectively install all products offered and operate all systems and software. Areas that shall be included (but are not limited to) in the training are:

• AMI Training

o Networked components

o Overview of the AMI product and head-end software

o System operations and troubleshooting (including interaction between the endpoint and collector(s), collector(s) and AMI head-end, and interaction between the AMI head-end and an MDMS)

o Identification and resolution of events and alarms

• Endpoint Installation Training

o Installation

o Troubleshooting

• MDMS Training

• Meter Installer Training

Also provide an optimal user training schedule, and a sample training plan covering all items as outlined in this Training section as an appendix.

v. Documentation

The following will be required as provisions within the agreed-upon contract between the Utility and the Proposer for the AMI/ MDM solution. Confirm your ability to provide:

a. Description of major system components

b. Hardware/software operations & maintenance manuals

c. Training materials

d. Samples of all standard reports with narrative descriptions of all fields displayed on the report, input parameters, and an explanation of how to execute each report


e. All error codes, messages, and their explanations displayed online and/or on reports with action required or options available

f. Updated system documentation available concurrent with the release of new software updates

g. Troubleshooting and installation information

h. Technical specifications and installation guides

i. Proposed system acceptance test plan for your product

vi. System Integration Services

Provide a summary of work and describe how integrations and data exchanges will be managed for LVMWD. LVMWD is requesting a hosted solution for AMI, MDMS and the optional Customer Portal. See below for a high-level network diagram for the desired future connectivity post-AMI and MDM deployment. See Table 5 for a list of systems currently in place.

Note: ERP is scheduled to be moved into a cloud environment by 2022.

Figure 4-LVMWD Anticipated Future State IT Network Diagram

Describe how your company handles the integration of AMI systems with other computer systems.


a. Does your company manage the integration of AMI software with CIS?

• If so, how will this integration be managed on behalf of LVMWD?

• Describe what functions are integrated.

• What services will be required from the CIS vendor (or LVMWD) to

facilitate integration with the AMI software?

b. Does your company manage the integration of MDMS software with CIS?


• Describe the functions that must be integrated.

• What services will be required from the CIS vendor (or LVMWD) to

facilitate integration with the MDMS software?

c. Does your company manage the integration for the meter exchange process to

the CIS from a third-party installation system?

• What formats have you utilized and what may be recommended/ agreed

upon?

• What integration services will be required from the following:

o AMI vendor?

o MDMS vendor?

o Installation Software vendor?

o CIS vendor (or LVMWD)?

o GIS vendor (or LVMWD)?

d. Does your company manage the uploading of geospatial data acquired when AMI

devices and meters are installed to GIS?


• What services will be required from the GIS vendor, CIS vendor, MDMS

vendor (or LVMWD) to facilitate data transfer?

Vendors should submit information on whether they support MultiSpeak 4.1 or higher. If your company does support MultiSpeak 4.1 or higher, please indicate which version and which use cases are supported.

vii. Meter Installation Procedures

Describe the procedures you employ in a typical AMI deployment. Include in your response the following topics:

a. Describe the process by which you determine the optimum strategy for deployment. Explain how crews are scheduled to perform work.

b. Describe all site preparation activities and timing related to deployment. Provide detail on all equipment (i.e. vehicles, uniforms, tools, forklifts, bins, etc.) required.

c. Describe how inventory is tracked and inventory control procedures.

d. Explain how the company will communicate with the Utility’s customers. Describe how appointments are scheduled; what credentials your employees carry; and how employees are dressed.


e. Provide information on the call center dedicated to utility customer inquiries.

f. Describe how, after equipment has been installed, it is verified that it has been installed correctly, that equipment is working correctly, and that the customer’s property is as it was before installation.

g. Describe the methods used to record information from each installation, particularly the serial number of the AMI endpoint, the address, any site photos, and the last read. Include example screenshots and descriptions of the work order management system utilized.

h. Describe the process for dealing with potential installation complications, such as indoor meters, meter rooms, etc.

i. In the Cost Proposal, include T&M rates for other general water meter installation work and relocating meters to the curb.

j. Provide any other storage, material handling equipment, or physical site requirements.

k. Describe the process for complying with DIR Wage Determination requirements (see Section 3.1 above).

6.6 Requirements

Proposers must submit the completed requirements and capabilities workbooks in Excel format with their proposal response. Attachments 1-4 are required to be returned by the Prime Contractor.

1. AMI System Requirements/ Capabilities

In general, the AMI system is considered to be a data collection field area network consisting of various apparatuses designed to automate the meter reading function while having the capability to execute remote commands acting either upon the attached meter or upon itself. As there are many possible implementations of systems with similar functionality, the metering system is treated as a single entity with the primary integration point located at the AMI headend. This structure attempts to remove constraints upon proposals in order to elicit the best possible system configuration.

The system requirements and capabilities outlined in this Section are expressed in categories of features that have similar characteristics or functions. A point-by-point response must be completed and submitted in the Microsoft Excel format presented as Attachment 1 – AMI System Requirements and Capabilities. Attachment 1 contains the following three (3) tabs:

• Instructions

• Response Options

• AMI System

Referring to a particular requirement or capability is done by specifying the category and the requirement ID number, for example:

• “General AMI - 9” refers to the requirement, “The AMI headend system must be able to store at least 90 days of hourly interval data.”


As outlined in the Instructions tab in the workbook, Proposer shall select one of the following statements of conformance from the drop-down menu in Column D as well as any supporting explanation or description in Column E:

• Current Base – The function is provided in the base product today. No modification is required. No additional cost.

• Future Base Release – This function will be provided in a future base release that will be a general release within 18 months from submission of this response. No modification is required. Vendor will indicate timing of when desired functionality will be available.

• Modification – This business function can be supported by modifying an existing screen, existing view, or existing native report. There would be no change in the system source code required and it would not break the system upgrade path. One-time modification.

• Third Party System – This function is provided in another product which is integrated with the base. No modification is required. Vendor must indicate estimated cost if applicable.

• Customization – This requires a specific enhancement to be developed for the client and will be an additional cost. This enhancement would include, but not be limited to, revisions to the source code of the core system, database objects, and/or custom reports. This type of customization is assumed to break the upgrade path of the core system. Vendor must indicate estimated cost.

• Not Provided – This functionality is not provided by the vendor in the proposed solution.

2. MDMS System Requirements/ Capabilities

The MDM system requirements and capabilities are expressed in categories of features that have similar characteristics or functions. A point-by-point response must be completed and submitted in the Microsoft Excel format presented as Attachment 2 – MDM System Requirements and Capabilities. Attachment 2 contains the following three (3) tabs:

• Instructions


• MDM System


• “Reporting - 40” refers to the requirement, “Provide the ability for users to view tabular and graphical data (at interval, daily, monthly levels) from current and prior 36 months of usage for individual meters.”









3. Installation Requirements/ Capabilities

The meter installation requirements and capabilities are expressed in categories of features that have similar characteristics or functions. A point-by-point response must be completed and submitted in the Microsoft Excel format presented as Attachment 3 – Installation Requirements and Capabilities. Referring to a particular requirement or capability is done by specifying the Category and the Requirement ID number, for example:

• “Safety & Appearance - 20” refers to the requirement, the installation contractor shall “Have all field personnel wear easily recognizable uniforms containing company name, as well as prominently displayed LVMWD approved picture identification badges on uniform and safety vest.”

Attachment 3 contains one (1) tab in which the Proposer shall select a Yes (Y) or No (N) from the drop-down menu in Column D to indicate conformance. Proposer shall also include any supporting explanation or description in Column E.

4. Customer Portal Requirements/ Capabilities

The Customer Portal system requirements and capabilities are expressed in categories of features that have similar characteristics or functions. A point-by-point response must be completed and submitted in the Microsoft Excel format presented as Attachment 4 – Customer Portal Requirements and Capabilities. Attachment 4 contains the following three (3) tabs:

• Instructions



• Customer Portal


• “System Design - 18” refers to the requirement, “Support branding with LVMWD styling.”








6.7 Cost Proposal

Proposer shall submit a full and complete pricing proposal for the solution proposed. The cost schedules must be completed and submitted in the Microsoft Excel format provided in Attachment 5. Proposers shall clearly identify which costs will be incurred during the initial phase and during full deployment. The pricing must include all costs related to implementing the detailed requirements and capabilities in this RFP, whether such implementation requires customization to the software or not.

Attachment 5 contains the following tabs:

• Instructions

• AMI Option 1

• AMI Option 2

• AMI Option 3

• AMI Option 4


• Meter Equipment

• Installation

• Meter Data Management System

• Optional Customer Portal

• Optional Equipment/Services

The AMI software and equipment options that LVMWD is requesting for pricing are:

• AMI Option 1: Vendor hosted AMI software. Vendor manages AMI software. LVMWD owns and maintains AMI network equipment.

• AMI Option 2: Vendor hosted AMI software. Vendor manages AMI software. Vendor owns and maintains AMI network equipment.

• AMI Option 3: On LVMWD premises AMI software & server. LVMWD manages AMI software. LVMWD owns and maintains AMI network equipment.

• AMI Option 4: On LVMWD premises AMI software & server. Vendor manages AMI software. LVMWD owns and maintains AMI network equipment.

As outlined in the Instructions tab, Proposer shall populate the Item, Quantity, Unit Price, and, if applicable, Equipment Lead Time for both the initial and full deployment projects. The Total Cost column will populate automatically based on Quantity * Unit Price; however, Proposer must verify. A Notes/Comments column is also provided for Proposer explanation and clarification. Sales tax on appropriate line items should also be identified separately as appropriate.

Proposer shall provide supplemental detailed pricing necessary to explain or justify the total price. Additive or deductive options may also be provided.

All prices quoted in this proposal must be a fixed price unless otherwise instructed. LVMWD reserves the right to consider line item pricing for individual elements of the proposal. LVMWD at its sole discretion may elect to add additional requirements or remove requested

requirements prior to finalizing costs during contract negotiations.


7 ATTACHMENTS

Proposers must complete and submit Attachments 1-5 & 7 with their proposal. The editable excel version of the attachments upon request. Submit a signed Attachment 6 to receive Appendix 1 and 2.

• Attachment 1 – AMI Requirements and Capabilities Workbook

• Attachment 2 – MDM Requirements and Capabilities Workbook

• Attachment 3 – Installation Requirements and Capabilities Workbook

• Attachment 4 – Customer Portal Requirements and Capabilities Workbook

• Attachment 5 - Cost Proposal

• Attachment 6 – Las Virgenes NDA Form

• Attachment 7 – Non-Collusion Declaration

• Attachment 8 – LVMWD Special Prevailing Wage Determination for Water Meter Technician

8 APPENDICES

• Appendix 1 – LVMWD Meter List and Locations

• Appendix 2 – LVMWD Allowable Network Device Installation Locations

• Appendix 3 – LVMWD Meter Box Lids Specification

• Appendix 4 - LVMWD Agreement for Services Sample

• Appendix 4a - LVMWD Additional Terms and Conditions to the Agreement of Services

advanced metering infrastructure, meter data management

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