naspo valuepoint for mro and industrial supplies technical … · noble will-call locations. ........

NASPO ValuePoint for MRO and Industrial Supplies Technical Proposal | RFP #DASPS-2183-17

January 5, 2018

Ms. Shirley A. Smith

State Procurement Analyst

State of Oregon, DAS PS

1225 Ferry Street SE

Salem, Oregon 97301

Subject: Solicitation Number DASPS-2183-17, NASPO ValuePoint Master Agreement(s) for Facilities

Maintenance and Repair & Operations (MRO), Industrial Supplies

Dear Ms. Smith:

Please find enclosed Noble’s response to the subject solicitation. Noble is a Small Business offering

NASPO ValuePoint the highest quality products and services at the lowest possible cost. With hundreds

of ongoing projects demanding a wide variety of products, balancing direct orders, inventory, and

emergency requests can be a complicated, often expensive, job. We at Noble built our business using a

model that includes direct relationships with our manufacturers, strategically located distribution centers,

on-site Regional Managers and support teams, and a commitment to offering our customers the lowest

prices available.

Noble is a distributor for more than 11,000 manufacturers both in the U.S. and around the world. We offer

NASPO an established supply chain for all products offered through this contract. Our distribution

philosophy includes a flexible ISO-certified approach to established procedures for qualifying and adding

suppliers; pre-positioned inventory at our warehouses; agreements with manufacturers to maintain

committed stock levels; distribution facilities and logistics partners located in strategic geographic

locations to allow for quick, inexpensive deliveries; and a staff of professionals who provide quotes,

quality oversight, and dedicated customer service.

Noble’s approach to supporting customers with locations around the country includes an e-commerce

solution customized to each contract. Customers have access to only the products and services included in

their contract, including built-in authorization screens, order history, and complete visibility of order

status through all stages of its lifecycle. We also provide dedicated regional teams with 24-hour customer

service.

We look forward to offering these advantages to the NASPO Program.

Sincerely,

Thomas W. Noble

CEO

Noble Supply & Logistics, Inc.

Submitted by:

Noble Supply & Logistics

302 Weymouth Street, Rockland, MA 02370

(877) 999-1911

1HEN9 DUNS 107910259 TIN 04-2767926

January 5, 2018 | 2:00pm PT

Solicitation # DASPS-2183-17

NASPO ValuePoint Master Agreement(s) for

Facilities Maintenance and Repair and Operations

(MRO), Industrial Supplies

Technical Response

Submitted to:

Ms. Shirley A. Smith, State Procurement Analyst


1225 Ferry St. SE, Salem, Oregon 97301

[email protected]

(503) 378-5395


2:00pm PT, January 5, 2018

Solicitation Number DASPS-2183-17

NASPO ValuePoint Master Agreement(s) for Facilities

Maintenance and Repair & Operations (MRO),

Industrial Supplies

Technical Response

Submitted to:

Ms. Shirley A. Smith, State Procurement Analyst


1225 Ferry St. SE, Salem, Oregon 97301

[email protected]

(503) 378-5395

Submitted by:

Noble Supply & Logistics

302 Weymouth Street, Rockland, MA 02370

(877) 999-1911

Noble Supply & Logistics | January 5, 2018

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Table of Contents

Attachment E revised .......................................................................................................................v

2.0 Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................1

SECTION 3: Administrative and Technical Response Requirements ............................................3

3.1 Mandatory Minimum Administrative Proposal Requirements ...........................................3

3.2 NASPO ValuePoint Master Agreement Statement of Compliance .....................................3

3.2.1 Insurance .....................................................................................................................3

3.2.2 NASPO ValuePoint Administrative Fee and Reporting Requirements ........................4

3.2.3 NASPO ValuePoint eMarket Center ............................................................................4

3.3 Participating State Terms and Conditions. .........................................................................4

3.4 Technical Requirements ......................................................................................................4

3.4.1 Offeror Profile .............................................................................................................4

3.4.2 Customer Service ........................................................................................................6

3.4.3 Technology ...............................................................................................................18

3.4.4 Products and Services ...............................................................................................23

3.5 Data Security .....................................................................................................................23

Attachment A – revised 11-2017 ...................................................................................................25

6.1 Categories .........................................................................................................................25

6.2 Experience and Capabilities .............................................................................................25

6.2.1 Experience in performance of comparable engagements/References; ......................25

6.2.2 Conformance with the terms of this RFP ..................................................................27

6.2.3 Expertise and availability of key personnel; .............................................................28

6.2.4 Demonstrated Competence; ......................................................................................30

6.2.5 Reasonableness of pricing.........................................................................................31

6.3 VOLUME DISCOUNTS .................................................................................................32

6.3.1 General ......................................................................................................................32

6.3.2 Cumulative Ordering Volume Discounts..................................................................32

6.3.3 Additional Volume Discount for Minimum Order Quantity ....................................32

6.3.4 Minimum Orders .......................................................................................................32

6.4 ESTIMATED PURCHASES ...........................................................................................33

6.5 SCOPE OF WORK ..........................................................................................................33


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6.5.1 Ordering Capabilities ................................................................................................33

6.5.2 F.O.B. Destination ....................................................................................................33

6.5.3 On-line Ordering .......................................................................................................33

6.5.4 E-commerce description ...........................................................................................36

6.5.5 E- Commerce and Web Catalog Capabilities .....................................................36

6.5.6 Storage of Electronic Data ............................................................................................41

6.5.7 Catalogs.....................................................................................................................41

6.5.8 Procurement Card Policy ..........................................................................................42

6.5.9 Forced Substitutions..................................................................................................44

6.5.10 Customer Service Representatives ..........................................................................44

6.6 Administration and Marketing .........................................................................................46

6.6.1 Return Policy ............................................................................................................46

6.6.2 Distribution Points ....................................................................................................46

6.6.3 Contract Management ...............................................................................................49

6.6.4 Delivery.....................................................................................................................55

6.6.5 Shipping ....................................................................................................................56

6.6.6 Implementation .........................................................................................................58

6.6.7 Reporting Capabilities ..............................................................................................61

6.6.8 Sustainability/Environmental Practices ....................................................................61

6.6.9 Emerging Small Business, Minority Business Enterprise, Women Business

Enterprise, And Disabled Veteran Owned Business..........................................................66

6.6.11 Retail Store Purchases/Will Call: ............................................................................69

6.6.12 Growth Incentives: ..................................................................................................71

6.7 Additional Services ..........................................................................................................72

6.7.1 Training .....................................................................................................................72

6.7.2 Disaster Recovery .....................................................................................................72

6.7.3 Installation, if applicable ...........................................................................................74

6.7.4 Value added solutions ...............................................................................................74

Attachment F ..................................................................................................................................78

AFFIDAVIT OF TRADE SECRET ..............................................................................................78

EXHIBIT NO. 3 .............................................................................................................................80

CONTRACTOR TAX CERTIFICATION ....................................................................................80


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ATTACHMENT H ........................................................................................................................82

COBID CERTIFIED FIRM/OUTREACH PLAN.........................................................................82

Certified Small Business Outreach Plan ........................................................................................83

7.0 Signed Amendments ................................................................................................................86

List of Figures

Figure 1. Noble Program Office, and Noble Warehouse and Distribution Facilities. ................... 2

Figure 2. Worker’s Compensation States. ...................................................................................... 3

Figure 3. Noble Contract Awards. .................................................................................................. 5

Figure 4. Helpdesk Page. ................................................................................................................ 6

Figure 5. Inventory Designation.. ................................................................................................... 7

Figure 6. Example of Approval Workflow. .................................................................................... 9

Figure 7. Order status and tracking screen. ................................................................................. 10

Figure 8. ALPHA’s NASPO customers gain immediate ordering support and access to 1,000,000

SKUs with all the features of online retail buying. ....................................................................... 12

Figure 9. Example of Customer Survey. ....................................................................................... 14

Figure 10. Noble’s QA Roles and Responsibilities. ..................................................................... 18

Figure 11. Example of Live Chat Screen. ..................................................................................... 19

Figure 12. Noble’s Mobile Options. ............................................................................................. 20

Figure 13. ALPHA’s Systems and Controls. ................................................................................ 21

Figure 14. Customized Reporting Capability. .............................................................................. 22

Figure 15. Noble offers NASPO a full range of products and services to customers across all

regions of the country. .................................................................................................................. 23

Figure 16. Supply & Logistics Expertise. ..................................................................................... 29

Figure 17. Noble Home Page. ....................................................................................................... 31

Figure 18. Customized Reorder Lists. . ........................................................................................ 34

Figure 19. Clearly Identified Product Designations. ................................................................... 35

Figure 20. Example Dashboard..................................................................................................... 37

Figure 21. Example of web-based product sourcing .................................................................... 38

Figure 22. Example of Order History. .......................................................................................... 38

Figure 23. Example of Customer Spend Limits............................................................................ 40

Figure 24. An Example Report for Our Hawaii Contract Demonstrating Level III Data. ........... 42

Figure 25. Letter from CyberSource. ............................................................................................ 43

Figure 26. Noble Regional Facilities. ........................................................................................... 47

Figure 27. Noble’s Distribution Facilities.. .................................................................................. 48

Figure 28. NASPO ValuePoint Management Structure.. ............................................................. 49

Figure 29. Noble’s NASPO Operations Division. ........................................................................ 50


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Figure 30. Noble Newsletter Signup. ............................................................................................ 52

Figure 31. Contracts Administration Organization. ...................................................................... 53

Figure 32. Sales Organization Chart. ............................................................................................ 54

Figure 33. Training Topics. .......................................................................................................... 55

Figure 34. On-time Delivery. ........................................................................................................ 56

Figure 35. Noble Shipping Labels are compliant with all contract requirements. ....................... 56

Figure 36. Packing Slip Example.................................................................................................. 57

Figure 37. Implementation Plan Overview ................................................................................... 58

Figure 38. Contract Implementation Examples. ........................................................................... 60

Figure 39. USPS EPP Report. ....................................................................................................... 62

Figure 40. Sustainability Policy Highlights. ................................................................................. 63

Figure 41. Noble’s BRAVO program portal for vendors. ............................................................ 67

Figure 42. Noble’s AbilityOne Letter of Authorization and Outstanding AbilityOne Program

Distributor Letter .......................................................................................................................... 68

Figure 43. Noble Will-Call Locations. ......................................................................................... 70

Figure 44. Supplier Selection Process. ......................................................................................... 75


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Attachment E revised OFFEROR INFORMATION AND CERTIFICATION SHEET

This form must be completed and returned with the Proposal in response to Section 2.21 of this RFP. Failure to submit this form with the Proposal may result in disqualification for non- responsiveness.

1. Offeror Information:

Offeror/Firm Name (Printed): Noble Supply and Logistics

Address:302 Weymouth Street

Rockland, MA 02370

Citizenship, if applicable: Non-resident alien Yes X No

Business Designation (Check One):

Professional Corporation Partnership Ltd. Partnership Ltd. Liability Company Ltd. Liability Partnership Sole Proprietorship Other

Federal Tax ID #: 04-2767926

State Tax #: 042-767-926

Secretary of State Corporations Division Registration #: 042767926

2. Identify Individual with Authority to Obligate the Offeror Contractually:

Name/Title: Tom Noble, Chief Executive Officer

Telephone Number: 781-871-1911

Fax Number: 781-871-7449

E-mail Address: [email protected]

3. Identify Person Authorized to Negotiate the Master Agreement on Behalf of Offeror:

Name/Title: Tom Noble, CEO

Telephone Number: 781-871-1911 Fax Number: 781-871-7449



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4. Identify Person Authorized to be Contacted for Clarification of Proposal:

Name/Title: Barbara Tyrrell

Telephone Number: 307-630-0450 Fax Number: N/A


5. CONTRACTOR CERTIFICATION CLAUSES IN RESPONSE TO RFP

a. Offeror understands and accepts the requirements of this RFP. By Proposal submission, the Successful Offeror(s) agree(s) to be bound by the Master Agreement attached hereto as ( Attachment B), as modified by Addendum, except for those terms and conditions that DAS PS has reserved for negotiation in the RFP.

b. Offeror acknowledges receipt of any and all Addendum to this RFP.

c. Proposal is FIRM for 180 days following the Closing.

d. If awarded a Master Agreement, Offeror agrees to perform the scope of work and meet the performance standards set forth in the final negotiated scope of work of the Contract.

e. Offeror does not discriminate in its employment practices with regard to race, creed, age, religious affiliation, sex, disability, sexual orientation or national origin. Nor has Offeror or will Offeror discriminate against a subcontractor in the awarding of a subcontract because the subcontractor is disadvantaged business enterprise, a minority-owned business, a woman-owned business, a business that a service- disabled veteran owns or an emerging small business that is certified under ORS 200.055.

f. Offeror certifies that, to the best of its knowledge, there exists no actual or potential conflict between the business or economic interests of Offeror, its employees, or its agents, on the one hand, and the business or economic interests of the State, on the other hand, arising out of, or relating in any way to, the subject matter of the RFP. Offeror shall provide prompt written notification to the State of any change occurring with respect to Offeror’s business or interests which is reasonably likely to result in (or has resulted in) an actual or potential conflict between the business or economic interests of the Offeror and those of the State, arising out of, or relating in any way to, the subject matter of the RFP. In its notice, Offeror will describe the nature of such actual or potential conflict of interest or remuneration in question in reasonable detail.

Offeror and Offeror’s employees and agents are not included on the list titled “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons” maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury and currently found at http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/sdn/t11sdn.pdf.



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g. Offeror certifies that all contents of the Proposal (including any other forms or documentation, if required under this RFP) and this Proposal Certification Sheet, are truthful and accurate and have been prepared independently from all other Offerors, and without collusion, fraud, or other dishonesty. Offeror acknowledges these certifications are in addition to any certifications required in the Master Agreement (Attachment B) at the time of Master Agreement execution.

h. Participating Entity Only: While the primary purpose of this RFP is to select

one or more contractor(s) who can offer the Facilities Maintenance and Repair & Operations (MRO), Industrial Supplies for all Participating States, Offerors are permitted to submit a Proposal for one or more State(s). However, if a Offeror elects to submit a Proposal for one or more State(s), then the Offeror must be willing to supply the entire State and will not be allowed to add additional States following award or at any time during the term of the Master Agreement(s) resulting from this RFP, including all optional renewals. Offerors must propose to all RFP Mandatory Requirements.

I, the undersigned, certify that I am duly authorized to legally bind the Offeror to the provisions of the RFP and the Master Agreement.

Dec. 21, 2017

Authorized Signature Date

Thomas W. Noble III, Chief Executive Officer

Typed or Printed Name and Title of Signatory



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2.0 Executive Summary

Founded in 1982 and located in Rockland, MA, Noble Supply &

Logistics, is a small business and leading supplier of maintenance,

repair, and operations (MRO), industrial, and building supplies as

well as safety, office, janitorial/sanitation, and construction products. Noble manages supply and

logistics and storefront contracts for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), the U.S. Air Force,

the U.S. Navy, and others to supply low-cost products, special order capabilities, an EDI-

compatible e-commerce system, product expertise, customer service, warehouse management,

logistics support, and regular reporting. As a distributor for more than 11,000 manufacturers, we

stock over 1.000,000 items in warehouses and distribution centers throughout the U.S., Europe,

Asia, Africa, and the Middle East to support contracts totaling more than $300 million each year.

Noble manages a warehouse and distribution system that includes logistics partners, volume-

based shipping agreements, strategically placed inventories, arrangements for contingency

inventories with manufacturers for commonly used MRO items, and a staff of professionals that

responds to thousands of quotes each year, negotiates with vendors, ensures quality products and

subcontractor performance, and provides our customers with 24-hour support.

Noble’s distribution philosophy includes a flexible ISO-certified approach to established

procedures for qualifying and adding suppliers; pre-positioned inventory at our warehouses;

agreements with manufacturers to maintain committed stock levels; distribution facilities and

logistics partners located in strategic geographic locations to allow for quick, inexpensive

deliveries; and a staff of professionals who provide quotes, quality oversight, and dedicated

customer service.

Proven E-Commerce System. Our customers rely on Noble to deliver a contract-compliant

product that meets their schedules. Noble designed our on-line purchasing system, ALPHA, with

our customers in mind. This web-based system is rapidly deployable with no transition time: it is

immediately accessible by anyone with a computer, a user ID, and an internet connection and

requires no additional software. Noble’s online ecommerce system, ALPHA, is accessed via

www.noblegov.com.

Low-cost Contractor. NASPO bypasses distributor costs because Noble doesn’t buy through a

distributor. We buy directly from our manufacturers with established volume discounts for our

175,000 customers and a proven track record that gives our vendors the confidence to give us the

best price. As the majority partner in the Do It Best (DIB) buying cooperative, we can negotiate

the lowest prices quickly. With thousands of transactions each year, our total volumes allow us

to leverage that spend to support this contract.

Extensive Supply Chain. Noble is a distributor for more than 11,000 manufacturers both in the

U.S. and around the world. We offer NASPO an established supply chain for all products offered

through this contract and we continue to add manufacturers, suppliers, and logistics partners to

support our mission to provide the highest quality products at the lowest possible price for our

customers. Our Purchasing Department expands our supply chain by researching new vendors in

response to customer requests, market trends, and when current vendors change their product

specs. Relying on product reps, distributors, vendor search services, online searches, and vendor

recommendations, we are constantly adding new suppliers to our supply chain. As a result,

Noble carries products from hundreds of smaller, less known manufacturers based here in the



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U.S., including SBA-certified small businesses.

National Warehouse and Distribution Center Capacity. Noble’s established warehouses,

distributions centers, and consolidation points throughout the U.S. ensure we met the diverse

delivery requirements demanded our customers. Figure 1 illustrates that our facilities are

strategically located throughout the country, allowing us to meet even the tightest customer

schedules. Noble’s facilities include nearly 4 million sq ft of warehouse and distribution center

space that serve as convenient staging centers for maintaining inventory, cross docking, and

storing and building BOM orders. Noble’s strategically located distribution centers and logistics

hubs mean we can quickly meet NASPO delivery requirements in each Participating State. Our

warehouse management system processes incoming orders using bar code technology to ensure

distribution centers are efficient with the pick/pack/ship process. Years of successful experience

working with our network of logistics partners have resulted in better than 98% on-time

deliveries.

The Noble Team includes a dedicated Program Manager, Regional Sales Teams, and Operations,

Purchasing, Logistics, Customer Service, and Warehousing professionals, all supported by our

Headquarters operations. We are committed to providing the highest quality products at the

lowest possible prices while meeting even the most aggressive schedules.

Figure 1. Noble Program Office, and Noble Warehouse and Distribution Facilities. Noble provides MRO supplies and

services throughout the US.



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SECTION 3: Administrative and Technical Response Requirements

3.1 Mandatory Minimum Administrative Proposal Requirements

This section contains the minimum requirements that must be met in order to be considered for the

evaluation phase. All of the items described in this section are non-negotiable. All Offerors must

state willingness and demonstrate ability to satisfy these requirements in the proposal submitted for

consideration.

Noble accepts all mandatory minimum administrative proposal requirements, as listed in this

section.

3.2 NASPO ValuePoint Master Agreement Statement of Compliance

NASPO ValuePoint Master Agreement(s) resulting from this RFP will constitute the final

agreement except for negotiated terms and conditions specific to a Participating State’s or a

Participating Entity’s Participating Addendum.

This section highlights particular terms and conditions of NASPO ValuePoint Master Agreement,

although Offerors will be bound to all the terms and conditions when executing a Master Agreement

as shown in Attachment B. Offeror must include a statement in its Proposal that it has read and

understands all of the terms and conditions as shown in the Master Agreement (Attachment B).

Noble’s Team has read and understands all the terms and conditions as shown in the NASPO

ValuePoint Master Agreement Terms and Conditions.

3.2.1 Insurance

To be eligible for award, the Offeror agrees to acquire insurance from an insurance carrier or carriers

licensed to conduct business in each Participating Entity’s state at the prescribed levels set forth in

Section 21 of the NASPO ValuePoint Master Agreement. Offeror must describe its insurance or

plans to obtain insurance satisfying the requirements in Section 21.

In addition, Participating States/Entities may request additional insurance or other coverages for

their State within their specific Participating Addendum.

Noble carries the requisite insurance as described in the NASPO ValuePoint Master Agreement

Terms and Conditions, including both liability and Worker’s Compensation. The states in which

we carry Worker’s Compensation are listed Figure 2. Adding additional states requires only a

phone call to our carrier with information that includes an accurate address, facility description,

worker categories, and salaries.

Alabama Arkansas California Connecticut

Florida Hawaii Indiana Maine

Massachusetts Mississippi New Jersey New Mexico

New York North Dakota Oklahoma Pennsylvania

Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota

Figure 2. Worker’s Compensation States. Adding states to our policy is accomplished with a single phone call.



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3.2.2 NASPO ValuePoint Administrative Fee and Reporting Requirements

To be eligible for award, Offeror agrees to pay a NASPO ValuePoint administrative fee as

specified in Section 6 of the NASPO ValuePoint Master Agreement. Moreover, specific summary

and detailed usage reporting requirements are prescribed by Section 7 of NASPO ValuePoint

Master Agreement.

Offeror shall identify the person responsible for providing the mandatory usage reports. This

information must be kept current during the contract period. Contractor will be required to provide

reporting contact within fifteen (15) calendar days of Master Agreement execution.

Noble agrees to pay the NASPO ValuePoint administrative fee as described in the NASPO

ValuePoint Master Agreement Terms and Conditions. Ms. Chrissy McStowe, our proposed

Program Manager, is responsible for providing the mandatory usage reports.

3.2.3 NASPO ValuePoint eMarket Center

To be eligible for award, the Offeror agrees, by submission of a Proposal, to cooperate with NASPO

ValuePoint and SciQuest (and any authorized agent or successor entity to SciQuest) with uploading a

hosted catalog or integrating a punch-out site. Refer to Attachment B, Section 9 and eMarket

Center Appendix, NASPO ValuePoint Master Agreement for the prescribed requirements.

Noble agrees to cooperate with NASPO ValuePoint and SciQuest, or its successor identity, with

uploading a hosted catalog or integrating a punch-out site, as detailed in Attachment B, Section 9

and eMarket Center Appendix, NASPO ValuePoint Master Agreement Terms and Conditions.

3.3 Participating State Terms and Conditions.

Some Participating State-specific Terms and Conditions are provided in Attachments I - S to this

Solicitation. These will be negotiated with individual Participating States after award of the Master

Agreement(s). Each State reserves the right to negotiate additional terms and conditions in its

Participating Addendums, including environmentally preferable products. Offeror shall submit a

statement that it has read and understands all the Terms and Conditions as shown in the attached State-

specific Participating Addenda.

Noble has read and understands all the terms and conditions provided in the State-specific

Participating Addenda and understands we may be required to negotiate additional terms and

conditions when executing a Participating State agreement.

3.4 Technical Requirements

This section contains technical requirements pertaining to the Maintenance and Facilities Repair &

Operations (MRO) industrial Supplies. Other sections of this RFP contain additional requirements

that must be met in order to be considered responsive. Offeror must identify in its Proposal how it

will meet (or exceed) all requirements listed in this Section 3, Section 4, and Attachments A, B,

and D-1 of this RFP solicitation.

3.4.1 Offeror Profile

Provide the following information specific to Offeror’s company:



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a. Company’s full legal name Noble Sales dba Noble Supply & Logistics

b. Primary business address 302 Weymouth Street, Rockland, MA 02370

c. Describe company ownership structure Small business, privately held

d. Employee size (number of employees) 265

e. Website www.Noblesupply.com

f. Sales contact information Wendy Orwig

g. Company’s client retention rate during the past 3 years Noble has a 100% retention rate

h. A brief history of the company and the year it was founded

Founded in 1982, Noble Supply & Logistics, a small business (SB), is a leading supplier of

maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO), industrial, and building supplies as well as safety,

office, janitorial/sanitation, and construction products. As a distributor for more than 11,000

manufacturers, we stock over 1,000,000 items in warehouses and distribution centers throughout

the U.S., Europe, Africa, Asia, and CENTCOM to support our contracts totaling more than

$300M each year. Since 2009, Noble has been rated one of the top 250 GSA vendors in all

business size categories.

i. Describe the company’s growth during the past three years.

Noble experienced a 39% compounded annual growth rate from 2015 through 2017. During this

time, we were awarded the contracts found in Figure 3.

Contract Contract Number POP Total Contract

Value

Eglin AFB COCESS FA2823-16-D-4007 10/01/2015 - 09/30/2021 $45,000,000.00

DLA PV MRO Northeast SPE8EG-14-D-0010 08/29/2015 - 08/28/2020 $205,000,000.00

DLA PV MRO Southeast SPE8E3-15-D-0033 08/17/2015- 08/16/2020 $175,000,000.00

GSA 51V Contract GS-06F-0032K 07/01/2015 - 06/30/2020 $150,000,000.00

DLA PV EUCOM SPE5B1-14-D-0001 04/22/2015 - 04/21/2020 $96,000,000.00

Little Rock AFB COCESS FA4460-17-D-0001 11/10/2016 – 11/09/2021 $10,000,000.00

Minot AFB COCESS FA4528-16-D-0001 08/01/2016 – 07/31/2021 $10,000,000.00

GSA JanSan FSSI

Requisition BPA

GS07F-DA334,

DA340, DA341 04/15/2016 – 04/14/2021 $175,000,000.00

Ellsworth AFB COCESS FA4690-17-D-0001 10/01/2016 – 9/30/2021 $10,000,000.00

Joint Base Charleston

COCESS FA4418-17-D-0007 09/01/2017 – 8/31/2022 $40,000,000.00

Figure 3. Noble Contract Awards. Noble’s quality products, exceptional customer service, and low prices led to 39% compounded annual growth rate from 2015 through 2017.



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3.4.2 Customer Service

a. What are Offeror’s hours of operation and when are key account people available to

Participating States/Entities and Purchasing Entities?

Normal business hours are 7:00 am – 5:30 pm, in each region across the U.S. with Customer

Support available 24 hours a day. Our Program Manager, Chrissy McStowe, is available for

routine matters from 8:00 am – 5:30 pm, PT, and available 24 hours a day for emergencies. Key

account representatives are available 8:00 am – 6:00 pm in their respective time zones and are

also available 24 hours a day for emergencies.

Figure 4 is an example of our helpdesk page.

b. Describe how Noble works to prevent problems from occurring.

Our standard vendor agreement includes contractual requirements and industry standards that

ensure our vendors are committed to complying with safe, environmentally friendly products and

services. For instance, our agreement includes audit clauses and requirements to adhere to the

Toxic Substance Control Act, OSHA regulations, Hazard Communications Standard, Federal

Hazardous Substances Act, and quality standards necessary to comply with building and

infrastructure codes and other applicable environment hazardous and toxic standards.

We pre-screen our suppliers who agree to comply with our vendor agreement requirements,

including terms and conditions that state our packaging, bar code, and storage requirements with

the understanding that Noble performs random audits to ensure supplier compliance. When

Figure 4. Helpdesk Page. NASPO customers have 24-hour access to Noble’s customer service support.



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shipments arrive at Noble’s distribution centers, our warehouse team inspects all orders, opening

each box to verify the contents against the packing list. If damaged goods are identified, we

refuse the shipment and return to the vendor.

When Noble adds vendors for large quantities of new products, we require that they send us a

sample of the products that we will be stocking in our distribution centers. Once received, our

QA Manager verifies that the product and its packaging meet our standards for labeling,

warranty, and country of origin and verifies that the contents match the label and the packaging

meets contract requirements, if applicable. Noble includes all preservation, packaging,

marking/labeling, and bar coding requirements on each PO we issue to ensure compliance.

Noble’s warehouse staff, with the help of Noble’s proprietary warehouse and inventory

management system ALPHA, stocks inventory with the material shelf life carefully managed.

ALPHA maintains product shelf life requirements and directs stocking and pulling order.

Figure 5 is an example of ALPHA showing inventory available.

Issues do arise, though. An order arrives and there is a product the customer doesn’t like, an item

that is broken, or a combination of products that aren’t compatible. Regardless of the reason, if

our customer contacts us to say they are not satisfied with a product, our customer service

representative (CSR) generates a return material authorization and ships the replacement product

immediately. Noble fixes the situation before we take anything back by immediately replacing

the discrepant item at no additional cost to the customer or issuing a refund or open credit memo

if they choose not to replace the item.

Figure 5. Inventory Designation. ALPHA includes product availability.



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The CSR creates a case following the discrepant item in ALPHA, allowing the customer to see

the status of the refund, call tag, tracking of the replacement, etc. If the item was replaced, our

system notifies us that the customer received the new item and we make arrangements to pick up

the discrepant item for return to our facility. Finally, Noble ships the item to the manufacturer

and works with them to find both a cause and a solution for any faulty products.

As stated, our CSRs meet weekly with the PM to discuss customer problems and our solutions. If

there is a reoccurrence of a problem with the same product, we post the vendor and product on

our multi-return list. This results in the item having a notation in our system identifying a

recurring problem and offering a list of potential substitutes for the item. Until the situation is

remedied, our CSRs tell customers ordering that product that we have had return issues with that

particular brand item and then offer them the list of substitutes.

Problems can always occur with deliveries, too. As soon as we are notified an order is delayed,

our system flags it and notifies the logistics manager that there is a delay. He and the CSR work

to notify our customer, while at the same time, he contacts the carrier or other participants to find

a solution to the situation while communicating with the customer to let them know when to

expect their order.

d. How does Offeror propose to service the NASPO account? Describe the system Offeror will

use to manage the account.

Noble’s Program Manager (PM), Ms. Chrissie McStowe, is responsible for resources,

contractual compliance, and management across the Participating States’ varying requirements.

Noble offers NASPO ValuePoint customers a Regional Sales Manager assigned to each

Participating State who is responsible for business development and customer satisfaction. The

Regional Sales Manager is supported by buyers, customer service representatives, and product

experts. A team of sales and marketing professionals, working directly under the Sales Manager,

develops and distributes information on products, the program, and new vendors.

Each participating State has a Noble sales Manager assigned from within the Regional Sales

Team who is responsible for customers throughout the state. Depending on the State’s volume

and requirements, the Noble Sales Manager has access to both Regional Sales Team resources,

including sales, marketing, and customer service representatives. The Sales Manager is available

to his or her customers throughout the business day and via cell phone 24 hours per day for

emergency requirements. All Noble customers have access to 24/7 support through our online

chat, toll-free number, and email.

Our E-commerce system, ALPHA, includes extensive Customer Relationship Management

(CRM) functionality. The entire Team has a single view of the customer, including tracking

appointments, documenting customer requirements and preferences, maintaining current contact

information, detailing authorization chains (Figure 6), and storing order histories: delivering

high-quality customer service that few companies can provide. ALPHA offers an online retail

experience that includes order histories, saved shopping carts, tracking information,

environmentally preferable products (EPPs), and access to product expertise and customer

service.



9

d. How does Offeror respond to customer complaints and service issues?

Whether a customer calls with a problem, product issue, or a general question about an order, our

CSRs open a “case” to track how quickly we solved the problem or answered the question and

how often we receive similar calls. Each inquiry is maintained in the customer’s file within

ALPHA and each case is followed until it is resolved. Our system is based on preventing

problems in the first place. By tracking calls and analyzing issues, we work to find solutions

before our customers have to ask.

Noble tracks each interaction with the customer whether via phone, fax, online, or in the store. If

a customer has a complaint or issue, they can reach us in person or through our ordering system

via the “Contact Us” button. An email is sent to customer support and an automatic response that

we received their email is sent immediately. A Noble CSR will get back with a solution within

24 hours. Using this support case system, the Program Manager has access to the real-time open

cases and oversees resolution.

e. How does Offeror assess customer satisfaction?

Noble’s CSRs manage responses to customer requests for information, document cases, and

ensure case resolution. They send surveys to our customers following delivery of an order and

work closely with the PM to provide inside support for the customer. Together with the HQ

Purchasing Team, the CSR offers product recommendations based on customer requirements.

They also accept orders via phone, fax, and email, including credit card and PO transactions. The

Figure 6. Example of Approval Workflow. Noble makes it simple to manage order approvals automatically.



10

CSR handles product returns and warranty issues and communicates backorder, delivery

schedule, receipt, and special-order status information to customers. Figure 7 is an example of

order status and shipping/tracking information. The CSRs act as a liaison between the Buyers

and the customer, following up after each order; supporting the technical experts to handle

ordering questions, quotes, and RFQs; communicating with the customer; generating and

sending reports to each activity; processing credit cards; filling out bills of lading; and arranging

delivery schedules and associated paperwork.

One of Noble’s corporate values is to make a difference for our customers. In that spirit, when a

customer calls, they get a person not a phone queue. Our team holds weekly customer service

meetings to evaluate open cases as well as to discuss ways to improve our customers’

experience. The NASPO Team develops solutions by examining repeating issues and

implementing corrective actions.

f. Describe Offeror’s quality assurance measures and how are they handled within the

organization.

Figure 7. Order status and tracking screen. Customers receive regular updates on order status and tracking information.



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Key Elements of Quality System

Noble’s Quality Plan is documented in our ISO

procedures and updated semi-annually. Noble's

Quality Management System was assessed and

registered as conforming to the requirements of

ISO 9001:2008 in July 2010. Highlights of our

Quality Program follow.

1. Inventory. Noble’s success is demonstrated in

our track record of managing inventory for U.S.

Government customers in locations as diverse as

Okinawa, Japan; Letterkenny Army Depot in

Pennsylvania; and Anniston Army Depot, in

Alabama. Our Inventory Managers perform

inventory counts monthly to ensure that what’s in

our system agrees with what’s on the shelf.

Relying on ALPHA’s technology for monthly

inventory and weekly cycle counts, our inventory

for the past 2 years has been 99% accurate, consistently reflecting what’s in our inventory

management system.

2. Safety. Noble’s Inventory Managers inspect shelving to ensure it is set up properly, packaging

to verify it adheres to OSHA standards, and facility grounds to ensure no safety hazards exist

from equipment, spills, stacking, and clutter. This is performed monthly.

3. Facility. Noble’s Inventory Managers inspect organization of the warehouse space, down to

the bin locations, each month. In conjunction with the inventory count, they inspect to make sure

bin locations are organized properly to match our systems, verifying each item is stored in the

spot identified in ALPHA’s warehouse management system.

4. Product. Noble’s Inventory and Purchasing Managers inspect products each month to verify

they meet contractual standards, product is as authorized and not a substitute or equal product,

the packaging is intact, and that product agrees with what the contract specifies and the

Government has authorized us to inventory.

5. Incoming Product. Noble’s Inventory Managers inspect each incoming shipment as it is

received to ensure the product received is the product the customer ordered. The results of all

monthly inspections are delivered to the PM for review and approval.

Processes to Ensure Quality Products and Services. Noble’s standard vendor agreement

includes contractual requirements and industry standards that ensure our vendors are committed

to complying with safe, environmentally friendly products and services. For instance, our

agreement includes audit clauses and requirements to adhere to the Toxic Substance Control Act,

OSHA regulations, Hazard Communications Standard, Federal Hazardous Substances Act, and

quality standards necessary to comply with building and infrastructure codes and other

applicable environment hazardous and toxic standards.

We pre-screen our suppliers who agree to comply with our vendor agreement requirements,

including terms and conditions that state our packaging, bar code, and storage requirements with

the understanding that Noble performs random audits to ensure supplier compliance. When

▪ Standard vendor agreements include contractual

requirements to ensure safe, environmentally

friendly products and services

▪ Contract requirements, vendor information,

order data, and compliance verification

maintained in ALPHA

▪ KPIs monitor the inventory levels of warehouse

and staging facilities and customer-facing

merchandise racks

▪ ISO-certified process for quickly adding

suppliers

▪ Experienced Quality Team ensure inspections,

testing, and contract compliance

ISO-Certified Quality Program



12

shipments arrive at Noble’s distribution centers, our warehouse team inspects all orders, opening

each box to verify the contents against the packing list. If damaged goods are identified, we

refuse the shipment and return to the vendor.

When Noble adds vendors for large quantities of new products, we require product samples for

items that we will be stocking in our distribution centers. Once received, our QA Manager

verifies that the product and its packaging meet our standards for labeling, warranty, and country

of origin and verifies that the contents match the label and the packaging meets contract

requirements. Noble includes all the preservation, packaging, marking/labeling, and bar coding

requirements on each PO we issue to ensure compliance.

Noble’s warehouse staff, with the help of ALPHA, stocks inventory with the material shelf life

carefully managed. ALPHA maintains product shelf life requirements and directs stocking and

pulling order. Figure 8 highlights other ALPHA elements.

Methods, Techniques, and Tools. Noble’s QA Manager, Jim Campbell, works with the

technical staff to identify indicators and their associated measures (metrics) that are needed to

control performance and predict future status of processes used to produce products and services.

The metrics are used to help determine when and where a problem is occurring and what type of

impact it has on the product or service. The metrics are used to base decisions concerning the

selection of best practices to implement in the project.

Metrics that are necessary to monitor the effectiveness of QA processes and procedures include:

▪ Number of reviews (QA activities) conducted

▪ Status of non-conformance items identified

▪ Status of action items open/closed/on-hold

▪ Number of days to correct and close a non-conformance item

▪ Customer satisfaction levels relating to product and service quality

▪ Trends for process improvement

▪ Lessons learned

Figure 8. ALPHA’s NASPO customers gain immediate ordering support and access to 1,000,000 SKUs with all the features of online retail buying.



13

Noble regularly relies on other tools and methods to gather customer feedback, including

Customer Surveys, Customer Calls Reporting Issues, On-site Personnel Gathering Data from

Customers, and Regular Risk Analyses.

Noble manages both our performance and that of our subcontractors and suppliers through pre-

established key performance indicators (KPIs) that track fill rates, number of customer calls,

average time on hold, and average time to resolve customer inquiries. For each of our vendors

and subcontractors, Noble sets KPIs that include measuring fill rates, time-to-ship, price changes,

cycle time analysis, compliance with contractual requirements, quoted vs. actual delivery time,

total volume, product country of origin, amount of new added vs. discontinued products, and

others, depending on the vendor. We monitor these KPIs to ensure that our vendors are meeting

our supplier agreement requirements.

Our Team determines inventory availability using multiple data analytic tools to run models to

ensure our service levels exceed 99% on all high-demand items. Using the well-known inventory

management News Vendor formula, we constantly monitor the demand data to determine

minimum and maximum levels on all fast-moving parts. In addition, we audit labels and

frustrated freight closely to ensure seamless customer deliveries with compliant labels.

After the first quarter, we grade the vendor from A to D based on on-time delivery, product

conformance, product defects, price, and customer service and our Purchasing Team reviews

these quarterly. Using Supplier Scorecards, we rank the supplier’s relative performance within

the supply base and track improvement in supplier’s quality over time. Scorecards also provide a

data point into any future business negotiations. At the end of the year, Purchasing Manager

reviews the supplier list. Any supplier rated C or below is given a warning detailing steps

necessary to comply with our supplier agreement and meet our performance criteria. If they

don’t comply within 30 days, we drop the vendor and find an alternate supplier.

Noble also monitors the KPIs within each area of our own organization. For example, we

monitor our case system to determine how our Customer Support Team is performing. Through

ALPHA, we identify how quickly our team responds to our customers and how quickly they

resolve customer issues. We monitor how much time each case has been open, the average

amount of communication per issue, and the customer’s evaluation of how we handled the issue.

In addition, Noble tracks repeat orders from existing customers to help us determine how we are

performing. ALPHA maintains a breakdown of every new customer, every repeat customer, and

the time between the original order and repeat order for each customer to allow us to gauge how

satisfied the customer is.

Each Noble professional has a dashboard on their ALPHA home page where messages are

posted automatically to alert staff to an issue. For instance, when our volume with one of our

suppliers’ increases, our Purchasing Manager is notified so he knows to renegotiate volume-

based discounts. When a case is open more than 24 hours, the CSR and PM are notified to ensure

problem resolution is in process. When an inventory item is backordered, the Warehouse

Manager is notified so he can offer alternatives and the Purchasing Manager is notified to

identify alternative vendors.

Noble’s CSRs and Purchasing Teams are in place to ensure the customer’s requirements are met,

whether it’s quickly pulling an item from the shelf or researching and obtaining non-stock items

for next-day delivery. We approach each order with professional, pleasant, and informed support.

The PM is responsible for the program personnel and works closely with each employee to instill



14

Noble’s philosophy of 100% customer satisfaction.

Noble tracks each interaction with the customer whether via phone, fax, online, or in the store.

Should the customer have a question that can’t be answered on the spot or product issues occur,

the CSR opens a case within ALPHA documenting all interaction. Using this support case

system, the PM has access to the real-time open cases and oversees resolution.

Noble’s regional CSRs manage responses to customer requests for information, document cases,

and ensure case resolution. The CSR Team sends surveys to our customers following delivery of

an order and works closely with the PM to provide inside support for the customer. Figure 9 is

an example of such a survey. Together with the HQ Purchasing Team, the CSRs offers product

recommendations based on customer requirements. They also accept orders via phone, fax, and

email, including credit card and PO transactions. The CSR Team handles product returns and

warranty issues and communicates backorder, delivery schedule, receipt, and special-order status

information to customers. The CSR acts as a liaison between Purchasing Team and customer,

following up after each order; supporting the technical experts to handle ordering questions,

quotes, and RFQs; communicating with the customer; generating and sending reports to each

activity; processing credit cards, filling out bills of lading; and arranging delivery schedules and

associated paperwork.

One of Noble’s corporate values is to make a difference for our customers. In that spirit, when a

customer calls, they get a person, not a phone queue. Our team holds weekly customer service

meetings to evaluate open cases as well as to discuss ways to improve our customers’

Figure 9. Example of Customer Survey. Noble is committed to NASPO customer satisfaction.



15

experience. The CSR Teams develop solutions by examining repeating issues and implementing

corrective actions.

Whether a customer calls with a problem, product issue, or a general question about an order, our

CSRs open a “case” to track how quickly we solved the problem or answered the question and

how often we receive similar calls. Each inquiry is maintained in the customer’s file within

ALPHA and each case is followed until it is resolved. Our system is based on preventing



Inspections and Testing. Noble uses industry best practices KPIs to closely monitor the

inventory levels of not only the warehouse and staging facilities but also the customer-facing

merchandise racks. Based on order history for time frames and quantities ordered, we set

minimum ordering levels in our system. When an item is scanned, the system adjusts the

inventory level on the spot. When the KPI is reached, the system automatically issues an order to

our vendor to replenish the inventory.

Noble invested heavily in our WMS technology, buying the latest barcoding and scanning

technology available. When items arrive at our stores, warehouses, and distribution centers, our

warehouse staff scans each one to enter it into our system. The item and its location in the

warehouse are recorded, making our pick/pack/ship process more efficient and accurate.

Frequency of Inspections and Testing. The warehouse staff inspects each shipment to ensure

we receive what we ordered at the quantities we ordered, and that the items are not damaged. As

each is scanned, they are coded for storage in the proper location in the warehouse. This

automated inventory control system has resulted in on-time consistent deliveries with our

network of logistics partners.

Noble’s WMS generates inventory reports that are monitored by Noble management. We discuss

program requirements with the CO to ensure we are inventorying the right items at the right

quantities at the right time of year.

Tools for Inspections and Testing. Noble’s ISO procedures dictate that each inspection is

documented, the time and date recorded, and corrective actions detailed. All inspection

documents are kept in ALPHA, where they can be accessed by the contract’s authorized users at

any time. Inspection documents include the following:

1. Nonconforming product. When product received is determined to not conform, Noble’s

staff fills out the form and records the action taken to correct the deficiency. We then work

with the manufacturer to ensure the nonconformance isn’t repeated. If the product will no

longer be in conformance because of country of manufacture or specs changing, Noble

finds a new source for the product.

2. Preventative Action. Following our monthly audit, Noble identifies issues where

preventative action will ensure compliance. For instance, we might move product from one

section of the warehouse to another.

For each of our vendors, Noble sets KPIs that include measuring fill rates, time-to-ship, price

changes, total volume, amount of new added vs. discontinued products, and others depending on

the vendor. Our ISO program requires we perform regular audits on our system and our

processes. Noble’s Purchasing Manager performs quarterly audits of our highest volume

suppliers to verify they are meeting our supplier agreement requirements, including on-time



16

deliveries, inventory levels, product compliance, and customer service. In addition to routine

audits, ALPHA dashboard notifies him when a vendor’s grade has changed. When he sees that a

vendor has been downgraded, he contacts the vendor, notifies them of the downgrade and the

reasons for it, and gives them formal notice of the 30-day grace period to fix the issues.

Noble monitors the number of new vendors added each quarter and the performance of new

suppliers, including their EDI performance. Real-time statistics are posted on the Purchasing

Manager’s dashboard in ALPHA, allowing us to continuously monitor new vendor performance

and verify that the onboarding process integrity is maintained. For every vendor added, he

approves the package that demonstrates that all steps in the process have been completed.

Additionally, Noble’s Buying Team holds quarterly meetings with our top 20% suppliers to both

assess their performance and participate in new product demonstrations and testing. At that time,

we also review our volume with each vendor to determine volume-based discount pricing.

Noble establishes vendor agreements, including customer flow-down provisions, and buys

product following the specific customer requirements. Noble's Purchasing Manager ensures that

manufacturers and their products conform to contractual requirements, including product

specifications and quality standards across our supply chain. As such, he conducts supplier audits

to ensure that suppliers are following the processes and procedures agreed to in the supplier

agreement and resulting POs for all orders and contracts. The supplier audit identifies non-

conformances in place of manufacture, shipment, engineering change, invoicing, and quality

processes at the supplier. If noncompliance or nonconformities are identified, Noble works with

the supplier to fashion corrective actions, which must be implemented within an agreed-upon

timeframe. Noble follows up within 30 days to ensure these corrective actions have been

successfully implemented.

All supplier information and customer feedback are fed into ALPHA, including product source

compliance and specification information, inquiries, contracts, orders, feedback, and complaints.

The QA/Compliance Manager and his staff monitor this communication to address past and

potential problems, maintain records of these activities and the resulting decisions, and monitor

their effectiveness. Following our documented procedures for handling actual and potential non-

conformances, the QA Manager works with the CSRs to provide a quick resolution for the

customer while he contacts the PM and the supplier to identify and implement a corrective action

for the product.

Assuring Purchase Orders / Subcontracts Contain All Flow Down Clauses. For each new

contract or task order issued, Noble uses a standard PO format that includes contractual and

Noble-specified requirements. Our Purchasing Manager approves the PO form and ALPHA

automatically generates the contract-specific requirements with the PO.

Prime Contract Terms and Conditions. Because all contractual clauses are built into ALPHA,

the NASPO MRO terms and conditions are included on all related POs. Noble requires each

vendor to sign off and accept the terms and conditions of each PO as a condition of performance.

Absent such vendor acceptance, Noble is not obligated to accept delivery or pay for the product

or service.

Clauses to Carry Out the Requirements. Any specific clauses for a task order are included on

the PO, including ship-by dates, arrive-by dates, or pick-up dates. As with the terms and

conditions, the PO is conditional upon the vendor accepting the specific clauses and provisions

as material elements of fulfillment. Absent such vendor acceptance, Noble is not obligated to



17

accept delivery or pay for the product or service.

Quality Team Personnel and Responsibilities. In Noble’s QA organization structure, the QA

Manager reports to the Noble’s Director of Corporate Compliance and Human Resources, not to

the Program Manager, to ensure shortcuts are not taken on quality activities. Mr. Campbell

manages our ISO program and conducts audits of quality metrics, including on-time delivery

rate, customer satisfaction, fulfillment rates, cycle times, and web performance metrics such as

time to load the web page. He participates in weekly Program Team meetings to discuss issues

and identify solutions for continuous improvement.

The Program Manager, works closely with the QA Manager to ensure products and services

adhere to Noble’s quality procedures. The Program Manager meets regularly with NASPO

Program Team to discuss customer service, procurement, inventory, and logistics issues and

meets quarterly with our customers to evaluate our overall performance. The Program Manager

reports issues and comments back to the QA Manager during quarterly meetings. Noble’s QA

Manager performs regular program audits. Documenting quality and process issues, the QA

Manager works with Program Staff to solve problems and implement continuous improvement.

The QA Manager submits monthly Program Quality Reports to the CEO.

Organizational Responsibility and Authority. The Project Team is responsible for high-

quality program deliverables and participates in quality reviews and continuous improvement

activities. Specific QA responsibilities for the NASPO program are listed in Figure 10.



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Role Quality Assurance Responsibility

Chief Executive Officer

▪ Assure availability of essential resources to implement identified quality activities

▪ Ensure resolution of quality issues escalated by Program Management

Program Manager

▪ Meet regularly with NASPO Regional Managers to discuss program issues, including

customer service, ordering, inventory, and delivery quality

▪ Encourage staff to participate in quality activities

▪ Encourage staff to participate in the continuous improvement of the quality procedures

and work activities

▪ Meet with the QA Manager quarterly to discuss QA issues and improvements

Regional Managers

▪ Review and approve the quality plan and the quality activities for operations

▪ Include project quality activities in the work assignments; schedule adequate time for

completion

▪ Manage resolution and follow-up on any quality issues raised during the quality

activities, escalating as needed

▪ Meet with customers to solicit feedback on Noble’s products and services and follow

up with a plan for problem resolution or continuous improvement

All Team Members

▪ Review and provide feedback on the quality plan and the quality activities for the

project; help determine the quality reviews, metrics, and criteria to be used in the

operations at the Base Store

▪ Participate in quality reviews and provide feedback on the products, services and Base

Store process

▪ Suggest ways to continuously improve the quality of the software and the development

process

Consumers

▪ Review and provide feedback on the quality plan and the quality activities for the

project

▪ Help determine the quality reviews, metrics, and criteria to be used for this project (via

in-store/web feedback and customer survey system)

Quality Manager

▪ Work closely with Program Manager and staff to identify quality issues and document

and track solutions

▪ Prepare quality plans, providing the framework for project quality activities

▪ Monitor the quality activities for completion and improvements

▪ Maintain documentation regarding inspections, corrective actions and continuous

improvement opportunities

▪ Prepare monthly quality update reports for Noble’s Director of Compliance

Figure 10. Noble’s QA Roles and Responsibilities. Everyone on our NASPO Team applies their thorough training to ensure a consistent commitment to quality.

3.4.3 Technology

a. Describe Offeror’s online system that Purchasing Entities would use to place orders and

receive results? Include all methods of order submission.

Our customers rely on Noble to deliver a contract-compliant product that meets their schedules.

We custom built our web-based, automated ordering and purchasing system, ALPHA, to

automate our order, vendor, inventory, and warehouse management systems while ensuring

quality in every step of the process. ALPHA, a fully EDI-integrated system equipped with the

latest encryption technology has built-in controls to ensure each aspect of the system meets all

our customers’ demands. Our customers can submit their orders via the website, email, phone,

fax, or online chat.



19

ALPA’s customer-facing site is Shop.noblesupply.com, which provides users access to more

than 1,000,000 products. Shop.noblesupply.com offers amazon.com-like ecommerce technology

with outstanding functionality for a wide variety of MRO categories, including the 17 NASPO

MRO categories. Features include lightning fast search, detailed item and tech specifications,

product comparisons, quote requests, order status, invoice history, account management, and

customer support via live chat. (Figure 11)

Our NASPO customer can order from our punch out cart. Noble has proven experience working

with Ariba and other State contracts requiring punch out functionality. For example, we support

Home Depot on State of Georgia and city of Washington D.C. contracts using punch-out

technology via Ariba, where customers search for products on our website and instead of the

shopping cart going into our ERP system to be filled, it is pushed into the Government’s

accounting system to streamline order entry.

Our NASPO customers can also order from their mobile devices. Noble’s system is designed to

be compatible with all mobile devices and gives our customers all the same great features offered

on our browser site. (Figure 12)

ALPHA is a cloud-based system built on an Oracle database. Noble’s sales team can process

orders using a variety of payment options from their laptops at our customers’ sites. All data is

captured at the point of sale, a 100% secure environment, and the system prints receipts with the

Figure 11. Example of Live Chat Screen. NASPO customers can reach Noble customer support 24/7.



20

first 12 digits xxed out. Our user-friendly store system offers touch screens and bar code

scanners during the check-out process.

Noble’s on-line purchasing system within ALPHA is a web-based system that is rapidly

deployable with no transition time: it is immediately accessible by anyone with a computer, a

user ID, and an internet connection, and requires no additional software. (Figure 13) ALPHA

offers a consistent 99% uptime with no requirements for wiring, cabling, or power beyond an

internet signal and a household plug. Noble’s transition team is able to start taking orders on the

first day of the contract.

ALPHA allows our customers to change a pending order up until the order is shipped. On the

“My Account” page, pending orders are listed in chronological order. When our customer

determines they need to add or subtract items, they click on “Edit or Cancel Order,” which will

cause an email screen to pop up. They then detail what they would like to add or subtract, or

cancel if needed, and the request goes directly to a Noble CSR. The CSR makes the changes and

returns an updated confirmation via email.

Noble customizes the reports, receipts, and invoicing format to the contract requirements. In

addition to establishing acceptable payment methods, we designate the information printed on

the invoice, including date and time, product specifics, PO #s, quantities, and price. As additional

items are requested, Noble’s IT Team adjusts to meet the contract’s requirements. ALPHA also

allows us to set dollar threshold limits to meet contract requirements.

For all orders, tracking information is automatically imported into the system and sent to the

customer for real-time tracking visibility. When the order is created, the customer receives an

email that their order has been received and is in process. Our system also generates a receiving

document, when required.

Figure 12. Noble’s Mobile Options. NASPO customers have convenient access from any mobile device.



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System Built-in Controls Benefit to GSA Customers

Vendor Relationship Management

▪ Integrate with our vendors via EDI

▪ Streamlined process for adding vendors

▪ KPIs displayed on dashboard

▪ Vendor performance ratings

▪ List of noncompliant products by vendor

▪ Automated forms that require vendor

confirm the country of origin, MilSpec

packaging, and other requirements

▪ Status on fill rates, open POs, backorders,

delivery rates

▪ Reduced risk of vendor

supplying a noncompliant

product

▪ Assurance that DLA’s

vendors meet all contractual

requirements

Warehouse Management System

▪ Real-time inventory levels

▪ Demand-based inventory replenishments

▪ Bin management to streamline

restocking

▪ Serial and lot number tracking

▪ Wireless barcoding and scanning

▪ Delivery schedule management

▪ Bill of material tracking and status

▪ Kitting and assembly management

▪ Calculated inventory for automated

restocking orders

▪ Buyers notified when country of origin

changes

▪ Packing slips and MSDSs automatically

generated

▪ Calculated pick/pack/ship time

▪ KPI efficiencies ratios

▪ The right items ship with the

right paperwork on time

▪ Minimized out-of-stock

situations

Product Information Management

▪ Marketing and catalog content

▪ Pricing with individual vendor price lists

▪ MSDSs

▪ Product specifications

▪ Country of origin listings

▪ Trade Agreement compliance

▪ Obsolete parts

▪ Flag noncompliant products

▪ Categorize products by levels of

compliance, e.g., TAA, DAA, and Berry

Amendment

▪ Capture discounts predicated on volumes

▪ Compliant products

shipping

▪ Lower costs based on

volume

Order & Billing Management

▪ EDI integration with Government

systems

▪ Real-time email communication with

receipts automatically sent

▪ Level III transaction data

▪ Backorder status and notification

▪ Real-time price updates

▪ Automated invoicing

▪ Extracts invoicing information, including

tracking information, proof of delivery,

and signed authorization

▪ Flag open orders for follow-up

▪ Flag products not compliant with

contractual requirements

▪ Cancellation and backorder notifications

▪ Ease of statement

reconciliation

▪ Compliant products

Customer Relationship Management

▪ Tracks customer order history and

communication, such as returns, calls,

questions, warranties, faxes, emails

▪ Provides order status, tracking numbers,

and proof of delivery

▪ Offers product suggestions based on

historical purchases

▪ KPIs displayed on dashboard, including

time to close the order

▪ Notifies CSRs to follow up with customers

after delivery to verify customer

satisfaction

▪ Issues customer surveys

▪ Comprehensive customer

service

▪ Contract data recorded and

maintained in one place

Reporting

▪ Responsive system that can print reports

based on any data request

▪ Access to usage data, socioeconomic

participation, inventory levels, pending

orders, and activity-specific invoices

▪ Customized reports emailed automatically

▪ Accurate contract data

Figure 13. ALPHA’s Systems and Controls. Noble’s ALPHA offers NASPO sophisticated systems and automated controls, resulting in on-time delivery of compliant products.



22

Noble provides our customers with end-of-the month statements that include all transactions

placed that month to help them reconcile their credit cards. Our customers can also log into our

e-commerce store to see a list of transactions and download/print invoices.

ALPHA’s technology merges the requirements, documentation, and authority chains inherent in

government contracting with the systems, interface, ease of use, and advantages of commercial

business practices. With ALPHA, Noble delivers rapid response, direct vendor delivery,

warehouse and inventory management systems, total asset/in-transit visibility, and customer

service records, reporting, logistics planning, vendor catalogs, and seamless integration with EDI

requirements and all government systems. Noble’s proprietary software streamlines our business

processes and integrates our customers, suppliers, and logistics partners throughout the ordering

lifecycle. ALPHA includes order management, CRM, inventory levels, procurement, real-time

asset visibility, KPIs, and reporting. Our system integrates EDI with government systems and

key vendors, sending and receiving POs, invoices, advance ship notices, and catalog transfers.

ALPHA automatically generates contract-required reports, including monthly usage, number of

customer calls, days to resolve questions, returns, warranty claims, new suppliers, and other

contract data. Our customers can access to this information through our website or can request

reports through the Noble PM. Regularly generated reports can be expanded to include any

contractual data. (Figure 14)

Figure 14. Customized Reporting Capability. NASPO customers can produce any program reporting information at any time.



23

While ALPHA’s automated systems and controls offer consistent processes with dependable

results, Noble also relies on manual inspections, direct negotiations with vendors, regular

communication with customers, hands-on product training, and repetitive order verifications.

Noble’s Purchasing Team is responsible for ensuring we fill our orders with the highest quality

products, which means they manage our vendors, review product data, verify manufacturer QC

systems, perform periodic quality audits, gather and verify supplier agreement data, establish

vendors in our system, and audit compliance with industry standards and contract requirements.

b. Describe Offeror’s ability and process to support a decentralized system of orders

submitted from many end users in multiple states and locations.

Noble designed ALPHA to support more than 175,000 customers, processing more than 225,000

decentralized orders each year, and delivering thousands of MRO items around the world. Those

customers have created a large, decentralized ordering base. ALPHA is the tool that allows us to

take this decentralized ordering base and centralize it so that no matter where they are in the

world or what time it is, they can place their orders, which will be fulfilled by the Noble Program

Team assigned to that customer and delivered within days. Upon contract award, we create a

Program-level portal that includes all NASPO ValuePoint requirements, State addenda

requirements, contract pricing, and program catalogs. When customers login, they access only

the approved Program information. Noble’s ability to support a decentralized system has been

proven on each of our DLA TLS MRO contracts where ALPHA turns thousands of orders from

hundreds of customers into a centralized system. As a result, we have grown these Programs

dramatically while offering total asset visibility, catalog orders, and non-stock items under a

wide variety of customer requirements. Today, we have generated over $300M in transactions.

Using that same approach for NASPO ValuePoint, ALPHA can track individual States’

requirements, preferences, and purchases while using a system centralized across the Program.

3.4.4 Products and Services

Offeror must review the Product and

Services Descriptions and requirements set

forth in (Attachment A) and submit with its

Proposal. Offeror shall indicate which

categories Offeror intends to provide; which

Products and Services Offeror intends to

provide; and whether Offeror intends to

provide the Products and Services on a

national, regional or one state only basis.

As noted in Figure 15, Noble offers

NASPO a full line of products and services

on a national basis.

3.5 Data Security

Noble’s ERP system, ALPHA, provides

128-bit SSL encryption standards,

enterprise-grade password policies, and

Products and Services Categories National Basis?

Products

1. Janitorial Equipment & Supplies Yes

2. Sanitation Cleaning Chemicals Yes

3. Fasteners Yes

4. Material Handling Yes

5. Plumbing Yes

6. Power Sources Yes

7. Outdoor Garden Yes

8. Lamps, Lighting, Ballasts Yes

9. HVAC Yes

10. Hand Tools Yes

11. Power Tools Yes

12. Electrical Yes

13. Paint Yes

14. Security Yes

15. Safety Yes

Services

1. Installation Yes

2. Training Yes

3. Disaster Recovery Yes

Figure 15. Noble offers NASPO a full range of products and services to customers across all regions of the country.



24

role-based field-level security. We do not store customer credit card data. The system is in PCI-

DSS Compliance, has multiple level data redundancy, and has a disaster recovery plan. Other

data security restrictions include IP address restriction capability, ERP intrusion detection, and

company-wide anti-virus software.

What measures does Offeror take to protect sensitive customer information?

Noble Supply & Logistics security protocol includes the following:

- Enterprise anti-virus software across the company

- 128-bit encryption of customer and transactional data

- No storage of customer credit card data

- Encrypted EDI transmission

- Employee role based data access restrictions

- Phishing Prevention & Training Software

- FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Standard Server Security



25

Attachment A – revised 11-2017

Description of Products and Services- Evaluation Criteria

THESE SECTIONS ARE MANDATORY- OFFERORS MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING

CRITERIA FOR THEIR PROPOSAL TO BE ACCEPTED AND SCORED BY THE

SOURCING TEAM

6.1 Categories

The scope of work consists of 15 categories. This proposal has been divided into categories with

items that generally represent those most frequently purchased during the previous contract period

including environmentally preferable options. Proposals will be considered from qualified offerors

that can provide all products at minimum of one entire category listed below and be able to supply

the products to a minimum of one entire State.

The United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC) codes are identified on

Attachment D-1 to further describe each category.

Janitorial Equip. & Supplies (does not include Sanitation Cleaning Chemicals)

Sanitation Cleaning Chemicals (does not include Janitorial Equipment & Supplies)

Fasteners

Material Handling Plumbing

Power Sources Outdoor Garden

Lamps, Lighting, Ballasts HVAC

Hand Tools

Power Tools (excluding automotive related tools and products)

Electrical Paint Security

Safety (does not include any public safety equipment)

6.2 Experience and Capabilities

This procurement contemplates a multi-state scope and may result in more than one award. The

following are the weighted evaluation criteria for this procurement.

6.2.1 Experience in performance of comparable engagements/References;

6.2.1.1 ESB/MBE/WBE/DV & DBE Programs

As a Small Business, Noble remains committed to supporting all categories of small businesses.

We maintain ongoing relationships with small business vendors, offer more than 1,500

AbilityOne and UniCore products, and work closely with small business subcontractors to

provide services around the U.S. A more complete discussion is found in Section 6.6.9.



26

Through the State Participating Addendum process, Noble works with each State to develop a

SB/MBE/WBE/DVBE Business program that meets the unique needs and goals of each State

and will provide quarterly reporting for documentation. Some examples of program elements

that may be developed include:

▪ Partnering with existing state certified SB/MBE/WBE/DVBE distribution/reseller

businesses.

– Utilization of Noble’s supply chain

– Pass through NASPO contract pricing

– Mark-up and/or administrative fee program development based on State goals,

mandated and preference

– Training and business management support

▪ Partnering with State-supported industries and certified manufacturers.

– Distribute products manufactured by State-supported industries, including blind,

handicapped, and prison, and State-certified SB/MBE/WBE/DVBE businesses on a

statewide or national level through Noble’s supply chain to provide greater

opportunities for the growth of State-supported programs and businesses

▪ Outreach efforts to State-supported programs and businesses in coordination with States

– Through direction and facilitation of each State, provide regular outreach events to

engage State-supported programs and entities to facilitate partnership opportunities

6.2.1.2 Growth Incentives

Noble offers a discount on an item-by-item basis for large orders. We go to our manufacturers or

suppliers and get the best price, which we then offer to our customers. Our proposed growth

incentives are listed in Section 6.6.12

6.2.1.3 The quality and availability of recycling or other sustainability programs, including

products or services offered;

Noble Supply & Logistics has successfully applied an environmental management system to

provide integrated supply, procurement, and logistics solutions to government and businesses,

worldwide. We partner with key suppliers to offer environmentally friendly products, host an

annual Green Day at our corporate HQ where manufacturers of green products demonstrate new

products, and we host Vendor Days at our multiple locations where we introduce

environmentally friendly products to our customers and to the market through our large global

foot print. In our catalogs and online, we denote which products are “Green” with icons. Noble

carries thousands of items that meet these requirements, spanning Energy Star, Biodegradable,

Recycled, and Renewable, Energy Efficient categories. A more complete discussion is found in

Section 6.6.8

6.2.1.4 The quality and availability of recycling or other sustainability environmental

conservation programs, including products and/or services offered

Noble offers a full line of green paints and we do not sell metallic paints or external plastic

housing, nor do we use them ourselves. We also offer a wide variety of dismantled components.

Noble has recycle programs for certain products, such as batteries, where our customers give us



27

their batteries and we send to the manufacturer for recycling. More information is provided in

Section 6.6.8.

6.2.1.5 The number of available green environmentally preferable products that meet the

solicitation’s specifications available, showing a robust supply of green/sustainable products

As detailed in Section 6.6.8 and later in Figure 19, Noble provides a wide selection of

green/sustainable products. Each is identified by the appropriate icon, making it easy for our

customers to identify and purchase environmentally preferable products.

6.2.2 Conformance with the terms of this RFP

As detailed throughout this proposal, Noble offers NASPO products and services that conform

with the terms of this RFP. Highlights are provided below:

6.2.2.1 Return Policy

When a return is in order, our CSR creates a case following the discrepant item in our system.

All activity is logged into ALPHA to allow the customer to see the status of the refund, call tag,

and tracking of the replacement. If the customer comes to our facility to return the item, we

perform the exchange or issue a refund. If the customer notifies us from their facility that they

require a replacement and want it shipped to them, we place the order and our system notifies us

that the customer received the new item. We then make arrangements to pick up the discrepant

item for return to our facility. We do not question our customer – our return policy is that the

customer is always right.

6.2.2.2 Distribution points

Noble has distribution points throughout the U.S. in each geographical region. With a

combination of warehouses, consolidation points, and distribution centers, we maintain inventory

and receive products from manufacturers around the country. Using this system, we can respond

quickly to customer orders while offering lower prices based on volume and logistics discounts.

6.2.2.3 Delivery

With 11,000 suppliers, regional warehouses with MRO inventories, and a team of Buyers, Noble

offers 1,000,000 items to our customers. With more than 30 years in this business, we have

relationships with logistics partners around the country that ensure we delivery all in-stock

products within 48 hours at the lowest possible price.

6.2.2.4 Shipping

With facilities around the country, we ship products from the closest warehouse to the customer

ordering to ensure quick delivery. Our long-standing relationships with UPS, FedEx, DHL, and

the USPS allow us low-cost shipments, saving our customers on each order.

6.2.2.5 Range of commodities offered

Noble offers NASPO a full range of products and services to all regions and all customers.

6.2.2.6 Scope of geographical coverage offered

Noble has the team, products, and facilities to support all NASPO ValuePoint customers across

the country with all products and services offered under this contract.



28

6.2.2.7 Accurate and meaningful marking of green products in the on-line catalog when

applicable

Noble includes the appropriate icons on both the product name and in its description to denote

green compliance. We load this information into ALPHA when we enter each new product and

conduct regular compliance audits to ensure accurate information is maintained.

6.2.3 Expertise and availability of key personnel;

Noble offers NASPO experienced personnel in each region of the U.S. prepared to support the

States with NASPO agreements. With contracts valued at $300M per year, we have built a

diverse team with expertise in Purchasing, Logistics, Customer Service, IT Solutions, Warehouse

Management, Inventory Control, and Storefront Management. Noble cross trains our on-site

teams to ensure complete contract support even when a team member is called away for planned

or unexpected time off. Our NASPO Team comprises senior leaders with corporate management

experience with junior staff in support roles as they learn our customers, contracts, and products.

NASPO is assured an experienced team with no learning curve. Our staff support a wide range of

contracts thoroughly trained on ALPHA, customer service, and product expertise. When each

new team member is hired, we cross train on both job responsibilities and contract requirements.

As a result, we can move an experienced team to the NASPO contract with no degradation in

support to any of our customers.

A sampling of our MRO Products and Services contracts are listed with a brief description of

each in Figure 16.

Contract Name Products & Services Location

Defense Logistics Agency Contracts

Troop Logistics Support

Prime Vendor Southeast

▪ MRO, building, and industrial supplies

▪ Paint store management

▪ Logistics

▪ Local Supply Chain Development

▪ Anniston Army Depot

storefront

▪ Customers throughout the

Southeastern U.S.


Prime Vendor Northeast


▪ Store management

▪ Local Supply Chain Development

▪ Letterkenny Army Depot

storefront

▪ Customers throughout the

Northeastern U.S.


Prime Vendor EUCOM


▪ Logistics services throughout Europe

▪ Local Supply Chain development

▪ Based in Germany

▪ Arrange logistics

throughout Europe


Prime Vendor CENTCOM


▪ Logistics services throughout CENTCOM


▪ Offices in Djibouti and

Dubai


throughout the CENTCOM

area of responsibility


Prime Vendor AFRICOM


▪ Logistics services throughout Europe


▪ Based in Germany


throughout Eastern Africa

COCESS Stores on U.S. Air Force Bases offering Supply, Logistics, and Store Management

Joint Base Charleston

COCESS


▪ Store management at two facilities

▪ Local Supply Chain

▪ South Carolina

Little Rock AFB COCESS ▪ MRO, building, and industrial supplies


▪ Arkansas



29

As discussed further in Section 6.6.3, Contract Management, Noble’s proposed team includes a

dedicated PM, Regional Managers, and program staff for each participating State.

6.2.3.1 Contract Management Retail Store/Will Call Availability;

Noble manages storefronts for our customers on military installations throughout the continental

US, as well as in Hawaii, Guam, and Japan. By managing 22 storefronts on U.S. Military

installations, we have expertise in designing, maintaining, and staffing MRO retail entities to

meet the requirements of changing buying patterns for our customers. Product and service

requirements change depending on their region. For example, we supply abrasives, paints,

coatings, and other refurbishing tools and chemicals to support ship deployments and

rehabilitations in the Norfolk area. In response to our customers’ demand for these items, Noble

identified vendors in that region, established vendor agreements, and adjusted our inventory

levels at our South Carolina warehouse. We do the same for NASPO ValuePoint customers who

prefer a local entity rather than online ordering.


Andersen AFB COCESS,

Guam




▪ Guam

Beale AFB COCESS ▪ MRO, building, and industrial supplies



▪ California

Cannon AFB COCESS ▪ MRO, building, and industrial supplies



▪ New Mexico

Eglin AFB COCESS, 2

stores




▪ Florida

Minot AFB COCESS ▪ MRO, building, and industrial supplies



▪ North Dakota

Ellsworth AFB COCESS ▪ MRO, building, and industrial supplies



▪ South Dakota

U.S. Navy Installation Supply, Logistics, and Store Management Contracts

Industrial Supply Store,

Joint Base Hickam




▪ Hawaii

Eagle Contractor Operated

Hardware Store, 5 stores




▪ Okinawa, Japan

3PL COPARS, 4 stores in

the northeast




▪ Maine, Rhode Island, New

Jersey, and Connecticut

General Services Administration Supply & Logistics for MRO and other Products

GSA 51V ▪ MRO, building, and industrial supplies

▪ Both domestic and international logistics

services

▪ Supply Chain development

▪ Based in Rockland, MA

▪ Support customers around

the world

Figure 16. Supply & Logistics Expertise. Noble offers NASPO expertise in all product categories and experience supplying high-quality products to a diverse customer base around the country and the world.



30

We maintain an inventory of in-stock items and can help customers with their orders for non-

stock items, as well. As our NASPO Team develops our customer base, Noble opens additional

offices and distributions centers to allow the convenience of ordering, buying, or picking up

products.

Once a Participating State is established in ALPHA, all applicable information is available at any

location, whether it is from the customer’s computer or in person at our facility. Customers can

pay using a credit card or purchase order and the order is automatically included in reporting for

that Participating State.

Section 6.6.1 discusses Noble’s Will-Call Locations and capabilities in more detail.

6.2.3.2 The favorability of the terms under which the offeror will do business;

6.2.4 Demonstrated Competence;

6.2.4.1 Reporting Capabilities Disaster Recovery Plan

As later detailed in Section 6.5.6, Noble’s e-commerce system is designed for accurate and

complete backups of all data using cloud computing technology. Because our process is

automated, redundant, and performed in real-time, there is no manual backup procedure

performed by the Noble Team. Data is backed up with three redundant systems – continuously

and consistently. All transactions are stored along with all our data on servers located in three

different geographical locations. Should one of the servers fail or be struck by a natural or man-

made disaster, there are two additional full backups available at all times. We can always access

all program data.

6.2.4.2 Web based ordering System

As described previously in Section 3.4.3, Noble custom built our web-based, automated ordering

and purchasing system, ALPHA, to automate our order, vendor, inventory, and warehouse

management systems while ensuring quality in every step of the process. ALPHA, a fully EDI-

integrated system equipped with the latest encryption technology has built-in controls to ensure

each aspect of the system meets all our customers’ demands. Our customers can submit their

orders via the website, email, phone, fax, or online chat.

ALPA’s customer-facing site is Shop.noblesupply.com, which provides users access to more

than 1,000,000 products. Shop.noblesupply.com offers Amazon.com-like ecommerce technology

with outstanding functionality for a wide variety of MRO categories, including the 150NASPO

categories. Figure 17 is a screenshot of Noble’s homepage. Features include lightning fast

search, detailed item and tech specifications, product comparisons, quote requests, order status,

invoice history, account management, and customer support via live chat.

6.2.4.3 The number of available green environmentally preferable products that meet the

solicitations specifications available, showing a robust supply of green products.

As discussed in more detail in Section 6.6.8, Noble offers NASPO customers a wide variety of

easily identified environmentally preferable products.



31

6.2.5 Reasonableness of pricing.

While the primary purpose of this solicitation is to select a offeror(s) who can offer the supplies

for all Participating States, offerors are permitted to submit a proposal on more limited

geographical areas, however, not less

than one entire Participating State. Offerors must clearly describe the geographical limits (e.g. by

State name) if proposing a geographical area less than that of all Participating States. However, if

a Offeror elects to submit a Proposal for a single State then the Offeror must be willing to supply

the entire State and will not be allowed to add additional States following award or at any time

during the term of the contract or any renewals.

A Participating State may evaluate and select an offeror for award in more limited geographical

areas (e.g. A single state) where judged to be in the best interests of the State or States involved.

Administration of any such award(s) will be done by the Participating State(s) involved unless the

awarded contract includes the Lead State in its geographical area.

Participating States, and Purchasing Entities reserve the right to competitively solicit for additional

sources for commodities during the contract term, where deemed to be in the best interests of the

State(s) or entities involved. Further, Participating States may have existing awards for

commodities within the scope of this solicitation.

Any Participating State reserves the right to award partial commodity categories or not participate

Figure 17. Noble Home Page. Shop.Noblesupply.com is easy to access and easy to use.



32

in the award if deemed to not be in the best interests of that Participating State.

All pricing listed shall be ceiling prices with the option for Participating States to negotiate more

favorable discounts for large orders.

Pricing shall be firm for the first year and may be changed with thirty (30) day notice after initial

term.

Products may be changed with thirty (30) day notice every six (6) months after initial term.

The Participating States and Purchasing Entities reserve the right to update product specifications

based on changes in regulations, in addition to third party certification criteria.

The Participating State may elect to designate the resulting contracts as permissive, or mandatory.

6.3 VOLUME DISCOUNTS

6.3.1 General

Additional volume and other price discount options are encouraged, which can distinguish between

individual order minimum quantities, cumulative volume discounts, and other discount terms that

may be defined by the offeror. Extensions of additional discounts are not required but may be

evaluated if offered.

6.3.2 Cumulative Ordering Volume Discounts

The offeror is invited to identify additional percentage discounts if total cumulative ordering

volumes (by all Purchasing Entities) exceed an amount specified by the offeror. If the volume of

total orders exceeds that amount in any quarter, the offered discount will apply to future orders

during the term of the award(s), as extended through option exercises.

Noble will offer a .50% discount applied to the price of each individual line item where the

cumulative value of orders exceed $10,000.

6.3.3 Additional Volume Discount for Minimum Order Quantity

The offeror is also invited to identify additional discounts for minimum order quantities.

Purchasing Entities may consolidate purchases in order to take advantage of any volume discount

extended by offeror for minimum orders, so long as a single delivery location at the discretion of

the Purchasing Entity is specified.

Volume discounts will be offered to States, where available, through manufacturers. Noble work

with NASPO and States to secure volume discounts for minimum order quantities from

manufacturers. Minimum order quantity discounts will be made available on

shop.noblesupply.com. Manufacturers will be contacted by Noble for volume discount

availability on individual order items over $5,000.

6.3.4 Minimum Orders

No minimum dollar or item count is allowed on orders from Authorized Purchasers. Participating

States reserves the right to authorize a minimum via their Participating Addendums.



33

Participating States can request a volume or minimum order discounts for orders over their

minimum order threshold through ALPHA’s on-line automated quotation tool.

6.4 ESTIMATED PURCHASES

The total purchase of any individual item on the contract is not known. The Purchasing Division

has attempted to give an accurate estimate of probable purchases of each item for the contract

period. The Purchasing Division does not guarantee that the Participating States will buy any or all

estimated amounts of any specified item or any total amount.

6.5 SCOPE OF WORK

6.5.1 Ordering Capabilities

Orders resulting from this contract will be placed directly with the Offeror by the individual

Purchasing Entity. The offeror must have toll free telephone, fax numbers and email address for use

by those entities located outside of the offeror’s toll-free area. The offeror will ship and bill as

requested by the purchasing agency. The purchasing agency will remit payment directly to the

offeror. As an example, there are approximately 1,000 possible separate delivery locations within

the State of Nevada. The number of locations will vary by Participating States.

Please supply your toll-free telephone, facsimile number and email address.

1-877-999-1911 (toll-free telephone number), 781-871-7449 (facsimile number) and

[email protected] (email address).

In addition to the market basket items, Purchasing Entities will be allowed to order from a

successful offeror’s catalog(s) and website for delivery anywhere within the Participating States.

NASPO ValuePoint requires internet catalogs.

6.5.2 F.O.B. Destination

Prices for all items associated with this contract are to be FOB Destination anywhere within the

Participating State or geographic area offered. Any exceptions to this provision must be clearly

stated as an exception to this document.

6.5.3 On-line Ordering

6.5.3.1 Successful offeror shall provide Internet Catalogs for all agencies as described below.

Noble provides internet catalogs tailored to the contractual requirements of each Participating

State.

On-line Catalogs available? _ X Yes No

6.5.3.2 Provide a descriptive narrative for the type of internet catalog offered, and a URL link.

Noble’s catalog is found at www.noblesupply.com.

We offer our complete catalog to our customers, in compliance with each contract. When

NASPO customers login, they go directly to the catalog that applies to this contract. Market



34

basket items are clearly marked, as are the EPP products and any 3rd party designations.

With more than 1,000,000 products, our catalog is comparable to any large online retailer,

including Lowe’s, Home Depot, Grainger, and Amazon. If our customers are looking for a non-

stock item, they will find it on our website or our Buyers will find it for them. Once items have

been ordered, users can create personalized reorder lists to save time on future orders

(Figure 18).

6.5.3.3 Offerors must designate market basket items in their online catalogs for ease of ordering.

What symbol or marking will you use to identify market basket items?

Each item on this contract will include the NASPO ValuePoint icon as indicated in Figure 19

Figure 18. Customized Reorder Lists. Noble offers NASPO customers time-saving options.



35

Category Symbol

Market Basket items

NASPO ValuePoint Item

Environmental Preferable Products (EPP)

Biodegradable Products Institute (compostable bags, food service ware)

Consortium for Energy Efficiency (lamps)

Cradle to Cradle (building materials, construction adhesives, etc.)

Design Lights Consortium (LED lighting equipment)

ENERGY STAR (HVAC and lighting equipment)

Forest Stewardship Council (wood and paper products)

Green Seal (cleaners, hand soap, janitorial paper products, paint)

Master Painters Institute (MPI) Green Performance Standard (paints and coatings)

NEMA Premium Efficiency (motors, ballasts)

Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) Indoor Advantage Gold (building materials,

furniture)

Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) FloorScore (carpet, flooring, flooring

adhesives, underlayment, etc.)

UL GREENGUARD (adhesives, flooring, insulation, sealants, etc.)

UL EcoLogo (cleaners, deodorizers, hand soaps and sanitizers, floor polish and

strippers, etc.)

USDA Biobased (lubricants, building materials, etc.)

USDA Organic

US EPA Safer Choice (cleaners, hand soaps, deicers, floor maintenance chemicals)

WaterSense (water efficient fixtures, toilets, etc.)

Restriction of hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive

US EPA’s (recycled content) Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPGs)

Rechargeable Batteries

Solar Powered Equipment

Figure 19. Clearly Identified Product Designations. NASPO customers can easily identify products that meet their ordering requirements



36

6.5.3.4 Offerors shall designate all environmental preferable products (EPP) in their on-line

catalogs. Describe the designation (symbol) that you will use to identify these EPP products.

Please see Figure 19.

6.5.3.5 Offerors shall provide accurate and meaningful labeling of environmentally preferable

products offered in the on-line catalog when applicable.


6.5.3.6 Offerors shall explain or describe what they do to clearly identify in their online catalogs

and on their shelves how they designate all environmentally preferable products (EPP) that have

received any of the following appropriate 3d-party designation certifications:


Offerors may suggest other 3rd party certifications as applicable and include a description.

In addition, offer shall describe the designation (symbol) that you will use to identify these EPP

products provided, including the certification or standard that it meets, and where a buyer would

find clarification on the website about what the designation means.


6.5.4 E-commerce description

The successful offeror shall have a proven record of E Commerce capabilities, with the technology

and support personnel to provide content deployment or punch out access to their online catalog,

for the purpose of supporting the purchasing web sites of the Participating States. Provide a clear

narrative addressing the statement above. Integration of a punch out site is required per Section 9d

of the NASPO ValuePoint eMarket Center Section of Attachment B, NASPO ValuePoint Master

Agreement Terms and Conditions.

Noble’s e-commerce platform is built on Magento software. As part of our platform, we

developed an Application Program Interface (API) that converts the shopping cart into a punch-

out system that is compatible with other purchasing systems, such as SAP, ORACLE, ARIBA,

and other industry standard systems. Our API integrates with SciQuest seamlessly.

With dozens of contracts for more than 175,000 U.S. Government customers, Noble has a

dedicated E-commerce team working with each program to provide customer training, update

sites, maintain security, audit contract pricing, update catalogs and pricing, and develop new and

better options as technologies emerge.

6.5.5 E- Commerce and Web Catalog Capabilities

Noble’s customers login to ALPHA and place their orders using our e-commerce platform,

which allows them to place orders via the web site, online chat, email, phone, or fax. While

building a bill or materials or just deciding on which product best fits their needs, our customers

have access to our CSRs and product experts to answer their questions. They then place their

order via the method they choose and receive a confirmation email within minutes. When

tracking information is available, another email is sent with a link to their order status.

Noble provides an on-line Quotation and Sourcing portal that includes a fully automated tool



37

available 24/7. Users have access to order history as well as the ability to research, update, and

change quotation and sourcing requests and activate opportunities to orders. Figure 20 is an

example of our DLA quote portal dashboard.

ALPHA is accessed via www.noblesupply.com and offers a consistent 99% uptime as well as the

following features:

■ Display contract pricing

■ Workflow management controls

■ Online ordering capability

■ Order tracking from time of receipt of the order to shipment and delivery

■ Total order history visibility through the life of the order, including item availability,

shipping schedule, notations for delay, and delivery (Figure 21)

■ Allows users to develop personal lists and profiles, and a secure means for storing

procurement card information

■ 24-hour online help to use site

■ Access to Noble inventory as well as all our major vendors with more than 1,000,000

items without leaving the site

■ Technical data, illustrations, Material Safety Data Sheets, parts availability, and access to

web-based product sourcing (Figure 22)

Figure 20. Example Dashboard. This functionality streamlines processes for users and administrators and enables an efficient user experience.



38

Figure 21. Example of web-based product sourcing. Noble offers easy access to special orders.

Figure 22. Example of Order History. NASPO customers can easily locate previous orders and other historical data.



39

■ Product availability by location

■ Ability to block certain items or categories

■ Flexible and reliable platform that is fully integrated with our value-added network

(VAN) that communicates with multiple EDI formats

■ Easy access with point and click technology, flexible shopping cart features, and notes

fields that keep all order information accessible

■ Advanced search and navigation functions, key word search, enlarged product view,

product reviews, automated RFQ submittals

■ Instant product substitution suggestions if the item ordered is delayed or discontinued,

market search for best buys, and suggestions for product accessories

■ Payment options that include “P-Cards,” purchase orders, and credit cards, with approval

chains built in, as necessary

■ Purchase order capabilities that include downloading PO segments, copying items for a

new PO, attaching notes, and shipping to multiple receiving points

■ Five-year buying history with customer recognition, user profiles, saved payment data

and order history, and default shipping information

■ Automated system that expands to support increased transactions with no service

degradation, proven by ALPHA’s consistent 99% uptime

■ Inventory levels, reports, order status – in an instant, with the ability to delete purchase

orders either singularly or by “batch” prior to release

■ Regular reporting, including daily inventory summary, weekly backorder, and semi-

annual hazardous material reports.

■ Complete product descriptions with photos and multiple product views, product

specifications, alternative product names and substitutions

■ Compliant with UPC, bar, and SKU coding

■ Customer level spend limits (Figure 23)



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Additionally, Noble’s customers can order or access customer service via our toll-free phone or

fax numbers as well as through our 24-hour online chat service.

Web-based Catalog available? X Yes No

Contract pricing available on line? X Yes No

Online workflow management? X Yes No

Order Status/Tracking Online? X Yes No

Order History? X Yes No

Personal Lists? X Yes No

Online Availability? X Yes No

EPP Products identified and properly labeled in Catalog? X Yes No

Figure 23. Example of Customer Spend Limits. NASPO customers customize their ordering sites.



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(20) What are you doing to ensure that your EPP products are properly identified and labeled in

your Catalogs?

The icons previously illustrated in Figure 19 are included in our catalogs when we update with

new or changed product information. ALPHA maintains all product descriptions and associated

data, ensuring our customers can identify EPP products quickly and easily.

6.5.6 Storage of Electronic Data

6.5.6.1 Describe in detail how the electronic information for each Participating State shall be

stored.

Our customers rely on Noble for accurate and complete backups of all data, so we designed our

backup system using cloud computing technology. Because our process is automated, redundant,

and performed in real-time, there is no manual backup procedure performed by the Noble Team.

Data is backed up with three redundant systems – continuously and consistently.

6.5.6.2 Do you have a dual system as a backup in the unlikely event that the main information

storehouse becomes unusable?

Yes. All transactions are stored along with all our data on servers located in three different

geographical locations. Should one of the servers fail or be struck by a natural or man-made

disaster, there are two additional full backups available at all times.

6.5.6.3 Provide a general description of security protocol including storage of data, ordering

security and data file security.

Noble Supply & Logistics security protocol includes:

- Utilization of company-wide enterprise anti-virus software

- 128-bit encryption of customer and transactional data

- No storage of customer credit card data

- Best practice EDI transmission encryption

- Employee role based data access restrictions

- Real-time ERP failed login alerts

6.5.7 Catalogs

The successful offeror must provide paper and/or computer media catalogs to all agencies upon

request for the duration of this contract. Offeror to explain if catalog identifies environmentally

preferable products with associated EPP certifications.

Noble’s catalog includes more than 1,000,000 products from nearly 12,000 suppliers. Each

customer has access to our catalog through our website, Noblesupply.com, and receives printed

catalogs, as needed. Both the online paper copies identify environmentally preferable products

using the icons presented in Figure 19.



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6.5.8 Procurement Card Policy

6.5.8.1 The successful offeror must offer the capability to accept procurement cards as an

acceptable form of payment. Level III reporting is preferred.

Procurement Cards Accepted? X Yes No

6.5.8.2 Explain in detail your reporting capabilities for procurement card transactions.

Noble accepts credit card payments from all of our customers. In addition, we implemented

Level III credit card processing in FY13 and we are operating using Level III data through

several contracts, including our Hawaii Industrial Supply Store. Figure 24 documents a daily

report from the Hawaii location indicating the percentage of Level III transactions in one day.

This approach is beneficial because it saves the Government money with lower processing fees

and allows for accountability to the line item.

Figure 25 is a letter from our credit card processor, CyberSource, verifying Noble’s ability to

provide Level III transactions.

Figure 24. An Example Report for Our Hawaii Contract Demonstrating Level III Data.



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Figure 25. Letter from CyberSource, verifying Noble’s ability to provide Level III transactions.



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6.5.9 Forced Substitutions

6.5.9.1 Forced substitutions are not allowed. If an ordered item is out of stock, the Offeror must

notify the purchasing entity for prior approval before substituting for the out of stock item.

Explain your methodology for items that are discontinued or out of stock. This must include your

substitution policy.

6.5.9.2 Explain how you will notify customers about out of stock items and how you will provide

information about how the substituted product compares with the product that is out of stock.

With more than 11,000 vendors, Noble rarely faces out-of-stock situations. When an item is

discontinued or an out-of-stock item can’t be found through one of our vendors, ALPHA, or a

CSR if ordering over the phone or via chat, notifies our customer at the time they place their

order. We never substitute an item without customer approval. If the product is on backorder, we

provide the customer an expected availability date. ALPHA offers instant product substitution

suggestions if the item ordered is delayed or discontinued, including full product specifications,

price difference, and technical expertise if the customer has questions.

6.5.10 Customer Service Representatives

6.5.10.1 Offerors shall provide each authorized purchaser with customer service representatives

assigned to handle questions and resolve all problems that arise.

6.5.10.2 Service representatives shall be available, at a minimum, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm in

EACH time zone, Monday through Friday. Service representatives shall be available by phone

(via local or toll-free number), fax, or email during the required times for each participating state.

6.5.10.3 This solicitation is for all States and all time zones. Describe how you will manage the

servicing of the contract for each time zone.

Because we have contracts across the US as well as in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa,

Noble staffs our CSR support to be available in all time zones. During business hours, each

Participating State has a team of CSRs, Sales Managers, and Buyers who support only that

region or State. After hours, customer inquiries, orders, and product issues are answered by

CSRs supporting customers around the world. All CSR Team members have access to all

customer ordering information and each has expertise in a wide variety of MRO, building, and

industrial supplies.

6.5.10.4 Provide an Emergency number and contact for afterhours use.

Noble’s CSRs are available 24 hours a day. Each Participating State is assigned a team of CSRs

and Sales Managers, as well. We provide emergency numbers for support, including the PM and

Deputy PM, to ensure our customers get the support they need when they need it. Our proposed

PM, Chrissie McStowe, can be reached at 781-616-1516

6.5.10.5 All service representatives shall have online access to account information and provide a

timely response to inquiries concerning the status of orders (shipped or pending), delivery

information, back-order information, contract pricing, category discounts, product availability,

product information, account and billing questions, and contract compliance requirements.

6.5.10.6 Describe in detail the process that shall be used to ensure adequate service representatives

will be available.



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All orders placed with Noble, whether via phone, fax, email, or online, are entered into ALPHA

and a tracking number is automatically generated and sent to the customer as part of their order

confirmation email. As with any online retailer, the customer can click on the link to find up-to-

date tracking information. Should the customer not have internet access, they can call our CSRs

for updates. Tracking information is maintained throughout the life of the order and can be

accessed by anyone on the Noble Team for quick responses to customer inquiries.

Whether a customer calls with a problem with a product or a general question about an order, our

CSRs open a “case” that allows us to track how quickly we solved the problem or answered the

question and how often we receive similar calls. Each inquiry is maintained in the customer’s file

within ALPHA and each case is followed until it is resolved. Our system is based on preventing



Issues do arise, though. An order arrives and there is a product the customer doesn’t like, an item

that is broken, or a combination of products that aren’t compatible. Regardless of the reason, if

our customer contacts us to say they are not satisfied with a product, the CSR generates a return

material authorization and ships the replacement product immediately. Noble fixes the situation

before we take anything back by immediately replacing the discrepant item at no additional cost

to the customer or issuing a refund or open credit memo if they choose not to replace the item.

The CSR creates a case following the discrepant item in ALPHA. All activity is logged into

ALPHA to allow the customer to see the status of the refund, call tag, tracking of the

replacement, etc. If the item was replaced, our system notifies us that the customer received the

new item and we make arrangements to pick up the discrepant item for return to our facility.

Finally, Noble ships the item to the manufacturer and works with them to find both a cause and a

solution for any faulty products.

As stated, our CSRs meet weekly with the PM to discuss customer problems and our solutions. If

there is a reoccurrence of a problem with the same product, we post the vendor and product on

our multi-return list. This results in the item having a notation in our system identifying a

recurring problem and offering a list of potential substitutes for the item. Until the situation is

remedied, our CSRs tell customers ordering that product that we have had return issues with that

particular brand item and offer them the list of substitutes.

Problems can always occur with deliveries. As soon as we are notified an order is delayed, our

system flags it and notifies the Logistics Manager that there is a delay. He and the CSR work to

notify our customer, while at the same time, he contacts the carrier, customs officials, or other

participants to find a solution to the situation while communicating with the customer to let them

know when to expect their order.

The Noble Team’s CSRs have expertise in the products we sell and are available to help our

customers identify the right items for their projects as well as the often-forgotten item such as

batteries, filters, and other regular maintenance items. Should the technical questions require in-

depth product knowledge, the CSRs include one of our product experts in the discussion.



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6.6 Administration and Marketing

6.6.1 Return Policy

What is your standard return policy?

Working closely with our customers to order just what they need has resulted in our return rate

of less than 1% over the past 5 years. When something isn’t right, whether the item is defective,

damaged, or just plain wrong, Noble fixes the situation before we take anything back by

immediately replacing the discrepant item at no additional cost to the customer or issuing a

refund or open credit memo if they choose not to replace the item.

When a return is in order, our CSR creates a case following the discrepant item in our system.

All activity is logged into ALPHA to allow the customer to see the status of the refund, call tag,

and tracking of the replacement. If the customer comes to the store to return the item, we

perform the exchange or issue a refund. If the customer notifies us from their facility that they

require a replacement and want it shipped to them, we place the order and our system notifies us

that the customer received the new item. We then make arrangements to pick up the discrepant

item for return to our facility. We do not question our customer – our return policy is that the

customer is always right.

6.6.2 Distribution Points

It is desirable that a successful offeror has inside and outside sales staff and distribution facilities

located in all Participating States or geographic area offered. Offerors must provide the locations

of their distribution points and information regarding sales staff for each Participating State or

geographic area offered.

With sales offices and distribution centers around the country, Noble offers complete coverage of

all Participating States and can support any additional States choosing to participate at a later

date. As shown in Figure 26, Noble has dedicated Sales Managers, Buyers, and CSRs at each

regional office.

Noble’s Sales Team is comprised of seasoned professionals who have decades of experience

with hardware, industrial, and building supply vendors and materials. Our Sales Managers work

closely with the NASPO ValuePoint Team to reach out to our customers to keep them informed

of program functions and capabilities, and to identify new products to fit customers’

requirements. They meet with Participating State customers to promote the program and explain

Noble’s capabilities, processes, and catalogs. The Sales Managers build and maintain

relationships with the different customers in the region and offer product and project expertise to

ensure customers have a complete and correct BOM for their projects. The Sales Team resolves

order issues, writes specifications for any service requirements, and works with Purchasing to

hire service subcontractors that meet all contractual requirements.



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NASPO customers receive their orders within 48 hours in part because Noble has distribution

centers, warehouses, and consolidation facilities strategically located across the U.S. We support

customers with a wide range of MRO, industrial, JanSan, and building products in every State in

the country, as shown in Figure 27.

Figure 26. Noble Regional Facilities. Noble makes on-time deliveries of more than 1,000,000 MRO, Industrial, and Building Supplies to Participating States customers



48

Figure 27. Noble’s Distribution Facilities. With facilities strategically located around the country, our customers are assured on-time delivery no matter where they are.



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6.6.3 Contract Management

6.6.3.1 Describe the Offeror’s strategy for contract management and sales support including

roles and responsibilities as they relate to each participating state for each of the proposed

account teams that will handle contract management issues.

Noble offers NASPO ValuePoint an experienced Management Team with dedicated sales offices

in each Participating State. Our Team is organized into three core functions, sales, operations,

contract administration. Our Program organization is illustrated in Figure 28.

Figure 28. NASPO ValuePoint Management Structure. Noble’s Program Manager, dedicated to this contract, is supported by experienced managers and regional offices.



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Noble’s NASPO sales approach is based on the same approach we successfully use with our

DLA, GSA, and USPS MRO contracts. Each covers a number of large regions across the U.S. or

across many country, abroad. We create dedicated regional teams comprising senior lead

positions in each Inside Sales, Outside Sales, and Customer Service Representatives, all

supported by our NASPO Marketing Team at our HQ office in Rockland, MA. Our Marketing

Team supports the sales teams with local publications, email, and other forms of media to make

customers aware of Noble’s participation in this contract, special offers, and easy access to the

NASPO e-commerce site. These Regional Sales Teams are complimented Corporate Support

Teams as needed, depending on individual State requirements and projected volumes.

Noble’s Operations division includes three core areas: Purchasing, Technology, and Logistics.

Figure 29 includes department heads for each area. Our Purchasing Team works with key

suppliers to monitor our distribution centers to ensure reordering is on track and we maintain

99%+ service levels. They also work with our Market Team to communicate new updates or new

products from our suppliers.

Noble’s Technology Team of developers, ecommerce, and business analytics experts monitor

NASPO customers’ online use to ensure seamless signup, ordering, and communication. They

are responsible for ensuring the catalog is organized and maintained so that load rates and

performance meet the highest

industry standards. The Technology

Team manages our catalog and our

ecommerce site as well as suppliers’

EDI connections. They build and

create applications to support

different contracts such as ALPHA

and BRAVO, our RFQ system for

vendors. They track and test

customer feedback to add features

to our E-commerce site, ALPHA;

send customers surveys asking what

is working and what isn’t; and make

continuous improvements to

increase customer satisfaction.

Our Purchasing Team includes two

divisions: one handles replenishing

the warehouses and monitoring

inventory turns to prevent stock

outs and monitoring order flows to

ensure inventory levels and product

mix adapt accordingly. The other

manages drop ship vendors.

Approximately 80% of products in

catalog are managed in inventory

and 20% are drop ships from

suppliers. The Purchasing Team

performs quarterly reviews of

Figure 29. Noble’s NASPO Operations Division.



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demand data to determine the proper product mix for our distribution centers.

Our NASPO Logistics Team includes an Incoming Logistics Team and an Outgoing Logistics

Team. They maintain relationships with our shipping partners, and work closely with FedEx and

UPS for small pack and with LTL carriers, depending on the region and customer requirements.

The Team ensures our logistics partners are offering us the lowest price possible and that we are

fulfilling our obligations to meet 2-day delivery. The Incoming Team handles LTL shipments to

ensure Purchasing is using the right carriers and that the warehouse can plan for receiving. The

Outgoing Team manages large volumes of small pack via UPS and FedEx; monitoring from pick

up to delivery and ensuring delivery is within the parameters for contract service levels.

Program Management responsibilities are highlighted below.

NASPO ValuePoint Program Manager

Noble’s PM and NASPO’s point of contact, Chrissie McStowe, is responsible for managing all

aspects of this contract. Ms. McStowe has more than more than 15 years of experience managing

supply and logistics contracts. In addition to submitting monthly reports and attending regular

contractual meetings, the PM manages our team with support from her Sales, Purchasing, and

Contracts Managers. She also participates on the Noble Management Team. Working with staff

at on-site regional sales offices and coordinating support with the HQ team, the PM ensures

responses to RFQs are complete and competitive, customer service is prompt and friendly,

suppliers are onboard and compliant with contractual requirements, and orders are delivered

according to customer specifications and schedules. The PM is responsible for the quality of all

aspects of this contract, including subcontractor performance, and works with the customers to

expand the reach of the contract. Additionally, our PM is responsible for marketing and

expansion of this contract, including developing e-commerce and visiting new customers. She is

the POC for all emergency orders. For problem escalation, either for the PM or our customers,

Noble’s CEO, Tom Noble is the POC for resolution.

NASPO ValuePoint Sales Manager

Noble’s Sales Manager, Wendy Orwig, is responsible for our team of Inside and Outside Sales

Managers across the country. Each region has a dedicated team comprising Inside Sales

Manager, Outside Sales Manager, and CSR and each team is supported by a Marketing Team,

Sales Support, and CSRs located in our Headquarters facility. The Sales Manager, working out

of our Headquarters in Rockland, MA, develops and implements our marketing activities. With

offices in each region, she develops marketing strategies to reach out to new and existing

customers to expand the use of the contract using marketing materials, email “blasts,” customer

visits, Noble newsletters (Figure 30), Program presentations, and regular phone calls. She is

responsible for training new Regional Managers, identifying new potential customers, and

performing regular quality audits on marketing team interactions with customers using emailed

and in person evaluations. Manages surge activity by assigning marketing resources to support

other regional offices across the Program. Acts as POC for the Program in the PM’s absence.



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NASPO ValuePoint Purchasing Manager

Noble’s Purchasing Manager, Wes Beamon, works with the PM to add new vendors and is

responsible for negotiating with all new vendors within each region, providing contractual

requirements and monitoring supplier performance. The Purchasing Manager participates in in-

region trade shows and collects marketing and catalog information for our system. He monitors

supplier performance and adherence to flowdown requirements. The Purchasing Manager

forecasts product demand, monitors inventory, and works closely with the Procurement Team to

respond to RFQs. The Purchasing Manager is responsible for ensuring our fill rate is at least 98%

and forecasts inventory fluctuations.

The Purchasing Manager is responsible for Buying Teams at regional offices who are supported,

when necessary, by the Purchasing Team at Noble’s headquarters in Rockland, MA. Reacting to

special orders for non-stock items, they source and procure non-stock items, develop new

sources of supply and new vendors, and provide current new product expertise to help customers

choose the right product for their project. The Team also maintains a library of print and

electronic vendor catalogs to facilitate sourcing of special order items. For multiple item orders,

the team compiles BOMs, orders from multiple vendors, and holds product in the warehouse

when the customer prefers to receive their order in one delivery.

The Purchasing Manager hires and manages subcontracting activities to provide installation

support, as required, is responsible for sourcing non-catalog material, works with the supply

chain to ensure volume discounts are passed on to the customer, and supports outside sales team

with recommendations, suggestions, and substitutions, as necessary.

NASPO ValuePoint Contract Manager

Noble’s NASPO Contract Manager, Dan Marini, is responsible contract administration duties,

including contracts and legal issues with Participating States, vendor agreements, and

subcontractor performance. The department leads are identified in Figure 31. A member of our

Corporate Contract Management Team, he has 5 years of experience managing large, complex

contracts across our organization. Dedicated to the NASPO Program, he works closely with the

Figure 30. Noble Newsletter Signup. NASPO customers receive important product information delivered to their inboxes.



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PM to ensure all contractual requirements are met and with the Purchasing Manager to onboard

new vendors. Mr. Marini works in conjunction with the QA/Compliance Manager on all aspects

of the contracts to ensure full compliance. Each State and their agreements are maintained,

catalog and pricing levels reflect requirements, work with purchasing and catalog teams and

technology to ensure pricing is up to date and compliant.

6.6.3.2 It is desired that offerors have a representative(s) that has the sole responsibility of

management of this NASPO ValuePoint contract. Provide a list the name(s) and title(s) of the

dedicated representative(s) per region or State.

Noble offers NASPO a dedicated Program sales organization with regional teams comprising

outside sales, inside sales, and CSRs. A list of names and titles of dedicated representatives by

region is included in Figure 32.

Noble’s Outside Sales Team uses the Hubspot customer cloud-based relationship management

software to interface with NASPO customers, including scheduling meetings, understanding

product needs, and helping plan projects and to see where we can provide value to each

customer. They promote the NASPO contract itself and build awareness of value for different

buyers in each State.

Figure 31. Contracts Administration Organization.



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The Inside Team works closely with Outside Team but is also responsible for special orders for

products that fall outside of our catalog. They use BRAVO, our vendor/supplier reverse auction

tool, to send requirements to different manufacturers. This approach reduces acquisition costs

and we pass those savings to our customers. Inside Sales Reps are responsible for calling and

interacting with customers in each State, sending email correspondence to ensure we’re

supporting their needs, and communicating with potential customers in areas without heavy

volumes.

The NASPO Customer Service Representatives answer the “where’s my order” questions and

handle returns and warranty issues. They use ZenDesk to track all communication from the

moment a customer asks question through to its resolution, giving us data we can use to monitor

the effectiveness of the Customer Service team. They answer all incoming calls for this contract

and route them accordingly. The Team works across regions to support customers.

Figure 32. Sales Organization Chart. Each participating state is assigned a regional team and a state manager



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The Marketing Team uses ordering and customer data to target contract marketing to regions of

the US and support the sales team by marketing particular products that will be of value, such as

rock salt and maintenance-related ice reducing products in cold regions. They use the HubSpot

marketing tool to gather data on the success of our email and web marketing.

6.6.3.3 Does your contract management include customer training? Please provide a detailed

narrative including, at a minimum, the following:

Noble’s Regional Sales Managers arrange sessions to train our customers to use our proven

system ALPHA to track orders, generate reports, submit RFQs, and communicate via live chat

with technical experts. With each State’s requirements built into the system, we can demonstrate

exactly what they will see, how authorizations and approvals are made, where they find order

tracking information, and how they can request additional information either in the system or

from CSRs. The training is minimal as Noble’s system is very similar to other online retailers but

we are available to answer questions and provide support both during the training and after. In

addition, we train our customers on the items listed in Figure 33.

6.6.4 Delivery

6.6.4.1 Delivery time for in-stock items should not exceed 24-48 hours for all points within in

the Participating States. Non- stocked items must be delivered within 10 working days. The

Participating States reserve the right to impose restrictions. Explain in detail your delivery

policy.

With 11,000 suppliers, regional warehouses with MRO inventories, and a team of Buyers, Noble

offers 1,000,000 items to our customers. Our approach for delivering stock and non-stock items

is detailed in Figure 34, including our commitment to provide non-stock items within 5 working

days.

Training Information Topic The Noble Team Approach

Sustainable products (energy

efficient, water efficient, low

toxicity, recycled content, etc.)

As part of ALPHA training, we provide a copy of the icons presented in

Figure 4 to help customers easily identify energy efficient and other product

categories

New products The Marketing Team sends out “blast” emails listing new products, their use,

and their prices

Equipment and operation-

Manufacturer/certified set up and

training

As requested by our customers, our Purchasing Manager arranges for on-site

manufacturer training

Seminars and other learning

opportunities

Noble arranges “brown bag lunch” presentations with major vendors to

introduce their products, explain their support of the product, and

demonstrate its uses

Review of environmentally

preferable products with third

party certifications

As with energy efficient products, Noble provides a list of icons with product

designations that customers can use to identify green or recycled products

Figure 33. Training Topics. The Noble Team is committed to providing our customers all the information they need to make their projects a success.



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6.6.4.2 Specify Guaranteed Delivery Time for In-Stock Items.

Noble guarantees delivery within 48 hours for in-stock items.

6.6.4.3 Specify Guaranteed Delivery Time for Non-Stock Items.

Noble guarantees delivery within 5 days for non-stock items.

6.6.4.4 SDS must accompany all orders at the time of delivery (where applicable).

6.6.4.5 The Participating States expect high delivery standards from all contractors. Penalties

may be imposed on contractors that have continual late deliveries. These penalties may include

but are not limited to cancellation of orders, request for

discounted pricing, non-use of an offending contractor or

cancellation of the contractor’s participating addendum(s).

6.6.5 Shipping

6.6.5.1 All shipments are to be delivered directly to the

purchasing department/division address. All shipments

shall include a packing label that includes at a minimum

the following information on the outside of the package:

Noble establishes customer packaging requirements,

including labeling, in ALPHA at contract award. Figure 35

is an example of a shipping label with all NASPO-required

information. Each label is produced with the required

information, as follows, and we can add additional fields,

at our customers’ request.

Authorized Purchaser;

Delivery Address;

Purchasing entity and floor;

Contact; and

Telephone number.

Requirement Plan to Meet

In-Stock

Items

24 - 48 hours

■ Tap closest inventory and ship directly to customer location

■ Sell to customer at will-call at regional facilities

Non-Stock

Items

5 working

days

■ Identify Noble warehouses with items in inventory, ship to customer location

■ If not in inventory, contact suppliers, locate items, and ship to customer location

■ If necessary, contact manufacturer and arrange to ship direct to customer location

MSDS ■ Identify all items requiring MSDS in ALPHA

■ Include MSDS with all applicable shipments

Figure 34. On-time Delivery. Noble responds to our customer’s timeline to ensure the most cost-effective solution while meeting even the tightest schedules.

Figure 35. Noble Shipping Labels are compliant with all contract requirements.



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6.6.5.2 A packing slip shall also be included with each shipment, which shall include at a

minimum the following information in no particular order:

Line item description;

Date ordered;

Quantity ordered;

Quantity included in shipment;

Any backordered items;

Unit Price and extension;

Number of parcels;

Purchase Order Number;

Purchasing entity name; and

F.O.B. Destination.

As shown in Figure 36, Noble establishes packing slip requirements in ALPHA at contract

award. Each packing slip is produced with the required information, as follows, and we can add

additional fields, at our customers’ request.

Figure 36. Packing Slip Example. Noble’s packing slips are customized to meet each customer’s contractual requirements



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6.6.5.3 Describe in detail how your company has implemented environmentally sound shipping

and transportation practices. For example:

▪ Is your company a US EPA SmartWay Partner?

▪ Does your company use alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., electric, battery hybrid electric, bio-

based diesel, etc.?

▪ Does your company reduce energy usage or other environmental impacts during shipping?

Noble works in partnership with UPS and FedEx, primarily, to deliver shipments to our

customers around the country. Both are US EPA SmartWay Partners. Each of our vehicles

located at regional offices are equipped with emission control devices but do not use bio-diesel

fuel.

Noble ships hundreds of thousands of packages each year to customers around the world. By

choosing logistics partners that take environmental impacts seriously, we look to them to

minimize shipping energy

6.6.6 Implementation

Noble offers NASPO a proven implementation framework that is customizable to the needs of

each State. Figure 37 illustrates the following Implementation plan components:

■ Engagement - Engage the States that have indicated participation

as a priority and then the balance of the States that now participate in the

NASPO MRO contract. Determine the unique course of action in each

State.

■ Negotiate and Plan - Based on engagement outcome, negotiate

unique State Participating Addendum and finalize plan for

implementation.

■ Implementation & Execution - Unique State plans based on

education, awareness and value are executed through a blend of

webinars, face-to-face and remote meetings, and direct marketing email

notifications. Each implementation plan includes KPI targets. The Noble

Implementation and Sales Teams base their approach on each State’s

procurement process and use of the NASPO award to drive efficiency,

cost savings, and compliance.

■ Review Progress and Results - Quarterly meetings are conducted

with participating States that focus on the performance to established

KPI targets developed during the Implementation process. Meetings

focus on more effective implementation execution strategies to

accelerate value delivery.

■ Adjust - Implementation plans are reviewed for adjustment based on the progress and

results reviewed during the quarterly meetings. Adjustments are focused on

understanding root cause and improvement planning for KPIs that are not being achieved

and accelerating efforts where KPIs are delivering better than expected results.

Figure 37. Implementation Plan Overview



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6.6.6.1 Implementation of this contract is vital to the Participating States. Describe in detail your

implementation program including an estimated time line to include at minimum the following

points.

On contract award, our IT Team loads all contractual requirements, Program-specific catalog

items, authorization requirements, and they develop a NASPO ValuePoint portal for

Participating States. At the same time, we expand our existing Marketing, CSR, and Buyer

Teams and train each to understand the contract and the customers they will be supporting.

Noble is up and running within 30 days.

6.6.6.2 Describe in detail the Offeror’s implementation plan, including all process steps.

1. Participate in a Program Kick-off Meeting to introduce our key personnel, discuss

contract terms, and request transaction history, customer list, current spend data,

transaction data, and any information that will help us update our system by transmitting

data.

2. Using information provided by the Program Office, Noble creates the customer structure

in ALPHA, adjusts settings based on the contract terms and conditions, establishes key

performance indicators and performance criteria, including pricing and discount

structures.

3. Evaluate regional inventory based on data from step 1 to verify inventory levels are

sufficient

4. Test the process flow through our system to ensure any uniqueness required is tested

before we go live, including verifying Punch-out API is operating

5. Train the Noble Team on contract requirements, adding additional staff to support the

program, as necessary

6. Develop marketing materials

7. Design and schedule our sales manager visits with the customer base

8. Schedule customer visits to introduce the program, the team, and the company

9. Send Email blasts with marketing information

10. Do web training and face-to-face training with customers on ALPHA

11. Complete efforts to fill open positions

6.6.6.3 Detail the specific information, resources, and assistance the offeror will require from

each Participating State to implement the contract.

Noble’s PM meets with each Participating State to understand their requirements, typical

ordering items and volumes, and high-volume products. At this time, we identify a time to

conduct training on ALPHA and to meet the Regional Team of Buyers, Sales Managers, and

CSRs who will support their requirements.

6.6.6.4 Describe how soon from execution of the Participating Addendum the online ordering

system will be available to each Participating State. If a phased implementation is planned in

terms of limited functionality vs. complete functionality, please specify.

Once the online system is set up at contract award, adding additional Participating States takes



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only a few days to implement; however, to schedule and conduct initial meetings and training

depends on the State’s availability. Should there be no delay, complete functionality is available

within two business days.

6.6.6.5 Describe in detail the Offeror’s experience when implementing customer relationships of

equivalent size and complexity.

Noble’s contracts with equivalent size and complexity are listed in Figure 38. Each of these

contracts was implemented within 30 days of contract award.

Contract Contract

Value

Number of

Customers Product Types

DLA CENTCOM MRO $1.3B 50 MRO, building, and industrial supplies

DLA AFRICOM MRO $36M 36 MRO, building, and industrial supplies

DLA EUCOM MRO $57M 71 MRO, building, and industrial supplies

DLA Southeast Region MRO $252M 118 MRO, building, and industrial supplies

DLA Northeast Region MRO $205M 76 MRO, building, and industrial supplies

U.S. Postal Service MRO $200M 45,000 MRO, building, and industrial supplies

Hawaii Industrial Supply

Store MRO $40M 665

MRO, building, and industrial supplies

Eagle Hardware, Okinawa $30M 3,000 MRO, building, and industrial supplies

GSA 51V $150M 115,000 MRO, building, and industrial supplies

Figure 38. Contract Implementation Examples. Noble routinely implements contracts of similar size and complexity within 30 days of award.



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6.6.6.6 Describe any customization abilities for different States or political subdivisions within a

Participating State.

ALPHA is completely customizable for any customer or subset of customer. It can accommodate

multiple catalogs, varying authorization requirements, unique packaging and labeling

information, and tailored reporting. We incorporate customer process-specific customizations

into our ecommerce platform; for example, our Ellsworth COCESS wanted to submit RFQs via a

web portal. Noble’s Technology Team designed and built a customer RFQ submittal program

into their contract-specific ecommerce portal to give them that functionality. Our Minot

COCESS customer needed their contract requirements and approval process built into a different

process flow for RFQs. We customized their site and it runs smoothly now.

Noble routinely customizes pricing levels and product categories, reduces categories that aren’t

applicable, and implements authorization chains that prevent ordering without proper approval.

6.6.7 Reporting Capabilities

6.6.7.1 The offeror shall provide information on all reports that are available without charge, to

include a brief description of the report and the frequency. If there are other reports available at

additional pricing, information on these reports is also required. Please note the reporting

requirement in the NASPO ValuePoint terms and conditions; in addition, states may have

additional reporting requirements.

All reports are available to our customers at no charge. These can each be tailored to meet our

customers’ requirements and are provided automatically through ALPHA. Any authorized

customer can also generate reports in real-time on any information pertaining to the Program.

6.6.7.2 Explain your company auditing policy to ensure that pricing and services are in

compliance with the contract. Explain your policy for revenue recovery in the event that any

auditing reveals incorrect pricing.

Noble uses a third party, Grant Thornton, working closely with contract compliance department

to perform quarterly audits. When a discrepancy is found, because of pricing updates or other

reasons, we issue a check to the customer of the amount of the discrepancy.

6.6.7.3 Does your company provide a green product spend report? Please describe how your

company reports environmentally preferable product purchases.

By using the icons shown previously in Figure 19, Noble identifies by contract the items ALPHA

will track. Our Program Manager, or our customer, can generate a report automatically that

provides information on EPP purchases. An example of such a report is one we generate for our

USPS customer. (Figure 39)

6.6.8 Sustainability/Environmental Practices

Sustainability and sound environmental practices are important to many of the Participating States.

Thoroughly describe your sustainability and environmental practices that you currently have in

place. This description should include the following:

(1) Sustainability Program



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a. Does your company have a corporate-wide sustainability policy? If yes, attach or provide a

link to your sustainability policy as well as any related policy initiatives such as a Climate

Action Plan, a Zero Waste Policy, a Toxics Reduction Strategy, or a Green Fleet Policy.

Also, please summarize what your corporate sustainability policy directs your company to do.

Noble is committed to being a corporate steward for environmentally sound practices and

continuous improvement in how we find and implement solutions for reducing our carbon

footprint. Figure 40 summarizes Noble’s Corporate Sustainability Policy and the entire policy

can be found online at http://www.noblesupply.com/sustainability-policy/.

Figure 39. USPS EPP Report. ALPHA automatically generates EPP information based on customer and contractual requirements.



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Sustainability Policy Highlights

▪ Comply with all relevant environmental legislation, regulations, and requirements in all Noble

facilities

▪ Make recycling waste material easy with conveniently located recycle recepticals

▪ Reduce the amount of waste material produced in offices, warehouses, and storefronts

▪ Increase paperless options, including online RFQ submittals, vendor invoicing, and direct payments

▪ Recycle equipment, including donating computers and printers to local schools

▪ Reduce energy consumption in all facilities by using low energy light bulbs and automatic lighting

▪ Use vendor-provided recycling programs for printer cartridges, batteries, and other iems

▪ Commit to using and offering our customers environmentally friendly products such as products made

with recycled paper

▪ Curtail unnecessary travel when instant messaging, video and audio conferencing, telephone, or email

will serve the purpose

Figure 40. Sustainability Policy Highlights. Noble’s commitment to the environment is demonstrated at every level of our business

b. Describe the key elements of your company’s sustainability program including sustainability

staff positions, qualifications and training.

Noble Supply & Logistics has successfully applied an environmental management system to

provide integrated supply, procurement, and logistics solutions to government and businesses,

worldwide. An on-site audit documents that the requirements according to ISO 14001:2004 are

fulfilled. John Morrison, our Sustainability Coordinator, is certified in handling HazMat and

holds multiple certifications such as energy efficient lighting solutions and the use of solar

energy to reduce greenhouse gases. After attending the Do It Best Sustainability Class at Fort

Wayne, IN, where the focus was on sustainable packaging, he instituted sustainable packaging in

our warehouses, reducing space, plastics being used to cut down on shipping CO2, and the

amount of plastics left in the environment. We partner with key suppliers to offer

environmentally friendly products, host an annual Green Day at our corporate HQ where

manufacturers of green products demonstrate new products, and we host Vendor Days at our

multiple base locations where we introduce environmentally friendly projects to our customers

and introduce to the market through our large global foot print.

In our catalogs and online, we denote which products are “Green” with icons shown previously

in Figure 19. For our USPS contract, for example, we supply hundreds of Green products that

we denote with the “Green” icon, as well. We report on the usage of these Green products

quarterly and work with the USPS to meet their Green initiatives. Noble carries thousands of

items that meet these requirements, spanning Energy Star, Biodegradable, Recycled, and

Renewable, Energy Efficient categories.

When Noble adds a new supplier to our catalog, we send them a product content template that

asks for complete product data, which includes whether it is green. Once we receive the

information, we enter the product data into ALPHA, which automatically flags each Green item

and adds the icon to the product descriptions both in our catalog and on our web site.

Noble works with our customers to find the best green solutions for their projects. Green

products are important to our customers, in part because they cost less in the long run with lower



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costs to transport, stock, and dispose while initial costs are often comparable to non-green items.

Working with our vendors, we consult a number of sources, including the Environmental

Protection Agency’s Environmentally Preferable Purchasing website, the FAR, and the U.S.

Department of Agriculture’s 2008 guidance to find the best products at the lowest price.

Noble’s Domestic Sourcing Plan includes procedures for ensuring all products meet contractual

requirements, confirming the source of material, enforcing flow-down to our suppliers,

conducting audits, and documenting mitigations to limit future nonconformance issues. All

contractual requirements and Noble’s vendor policies and procedures are included on our

standard supplier agreement. The Purchasing Manager performs periodic audits to ensure each

vendor is adhering to the terms and conditions of the agreement, including payment terms, ship-

by dates, and fill rates. These requirements are all included in the automatic notifications sent

from ALPHA, posting updates on the VP of Purchasing’s dashboard. Ensuring these

requirements are met is a key component to Noble’s regular vendor audits, as well.

c. Describe Proposer’s environmental practices that are applicable to items that Proposer

markets. Provide links to your published statements, policies and reports and summarize key

accomplishments.

Noble works to promote environmentally friendly products. For example, we work with vendor

partner, LG, to convert a high percentage of Joint Base Pearl Harbor’s HVAC split systems to

more energy efficient, and ultimately cost effective split units. Noble’s team attends trade shows

looking for environmentally friendly manufacturers of a wide variety of products and we allow

them to sell their products through us to the US Government. Our Purchasing Department

provides each of our suppliers with ratings based on a number of criteria, including whether they

are environmentally friendly. We follow our ISO procedures and pass our requirements on to

manufacturer partners to ensure they are as environmentally friendly as possible. ALPHA flags

orders as they come in to alert customers that a product can be substituted with environmentally

friendly item, if they choose. Noble received the ISO 14001 certification for internal green

policies and disposable hazardous waste. The ISO 14001 certification process requires us to

mandate that we reduce the amount of plastics in packaging.

In addition, Noble offers a full line of green paints and do not sell metallic paints or external

plastic housing, nor do we use them ourselves. We also offer a wide variety of dismantled

components. Noble has recycle programs for certain products, such as batteries, where our

customers give us their batteries and we send to the manufacturer for recycling.

Noble’s sustainability policy is found at http://www.noblesupply.com/sustainability-policy/.

While Noble’s ISO Procedure P-019, Environmental Aspects and Impacts, is not published

outside of our company, we are happy to provide to NASPO upon request.



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(2) Product Take Back/End of Life:

a. Provide a list of products for which you provide end of life take-back and recycling (e.g.

fluorescent lamps, batteries, solvents, metals, etc.). List subcontractors if any you use for

these services. List any fees or conditions for these services. Certificates of Disposal must be

provided for hazardous waste. This is an EPA requirement.

Noble's packaging materials, such as boxes, stretch wrap, edge protectors, and paper, contain at

least 25% recycled content. Noble's packaging does not contain inks, dyes, pigments, adhesives,

stabilizers, or any other additives to which any lead, cadmium, mercury or hexavalent chromium

has been included as an element during manufacture or distribution in such a way that the sum of

the concentrations levels of such lead, cadmium, mercury or hexavalent chromium exceed the

following concentration level: 100 parts per million by weight (0.01%). We take back

fluorescent lamps, batteries, solvents, metals, and ship back to manufacturers offering a take-

back warranty. Additionally, we ensure that the products we are offering under our catalog have

not been available for more than one year. Noble’s subcontractors include AirGas and Cerco. We

don’t charge any fees for standard materials.

b. Proposers are to minimize or eliminate the use of disposable containers; is made from

recycled content or other bio-based fibers; is easily recyclable, contains a minimum of 25%

by weight of post-consumer materials; and/or meets or exceeds the minimum post-consumer

content level for respective packaging in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines.

Noble only uses shipping companies that use reusable shipping containers such as UPS Supply

Chain, DHL Supply Chain, and Expeditors. To become a Noble-preferred vendor, our

manufacturers must meet the 25% post-consumer recycled materials requirements.

c. Proposers are to provide packaging that does not contain inks, dyes, pigments, adhesives,

stabilizers, or any other additives to which any lead, cadmium, mercury or hexavalent

chromium has been included as an element during manufacture or distribution in such a way

that the sum of the concentrations levels of such lead, cadmium, mercury or hexavalent

chromium exceed the following concentration level: 100 parts per million by weight (0.01%).

Noble complies with all EPA guidelines.

d. All drums shall remain the property of the supplier. Empty drums shall not become the

property of the affected state entity under any circumstance or condition. All empty drums,

including their respective caps, plugs, or bungs, shall be collected by the supplier within a

reasonable time frame specified by the affected state entity for reuse or recycling via the

most reasonable transport method.

Noble's packaging products are only sourced from eco-friendly manufacturers where all of their

materials contain recycled content. Noble's preferred carrier is FedEx. 100% of FedEx packaging

is recyclable. FedEx envelopes are made from an average of 92% recycled content. Every FedEx

envelope delivery is carbon offset to minimize its impact on the environment. The Legal Size

Reusable FedEx Envelope is designed to be used twice. FedEx white boxes are made from an

average of 38% recycled content. With a wide variety of box sizes to choose from, it’s easy to

right-size your shipment, minimize waste, and maximize efficiency. FedEx brown boxes are

made from an average of 35% recycled content. The tablet box, which was their first retail

packaging to earn the EarthSmart designation, is reusable, right-sized, and made from renewable



66

resources. You can be sure you’re getting packaging that’s as environmentally responsible as it is

durable. And that can help make every shipment worry-free. As detailed previously in Figure 19,

Noble assigns icons to products to indicate their environmentally safe classification. Our

customer can search on any of these designations to find the products they want.

(4) Product Choice:

a. Proposers green claims are consistent with the Federal Trade Commission’s Green Guides.

(for more information visit: https://www.ftc.gov/news- events/media-resources/truth-

advertising/green- guides)

Yes _X__ No____

(5) Other Sustainability Practices:

a. Offerors may provide additional information their company’s sustainability policies,

practices and/or achievements. Attach appropriate documentation to substantiate claim.

Noble obtains descriptions from manufacturers and we store that information in our product

information management system within ALPHA, which allows us to store product attributes

such as different green or environmentally friendly products. We ask for multiple images from

the manufacturers and suppliers and have created a data governance around ensuring that certain

mandatory fields are complied with by all our partners, such as model number, short description,

long description, and environmental attributes.

6.6.9 Emerging Small Business, Minority Business Enterprise, Women Business Enterprise,

And Disabled Veteran Owned Business.

6.6.9.1 Some Participating States, may desire to purchase products and services from

ESB/MBE/WBE/DV & DBE companies. Some Participating States may or may not have an

ESB/MBE/WBE/DV & DBE program and therefore each State will integrate this desirable into

its Participating Addendum, if applicable. In some Participating States, to qualify as an

ESB/MBE/WBE/DV & DBE supplier the listed companies must be registered with either the

government or a recognized certifying entity and provide a certification type and number.

Registered ESB/MBE/WBE/DV & DBE companies must be operating from a legitimate

commercial site, carry all applicable insurance policies, required business licenses, and have

operated continuously for at least two years. Please explain how the Offeror will provide

opportunity for, ESB/MBE/WBE/DV & DBE companies.

6.6.9.2 At a minimum, the following policies and practices must be described in detail:

Noble is registered as a Small Business with the U.S. Government. We have been registered as

such and we have carried all insurance policies, required business licenses, and operated from a

legitimate commercial site for more than 30 years.

6.6.9.3 Describe in detail how the Offeror will work with the registered companies to

determine what products can be a part of the contract.

As a member of the small business community, Noble is committed to identifying small business

vendors for our customers



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6.6.9.4 Describe in detail how the Offeror will track all ESB/MBE/WBE/DV & DBE Products

and services, including ordering, delivery, and invoicing.

Small business status is included in ALPHA and this information is available to our customers in

regular reporting activities.

6.6.9.5 Provide a list of Products that may be available to be purchased from

ESB/MBE/WBE/DV & DBE companies under the proposed Contract.

Products include chemicals, material handling equipment, lubrication, sealants and tapes, pumps,

and raw materials.

6.6.9.6 Describe how Offeror will make best efforts to increase the number of Products

available to Authorized Purchasers under the Contract acquired from ESB/MBE/WBE/DV &

DBE businesses.

As a Small Business, Noble understands the importance of reaching out to and supporting other

small businesses and remain committed to giving preference to small business vendors. Through

our web portal, BRAVO, we target small businesses to offer quotes on product requirements we

provide supporting NASPO. (Figure 41) Once they register in BRAVO, they receive regular

notices for products and they can quickly submit a quote. In addition, we regularly attend local

trade shows focused on different product categories in various regions.

6.6.9.7 Describe what other products or services the Offeror can offer within a category that

supports ESB/MBE/WBE/DV & DBE suppliers.

Because Noble has multiple contracts supporting the U.S. Government, we have ongoing

requirements for a wide range of products. We attend trade shows and give presentations for

attendees to ensure they understand our requirements and how to provide timely quotes. Noble

regularly leverages SAM to identify small businesses.

Figure 41. Noble’s BRAVO program portal for vendors.



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6.6.10 Community Rehabilitation Program (CRP) / Qualified Rehabilitative Facilities (QRF):

Describe how the Offeror supports the use of products and/or services sourced from QRF and the

CRP programs.

Noble is committed to supporting programs that help a wide variety of communities help

themselves. As an example, we have been proud supporter of the AbilityOne Program on many

of our Federal contracts for many years and carry more than 1,500 AbilityOne items. Figure 42

includes both our authorization letter from AbilityOne and a 2016 letter commending Noble for

being an outstanding AbilityOne Distributer. We also support UniCor and will continue to

support these and others at the State and local level, including CRP and QRF Programs.

Figure 42. Noble’s AbilityOne Letter of Authorization and Outstanding AbilityOne Program Distributor Letter



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6.6.11 Retail Store Purchases/Will Call:

6.6.11.1 Describe the availability of contracted items through Offeror’s branch locations. Please

provide a list of branch locations that provide a will call service in each of the Participating States.

Figure 43 lists Noble’s Will-Call Locations where we maintain an inventory of in-stock items

and can help customers with their orders for non-stock items, as well. As our Marketing Team

develops our customer base, Noble opens additional offices and distributions centers to allow the

convenience of ordering, buying, or picking up products.



70

State Will-Call

Locations

State Will-Call

Locations

State Will-Call

Locations

Alabama ▪ Birmingham Alaska ▪ Anchorage Arkansas ▪ Little Rock

▪ Jacksonville

California ▪ Sacramento

▪ Alameda

▪ El Centro

▪ Anaheim

Colorado ▪ Boulder

▪ Wheatland

▪ Fort Collins

Connecticut ▪ Manchester

▪ Fairfield

Delaware ▪ Middletown

▪ Wilmington

Florida ▪ Hialeah

▪ Ft. Lauderdale

▪ Ft. Myers

Georgia ▪ Smyrna

▪ Roswell

▪ Savannah

Hawaii ▪ Kailua-Kona Idaho ▪ Mountain Home

▪ Rigby

Illinois ▪ Dixon

▪ Springfield

Iowa ▪ Waukee

▪ Cedar Falls

Kansas ▪ Abilene

▪ Junction City

Kentucky ▪ Louisville

▪ Mayfield

Louisiana ▪ Ruston

▪ New Orleans

▪ Picayune

Maine ▪ Bangor

▪ Portland

Maryland ▪ Baltimore

▪ Washington

DC

Massachusetts ▪ Boston

▪ Worcester

▪ Springfield

▪ Framingham

Michigan ▪ Detroit

▪ Grand Rapids

▪ Kalamazoo

Minnesota ▪ Minneapolis

▪ Maple Grove

Mississippi ▪ Jackson

▪ Gulfport

Missouri ▪ St. Louis

▪ Kansas City

▪ Cape Girardeau

Montana ▪ Billings

▪ Missoula

Nebraska ▪ Lincoln

▪ Omaha

Nevada ▪ Reno

▪ Las Vegas

New

Hampshire

▪ Plymouth

▪ East

Hampstead

New Jersey ▪ Trenton New Mexico ▪ Albuquerque

▪ Roswell

▪ Las Cruces

North

Carolina

▪ Charlotte

▪ Asheville

North Dakota ▪ Minot Ohio ▪ Dayton

▪ Columbus

Oklahoma ▪ Oklahoma City

▪ Tulsa

Oregon ▪ Portland

▪ Eugene

▪ Woodburn

Pennsylvania ▪ Philadelphia

▪ Pittsburgh

Rhode

Island

▪ Providence

South Carolina ▪ Greenville

▪ Charleston

▪ Columbia

South

Dakota

▪ Rapid City

▪ Sioux Falls

Tennessee ▪ Knoxville

▪ Memphis

Texas ▪ Dallas

▪ San Antonio

▪ Austin

▪ Brownsville

Utah ▪ Salt Lake City

▪ Gunnison

Vermont ▪ Rochester

▪ Chester

Virginia ▪ Alexandria

▪ Portsmouth

Washington ▪ Seattle

▪ Spokane

West

Virginia

▪ Charleston

Wisconsin ▪ Green Bay

▪ Milwaukee

▪ Eau Claire

Wyoming ▪ Cheyenne

▪ Laramie

Figure 43. Noble Will-Call Locations. With locations around the country, Noble offers multiple will-call facilities

and can easily add more as customers request them.



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6.6.11.2 Provide a narrative that explains how authorized purchasers will be able to make

purchases at will call branch locations, make payment for those items and have those items

included in the reporting.

Noble manages storefronts for our customers on military installations throughout the continental

US, as well as in Hawaii, Guam, and Japan. With more than 20 storefronts, we have expertise

designing, maintaining, and staffing MRO retail entities to meet the requirements of changing

buying patterns for our military customers, depending on their region. For example, we supply

abrasives, paints, coatings, and other refurbishing tools and chemicals to support ship

deployments and rehabilitations in the Norfolk area. In response to our customers’ demand for

these items, Noble identified vendors in that region, established vendor agreements, and adjusted

our inventory levels at our South Carolina warehouse. We do the same for NASPO ValuePoint

customers who prefer a local entity rather than online ordering.

Once a Participating State is established in ALPHA, all applicable information is available at any

location, whether it is from the customer’s computer or in person at our facility. Customers can

pay using a credit card or purchase order and the order is automatically included in reporting for

that Participating State.

6.6.12 Growth Incentives:

6.6.12.1 Describe in detail any contract growth incentives, e.g. larger revenue, different levels of

discounts for large orders that may be offered to the Participating States/purchasing agency.

Noble offers a discount on an item-by-item basis for large orders. By reaching out to our

manufacturers or suppliers for the best price, we can then offer those savings to our customers.

Our proposed growth incentives are listed below:

$50,000,000-$100,000,000 .10% Incentive + .25% required = .35%



$200,000,001-Above .40% Incentive + .25% required = .65%

6.6.12.2 Describe in detail any incremental pricing incentives for on-line ordering verses fax or

call in ordering.

Participating State Administrative Fee:

Noble offers an Administrative Fee up to a 2% negotiated and executed through State

Participating Addendum execution process as described in Attachment B, Section 6.b of the

Value Point Master Agreement.

Participating State Growth Incentive:

Noble offers a Growth Incentive up to .50% and paid back to dollar one. Growth Incentives

thresholds are mutually negotiated between each participating and Noble through the State

Participating Addendum execution process.



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Market Baskets:

Noble negotiates State-specific Market Basket pricing on up to 250 unique items through the

State Participating Addendum execution process.

Contract Consolidation Incentive:

Noble negotiates mutually acceptable reduced item pricing for Participating States when expired

contracts are not renewed or re-bid, and are offered through Noble’s NASPO PA. Reduced

pricing is at the item level and added to the State-specific Market Basket.

Mandatory Use Incentive:

Noble negotiates a Mandatory Use incentive of up to .50% on categories or items that a

Participating State designates Noble as a mandatory source of supply.

Manufacturer Incentives:

Noble works with Participating States to negotiate and offer reduced pricing on manufacturer-

specific items or offerings where State is consolidating vendor and manufacturer sources through

Noble.

6.7 Additional Services

6.7.1 Training

6.7.1.1 Offeror shall provide all training as necessary at no additional pricing to all

Participating States on all aspects of ordering, online ordering, product delivery, product

returns, EPP’s, and customer service processes.

6.7.1.2 Describe in detail the Offeror’s ability to offer training that may be required to

ensure purchasing entities have a thorough understanding of all ordering processes

including any online systems. No pricing for product training, safety training, or travel and

per Diem.

Noble’s Regional Sales Managers arrange sessions to train our customers to use our proven

system ALPHA to track orders, generate reports, submit RFQs, and communicate via live chat

with technical experts. With each State’s requirements built into the system, we can demonstrate

exactly what they will see, how authorizations and approvals are made, where they find order

tracking information, and how they can request additional information either in the system or

from CSRs. The training is minimal as Noble’s system is very similar to other online retailers but

we are available to answer questions and provide support both during the training and after.

6.7.2 Disaster Recovery

Please describe your emergency management plan to aid States during an emergency or disaster

recovery. Be specific as to response time, supplies availability and other goods and services that

you offer.

Whether responding to a military deployment or a natural disaster, there is no more important

time to respond quickly. Because of our network of logistics centers, relationships with our

suppliers, and available warehouse space of more than 4 million sq ft, Noble responds to surge



73

requirements of up to 1,000% within 24 hours, throughout the country.

Our three-prong approach to surge requirements allows us the flexibility to respond to any

emergency request:

1. Draw from the inventory in our warehouses to ship product immediately to our customers

via expedited land or air transportation

2. Mobilize our established vendors to drop ship to the customer or to our consolidation

warehouses where we build and deliver orders to surge locations quickly

3. Sustain up to a 1,000% product increase for at least 60 days by directing our

manufacturers to produce and maintain inventories, sustain increased production

capabilities, and ship directly to our customers, as necessary.

Noble’s vendor agreements contain clauses for manufacturers to maintain inventories for many

MRO, building, and industrial supply items. Because we hold these agreements with several

manufacturers for the same product, we can rely on large shipments of products sustained for at

least 60 days.

Surge, mobilization, and operational deployment requirements result in a minimal impact on

Noble’s operations for any of our other contracts. Our business supports sudden increases in

orders or volume year-round for requirements as diverse as the 125,000 GSA customers ordering

from Noble to the emergency support required from our DLA, GSA, DOS, DOD, and FEMA

contracts. We can support these surges and longer-term deployments, in part because of the

strength of our following systems and approaches:

■ Our strong financial stability allows us to fund increased volume, immediately. With

more than $5 billion in buying power, we have established credit with thousands of

vendors. There is no interruption in filling large orders quickly, which puts us in the same

league as the largest wholesale distributors in the world. We access multiple

manufacturers of the same product and procure all their inventory, put their factories to

work, and ship directly from their warehouses. Noble’s Emergency Response Team

(ERT) manages similar activities regularly.

■ ALPHA allows us to scale up without adding IT personnel. Our fully integrated EDI-

based system encompasses inventory management, order tracking, customer support,

logistics, and instant access to product substitutions. ALPHA alerts us when there are

changes in the order, automatically generates POs, tracks emergency shipments, and

generates reports so we can adjust inventory, tracking, and order changes. Noble’s

Buyers and CSRs quickly and efficiently enter and access data to support all aspects of

the surge requirement.

■ JIT shipping capabilities ensure minimal impact because we don’t rely solely on

inventory in the warehouse. Noble’s Procurement Specialists work closely with

manufacturers and suppliers around the globe to ship directly to our customers. By using

direct vendor deliveries, we avoid cross-docking, shortening the logistics pipeline and

maintaining the in-region inventory levels. We supply products within 48 hours and

continue supporting our customers for as long as they need the product.

The ERT, comprising the PM, Purchasing Manager, Operations Manager, CSRs, and the HQ

Logistics Manager, notifies the customer of our strategy and gives regular updates via ALPHA,



74

email, and phone calls to keep our customer informed. As requirements change, we quickly

adapt to the demands of the surge to meet or exceed the delivery schedule.

Immediately on notification that our customer has a surge requirement, Noble assembles our

ERT, which analyzes requirements; establishes an order site within ALPHA to track all

activities, assesses our inventory, and based on the data, develops a procurement strategy. Our

procurement strategy includes drawing down our inventory, contacting in-region vendors to

determine available stock levels, and reaching out to manufacturers to begin production, as

necessary.

6.7.3 Installation, if applicable

Please describe Offeror’s ability to provide installation services of products or equipment that

Participating States may chose, if applicable to their States rules.

Noble routinely provides installation services of products and equipment both around the U.S.

and for our customers overseas. For example, we support our DLA Prime Vendor customers with

installation projects, including more than 5,000 minor construction projects in the U.S. Our

Purchasing Team bids out services to local vendors, vets subcontractors, and manages the

subcontractors regionally.

6.7.4 Value added solutions

Offerors are encouraged to suggest value added solutions that may improve the States use of the

contracts and products offered. One such value-add is product sourcing.

Noble offers an on-line quotation and sourcing portal, BRAVO, which provides a fully

automated tool available 24/7. Users have access to order histories and the ability to research,

update, and change quotation and sourcing requests, as well as activate opportunities to orders.

This functionality streamline processes for users and administrators and enables an efficient

buying experience.

6.7.4.1 Sourced Products

(1) Supplier sourced products is a product which is not currently listed in the suppliers’

contract catalog or on-line ordering system at the time of order receipt but is capable of

being supplied through the offeror.

(2) If the offeror is capable of supplying sourced products they must be direct line extension

products which have a similar item to an established product category and the offeror must

already have a publicly recognized business partnership with the “brand”.

(3) The offeror must list in their cost proposal Attachment D and D-1 their up charge for

all sourced products. Up charges must be detailed on invoices as a separate item from the

product charge.

Noble’s buying team verifies that each vendor meets our standards for financial stability, past

performance, documented quality programs, full warranty support, reasonable payment terms,

volume and other discounts, ability to meet surge requirements, and marketing allowances. Over

the years, the supply base has grown to more than 11,000 formal agreements with vendors.

When Noble’s Buying Team identifies vendors that offer either product we’re sourcing or that



75

could potentially offer a range of products that fall within the MRO category of supplies, we

enter into vendor agreements that include established credit terms, letters of credit with our

suppliers’ banks, and product/service/delivery specifications. We establish the vendor’s financial

capability, verify their quality program, determine years in business, check other customer

references, and validate their history of complying with contractual requirements.

Noble’s process for adding new suppliers for NASPO ValuePoint contract begins when we

receive word of demand for a new product. The Purchasing Manager assigns a Buyer who

reviews and identifies whether the required material can be sourced from our existing supplier

base. Should Noble not have a vendor that produces or distributes the material, we begin our

process of identifying a vendor that does, as illustrated in Figure 44.

Should an order require a locally sourced item, either because of the product or the schedule,

Noble first checks our existing inventory and if we don’t carry the item already, we contact our

local suppliers. If the vendor is already part of our supply chain or the product is in inventory at

our warehouse, we issue the PO or pick ticket, line up transportation, and deliver. If it doesn’t

fall within our existing supply chain, our buyers follow the same process outlined in Figure 44,

reaching out to local distributors and suppliers.

Once Noble is aware of the need for a new product or supplier, we identify possible vendors

through a number of resources. Often, our best source is existing vendors or distributors. Should

the product require further investigation, we research using industry publications and resources

to identify the best source. Our Purchasing Team regularly consults third party services such as

Figure 44. Supplier Selection Process. Noble’s established process has resulted in more than 11,000 MRO vendors providing the right products at the right prices, every time.



76

Ariba Commerce, Ali Baba, or ThomasNet to source potential suppliers based on specifications.

We also have agreements with local companies for lumber, wire, sand, and other basic building

materials. When possible, the Purchasing Team attends regional trade shows to meet new

vendors and learn about their products.

Once we have a potential vendor identified, our Buyer contacts the vendor, establishes a point of

contact, and asks initial questions about product specifications, QA/QC systems, manufacturer

locations, and turnaround time. If, at this time, the vendor appears to meet our criteria, Noble

issues our standard questionnaire that asks for additional vendor information, including payment

terms and conditions, shipping policies, Dun & Bradstreet information, credit references,

customer references, and requirements for necessary bonds and insurance minimums.

Upon receipt of the completed questionnaire, Noble’s Purchasing Team verifies vendor

information, checks references, and calls the vendor’s other customers. Additionally, we run

thorough checks on the vendor’s financials to mitigate risk for both Noble and for our customers.

Noble will not sign a vendor agreement with a supplier that is at risk of not performing up to our

standards or contractual requirements.

Noble and the vendor sign a supplier agreement that includes our terms and conditions, insurance

and liability requirements, surge provisions, and a minimum availability clause requiring the

vendor to set aside a select group of products that we have identified as high-use items. To avoid

NIS issues, the vendor agrees to maintain safety stock for the high-volume items to ensure there

are no production schedule delays and work with the vendor to test EDI documents procedures.

Finally, we determine whether the vendor will be a stocking or non-stocking vendor:

Stocking Vendor: Identify the items we will add to the catalog, order the product for inventory,

and carry them in one or more of our warehouses.

Non-Stocking Vendor: Add to ALPHA as a drop-ship vendor that will comply with our packing

slip and packaging requirements and agree to include in each order Noble’s disclaimer, return

instructions, and other paperwork that we provide electronically



77

6.7.4.2 Vending Machines

(1) Vending style machines that can dispense singular or multiple products with control type

methods.

(2) Offerors are encouraged to list their vending solutions.

Noble’s partner, ToolCrib.com, provides the vending machine and our software integrates with

their software, allowing us to manage the inventory and track real-time product usage.

Other Value Add Solutions: ALPHA gives NASPO ValuePoint several Value Add Solutions,

including customized reporting authorizations, products, vendors, payment options, delivery

options, and total asset visibility from the moment an order is placed. Each authorized buyer sees

only options tailored for that Participation State in response to the States preferences and

requirements.



78

Attachment F

AFFIDAVIT OF TRADE SECRET

Noble does not have any trade secrets under this solicitation.

State of )

) ss:

County of )

(Affiant), being first duly sworn under oath, and representing [insert

Offeror Name] (hereafter “Offeror”), hereby deposes and swears or affirms under penalty of perjury

that:

1. I am an employee of the Offeror, I have knowledge of the Request for Proposals referenced

herein, and I have full authority from the Offeror to submit this affidavit and accept the

responsibilities stated herein.

2. I am aware that the Offeror has submitted a Proposal, dated on or about [insert date] (the

“Proposal”), to the State of Oregon (State) in response to Request for Proposals [insert number],

for [insert brief description of the goods and/or services sought in the RFP] and I am familiar

with the contents of the RFP and Proposal.

3. I have read and am familiar with the provisions of Oregon’s Public Records Law, Oregon

Revised Statutes (“ORS”) 192.410 through 192.505, and the Uniform Trade Secrets Act as

adopted by the State of Oregon, which is set forth in ORS 646.461 through ORS 646.475. I

understand that the Proposal is a public record held by a public body and is subject to disclosure

under the Oregon Public Records Law unless specifically exempt from disclosure under that

law.

4. I have reviewed the information contained in the Proposal. The Offeror believes the information

listed in Exhibit A is exempt from public disclosure (collectively, the “Exempt Information”),

which is incorporated herein by this reference. It is my opinion that the Exempt Information

constitutes “Trade Secrets” under either the Oregon Public Records Law or the Uniform Trade

Secrets Act as adopted in Oregon because that information is either:

A. A formula, plan, pattern, process, tool, mechanism, compound, procedure, production data, or

compilation of information that:

i. is not patented,

ii. is known only to certain individuals within the Offeror’s organization and that is

used in a business the Offeror conducts,

iii. has actual or potential commercial value, and

iv. gives its user an opportunity to obtain a business advantage over competitors who

do not know or use it.

or

B. Information, including a drawing, cost data, customer list, formula, pattern, compilation,

program, device, method, technique or process that:

i. Derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally



79

known to the public or to other persons who can obtain economic value from its

disclosure or use; and

ii. Is the subject of efforts by the Offeror that are reasonable under the circumstances to

maintain its secrecy.

5. I understand that disclosure of the information referenced in Exhibit A may depend on official or

judicial determinations made in accordance with the Public Records Law.

Affiant’s Signature ____________________________________________

Signed and sworn to before me on _________ (date) by __________________ (Affiant’s name)

Notary Public for the State of __________________________________

My Commission Expires: ___________________________________



80

EXHIBIT NO. 3

CONTRACTOR TAX CERTIFICATION

The individual signing on behalf of Contractor hereby certifies and swears under penalty of

perjury to the best of the individual’s knowledge that:

1. The number shown on this form is Contractor's correct taxpayer identification;

Federal Tax Number 04-2767926 ____________________

Oregon Tax Number N/A _________________________

2. Contractor is not subject to backup withholding because:

(i) Contractor is exempt from backup withholding,

(ii) Contractor has not been notified by the IRS that Contractor is subject to backup

withholding as a result of a failure to report all interest or dividends, or

(iii) The IRS has notified Contractor that Contractor is no longer subject to backup

withholding.

3. S/he is authorized to act on behalf of Contractor, s/he has authority and knowledge

regarding Contractor's payment of taxes,

4. For a period of no fewer than six calendar years preceding the Effective Date of this

Addendum and any Contract, Contractor faithfully has complied with:

(i) All tax laws of this state, including but not limited to ORS 305.620 and ORS chapters

316, 317, and 318;

(ii) Any tax provisions imposed by a political subdivision of this state that applied to

Contractor, to Contractor’s property, operations, receipts, or income, or to Contractor’s

performance of or compensation for any work performed by Contractor;

(iii) Any tax provisions imposed by a political subdivision of this state that applied to

Contractor, or to goods, services, or property, whether tangible or intangible, provided

by Contractor; and

(iv) Any rules, regulations, charter provisions, or ordinances that implemented or enforced

any of the foregoing tax laws or provisions.



81

Contractor Noble Sales Co., dba Noble Supply and Logistics ____

Signature Thomas W. Noble III, Chief Executive Officer

____________________________________________

Date December 28, 2017 ____________________________



82

ATTACHMENT H

COBID CERTIFIED FIRM/OUTREACH PLAN

“Certified Firm” means a small business certified under ORS 200.055 by the Oregon Certification

Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity (“COBID”) as “disadvantaged business enterprise”,

“minority-owned business”, “woman-owned business”, “emerging small business” or “business

that a service-disabled veteran owns”.

Certified Firm Participation

As noted in Governor Kitzhaber’s Executive Order 12-03: “Minority-owned and Woman- owned

businesses continue to be a dynamic and fast-growing sector of the Oregon economy. Oregon is

committed to creating an environment that supports the ingenuity and industriousness of Oregon’s

Minority Business Enterprise [“MBE”] and Woman Business Enterprise [“WBE”]. Emerging

Small Business [“ESB”], Disabled Veteran [“DV”], and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise

[“DBE”] firms are also an important sector of the state’s economy.”

In 2015, HB 3303 revised ORS 200.055 to add “a business that a service-disabled veteran owns”

as a business type that may apply to COBID for certification. Contracting agencies shall

aggressively pursue a policy of providing opportunities to Certified Small Businesses (hereinafter

“Certified Firms”) according to ORS 200.090. As such, Oregon Certified firms must have an equal

opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts financed with state funds. By submitting

its offer, Offeror certifies that it will take reasonable steps to ensure that Certified Firms are

provided an equal opportunity to compete for and participate in the performance of any

subcontracts resulting from this procurement. Offeror further certifies and agrees that it has not

discriminated and will not discriminate in its employment practices with regard to race, creed, age,

religious affiliation, sex, disability, sexual orientation or national origin, and it has not

discriminated and will not discriminate against a subcontractor in the awarding of a subcontract

because the subcontractor is a disadvantaged business enterprise, a minority-owned business, a

woman-owned business, a business that a service-disabled veteran owns or an emerging small

business certified under ORS 200.055.

If there may be opportunities for subcontractors to work on the project, it is the expectation of the

DAS and NASPO ValuePoint and its Purchasing Entities that the Offeror will take reasonable

steps to ensure that Certified Firms are provided an equal opportunity to compete for and

participate in the performance of any contract and/or subcontracts resulting from this procurement.

Following opening of bids and prior to Contract Award, the Offeror with the apparent highest

scoring Proposal or lowest Bid must provide, within five days of Notice of Intent to Award, a

Certified Firms Outreach Plan using the form on the following page. The information submitted

in response to this clause will not be considered in any scored evaluation and no evaluative points

will be assigned to the information.



83

Certified Small Business Outreach Plan

1. Is Offeror an Oregon Certified Firm? Yes X No

If yes, indicate all certification type(s): MBE WBE ESB DBE DV

Oregon State Certification number: ________________________________________

2. Does Offeror foresee any subcontracting opportunities for this procurement? Yes No X

If no, do not complete the rest of this form.

3. The Offeror shall provide a narrative description of its experience in obtaining Certified Firms

participation as subcontractors, consultants or suppliers on previous projects, and discuss any

innovative or particularly successful measures that the Offeror has undertaken. The Offeror

shall include a list of those certified firms with which it has had a contractual relationship during

the past 24 months immediately preceding the date this solicitation document was issued. If

none, mark the following checkbox: No prior experience obtaining participation from

Certified Firms.

4. The Offeror shall provide examples where Certified Firms participation was achieved, along

with information on Certified Firms subcontracting participation levels for up to three

projects/contracts that the Offeror is either currently performing or has completed within the

past 24 months immediately preceding the date this solicitation document was issued. Certified

Firms participation should be described as the percentage of the dollar value of subcontracts

and material or supply contracts awarded to Certified Firms as compared with the total dollar

value of subcontracts and material or supply contracts let for each identified project or contract.

The Offeror shall describe any technical assistance or mentoring the firm provided to Certified

Firms subcontracting on each project. If none, mark the following checkbox: No prior

experience obtaining participation from Certified Firms.

Project 1

Name ______________________________________________________________________

Award Date: ____/____/____ Completion Date: ____/____/____

Contract Award Amount $

Certified Firms goal percentage, if applicable _______%

Certified Firms achievement percentage_______%



84

Certified Firms Subcontract Award Amount $________________

Certified Firms Spend Achieved $________________

Describe any technical assistance or mentoring provided to Firms subcontracting on this project

Project 2

Name ______________________________________________________________________








Project 3

Name ______________________________________________________________________









85


5. If the total cost of the awarded contract is expected to be greater than $10,000.00, the Offeror

shall describe the outreach and subcontracting plan it will use, if awarded the contract, to

provide Oregon Certified Firms certified firms an equal opportunity to perform any subcontracts

under the contract. The plan must be realistic and based on Offeror’s successful past experience.

If Offeror has no previous outreach experience, the Offeror shall describe the outreach plan it

intends to use if awarded the contract.

The Offeror must include the following in its plan:

i. A description of the steps that the Offeror will take to solicit Certified Firms participation;

ii. A description of the mentoring, technical or other business development assistance the Offeror

will provide to subcontractors needing or requesting such services.

If awarded the contract, the Offeror must accept, as contract performance obligations, the outreach

and subcontracting plan described in this section. If certified firms are unavailable for type of

work to be performed, please indicate in this section.

Company Name: ________________________________________

Authorized Signature: ____________________________________

Date: ____/____/____

Name of Authorized Representative: ________________________________________

Title: _________________________________________________________________



86

7.0 Signed Amendments

The signed amendments for this proposal appear on the following pages.

DASPS-2183-17 Addendum

No. 1

Page 1

Kate Brown, Governor

Department of Administrative Services Enterprise Goods & Services-Procurement Services

1225 Ferry Street U140

Salem, Oregon 97301-4285

PHONE: 503-378-4642

FAX: 503-373-1626

Request for Proposal (“RFP”) DASPS-2183-17

ADDENDUM No. 1

This Addendum No. 1 (“Addendum”) modifies the RFP which DAS PS published on ORPIN on November

15, 2017 as described herein. All RFP terms not specifically mentioned or affected by this Addendum

remain in full force. This Addendum is hereby added as a part of the RFP.

The following paragraphs or sections of the RFP are modified as described below. New language is

indicated by bold print and underline. Deleted language is indicated by strikethrough.

1. RFP, Cover Page:

The State of Oregon (“State”), acting by and through its

Department of Administrative Services, Procurement Services (“DAS PS”), for member states of the

NASPO ValuePoint Cooperative Purchasing Program (“NASPO ValuePoint”) and other Purchasing

Entities,

Request for Proposals

Oregon Solicitation Number DASPS-2183-17

FOR

NASPO ValuePoint Master Agreement(s) for Facilities Maintenance and Repair & Operations (MRO),

Industrial Supplies

Date of Issue: November 15, 2017 Closing Date and Time: December 29, 2017 January 5, 2018

2. RFP, List of Attachments:

ATTACHMENT I – OS ADDITIONAL PARTICIPATING STATES TERMS AND CONDITIONS

3. RFP, Section 1.3 Schedule of events:

RFP Advertised As stated on the cover page

Pre-Proposal Conference November 29, 2017

Questions / Requests for Clarification Due December 15, 2017 December 22, 2017

Answers / Clarification Issued (approx.) December 21, 2017 December 28, 2017

RFP Protest Period Ends December 8, 2017 December 15, 2017

Closing (Proposals Due) December 29, 2017 January 5, 2018 @ 2:00PM PT


No. 1

Page 2

Evaluation Period (approx.) January 5, 2018 thru February 17, 2018

Notice of Intent to Award (approx.) February 28, 2018

Award Protest Period Ends Seven calendar days after notice of intent

4. RFP, Section 2.18 Offeror exceptions to Terms and Conditions:

Offeror should identify or seek to clarify any problems with contract language or any other document

contained within this RFP through its written inquiries about the RFP using the process in Section 2.1 2.3.

5. RFP, Section 1.6 Participating States.

In addition to the Lead State conducting this Solicitation, the following Participating States have requested to

be named in this RFP as potential users of the resulting Master Agreement(s): Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut,

Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island,

Utah, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Virginia,

Illinois, Ohio, and Washington. Other entities may become Participating Entities after award of the Master

Agreement by entering into a Participating Addendum with the Contractor in a form substantially similar to

the one attached hereto as Attachment B, Exhibit A, subject to State Specific Terms and Conditions. The State

of Oregon intends to enter into a Participating Addendum under one or more of the resulting Master

Agreement(s) in a form substantially similar to the terms and conditions of the State of Oregon’s Participating

Addendum attached hereto as (Attachment G) and subject to the requirements and selection criteria set forth

therein. Additional State-specific terms and conditions that will govern each state’s Participating Addendum

are included in Attachments I – O S, or may be incorporated into the Participating Addendum after award.

6. RFP, Section 3.3 Participating State Terms and Conditions.

Some Participating State specific Terms and Conditions are provided in Attachments I – O S to this

Solicitation.

7. RFP, Section 4.1 Cost Proposal (40 Points):

PLEASE NOTE: In the event Offeror fails to obtain a score of 80 90 points, as required under Section 5.4 of

RFP for the All Categories category, if Offeror submits an alternative Proposal, Offeror could potentially

obtain an award on one or more of the individual Categories. Therefore, Offeror may wish to submit an

alternative Proposal on one or more of the individual categories listed in Tabs 2-16, as well.

8. RFP, Section 5.4 Award of Master Agreement(s):

The Lead State intents to award a Master Agreement(s) on both a National level or a Regional level, to

each Proposer with a combined total score in excess of 80 90 points in either the National level (i.e. the

Proposer will receive an award for a National Master Agreement) or on a Regional level (i.e. the

Proposer will receive an award on a Regional level).

9. RFP, DASPS-2183-17Attachment D-1_Market Basket Final 11-15-17 Instructions TAB:

Tab 1 - All Categories: This spreadsheet is for those Offerors that are submitting a Proposal for ALL

categories and can supply these products to all 50 States. If Offeror cannot submit a Proposal on the

products in all categories, Offeror will submit an offer on the categories within the spreadsheets labeled

as independent categories. If Offeror is submitting Offer on the All Categories spreadsheet, Offeror

may submit Offer on the individual category spreadsheets as well. But if Offeror does not obtain a score

of 80 90 per section 5.4 of RFP for the All Categories Tab 1 they could potentially obtain an award on

individual Categories therefore Offeror may want to submit Offer on both Tab 1 and Tab's 2- 16 as

well.


No. 1

Page 3

10. RFP, DASPS-2183-17_Addendum No. 1, Attachment A revised 11-2017 is incorporated as part

of the RFP, as attached hereto.

11. RFP, DASPS-2183-17_Addendum No. 1, Attachment L, P, Q, R, and S revised Montana,

Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, and Illinois State specific terms and conditions are added as part of the RFP,

as attached hereto.

12. Questions and Answers.

Question 1: Are quasi-government (such as water or sewer boards or council of governments)

political subdivisions eligible to sign a PA?

Answer 1: Each State’s rules are applicable to their state entities.

Question 2: Page 5 Schedule of Events. The questions are to be submitted by 12/15 with

answers/responses due back to 12/21 and the bid submitted on 12/29. This is a very compressed

time frame and does not allow for questions or clarifications on the answers given by 12/21 before

RFP submission. Can consideration be given to extend the due date to January to ensure the

questions from all bidders have been answered and it is clear what needs to be submitted and the

desired format?

Answer 2: Schedule has been changed via addendum No. 1.

Question 3: Page 2 of the RFP announcement states the payment terms are net 45 but the

Attachment B NASPO ValuePoint Master Agreement, page 53, clause 17 states “Payment after

acceptance is normally made within 30 days”. Is the payment terms net 45 or net 30?

Answer 3: The ORPIN announcement is not part of the RFP it is a notice only. RFP Attachment B

Section 17 clearly states “Payment after Acceptance is normally made within 30 days following

the date the entire order is delivered or the date a correct invoice is received, whichever is later.

After 45 days the Contractor may assess overdue account charges up to the highest rate permitted

by law per month on the outstanding balance, unless a different late payment amount is specified

in a Participating Addendum, Order, or otherwise prescribed by applicable law. Payments will be

remitted by mail. Payments may be made via a State or political subdivision “Purchasing Card”

with no additional charge.”

Question 4: Page 11: 2.13 The proposal is limited to 100 pages, excluding excel spreadsheets. If

the proposal pages are double-sided, would each side be counted as a page or would each sheet of

paper be counted as a page?

Answer 4: 100 pages are to be submitted one page, one side. Not double sided.

Question 5: Page 12: 2.14 paragraph 5. Offer shall submit Market Basket Cost proposal in a

separate, sealed envelope, labeled accordingly and placed in sealed carton(s). Can the Market

Basket Cost proposal be submitted in the same box as the remaining bid documents if the Market

Basket Cost Proposal package is sealed and marked clearly “MARKET COST PROPOSAL”?

Answer 5: Yes.

Question 6: Page 19: paragraph 2. If offeror submits an alternative Proposal offer for one category

and could potentially obtain an award on that one category/market basket. Will alternate proposals

be compared and scored to other alternative proposals in the same market basket?


No. 1

Page 4

Answer 6: See Evaluation Process Section 5.2.

Question 7: Page 29 section 6.5.7. If products are available to be viewed online is a paper catalog

required?

Answer 7: No.

Question 8: Page 31 section 6.5.5 (11). If you bid a market basket and also the categories that

include the remainder of a suppliers MRO products would there be a requirement to block items

from online purchases by a participating entity?

Answer 8: Each State may block certain products from being purchased.

Question 9: Page 20–21. Will the evaluation criteria be based on “Group 1” compared to “Group

1” and “Group 2” to “Group 2”, in other words the bidders are being compared to similar size

bidders?

Answer 9: See Evaluation Process section 5.2.

Question 10: Page 25 section 6.2.1.2. Growth Incentives; What is the criteria to be evaluated in the

Growth Incentive category

Answer 10: See Attachment A section 6.6.11.

Question 11: Page 27 section 6.3.2. Cumulative Ordering Volume Discount; does the ordering

volume discount include all NASPO States with PA’s or is it measured by individual State sales?

Answer 11: By individual State.

Question 12: Page 27 section 6.5.1. If a vendor is awarded a market basket (D-1) and bids other

categories by a discount off list (D), will the awarded supplier be able to sell all of its products in

the selected categories to PA contract members?

Answer 12: Only awarded categories will be purchased by States.

Question 13: Page 24 section 6.1 – UNSPSC codes - Can the bidders get a list of the UNSPSC

codes that would be in each of the 15 categories (not just what shows in the market baskets) so we

can be sure what categories products should be in as full catalogs are bid? For example, Strut and

connectors start with 3116 which could be under “Fasteners” or “Material Handling” and firestop

products start with 4619 which show up under “Safety”.

Answer 13: No.

Question 14: Page 37-38 under 6.6.8 Sustainability/Environmental Practices there is a #1, #2, (page

37) and #4, #5 (page 38) but no #3. Is there this a numbering error or is a portion of the RFP

missing?

Answer 14: Yes number error and it has been corrected in this addendum. Proposer to submit the

revised Attachment A when submitting proposal.


No. 1

Page 5

Question 15: Page 39 there appears to be a numbering or sequencing error starting with 6.6.9.2. It

looks like the next six points should be sub set of 6.6.9.2 and would be numbered 6.6.9.2.1 (starting

with Describe in detail how the Offeror will work with the registered companies…) … through

6.6.9.2.6 (Community Rehabilitation program). This would make Retail Store Purchases/Will Call

would be 6.6.10. Would this be correct?

Answer 15: Yes numbering error and it has been corrected in this addendum. Proposer to submit

the revised Attachment A when submitting proposal.

Question 16: Page 78 Attachment E: Offer information-

a. Is the State tax#; is it the sales tax payment number?

b. Is the Secretary of State Corporations Division Registration #; is it the number assigned

when we registered with our state of Incorporation?

Answer 16: (a) Yes, if applicable. (b) Yes.

Question 17: Should exceptions to the FOB Destination terms for non-stocked items delivered to

Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico be stated as exceptions within section 6.5.2 of the technical

proposal as instructed or should exceptions to freight terms be submitted as a Protest to the RFP?

Answer 17: See section 2.18 of RFP regarding exceptions.

===========================================================================

Proposers must acknowledge receipt of this Addendum in the space provided on the bottom of this page

and return this page along with Proposal documents. Failure to do so may result in rejection of a Proposal.

The purpose of this Addendum is to answer questions, clarify information in the RFP, and make

modifications to the RFP.

Any prospective Proposer who feels they have been adversely affected by these modifications must submit

a written protest of this Addendum to the Single Point of Contact identified in RFP DASPS-2183-17 by

5:00 pm (Pacific time) on December 11, 2017 or protest will not be considered. DAS PS will not consider

requests or protests of matters not added to or modified by this Addendum.

*I hereby acknowledge having received this Addendum.

Authorized Signature:

Print name of signer: Thomas W. Noble III, Chief Executive Officer

Date: December 21, 2017

Company Name of proposer:

Noble Sales Co., Inc., dba Noble Supply and Logistics

(Please Print)


No. 2

Page 1



1225 Ferry Street U140 Salem, Oregon 97301-4285

PHONE: 503-378-4642

FAX: 503-373-1626


ADDENDUM No. 2

This Addendum No. 2 (“Addendum”) modifies the RFP which DAS PS published on ORPIN on November

15, 2017 as described herein. All RFP terms not specifically mentioned or affected by this Addendum remain

in full force. This Addendum is hereby added as a part of the RFP.

The following paragraphs or sections of the RFP are modified as described below. New language is indicated

by bold print and underline. Deleted language is indicated by strikethrough.

1. RFP, Attachment E, Offeror Information and Certification Sheet, is revised as follows:

Section 5 (h):

h. Participating Entity Only: While the primary purpose of this RFP is to select one or more contractor(s)

who can offer the Parks and Recreation Equipment and Related Services Facilities Maintenance and Repair

& Operations (MRO), Industrial Supplies for all Participating States, Offerors are permitted to submit a

Proposal for one or more State(s). However, if a Offeror elects to submit a Proposal for one or more State(s),

then the Offeror must be willing to supply the entire State and will not be allowed to add additional States

following award or at any time during the term of the Master Agreement(s) resulting from this RFP, including

all optional renewals. Offerors must propose to all RFP Mandatory Requirements.

2. RFP, DASPS-2183-17_Addendum No. 2, Attachment E revised 12-2017 is incorporated as part

of the RFP, as attached hereto, and replaces Attachment E.

3. RFP, DASPS-2183-17_Addendum No. 2, Attachment D-1 revised 12-2017 is incorporated as part

of the RFP, as attached hereto, and replaces Attachment D-1.

4. RFP, DASPS-2183-17_Addendum No. 2, Attachment U, Energy Policy and Conservation Pub. L.

94163 (Informational Only) is incorporated as part of the RFP, as attached hereto.


Question 1: There are no forms for remitting reference contact information or the survey to

references. Are the forms missing by mistake?

Answer 1: No there is no form.

Question 2: Does the page limit include attachments and exhibits? Is the 100 pages counted as single

sided, or double sided (front & back)? Requirement on 6.6.2 Distribution Points: would this be

included in the 100 page limit? (Our branch listing alone is 38 pages)

Answer 2: 100 pages are to be submitted one page, one side. Not double sided.

Question 3: Page 2 of the RFP announcement states the payment terms are net 45 but the Attachment

B NASPO ValuePoint Master Agreement, page 53, clause 17 states “Payment after acceptance is

normally made within 30 days”. Is the payment terms net 45 or net 30?


No. 2

Page 2

Answer 3: The ORPIN announcement is not part of the RFP it is a notice only. RFP Attachment B

Section 17 clearly states “Payment after Acceptance is normally made within 30 days following

the date the entire order is delivered or the date a correct invoice is received, whichever is later.

After 45 days the Contractor may assess overdue account charges up to the highest rate permitted

by law per month on the outstanding balance, unless a different late payment amount is specified

in a Participating Addendum, Order, or otherwise prescribed by applicable law. Payments will be

remitted by mail. Payments may be made via a State or political subdivision “Purchasing Card”

with no additional charge.”

Question 4: UNSPSC# Requirement - If we cannot obtain a UNSPC # and supplier states they do

have one, what other options do we have?

Answer 4: There is a UNSPSC for every line item in the market basket. If proposing an alternative

item, it’s still going to be the same UNSPSC code. Offeror can search for the code at

https://www.unspsc.org/search-code.

Question 5: For items that are exclusive to a particular supplier, can we offer a same form, fit,

function as exact or does it need to be a sub?

Answer 5: See Attachment D-1 revised 12-2017, Instruction Tab line number 13, “Columns P-AD:

If Offeror is choosing alternative line items, then Offeror will fill out these columns accordingly.

Every effort must be made to come up with an item that is exact in product description and

packaging. This means that if column H says 1 gallon, then the alternative item should be 1 gallon.”

Question 6: Item # 28 in Janitorial, the UOM in the description calls out a pack of 24 boxes of

Toilet Seat covers, but the UOM column references 20 packs. For that item, Kimberly Clark's case

quantity is 24. Do you want this item quoted per 20 boxes or 24?

Answer 6: Changed to 24 in the Attachment D-1 revised 12-2017.

Question 7: Is the estimated annual usage reflective of the UOM column. For example, if a case

quantity is listed in the UOM, is the usage reflective of the case quantity or per piece.

Answer 7: The estimated annual quantity, column B, reflects the Unit of Measure, column I.

Question 8: Order 13A on Sanitation Cleaning Chemicals: The MFG information does not match

the description given. How would you like us to quote this type of discrepancy? Skin Cleanser,1

gal. Bottle Bostitch 105577 (not a skin cleanser number)

Answer 8: The manufacturer should be GOJO Industries, MFG #1807-04, UNSPC #53131627.

Changed in Attachment D-1, revised 12-2017.

Question 9: Can we bid on a per tab basis only, i.e., Tab 16, Safety, or do we have to bid all or

nothing?

Answer 9: Offeror can propose on a tab basis. See section 5.2.

Question 10: I have attached the 8 items in the security tab that we consider public safety and

request to eliminate from the RFP, if possible?


No. 2

Page 3

Transport Hood,White/Black,Universal

Belt Keeper,Standard,Black,2-1/4 In.,PK4

Pepper Spray,Crossfire Stream,16 Shot

Pepper Spray Case,L,Black,Nylon

Penetrant,Aerosol Can,12 oz.

Tactical Rifle Case,41 In.,Black

Bag,Bail Out,8-1/2x12x4-1/2 In,6 Pkt

Handcuff Case,Standard,Black,Nylon

Answer 10: No.

Question 11: Are 7 USBs/copies of D and D-1 required along with the 7 USBs/copies of the

Technical proposal?

Answer 11: See section 2.14 of RFP.

Question 12: Are PDF copies of signed documents acceptable since the RFP states Word for the

Technical proposal?

Answer 12: Yes.

Question 13: The D-1 market basket instructions state: “If bidder can match the exact manufacturer’s

item as described in columns A-N, then it is expected that Offeror will submit pricing on these items

even if they have an alternative line item.” If alternate items are quoted along with the exact match

item, which one is included in the total cost of the spreadsheet for price evaluation?

Answer 13: The exact match item will be scored, but the alternative item will be taken into

consideration if it is deemed to be exact in specifications (size, fit, form, and function) and different in

manufacturer only.

Question 14: For D-1, is there an evaluation credit for sourcing alternate items from small businesses

since small business participation questions are included in the Technical proposal?

Answer 14: No.

Question 15: For D-1, if alternate items are quoted at a lower price than the exact match items, is the

manufacturing quality of the alternate item taken into consideration?

Answer 15: Yes, but the specifications for the alternate item must meet (size, fit, form, and function).

Question 16: Since the RFP due date will not be change, would you consider moving up the

answers/clarifications date? If the last answers are not issued until December 21st, that leaves most

companies with only one business day to implement changes into their proposals. Many companies

like ours are closed Dec. 25th and 26th due to the holidays. We would need to ship the proposal no

later than Dec. 27th in order to provide a one day shipping allowance for weather or other possible

shipping delays.


No. 2

Page 4

Answer 16: See addendum 1 change to schedule.

Question 17: Is it possible for a company to be issued an award for all states for some tabs of the

market basket and a region/state for different tabs?

Answer 17: See Section 5.2 and 5.4 of RFP.

Question 18: Attachment D – Due to the complexity of pricing in the Janitorial Supplies category

with drastic variations in an offerors ability to discount different types of products may the Janitorial

Supplies category be broken down into subcategories in order to afford the State a better set of prices

and a clear expectation of the minimum discount for any sub-category.

Answer 18: No sub categories.

Question 19: Attachment D and D-1 Are the discounts expressed in Attachment D absolute or the

minimum category discount.

Answer 19: Attachment D does not show any discounts. Offerors are to supply the percentage off list

discount per category. Revised Attachment D-1 discounts is absolute.

Question 20: Step two will be based upon the responses on Attachment D-1. The Lead State will

compare the total extended total offer price for all items in each category. The lowest cost will receive

the maximum 35 points. All other Offerors will receive points as determined by the ratio* of their

costs to the lowest cost. Final cost scores will be calculated based on the following:

How will the state evaluate alternative products? Since Attachment D contains a very high number of

proprietary brands, what criteria will the state use to determine if an alternate is in fact equal? 38% of

the Janitorial Supply items as an example are proprietary.

The following line items are proprietary products which may not be able to be matched by any

company other than the distributor currently providing the product.

Janitorial Equipment and Supplies Line items 23 through 27B, line items 29A through 31A, line items

32A and 32B.

Sanitation Cleaning Chemicals line items 11B, 12A, 12C, 13B through 15B, 17A, 19B, 20, and 21.

Answer 20: Exact match is scored, but the alternative items will be taken into consideration if DASPS

deems the alternative to be exact in specifications (size, fit, form, and function). DASPS’ decision is

final.

Question 21: Section 6.2.5 Pricing shall be firm for the first year and may be changed with thirty

(30) day notice after initial term.

May pricing be changed prior to the end of a contract period if the initial price offered was at a better

discount percentage than was offered for a contract category?

Answer 21: See Section 4.2 of RFP.


No. 2

Page 5

Question 22: “Products may be changed with thirty (30) day notice every six (6) months after initial

term.” This restriction may present significant operational problems for state agencies wishing to

make changes to their cleaning and maintenance programs due to more favorable pricing and product

efficiency for products entering the marketplace. Will awarded contractors be able to petition the state

to allow for the addition of products on a more immediate basis? Can this provision be negotiated

state by state through the participating addendum process?

Answer 22: Offerors may submit request to Lead State for consideration during negotiations, if

awarded a Master Agreement and subsequently, if awarded a Participating Addendum.

Question 23: May products be added to the contract as long as they are within the scope of the

applicable product category and priced at or better than the product category minimum discount?

Answer 23: Yes, see section 6.2.5 of RFP.

Question 24: Considering the complexity of this RFP and that the RFP was released during a holiday

season when it is much more difficult to obtain manufacturers pricing please consider extending the

due date to January 12, 2018.


Question 25: The URL http://www.naspo.org/WNCPO/Calculator.aspx returns this message. Please

provide a working link.

Server Error in '/' Application.

Answer 25: The correct URL is http://calculator.naspovaluepoint.org

Question 26: Attachment D-1 There is a duplicate item on the Janitorial Equipment and Supplies Tab

item 6B and Sanitation Cleaning Chemicals item 8B. Items are identical.

Answer 26: Removed 6B from Janitorial Equipment & Supplies see Attachment D-1 revised 12-

2017.

Question 27: Please provide a PDF version of Oregon’s energy conservation plan referenced at

Exhibit C to NASPO ValuePoint Master Agreement, PROVISIONS REQUIRED BY FEDERAL

LAW, Section 3. Energy Efficiency where contractor is mandated to “…comply with applicable

mandatory standards and policies relating to energy efficiency that are contained in the Oregon energy

conservation plan issued in compliance with the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (Pub. L.

94163).”

Answer 27: Please see the State of Oregon’s Energy Policy and Conservation Pub. L. 94163

(Informational Only) incorporated as part of the RFP and attached hereto as Attachment U.

Question 28: Please also confirm whether or not Oregon’s Energy Efficiency plan and associated

contractor mandates referenced in the master agreement at Exhibit C, Section 3 will flow down via the

master agreement to other states that affiliate with this contract thus imposing Oregon state standards

on contractor operations in other affiliated states?

Answer 28: This is only applicable to Oregon.


No. 2

Page 6

Question 29: If an award is made to a supplier for a single state, will the supplier then be able to

solicit business from that state’s agencies, or will there have to be a contract subsequently issued

by the state before the supplier can do business with that state?

Answer 29: If awarded a Master Agreement then that Offeror will have to be awarded a state

participating addendum before doing business with agencies.

Question 30: If the state needs to issue its own contract, we need to find out the intent of

Massachusetts regarding their plans to contract with single state suppliers vs. national suppliers.

I put the question directly the Massachusetts state agency that manages the supplier contracts and

was told that all questions had to go through NASPO. Could you inquire directly of them whether

their intention is to utilize local suppliers who may only be awarded one-state or regional contracts,

or do they intend to utilize only national suppliers?

Answer 30: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts intends to contract with a proposer(s) that

is (are) awarded Master Agreements by the Lead State on a Regional and National level.

Question 31: Are freight charges acceptable to non-continuous states or territories?

Answer 31: DASPS acknowledges and accepts that Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico may require

an additional shipping charge for products not In-Stock at local store or not In-Stock at primary

Distribution Center of the Participating State.

Question 32: Is the requirement in section c.(2). of the eMarket Center Appendix for Contractor’s

catalog to be limited to the awarded contract offering satisfied if items not authorized under the

resulting contract are visible in the punch out catalog but identified through messaging such as “out

of scope” or “restricted” and said items can not to be placed in shopping cart and cannot be

purchased via the punch out?

Answer 32: Yes.

Question 33: Do the following pages count towards the 100 page limit: Future addendums;

Attachments E, F, H; Exhibit 3-Contractor Tax Certification?

Answer 33: Addendums, attachments E, F, H, and Exhibit 3 are not included within the 100 pages.

Question 34: MFG information does not match description: Rust-oleum Part# 2391300 –

Description Marking Paint, White, Water-based, 1 Gal (Complies With South Coast Air Quality

Management District VOC Limit of 100 g/l)

Answer 34: The requirements has been changed from 1 gallon to 5 gallon. See Attachment D-1

revised 12-2017.

Question 35: The RFP requests products that are listed on the market basket or their exact

equivalents. If minor deviations occur, e.g., an 18 oz. container instead of a 17oz. container, how

will that effect scoring? If a blank results in a loss of one point, would there be partial points or

would there be a pass/ fail type arrangement where minor differences are waived? Additionally

how will the state determine what is equal?


No. 2

Page 7

Answer 35: The Evaluation Team will score the exact match item, but the alternative item will

be taken into consideration only DASPS deems it to be exact in specifications (size, fit, form,

and function). DASPS’ decision is final.

Question 36: Must a state sign a participating addendum before any of its political subdivisions

can use the contract, for example, if a city wishes to use the contract must the state join the

contract before the city can act?

Answer 36: Yes.

Question 37: For many vendors, subcategories would benefit the state as they are able to give

deeper discounts to GOM (Goods of Manufacture) than goods offered as a dealer. Will the state

accept discounts broken into subcategories?

Answer 37: No.

Question 38: If a state has additional conditions that are not acceptable onerous to the vendor,

does the vendor have the right to refuse the requesting state?

Answer 38: The terms and conditions can be negotiated for each state during the PA process. If

the Contractor and state cannot reach an agreement, then the negotiations will be terminated.

Question 39: Per Page 20 of 109 Section 5.2 There are four

groups, 1.) all categories throughout the country

2.) one category throughout the country

3.) all categories on a statewide basis 4.) one of more categories on a regional basis

Will the price sheets be compared within the groups or will all price sheets compete or a

combination of these? If the best price (awarded 40 points) is only available in one state or region,

it does not help every state, e.g., a good price in Massachusetts doesn't help agencies in Oregon

if the products are not available.

Answer 39: See section 5.2 of RFP. The Proposals will be evaluated by appropriate group.

Question 40: Are the Preventative Maintenance and Repair Activities for compressors provided

under this solicitation notice?

Answer 40: See Attachment D-1 revised 12-2017.

Question 41: Page 47; Section 7 (e): remove the phrase, “ownership of the media containing the

reports”.

Page 51; Section 14 (b): remove, “Inside deliveries refers to a delivery to other than a loading

dock, front lobby or reception area.”

Page 53; Section 18: remove, “(b) the product is suitable for the ordinary purposes for with such

product is used (c) the Product is suitable for any special purposes identified in the solicitation

or for which the Purchasing Entity has relied on the Contractor’s skill or judgement (d) the

product is designed and manufactured in a commercially reasonable manner.

Page 53; Section 18 (e): after the statement the product is free of defects add, “as determined by

the manufacturer.”


No. 2

Page 8

Page 53; Section 18 (e) Line 4 remove, “repaired and”

Page 53; Section 18 remove final statement of, “The rights and remedies of the parties under this

warranty are in addition to any other rights and remedies of the parties provided by law or equity,

including, without limitation, actual damages, and, as applicable and awarded under law, to a

prevailing party , reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.”

Answer 41: No. DASPS rejects the above requested changes.

Question 42: Page 53: Section 19; Remove entire

section. Page 54: Section 20; Remove entire section.

Page 54; Section 21(a) end of first paragraph add: “Contractor may fulfil these requirements

through self insurance, blanket coverage or a combination of the two.” Page 54, Section 21(d): remove entire section.

Page 55: Section 21(e) start the paragraph with/add: “prior to performing any work” and substitute

“upon request.”


Question 43: Page 55: Section 22(a): remove entire

section Page 55: Section 22(b): remove entire section

Page 58: Section 29: Line 1: add (except for payment obligations) after shall be held responsible.

Page 59: Section 30(c): remove sections 4, 5, and 6.

Page 59: Section: 32: Line 1 remove, “nor its

principals” Page 60: Section 34: remove entire section Page 61: Section 36: remove entire section.


Question 44: Format for response is Microsoft Word 2010 or higher, but RFP docs are in PDF. Can

we send PDF docs back or does it need to be converted to a word doc?

Answer 44: PDF is fine, except Attachment D and D-1 are to be submitted electronic in

excel. Question 45: Exhibit B is blank. Do we need to provide anything for this section?

Answer 45: No, once awarded.

Question 46: Exhibit A & G are samples. Do this need to be filled out or once awarded?

Answer 46: No, once awarded.

Question 47: Multiple documents ask for Oregon Tax numbers. Do we need an Oregon Tax

number?

Answer 47: Not unless you are awarded an Oregon Participated Addendum.

Question 48: Is it possible to see current contract pricing/volume discounts? Can we access a copy

of an old proposal?


No. 2

Page 9

Answer 48: Any Proposer/Offeror who wishes to review the current contract pricing/volume

discounts must submit a public records request to Nevada.

Question 49: Will an Addendum be posted before 12/21/17?

Answer 49: Yes.

Question 50: Page 12, “An Offeror shall also submit on a CD ROM or USB flash drive seven (7)

electronic copies of its Proposal in MS Word 2010 or higher format.” Please confirm you require

seven electronic copies on one CD ROM or USB flash drive or should it be seven CD ROMs or

USB flash drives with one copy on each?

Answer 50: Yes.

Question 51: Page 1, Due Date December 29, 2017. Given the holiday season, please consider

extending the due date by 2 weeks.


Question 52: Section 4.1. Page 19. Cost Proposal. Is there a method of informing the Administrator

that an alternative proposal(s) are being submitted other than completing one or more of the

individual category spreadsheets?

Answer 52: No. Proposers/Offerors must fill out Attachment D-1 revised 12-2017.

Question 53: Phase 3. Page 21. How is the 5 points (Step 1) for Cost Proposal Attachment D

evaluated and awarded to each responder?


Question 54: Section 5.3. Page 22. Please clarify how the 35 points on the RFP Evaluation

Scoresheet for Cost (Step 2) are calculated. Based on the formulas on Page 21, it appears the Cost

Score (page 21) would be the same as Points (page 22)? Please confirm or clarify.


Question 55: We would like to understand what expectations are for all Vendors to bid product. As

stated at the meeting, we quote to product spec that is provided in the market basket descriptions

however, some Vendors quote these to lesser quality and lesser spec’d product to give a lower price

and have the bid look as if they are the lowest priced Vendor. Are all Vendors required to quote

true spec in the product description and not a lesser quality spec description item?

Answer 55: Must be exact match item, but the alternative item will be taken into consideration if

DASPS deems it to be exact in specifications (size, fit, form, and function). DASPS’ decision is

final.

Question 56: In the market basket we have a question on UOM and for an items within the Category

Tab. For the below within the Battery Category is the Estimated Annual Quantity based on the

UOM (column I) and #/UOM (column H), or individual units within the UOM? It appears you are

looking for an EA price but them it states UOM is 24 (or a case). As this will dramatically impact


No. 2

Page

10

price, is the State looking for a case of 24 and the 1 UOM price, or, are we to price this with an each

price?

Example: which is the correct understanding of Estimated Annual Quantity?

220,032 x 24 units = 5,280,768 individual batteries

220,032 x 1 unit = 220,032 individual batteries, packaged per 24.

Answer 56: Changed UOM to PK see Attachment D-1 revised 12-2017.

Question 57: On Page18 and Page 19 of the RFP under “Section 4: Market Basket Cost Proposal”. It

states you want a hard copy of the copy proposal to score overall Category Discounts however, I

thought I heard at the meeting you only wanted the Cost Proposal on 7 UBS Drives. Could you clarify

if you are looking for the Cost Proposal to be submitted only on UBS Drive (so we would need to

include the overall Category Discounts on that file as well), or, do you want hard copies for the overall

Category Discount Structure on Hard Copy and the Market Basket only on UBS Drives.

Answer 57: Attachment D and D-1 are to be electronic in excel format on a USB or CD, not hard

copy. See section 2.14 of RFP.

Question 58: We are working on getting permission from our franchisor to use the 3rd party website,

however we need to get some questions answered. Can you validate that the alternative website

referenced in the document would only be visible to Participants in the state that we would be looking

to get a master agreement for and only to NASPO entities? Basically that it would not be visible

nationwide and to all NASPO entities if we were only looking for a one state agreement?

Answer 58: The catalog is only visible to a state and the eligible entities within that state who have a

fully executed Participating Addendum and also utilize the eMarket Center.

Question 59: Attachment D-1 instruction line 11 instructs offerors as follows “Column N – Net Price

of Unit of Measure after discount: This will be (Column J) X (Column L).” Column J calls for

“Container size” or a non-numeric value that cannot be multiplied. Should this be column K (list price

of UOM) x column M (Discount percentage off)?

Answer 59: Changed to (Column K) x (Column M) see Attachment D-1 revised 12-2017.

Question 60: Some items in the D-1 cost sheet are exclusively available to only certain offerors.

Operating in good faith to quote exact items where possible, some offerors will be unable to quote exact

items on some of the requested items. How will items that are alternatives to the exact match items

be scored relative to the exact item?

Answer 60: The alternative item will be taken into consideration if DASPS deems it to be exact in

specifications (size, fit, form, and function). DASPS’ decision is final.


No. 2

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11

Question 61: Where do we find the product listing of current products that you are using under each

category?

Answer 61: Have to submit a public records request to Nevada for current products.

Question 62: With respect to RFP 2183-17 Attached D-1, Market Basket, Offeror Instructions,

columns P through AD, please answer the following questions:

a. The offeror is told that “…Every effort must be made to come up with an item that is exact in

product description and packaging.” If the offeror does not have an item that is exact in product

description and packaging and offers an alternative item, will the offeror be penalized or receive fewer

evaluation points had the offeror provided an item that was exact in product description and

packaging?

b. If the offeror provides an item that is exact in product description and packaging AND also an

alternative item for the same product and these two products are priced differently, what product net

price will be used to evaluate the offeror’s cost score to the cost proposal? In other words, will the

lowest priced product offered be used to evaluate the offeror’s cost score to the cost proposal or will

the item that is exact in product description and packaging be used?


consideration if DASPS deems it to be exact in specifications (size, fit, form, and function) and

different in manufacturer only. DASPS’ decision is final.

Question 63: With respect to RFP 2183-17 Section 5.3 Sample Evaluation Score Sheet, what criteria

within an offeror’s proposal will be evaluated when assigning scores (Score of 0-5) to Cost Step One

and Step Two lines? Additionally, how does an offeror achieve a score of “5 = Superior” in the Cost

evaluation process?

Answer 63: See section 5 of RFP Evaluation and Award.

Question 64: I noticed in section 6.6.2 of the bid documents that it states “desirable” that the vendor

have inside and outside sales reps as well as distribution facilities in each of the states that will be on

the contract. We are based out of Maryland but ship all over the county. Would that completely

disqualify us should we place a bid?

Answer 64: No.

Question 65: Within Addendum #1, #7. RFP, Section 4.1 Cost Proposal - it seems this scoring system

has changed from a required 80 points to now 90 points. Can you please provide a rational of the

change and a full breakout of all the points as they seem to have changed with no detail.

Answer 65: The changes are in the best interest of the States.

Question 66: Will solar panels and associated products may fall under any of these categories, and if

not, whether it would be prudent to add to our value added services section?

Answer 66: If appropriate Proposer/Offeror can put in Attachment A section 6.7.4 value added

solutions.


No. 2

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12

Question 67: If a state is not mentioned amongst the list included in the RFP, can we still mention that

state as a place we would be interested in utilizing the contract?

Answer 67: Yes.

Question 68: If the State’s do not turn in their intent to patriciate until a day before the due date

how can the vendor certify reading the state’s PA terms?

Answer 68: Some states may not require extra terms outside of this RFP.

Question 69: Can we offer products not listed on the bid or do we have to bid exactly what is on

the RFP? Can we add products to this list?

Answer 69: Only products listed in Attachment D-1 revised 12-2017 will be evaluated.

Question 70: If we only quote on two tabs on Attachment D-1, do we still need to provide a discount off

list for ALL categories listed on Attachment D or just for the matching categories we quoted?

Answer 70: The matching categories.

Question 71: On the item detail listed on Attachment D-1, do we have to follow the discount off

list format or can we offer a deeper discount to these items that have been deemed high use?

For example; on sanitation Janitorial Equipment and Supplies, we quote a discount of 20% off list but

I have a deeper discount on Kimberly-Clark items and can quote these exact items with an average of

30% off list but I cannot do the same for Georgia-Pacific.

Answer 71: Percentage off list per category not sub categories.

Question 72: Item number 33, in the Power Source Category, has two different Estimated Annual

Quantities (“EAQ”). In the Exact section the EAQ is 31,739. In the Alternate section, the EAQ is

6,800.

Answer 72: Changed from 31,739 to 6,800 see Attachment D-1 revised 12-2017.

Question 73: Can we include the answers to Attachment A after the questions on the same

page?

Answer 73: Yes.

Question 74: Do we have to submit seven actual copies of USB's/CD's?

Answer 74: Yes.

Question 75: Is cost proposal Attachment D-1 to be submitted electronically?

Answer 75: Yes.

Question 76: Cost proposal doesn't need to be a hard copy, correct?


No. 2

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13

Answer 76: Correct.

Question 77 Is there a limit on how many awards will be given?

Answer 77: See section 5.4 of RFP, revised in addendum 1.

Question 78: Regarding awards - Does NASPO ValuePoint prioritize?

Answer 78: No.

Question 79: How many states are participating?

Answer 79: See section 1.6 of RFP, revised in addendum 1. States can still participate even

if not named under this section.

Question 80: Can we see the ranking - who scored the highest?

Answer 80: Oregon will post the score sheet on the ORPIN system.

Question 81: Is there a Small business credit?

Answer 81: No, but see Attachment A regarding disadvantaged businesses.

Question 82: Attachment "D" – Percentage off list per Category. - List price is set by the

manufacturer. One price doesn't really make sense. Can we create our own percentage off list

price?

Answer 82: No modification to Attachment D by adding sub categories.

Question 83: Would it be appropriate to go in and make sub-categories in the Market Basket

Attachment D-1?

Answer 83: No.

Question 84: Are there exceptions to the Master Contract? Answer

84: See section 2.18 of RFP regarding exceptions.

===========================================================================

Proposers must acknowledge receipt of this Addendum in the space provided on the bottom of this page and

return this page along with Proposal documents. Failure to do so may result in rejection of a Proposal.

The purpose of this Addendum is to answer questions, clarify information in the RFP, and make

modifications to the RFP.

Any prospective Proposer who feels they have been adversely affected by these modifications must submit a

written protest of this Addendum to the Single Point of Contact identified in RFP DASPS-2183-17 by 5:00

pm (Pacific time) on December 22, 2017 or protest will not be considered. DAS PS will not consider requests

or protests of matters not added to or modified by this Addendum.


No. 2

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14

*I hereby acknowledge having received this Addendum.


Print name of signer: Thomas W. Noble III, Chief Executive Officer


Company Name of proposer:

Noble Sales Co., Inc. dba Noble Supply and Logistics

(Please Print)


No. 3

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1225 Ferry Street U140 Salem, Oregon 97301-4285

PHONE: 503-378-4642

FAX: 503-373-1626


ADDENDUM No. 3

This Addendum No. 3 (“Addendum”) modifies the RFP which DAS PS published on ORPIN on November 15,

2017 as described herein. All RFP terms not specifically mentioned or affected by this Addendum remain in

full force. This Addendum is hereby added as a part of the RFP.

The following paragraphs or sections of the RFP are modified as described below. New language is indicated

by bold print and underline. Deleted language is indicated by strikethrough.

1. RFP, Section 1.6 Participating States.

In addition to the Lead State conducting this Solicitation, the following Participating States have requested to

be named in this RFP as potential users of the resulting Master Agreement(s): Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut,

Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island,

Utah, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Virginia, Illinois,

Ohio, New Jersey, and Washington. Other entities may become Participating Entities after award of the

Master Agreement by entering into a Participating Addendum with the Contractor in a form substantially

similar to the one attached hereto as Attachment B, Exhibit A, subject to State Specific Terms and Conditions.

The State of Oregon intends to enter into a Participating Addendum under one or more of the resulting Master

Agreement(s) in a form substantially similar to the terms and conditions of the State of Oregon’s Participating

Addendum attached hereto as (Attachment G) and subject to the requirements and selection criteria set forth

therein. Additional State-specific terms and conditions that will govern each state’s Participating Addendum

are included in Attachments I – O T, or may be incorporated into the Participating Addendum after award.

2. RFP, Section 3.3 Participating State Terms and Conditions.

Some Participating State specific Terms and Conditions are provided in Attachments I – O T to this

Solicitation.

3. RFP, DASPS-2183-17, Addendum No. 3, Attachment T, New Jersey State specific terms and

conditions are added as part of the RFP, as attached hereto.


Question 1: Where there is an A & B on the market basket, for example 6A and 6B (Janitorial Equipment and

Supply) – can we only answer one without getting dinged or do we have to answer both?

Answer 1: The items highlighted in green within Attachment D-1 will not be scored under Cost but will be

evaluated under the technical part of Attachment A. Offeror’s score on the technical requirements set forth in

Attachment A may be impacted by a failure to respond without explanation.

Question 2: On the category Janitorial Equipment and Supplies, we need to know the gauges (thickness) on

the 38X58 and last item 40X46. Also color is missing on some of the can liners. Can you provide color as

well for all can liners?


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Answer 2: See Addendum No. 2, Attachment D-1 revised 12-2017.

Question 3: On the category, Sanitation Cleaning Chemicals, on the item below, this product is packed 12

each per case. Does “PKG” mean case? If so, then the estimated usage is 9,199 cases.

9,199 Sanitation

Cleaning

Chemicals

Toilet Bowl Cleaner,

Disinfecting, 24 oz.

Bottle (Hydrogen Peroxide or Citric Only)

Lysol

REC

85020

47131829

12

PKG


Question 4: Ecommerce Platform: What are the options if any, for company's like BAF that do not have

capabilities to provide and internally host a dedicated e-commerce platform for ValuePoint customers? The

complexity of our product and the required tailored approach to each customer's application prevents a wide

ranging amount of Off-the-Shelf products suitable for purchasing via an e-commerce platform. Can certain

vendors be except from meeting the e-commerce requirement?

Answer 4: The awarded contractor may utilize the Ordering Instruction option within the eMarket Center.

This will be an informative/contact directly option within the eMarket Center, no orders will be placed via

the eMarket Center.

Question 5: Lead times (Ordering & Delivery): Big Ass Fans requests more information on the nature of the

delivery requirement outlined in the RFP. As a specialty manufacturer headquartered in Kentucky that does

not have a nationwide network of suppliers, the ability to guarantee 48hr nationwide delivery is cost

prohibitive and a logistic impossibility. Due to the complexity of our product and our build to suit process,

is there the possibility to relax this requirement or the ability to create an exemption for manufacturers like

Big Ass Fans?

Answer 5: No DAS PS cannot provide an exemption.

Question 6: Attachment D-1 provides the respondents with the Estimated Annual Quantity as well as the

#UOM and the UOM. Is the Estimated Annual Quantity provided in Attachment D-1 the individual pieces

ordered in total or is it the estimated total # of packages (as identified by the

#UOM and UOM columns)?

For example: Line item 9 in the Fastener category (Mfg: Intercorp; Description: #6-9 x 1-5/8" Philli; Mfg

part#: 615C) lists the Estimated Annual Usage for this product at 136,018 with a #UOM of 5000 pieces per

package. Is the Estimated Annual Usage of 136,018 referring to 136,018 packages of 5000 each equating to

a total of 680,090,000 pieces, or is reference to 136,018 the total number of pieces estimated which when

divided by 5000 pieces per package equates to 27 packages?

Other examples:

Line item 2 in the Safety category (Lrg NS40856 Glove, AMMEX CORPORATION 1047469A, 46181504)

lists the Estimated Annual Usage for this product at 199,904 with a #UOM of 100 pieces per package. Is the

Estimated Annual Usage of 199,904 referring to 199,904 packages of 100


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equating to a total of 19,990,400 pieces, or is reference to 199,904 the total number of pieces

estimated which when divided by 100 pieces per package equates to 1999 packages?

Line item 3 in the Safety category (L 6mil PF Ntrl Glv, AMMEX CORPORATION, 1050135A,

46181504) lists the Estimated Annual Usage for this product at 165,706 with a #UOM of 100 pieces

per package. Is the Estimated Annual Usage of 165,706 referring to 165,706 packages of 100

equating to a total of 16,570,600 pieces, or is reference to 16,570,600 the total number of pieces

estimated which when divided by 100 pieces per package equates to 1657 packages?

Line item 4 in the Safety category (DISP. FOAM EAR PLUGS, HONEYWELL SAFETY

PRODUCTS USA, MAX-1, 46181901) lists the Estimated Annual Usage for this product at 159,482

with a #UOM of 200 pieces per package. Is the Estimated Annual Usage of 159,482 referring to

159,482 packages of 200 equating to a total of 31,896,400 pieces, or is reference to 159,482 the total

number of pieces estimated which when divided by 200 pieces per package equates to 797 packages?

Line item 3 in the Power Source category (Standard Battery, AA Alkaline,PK24, DURACELL

DISTRIBUTING INC, PC1500BKD, 26111702) lists the Estimated Annual Usage for this product

at 200,000 with a #UOM of 24 pieces per package. Is the Estimated Annual Usage of 200,000

referring to 200,000 packages of 24 equating to a total of 4,800,000 pieces, or is reference to 200,000

the total number of pieces estimated which when divided by 24 pieces per package equates to 8,333

packages?


Question 7: (a) How do we address different discounts within a section? For example, section 12

– Power Tools. Our discounts are different for item 1 (DeWalt batteries) and for item 2 (carbide drill

bits). (b) Can we include a spreadsheet with the full breakdown as a part of attachment D (page 77)?

Answer 7: (a) See Instructions Tab of Attachment D-1 revised 12-2017. (b) No.

Question 8: Region/State: We have multiple retail stores in several states. Our store count per state

ranges from 10 stores down to an average of 2-4 stores per state. In both California and Texas we

operate with just one retail location. In Washington, we have multiple locations but they are all in

Eastern Washington. Would you recommend that we omit the states with only one retail location,

select every state where we have stores or should we limit our potential offering to the states where

we have widespread footprints/geographic coverage?

Answer 8: Offeror must decide how to propose.

Question 9: Attachment D-1: Will respondents be “penalized” for offering alternate products, but

equivalent in form, shape and function, in lieu of those called for in columns ‘E’ and ‘F’?

Answer 9: No.

Question 10: Attachment D-1: How are alternate products weighted vs. items called for in the RFQ

when performing your bid review?


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consideration if it is deemed to be exact in specifications (size, fit, form, and function) and different

in manufacturer only.

Question 11: Attachment D-1: There appears to be some inconsistency on the response spreadsheet

between columns H and I. For example, tab 7, item 1 call for batteries. Column H says there is 24

per UOM, but column I is for each. Doesn’t make sense, how can there be any value other than 1

when the UOM is each?

Answer 11: Changed to Package “PK”.

Question 12: Attachment D-1: Please clarify what type of response you expect or will accept for

column J, Size of each Container, when the product is not measured or defined by either weight or

size (e.g., batteries – what “size” is a battery?).

Answer 12: Leave it blank if not applicable.

Question 13: Attachment D-1: Tab2 Line 28 there is a discrepancy between the number in unit of

measure in column H, and the number per pack in the description 20 vs 24 column D.

Answer 13: Changed in Addendum No. 2, Attachment D-1 revised document.

Question 14: Attachment D-1: Tab 3 Line 10 Item is highlighted as a green but shows disinfectant

language. Is it the states intent to have alternates that are green, third party verified, or a disinfectant

that is not?

Answer 14: The intent is to have an environmentally preferable disinfectant equivalent to hydrogen

peroxide. Because there are no third party certifications for disinfectants, refer to the active

ingredients listed in the EPA’s DfE Antimicrobial Pesticide Pilot Project: Moving Toward the Green

End of the Pesticide Spectrum https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-labels/design-environment-

antimicrobial-pesticide-pilot-project-moving-toward-green-end.

Question 15: If we are not claiming trade secrets or confidential information do we have to state

that? In 2.17.1 it states to include Attachment F if you are claiming trade secrets but if we are not do

we have to make a statement for clarity – “We are not claiming trade secrets or confidential

information”?

Answer 15: Yes.

Question 16: On Attachment A 6.3 Volume Discount. Instead of a cumulative dollar volume as

target can a target be set for number of states with PA? For example, when 20 states are participating

the discount would increase by .5% (from 25% to 25.5%) and when 30 states are participating the

discount would increase by another .5% (from 25.5 to 26%). Would this type of discount be

considered if offered?

Answer 16: Offeror is to propose what it will provide.

Question 17: Section 6.2 Experience & Capabilities. There are 5 subsections listed here. We have

detailed responses for each of these points, however, it appears that the majority of these details are

covered in 6.5 and 6.6. This leads me to believe that in Section 6.2, the offeror is confirming that


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we understand each of these points and confirm that we are capable of conforming with the needs

of the agencies on each of these topics. More of a broad statement rather than how we are to

specifically meet these requirements?

Answer 17: Offeror must determine how to meet the criteria in Attachment A and what to provide.

Question 18: Section 6.2.1. References are mentioned here. We welcome the opportunity to share

contact information for our valued customers in the public sector. I did not see any required number

of references or format for the account name and contact information. It does not appear that you want

that information listed here?


Question 19: Evaluation Criteria shows 20 possible points for section 6.2 Experience & Capabilities.

The sub points 6.2.1-6.2.5 are included in other sections throughout Attachment A. Should these

responses be included in both areas where they are listed, given there are evaluation points for each

section? (Example: 6.2.2.1 Return Policy is also listed and scored in Administration & Marketing

section 6.6.1)


Question 20: Our issue is with the insurance. We do use blankets and umbrellas. Why are they not

acceptable?

Answer 20: Requirements are set under section 21 of Attachment B if a Master Agreement is awarded.

If an Oregon Participating Addendum is awarded, Exhibit 2 to the Oregon Participating Addendum

applies.

Question 21: With the recent revised market basket that was posted, and our company holiday

schedule, we are asking for your consideration to postpone the RFP deadline until January 12th.

Answer 21: No.

Question 22: What buying position will the awarded suppliers be in?

Will it be mandatory or optional for state agencies to purchase off of the awarded contracts?

Will this contract be optional to buyers who can also buy off of plumbing contract# 02910 or will they

be required to purchase off of the 02910 plumbing contract?

Would this contract award be in first position (first priority) to other preceding contracts or would this

contract serve as an alternative option?

Answer 22: (a) It is up to each State. (b) It is up to each State. (c) Not prioritized.

Question 23: (a) Would a supplier be at a disadvantage if they applied for less than the 15 categories

listed? (b) Is the point system per category or per total offering?

Answer 23: (a) No. (b) See section 5.2 of RFP.

Question 24: How would a regional contract be broken out? Would a regional contract be broken out

by states within the same coast (i.e., east coast vs. west coast)?


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Question 25: For the state of Alaska deliveries, would an upcharge to cover the shipping costs be

allowed?

Answer 25: See Addendum No.1, Question & Answer #17.

Question 26: Would you accept manufacturer substitutes for products in all categories? Answer 26:

See Instruction Tab of Attachment D-1 revised 12-2017.

Question 27: The D-1 instructions, line 15 states “If Offering on exact match item(s), all cells that

are labelled "Vendor Input" must be filled in with the correct information.” Also, line 16 states “If

Offering an alternative item(s), all cells that are labelled "Vendor Input" must be filled in with the

correct information.”

Though apparent, I cannot see that D-1 tabs 2-16, columns A through O are master titled as “Exact

Match” items, nor that columns P through AD are master titled as “Alternative” items. Is it correct

to conclude accordingly?

Answer 27: Columns J through O in tabs 2 through 16, where it says vendor input, are to be filled

in by vendor if offering pricing on the exact match item as described in columns D through I.

Columns S through AD in tabs 2 through 16, where it says vendor input, are to be filled in by vendor

if offering pricing of an alternative item, that has the same form, fit, and function, as described in

columns D through I. If Offeror can supply both the exact item and an alternative item, then it is

expected to fill in all vendor input cells for both the exact match and alternative item for each of

those line items that this applies.

Question 28: For “Exact Match” item, the instructions say “all cells that are labelled “vendor Input”

must be filled in.” Is it correct to conclude that “all cells” means only (D-1 tabs 2-16) columns J

through O, and that it is not to be interpreted as also filling in columns S through AD?

Answer 28: Yes. Columns J through O in tabs 2 through 16, where it says vendor input, are to be

filled in by vendor if offering pricing on the exact match item as described in columns D through I.

Columns S through AD in tabs 2 through 16, where it says vendor input, are to be filled in by vendor

if offering pricing of an alternative item, that has the same form, fit, and function, as described in

columns D through I. If Offeror can supply both the exact item and an alternative item, then it is

expected to fill in all vendor input cells for both the exact match and alternative item for each of

those line items that this applies.

Question 29: For “Alternative” item, the instructions say “all cells that are labelled “vendor Input”

must be filled in.” Is it correct to conclude that “all cells” means only (D-1 tabs 2-16), columns S

through AD, and that it is not to be interpreted as also filling in columns J through O?

Answer 29: Yes. Columns J through O in tabs 2 through 16, where it says vendor input, are to be

filled in by vendor if offering pricing on the exact match item as described in columns D through

I. Columns S through AD in tabs 2 through 16, where it says vendor input, are to be filled in by

vendor if offering pricing of an alternative item, that has the same form, fit, and function, as

described in columns D through I. If Offeror can supply both the exact item and an alternative


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item, then it is expected to fill in all vendor input cells for both the exact match and alternative item

for each of those line items that this applies.

Question 30: In reference to Pg. 62, Attachment B-Signature page-Is it necessary to return a signed

signature page with proposal?

Answer 30: Attachment B is signed when an award is given to an Offeror.

Question 31: Attachment E revised- Do we put in our State Tax # for the state we are incorporated in

or State Tax # for the State of Oregon?

Answer 31: Offeror should insert its Federal Tax ID and the identification number it uses to do business

in the State of Oregon.

Question 32: Attachment E revised- Do we put in our "Secretary of the State Corporation Division

Registration #" for the state we are incorporated in or "Secretary of the State Corporation Division

Registration #" for the State of Oregon?

Answer 32: Offeror should insert the number it uses to do business in the State of Oregon.

Question 33: Do you want a complete price sheet for all products we intend to sell to the State? Or do

you want just the market basket on the spread sheet D-1?

Answer 33: Must submit Attachment D-1 revised 12-2017

Question 34: The following item (MFG# 9651-24) says the UOM is 6 per case – the actually

description of that manufacture part number is 24 bottles per case – which one do we use?

Item

Number

Estimated

Annual

Quantity

Category

Description

Product

Description

Manufacturer

Name

Manufacturer

Part Number

UNSPSC

Number

#/UOM

(e.g. # of

bottles per

case)

Unit of

Measure

(UOM,

e.g.,

CASE)

3

7302

Sanitation

Cleaning

Chemicals

4ozInstHndS

anit

GOJO

INDUSTRIES

9651-24

53131608

6

CS


Question 35: In the below items, the pack quantities are different that Each UOM – which one do we

use to calculate? For example the first line item says that the pack qty is 12 but UOM says EACH - do

we use our net price to represent the pack of 12 and then multiply or do we multiply our each net price

by 12 and them multiply by purchase qty of 5000 - (is the 5000 purchase qty representing each or pack)

CATEGORY

ITEM #

ITEM DESC. UNSPSC Number

Pack Qty/UOM UoM Description

MFG NAME

MFG. PART #

QUANTITY PURCHASED

HVAC 3 24"x24"x2" Elite SC 40161505 12 EA FILTRATION GROUP PF521146 50000

Paint 1 IC WB WHITE 17oz 31211513 12 EA RUST-OLEUM CORP 203039 28467

HVAC 5 20x20 M8 Std WB Fltr 40161505 12 EA FILTRATION GROUP PF510388 15000

HVAC 4 20x25x2 StdWBFltr 40161505 12 EA FILTRATION GROUP PF510390 25000

CATEGORY

ITEM #

ITEM DESC. UNSPSC

Number Pack Qty/UOM UoM

Description MFG NAME

MFG. PART #

QUANTITY PURCHASED

HVAC 3 24"x24"x2" Elite SC 40161505 12 EA FILTRATION GROUP PF521146 50000

Paint 1 IC WB WHITE 17oz 31211513 12 EA RUST-OLEUM CORP 203039 28467

HVAC 5 20x20 M8 Std WB Fltr 40161505 12 EA FILTRATION GROUP PF510388 15000


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Paint

3

IC WB CAUTN BLU 17oz

31211513

12

EA

RUST-OLEUM CORP

203031

15671

HVAC

6 Evaporator

Cleaner,Aerosol,18 fl oz

47131805

6

EA

NU-CALGON

4171-75

4105

Paint 7 IC WB FLO GRN 17oz 31211513 12 EA RUST-OLEUM CORP 203032 12023

Paint

11

IC WB FLO ORANG 17oz

31211513

12

EA

RUST-OLEUM CORP

203036

10088

Material Handling

1

3"x3"x7" WhiteMailer

24112404

50

EA

BOX PARTNERS

M733

56400

Paint 16 17ozAthFldStrip Wht 31211513 12 EA RUST-OLEUM CORP 206043 6482

Outdoor Garden

4

Stndrd Grd LHSQ Shvl

27112004

2

EA TANGSHAN CHANGZHI

AGRICULTURAL TOOLS

204515

2100

Paint 20 IC WB FLO PINK 17oz 31211513 12 EA RUST-OLEUM CORP 1861838 5525

Paint

22

PREC BLU INV

MKG17oz

31211513

12

EA

RUST-OLEUM CORP

203022

5121

Outdoor Garden

7

Prem Grd LHRD Shovel

27112004

2

EA

TANGSHAN CHANGZHI AGRICULTURAL TOOLS

204518

1200

Outdoor Garden

11

48"Steel Cntrctr Hoe

27112008

2

EA


CGH001L

700

HVAC

11

Ice Machine Cleaner,8 oz.,Clear

12163902

12

EA

NU-CALGON

4207-47

921

HVAC

15B

Drain cleaner, gallon 4PK

(Safer Choice certified)

47101607

4

EA

CLR/Jelmar

GRT-4 PRO

405

HVAC 12 Leak Detector,1 qt.,Blue 41111932 12 EA NU-CALGON 4182-24 725

Electrical 1 L-14-120-0-C Cbl Tie 39121703 100 EA THOMAS & BETTS L-14-120-0-C 64900

Electrical 2 11x1/5" BlkCableTie 39121703 100 EA THOMAS & BETTS TY5253MX 20100

Outdoor Garden

19

Sq PT D-Hndl Shovel

27112004

2

EA


204519

193

Material Handling

5

ALUM. SLEEVE 1/16 HG

31162812

10

EA

QINGDAO H-QUALITY INDUSTRIES

43380

24106

Paint

14

1" Foam Brush

31211904

12

EA

PREMIER PAINT ROLLER LLC

10410

8915

Paint

21

2" Foam Brush

31211904

12

EA

PREMIER PAINT ROLLER LLC

10420

5310

Material Handling

24

8.75x6x11.125 Mailer

24112404

50

EA

BOX PARTNERS

M1186

2700

Electrical

5

WIRE-NUT 73B

ORANGE

39121445

10000

EA

IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC.

30-673

14776

Electrical 3 WT3OrangeWireTwist 39121445 25 EA IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC. 773316 16206

Electrical 4 WT2BlueWireTwist 39121445 25 EA IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC. 773315 15600

Material Handling

12

1/2 SNAP-ON SEAL

31162406

250

EA

SIGNODE ACME

1304105

10218

Material Handling 22

SJ-5007.10"X.41"Blk

24141600

3000

EA

3M PRODUCTS

00021200627286

3000


Question 36: If we bid an exact match and an alternate item that is functionally equivalent for the

same line item then which item, the exact match or the alternate will you evaluate?

Answer 36: See Addendum No. 2, Question & Answer #13.

Question 37: If we bid an exact match and an alternate for the same item, what item price will be

used to calculate the bidder’s bid sheet total for the category, the exact match or alternate?

Answer 37: See Addendum No. 2, Question & Answer #13.

Question 38: If we provide an exact match and an alternate for a product, will the evaluators use

both product prices in calculating the bid sheet total? If one or the other item price will be used,

which one will it be? The exact match? The alternate? Or the item bid with the lowest price?

Answer 38: See answer to Question #1 above.


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Question 39: In Attachment D-1, in Column K we are asked to provide “List Price of Unit of

Measure from Column I”, then in Column L we are asked to provide “List Price of Each Individual

Item in the Unit of Measure”. Given that we are asked to provide list price for both the UOM (i.e.,

CS, BX, PK) in Column K and the list piece price in Column L, should there be another column for

us to submit our Net piece Price next to Column N, which asks for Net Price of UOM (which is

Column I)?


Question 40: Line 6 in Cleaning is the same as Line 8A in Sanitation, will the duplication be

removed?

Answer 40: See Addendum No. 2 Attachment D-1 revised 12-2017.

Question 41: Pg. 19 of revised Attachment A

6.7.4.1 Sourced Products (3) “The offeror must list in their cost proposal Attachment D and D-1

their up charge for all sourced products. Up charges must be detailed on invoices as a separate item

from the product charge” Attachment D and D-1 do not include a column or space to include

upcharge…will these attachments be revised to include an area for this? If not, please provide

direction on where Offeror should list upcharge for sourced products.

Answer 41: Offeror needs to respond in Attachment A.

Question 42: Are freight charges acceptable to non-contiguous states or territories (Alaska, Hawaii,

Guam, Puerto Rico)?

Answer 42: See Addendum No. 2 Question & Answer #31.

Question 43: There are no forms for remitting reference contact information or the survey to

references. There is a mention of references in the technical proposal narrative but last time there

was an attachment of the reference contact / contract information and a survey that was sent to the

reference and remitted directly by the reference to the State. Are the forms missing by mistake?

Answer 43: No.

Question 44: Item # 28 in Janitorial, the UOM in the description calls out a pack of 24 boxes of

Toilet Seat covers, but the UOM column references 20 packs. For that item, Kimberly Clark's case

quantity is 24. Do you want this item quoted per 20 boxes or 24?


Question 45: Is the estimated annual usage reflective of the UOM column? For example, if a case

quantity is listed in the UOM, is the usage reflective of the case quantity or per piece?


Question 46: Order 13A on Sanitation Cleaning Chemicals: The MFG information does not match

the description given. How would you like us to quote this type of discrepancy?


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Skin Cleanser, 1 gal. Bottle Bostitch 105577 (not a skin cleanser number).

Answer 46: See Addendum No. 2, Attachment D-1 revised 12-2017. ===========================================================================

Proposer/Offerors must acknowledge receipt of this Addendum in the space provided on the bottom of this

page and return this page along with Proposal documents. Failure to do so may result in rejection of a Proposal.

The purpose of this Addendum is to answer questions, clarify information in the RFP, and make modifications

to the RFP.

Any prospective Proposer/Offeror who feels it has been adversely affected by these modifications must submit

a written protest of this Addendum No. 3 to the Single Point of Contact identified in RFP DASPS- 2183-17

by 5:00 pm (Pacific time) on December 29, 2017 or protest will not be considered. DAS PS will not consider

requests or protests of matters not added to or modified by this Addendum.

*I hereby acknowledge having received this Addendum No. 3


Print name of signer: Thomas W. Noble III, Chief Exe_cutive Officer


Company Name of Proposer/Offeror:

Noble Sales Co., Inc., dba Noble Supply and Logistics

(Please Print)

naspo valuepoint for mro and industrial supplies technical … · noble will-call locations. ........

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