The Supply and Implementation of a SAAS Business Customer Data Analytics Solution and Support Services

Short description

The contracting entity intends to procure a contract for the supply and implementation of a SAAS Business customer data analytics solution and support services.
The contracting entity intends to procure a SAAS solution to provide analytics for business data and support services. The purpose of this tender is to engage with a third-party provider who uses proprietary algorithms to gain insights from business customer data. The successful SAAS provider will be required to work with ESB business customers’ data to deliver insights back to the business. These insights may be delivered back to the customer via a variety of digital channels. In the first 3 years we envisage that this will include analysis of up to 60 000 customers’ data. In the following 2 years we expect this figure to reach 100 000 customers total.

Description of the procurement

An existing service is in place for 2 years and processes up to 15 000 customers’ data on an ongoing basis, providing analytics and business insights to ESB customers in the North of Ireland and Republic of Ireland jurisdictions.
It is proposed that the Contract will include (non-exhaustive list – high level scope):
• best practice end to end roadmap outlining customer contact strategy for first 2 years;
• continuous customer on-boarding;
• delivery of a messaging wrapper to deliver the right message based on analytics to the right customer across all channels;
• program administration tools and relevant incident management and support services;
• best practice security data protection and access management using single-sign-on protocol;
• in/out data integration with ESB CIS Systems and customer engagement systems through best practice interfaces;
• provision of an admin/customer service agent interface that streamlines the support process for ESB staff;
• seamless Integration of Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland customers, so that regulatory, product and currency differences are noticeable only where required;
• seamless Integration of Smart Meter and interval-meter customers data as appropriate, including increasing volume of Smart Meter data as national rollout of smart meters proceeds;
• delivery of data to enable – for example:
— interactive charts displaying energy use in Euros, kWh, or CO2 emissions;
— provision of customer alerts and notifications;
— provision of energy statements including comparison data, peer to peer comparison, high level disaggregation, hints and tips;
— Bill alert notifications;
— weekly/Monthly/Bi-Monthly consumption notifications;
— time related consumption analysis for Smart Meter customers;
— ability to segment customer by industry or size, and to provide potential actions based on this.
The successful partner will collaborate with ESB to offer ongoing, personalized, digital tools and marketing to business customers in a comprehensive engagement program. All customers will have access to a digital platform and will be able to configure their own information and communications preferences.
The smooth handover of customers from the existing solution to the new platform is a key component of the first year of the contract. Disruption to customers and ESB service personnel must be minimised and ability to deal with incumbent software solutions and transfer customers must be demonstrated at tender stage.
The successful partner will be required to specify, design, build, and test the new portal as well as mange the ongoing campaigns for the program.
The main deliverables will be:
• program recruitment campaign,
• ongoing outbound report campaign,
• portal landing page,
• energy management portal,
• alerts and notifications,
• customer service web interface,
• program administration tools,
• data hosting,
• integration with ESB CIS, customer portal and data warehouse systems,
• measurement and validation of results.
IT Architecture
The applicant must have a solution that is capable of integrating the target IT architecture as detailed in Section A.1.1 of the pre-qualification questionnaire.
IT Security
The applicant must have a solution that is capable of meeting the following criteria:
• any cloud based solution should be compatible with Microsoft Azure (ESB’s cloud services provider);
• the solution must have the capability to integrate with SAP Multichannel for Utilities;
• the solution must have the capability to integrate with ESB’s data integration platform so data can be gathered in ESB’s Data Lake;
• the solution must provide an identity management solution;
• the solution must integrate with ESBs existing business online platform and single-sign-on.

Description of options

It is envisaged the term of the contract commences on the date when services commence and shall be for a period of up to 36 months with an option to extend after the initial period of up to 24 Months from the expiry of the initial period, for a total contract period of 60 months.

1) Interested parties must register their interest on the eTenders website (http://www.etenders.gov.ie/) in order to be included on the mailing list for clarifications. All information relating to attachments, including clarifications and changes, will be published on the Irish Government Procurement Opportunities Portal (http://www.etenders.gov.ie/) only. Registration is free of charge. The contracting entity will not accept responsibility for information relayed (or not relayed) via third parties.
2) This is the sole call for competition for this service.
3) The contracting entity will not be responsible for any costs, charges or expenses incurred by candidates or tenderers.
4) Contract award will be subject to the approval of the competent authorities.
5) It will be a condition of award that candidates are tax compliant.
6) If for any reason it is not possible to admit to the contract one or more of the tenderers invited following the conclusion of this competitive process, or having awarded a contract, the contracting entity reserves the right to invite the next highest scoring tenderer to join the contract and/or deliver the contract as appropriate to the circumstances pertaining to said contract.
7) At its absolute discretion, the contracting entity may elect to terminate this procurement process at any time.
8) Please note in relation to all documents, that where reference is made to a particular standard, make, source, process, trademark, type or patent, that this is not to be regarded as a de facto requirement. In all such cases, it should be understood that such indications are to be treated strictly and solely for reference purposes only, to which the words ‘or equivalent’ will always be appended.
9) Without prejudice to the principle of equal treatment, the contracting entity is not obliged to engage in a clarification process in respect of questionnaires with missing or incomplete information. Therefore, candidates are advised to ensure that they return fully completed questionnaires in order to avoid the risk of elimination from the competition.
10) At Section II.2.9) we have indicated that 5 will be invited to tender, please note that the contracting entity reserves the right to invite at least 5, subject to that number qualifying.