BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE ANALYTICS SOFTWARE...
Transcript of BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE ANALYTICS SOFTWARE...
BIC USA CP STATIONERY | IMPULSE | SHAVE SUBMITTED 15-DEC-2017
RFP Response | BI Intelligence Analytics Software/Services USDBIC RFP Response-ATLAS-15DEC2017Sean Mahoney (BIC) | Mike Freeman (ATLAS)
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BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
ANALYTICS SOFTWARE /
SERVICES
The materials herein include proprietary information from ATLAS Technology Group and may not be copied, reproduced, or disclosed externally (outside of BIC Group) without prior written permission from ATLAS Technology Group. Copyright © ATLAS Technology Group.
All rights reserved.
All corporate names, brand names and design marks herein are the sole property of their respective owners. BIC images provided courtesy of BIC Group.
R E S P O N S E T O R E Q U E S T F O R P R O P O S A L
RETAIL INSIGHTS. GAME-CHANGING OUTCOMES.
ATLAS Technology Group works with CPG manufacturers
to uncover hidden growth opportunities while increasing
productivity. ATLAS combines disparate data-sets and applies
proprietary tools, products, and services to increase what we
call the “I2I (Insight-to-impact) Cycle.”
In addition to bringing new solutions and insights to light,
ATLAS works diligently to ensure new systems and processes
are rapidly adopted by decision makers and analysts.
While our expertise resides in retail analytics, performance
improvement is our passion. That’s why the success of our
clients has always been our leading performance indicator.
This commitment to client success is ingrained in our culture
and continues to fuel our innovation engines.
ATLAS begins each engagement with a blank canvas so no one
brings preconceived outcomes or barriers to the innovation
table. This keeps minds open and ideas fresh. This also further
empowers client teams to introduce new products, solutions,
and deployment models - whatever maximizes client value.
On behalf of Team ATLAS, I’d like to thank BIC Group for the
opportunity to become a strategic analytics partner.
Respectfully,
Nick Dozier, CEO ATLAS Technology Group
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2.1.1. [Submitter Information] 4 2.1.2. [Data Management] File Acceptance Retailer Data Data Harmonization and Storage Third-Party / Internal Data Sources Master Data Hierarchy / Attribution Calendars
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2.1.3. [Reporting & Analytics] Report Capabilities Report Filtering Mobile Access Advanced Analytics Promotion Execution On-Shelf Availability Thought Leadership
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2.1.4. [Technical Architecture] General Scalability
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2.1.5. [Security] User Management Access
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2.1.6. [Implementation] Implementation Process Retailer On-Boarding
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2.1.7. [Support] Service and Support
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3. Project Management Plan 23 3.1 [Project Milestones] 24 3.2 [Project Schedule Detail] 25 4. Attachments 35 Back-Up and Disaster Recovery Plan 36 Confidential Nondisclosure Agreement 40
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Table of Contents
Global Operations
Argentina Brazil Canada Chile China Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Honduras India Japan Mexico Portugal
2.1.1. [Submitter Information]
5214 Village Parkway, Suite 100 Rogers, AR 7275885 Employees
Other US-Based Office: 60 South Sixth Street, Suite 2800 Minneapolis, MN 55402
18100 Von Karman Ave #1000, Irvine, CA 9261250,000 Employees
Puerto RicoUnited KingdomUnited States
Public/Privately held? Closely-Held, Private Company
Parent Company
Audited FinancialsRevenue/Income
Not disclosed; however will schedule meeting with CFO for
in-depth financial review
Headquarter Location(s)
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2. Scope of Work: General Expectations | 2.1 Scope of the RFP
2.1.1. [Submitter Information, cont.]
Number of installed clients and how many consumer products companies use your solution: 1500
Do any current clients compete with BIC or sell into Sta-tionery, Impulse, or Shave? Yes: Impulse and Shave
# of years in offering POS reporting solutions 8
SaaS offering: where are your data centers located? Tulsa, OK (Pierpoint)
Submitter can provide descriptions of similar installations and names of clients who can be referenced
Reporting Studio | OSA Reporting Studio | OSA | TRACE Reporting Studio | OSA
Fran Hughes Senior Manager,
Advanced Analytics
Georgia-Pacific133 Peachtree St. NE
Atlanta, GA 30303Office (404) 652-6619
Cell 404) [email protected]
Steve CarrDirector, Category Management
and Shopper Insights
The J.M. Smucker Company
600 S.52nd St., Suite 100 Rogers, AR 72758
Office (479) 286 6068Cell (479) 435 0210
Allan Jackson Vice President,
Sales
Bumble Bee Seafoods P.O. Box 85362
San Diego, CA 92186
Office (479) 271-9444 x8844Cell (479) 586-9897
Submitter can support a global implementation
Yes. See Global Ops on previous page
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2. Scope of Work: General Expectations | 2.1 Scope of the RFP
Sample List of Retailer Data Sources
2.1.2. [Data Management]
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2. Scope of Work: General Expectations | 2.1 Scope of the RFP
Ability to integrate/blend data from multiple dispa-rate data sources including retailer POS, syndicated, panel data, BIC internal data, E-Commerce data
ATLAS will consume data from other data sources and integrate this data where possible with other data per request.
Ability to maintain and utilize all historic dataATLAS keeps data as long as requested. ATLAS will load historic data from other sources upon on-board-ing per request.
Flexible and scalable database: options to scale-up with more complex data sources, unstructured data, social media reviews, images
Due to ATLAS’ proprietary data model, we can adjust storage to include all sources of data.
Ability to load external data from BIC ERP systemData from any source can be consumed given proper discussion and agreement of the format and adher-ence to the agreement.
What kinds of data validation is the system able to do? Alerts if data load issues / Audit ability for “reason-ableness” check of data
ATLAS validates data as part of its data loading pro-cess. Validation methodology will be as thorough as allowed by the data format and methodology.
How does the system accommodate input files that have different formats?
ATLAS can consume data with any data format given that the format is consistent and adheres to the agreed upon format.
Do you have a capability to validate proper file for-mat? Yes
What is the time-line for validation of submitted files and notification of acceptance/rejection of the files?
Validation typically occurs within 30 minutes of the files/data being made available for loading. Notifica-tion is automated as the validation script completes.
Describe how data quality rules can be updated and modified.
Due to their complex nature, data quality rules are performed by the ATLAS ETL team. Customers have the ability to submit requests to alter or add to the process.
Partnerships or relationships with data source providers Yes
Professional services available for connecting to data sources
Yes
FILE ACCEPTANCE
Note: Data access and usage varies by retailer. Some relationships are direct with NDAs or security addendum, while others are supplier direct. ATLAS would be happy to discuss this in detail for each retailer.
2.1.1. [Data Management, cont.]
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2. Scope of Work: General Expectations | 2.1 Scope of the RFP
Is there flexibility for file drop off times (daily, weekly, monthly) within a recurring schedule?
Yes
Is there a central location for data provider data drop-off?
Yes
Describe areas of scope that are self-service and areas that require vendor services.
Self Services areas would include; Running and saving reports, Creating/modifying item and store groups, Creating email schedules, Creating user reports, adding users, updating item and store attributes.
Vendor services would include; Complex report-ing, ETL, creation of new attributes.
Does your product electronically integrate with other systems? Describe which other systems and vendor’s products where integration is required.
Atlas currently has direct integrations with Share-point, Tableau and PowerBI.
Describe your solution’s ability to allow selectable activ-ity logging to meet various national requirements? For example, data privacy laws in EMEA.
These requests will be scoped and determined at the beginning of the contract.
RETAILER DATA
Which of the following data sources can you integrate/harmonize? ALL
Amazon (Vendor Central) Kmart Staples (Spider Report)
Retailers that we haven’t previously integrated with will require additional time to get the data format orga-nized, but we can integrate
with any retailer.
BJ’s Wholesale Club Kroger (Market Six) Target (Merch IQ)
C&S Wholesale McLane (C Store M-Pulse, EDI) Wakefern (Price Plus)
Core Mark (SARF Reports) Meijer (RSI) Walgreens (RSI)
Costco (IRI) Office Depot Walmart US/CA (Retail Link)
CVS Office Max Wegmans (W. Retail)
Dollar General Office Max Commercial
Essendent Rite Aid
Family Dollar Sam’s Club (Retail Link)
Fred Meyer SP Richards
FILE ACCEPTANCE, cont.
2.1.2. [Data Management, cont.]
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2. Scope of Work: General Expectations | 2.1 Scope of the RFP
Do you support Item/Store/Day for POS and Inventory Data?
Yes, provided this level of granularity is supported by the data source.
How do you support changes to retailer interfaces and/or adapters? Preferably with advanced notification, ATLAS can
update our software as we own the code.
Can you automate my data updates from retailers (i.e. Retail Link)? Yes, where allowed from retailers.
DATA HARMONIZATION AND STORAGE
What data cleansing capability do you provide as a part of your standard product, including how you han-dle missing or updated data?
We validate and restate data we consume as part of our standard product. The cadence and method-ology of both validation and restating is dependent upon the data source.
How does the system accommodate input files that have different formats?
ATLAS can consume data with any data format given that the format is consistent and adheres to the agreed upon format.
Do you have scalable data storage to allow for expansion as historical data is accumulated and/or other data is added?
Yes, our data storage allows for expansion.
Can your solution support scheduling data to load when I need it? Data is loaded as it is made available.
What is your solution’s ability to manage data globally in different formats, currencies, and lan-guages?
ATLAS supports any language and currency.
What output formats for harmonized data are supported by your solution? Csv, xml or JSON
What volume of data can your solution support? To date, we have not had an issue with data volume.
Describe your solution’s methodology for manag-ing the addition of new products or locations.
New products and/or locations are initially loaded with the appropriate source level attributions. Ad-ditionally, alerts are sent to the perspective users to inform them of the attribution needs.
RETAILER DATA, cont.
Which of the following data sources can you integrate/harmonize?
• Syndicated data (IRI/NPD/Nielsen/Slice)• Inventory• Retailer Forecast• Retailer Master (Item, Store, DC)• Supplier Master (Item, Store, DC)• Shipment data (Internal)• Demographic data• Geography data• Weather data• Planogram data
ATLAS can integrate with any consistent dataset. The level of integration is dependent upon the format and structure of the data and how it can be integrated with the base retailer data.
How does your tool interface with JDA or Easy POG? ATLAS/AMP imports and exports Prospace files, as well as, Apollo files. All others are handled through attribution or custom development.
2.1.2. [Data Management, cont.]
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2. Scope of Work: General Expectations | 2.1 Scope of the RFP
THIRD-PARTY / INTERNAL DATA SOURCES
MASTER DATA HIERARCHY / ATTRIBUTIONIndicate the supported levels of attributes for product, store, and calendar as well as any latency for attribute maintenance to be available in reporting.Multi-level Attribution (Product) Ability to map retailer item identifier to BIC item master information Sales Account team View Category Management Team View Retailer view Corporate View Multiple Hierarchy Versions (Product) Time-Dependent Hierarchy capability?
ATLAS can support all of these without issue.
Multi-level’ Attribution (Store) Sales Account team Category Management Team Retailer view Corporate’ View (Geography) Multiple Hierarchy Versions (Store) Time-Dependent Hierarchy capability?
ATLAS can support all of these without issue.
How is attribution performed? Automated, from feed or user interface with ATLAS.
How many attributes and hierarchies are supported? Unlimited, ATLAS can provide counsel.
Can users be restricted to only editing and maintain-ing specific attributes? Yes, and encouraged!
Can custom attributes be attached to items and locations? Yes
Can users be restricted to maintain attributes only for specific retailers, countries, stores, items, or other dimensions?
Yes
Is bulk editing of attributes supported? ATLAS supports bulk and row-by-row editing of cus-tom attributes. Changes are reflected immediately.
How long does it take for attribute changes to be reflected on reports? Immediately
2.1.2. [Data Management, cont.]
2. Scope of Work: General Expectations | 2.1 Scope of the RFP
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CALENDARS
Indicate which types of calendars are supported• Retailer Calendar• Retailer Ad-Week• BIC Fiscal• Weekend View (Flexible i.e. F, S, S, Th - Sat, etc.)• Standard (Gregorian) • Other
ATLAS supports Retailer and Standard calendars out- of-the-box and allows for integration with business calendars.
Is reporting on multiple calendars feasible? Yes
Can the solution accommodate a 53-week year? How?
Yes, it is handled on a report level and through our Ad-hoc tooling.
Are arbitrary definitions for weeks, months, quarters, and years supported? Yes
2.1.2. [Data Management, cont.]
2. Scope of Work: General Expectations | 2.1 Scope of the RFP
Ability to quickly visualize/report/distribute all KPI’s necessary to run the business
Yes; our tool supports highly flexible Ad-hoc report-ing as well as best-in-class content for reporting KPIs.
Compatibility with Excel / Microsoft Office suite Yes; all reports are exportable to Microsoft Excel, Access, and PDF.
Standard / built-in Reporting: What standard reports do you support out of the box?
We have many varieties of stock reports that enable a diverse user-base to address their specific needs.
Key Metrics: Please describe the types of metrics you provide across different functional areas.
Sales, Velocity | Profit and Margin Inventory | Distribution | BIC Shipments Retailer Mark-up/Mark-down | Forecasting Market Basket | Warehouse | Orders
We can pull any available data from the retailer and support integration from additional data sources, which can include your internal metrics.
2.1.3. [Reporting & Analytics]
2. Scope of Work: General Expectations | 2.1 Scope of the RFP
REPORT CAPABILITIES
Ease of use - interface Intuitive UI accelerates learning curve.
All types of standard visualizations, sup-port of maps Yes (out-of-the-box and ad-hoc)
How are reports shared across internal/external organizations?
Reports are exported in a variety of portable formats (MS Excel, MS Access and PDF).
Print and export capability (MS Office compatibility, PDF?) Yes
Does the reporting application generate presentation ready reports (PPTX & PDF)? Yes
How does your solution support ad-hoc reporting?
We have a highly flexible ad-hoc tool that supports custom measures and has a user- friendly drag-and-drop interface capable of generating ad-hoc, complex, reports.
Do you support the ability to provide scheduled reporting? Are end users able to subscribe to reports? (Can they request delivery of reports on a periodic/daily/weekly basis?
Yes. Our scheduling framework allows users to schedule at a daily, weekly, monthly, single use cadence, with future begin-ning and ending date support.
How do users create new reports?
Users can utilize our best-in-class content for most cases. Us-ers can also create a report themselves via our User Reports, which supports exporting datasets from other ATLAS reports and uploading a custom template to load it into. Additional customization is available from our internal BI team.
Can reports be published/downloaded and consumed off-line?
All reports can be exported to portable formats (MS Excel, MS Access and PDF).
What drill down capabilities does your solution provide?
We support drill downs on stock reports and it can be built into custom content.
Does your solution support alerts / excep-tion reporting to the item/store level? Yes
Do you have the ability to analyze market basket data? Yes
How do you enable users to use Store Traits/custom store groups in analysis?
Store traits are separated by group, store selection and tabbed when report is run.
2.1.3. [Reporting & Analytics, cont.]
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REPORT FILTERING
Is it possible to filter or limit the data shown on a dash-board or report? Yes
Does the platform have search capabilities? Yes, you can search for any particular column or value using filters.
Does system provide for 'Cross Metric' Filtering? (i.e. ‘Display Top 10 Selling Products (POS sales) based on (lowest inventory value)’)
Yes. Our ad-hoc tool provides dynamic filtering.
Can you support threshold alerting and report format-ting? Yes
Can power users define and create their own mea-sures/metrics? Yes
Can power users define report specific/Dynamic Grouping (i.e. custom product grouping, Store group-ing, etc)?
Yes
How does your solution support trending (including charts)?
Reports can contain charts and visualize the data in a variety of ways.
Does the solution allow you to save personal queries as well as provide standardized queries? Yes
Can your solution create sums (aggregates) and calcula-tions on the fly (of products, stores, time, etc)? Yes
MOBILE ACCESS
Access to Built-in Reports
Yes, the full application is mobile friendlyInteractive Dashboards
Exception Management
Store performance & store Maps
2.1.3. [Reporting & Analytics, cont.]
2. Scope of Work: General Expectations | 2.1 Scope of the RFP
ADVANCED ANALYTICS
How do you enable actionable recommendations based off the insights?
As data is loaded, the ATLAS Reporting Studio can perform low level algorithms to identify topics such as supply chain gaps, volume decomposition, pricing elasticity, and trade spend optimization.
How are actions/interventions tracked to ensure value mate-rialization?
Currently, actions and interventions are tracked through the customers internals systems.
Do you deliver exceptions based on user-defined triggers? Yes. These are referred to as Alerts.
Describe your support for the following applications:
Acosta performance / ROI:
POS Forecast Exceptions: Seasonal Profiling
First of Month/Mid-Month Lift
Daily Demand Weighting
Distribution Voids
Pipeline Exceptions
Inventory Target Setting
Phantom Inventory
In Stock Exceptions
Planogram / Shelf Performance
New Item Launch
Supply Constraint /Allocation
Zero Scans
Low Sales
We analyze every item, everyday, for every retailer to send an alert that will determine exceptions of trend via alerting reports or ad-hoc. ATLAS has preexisting relationships with all brokers.
2.1.3. [Reporting & Analytics, cont.]
2. Scope of Work: General Expectations | 2.1 Scope of the RFP
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PROMOTION EXECUTION
Promotion ROICross -Retailer SupportPromotional PlanningRetailer Compliance TrackingException IdentificationHistorical Promotional Calendar Custom Basket AnalysisStore Segment AnalysisEvent Summary ReportsPromotional Performance Reports
Promotion Inventory Analysis Reports
We analyze every item, everyday, for every retailer to send an alert that will determine exceptions of trend via alerting reports or ad-hoc.
ON-SHELF AVAILABILITY
User Configurable Algorithm AggressivenessUser-Defined Weighting of AlgorithmUser Configurable Across Product CategoriesException Identification3rd Party Broker IntegrationLost Sales QuantificationOff-Shelf Event ReportsTime-line ReportsTrend Reports
We analyze every item, everyday, for every retailer to send an alert that will determine exceptions of trend via alerting reports or ad-hoc.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Options to scale-up with more complex metrics including data science capabilitiesClustering capability (including store of the community)Price elasticityDecision treeTest & Control store recommendations
We analyze every item, everyday, for every retailer to send an alert that will determine exceptions of trend via alerting reports or ad-hoc.
2.1.3. [Reporting & Analytics, cont.]
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GENERAL
Solution available – Software as a Service (hosted by solution provider)
Yes, and preferred. ATLAS’ pricing is based on this option only.
Solution available – Infrastructure as a Service (servers hosted by public cloud vendor) Possible, not preferred.
Solution available – On Premises (servers and soft-ware installed within BIC data center) Possible, not preferred.
Can users build their own reports via the desktop or web interface or must they be built by the ven-dor or a system administrator?
Users have the ability to create and maintain their own reporting.
What standard database platform do you support? Vertica & MS SQL Server.
What are the browser requirements for your solution? Internet Explorer 9, Latest Chrome, Firefox, Safari.
Does software require server-like applications running on desktop (i.e. local web server; IIS, SQL Server or specific database?
No. Local applications are run on the desktop.
How is backup and recovery accomplished in your application?
Backup and Recover is handled via our data center backup policy.
Will this application require low, medium or high amount of bandwidth?
Low - but any large datasets downloaded via reports will need to be downloaded by the end user.
Are patches or upgrades provided for the applica-tion? What frequency?
We periodically release new features to add value for the end user.
Are data load times significant?
Main data loading occurs during off-times (early morn-ing hours) to avoid user impact. During normal work hours, users access reports very fast from our data warehouse.
If you make a change to attributes or hierarchies do you need to reload your data or your cubes? If yes - is the time significant?
ATLAS does not use data cubes, so no data reloading is necessary.
Describe how the solution configuration is stored & backed up and how it will be recov-ered/restored in the event of a catastrophic failure, configuration loss, or data loss.
See backup and disaster recovery policy on page 36.
2.1.4. [Technical Architecture]
2. Scope of Work: General Expectations | 2.1 Scope of the RFP
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SCALABILITY
Is there a limit to the number of Retailer data sets the system can accommodate?
As a clustered architecture, our solution is scalable as addi-tional retailers and large datasets.
Is there a limit to the number of concur-rent user queries?
Queries are managed by a programmatic load balancer to ensure the high performance queries for all users.
How are queries handled on tables that are simultaneously being loaded with data?
Typically loading is done prior to user table, although report is written with dirty read.
Inactivity Sign-out time/duration? (will system log you out automatically after a length of time?)
30 minutes
Maximum Row/Column limit on a single given report?.
To ensure quality performance of the web application, typical reports are limited to 1.2 million rows and 16,384 columns which is in keeping with Microsoft Excel’s limits. If a larger dataset is required ATLAS can accommodate with a data ex-port that can serve a significantly larger amount of data.
Describe the tools/processes/capabilities for the system to function as a data hub to provide data to our internal and exter-nal systems.
ATLAS allows for custom imports and exports of data for any external systems.
Can data be transmitted in a secure manner from your solution to external systems? Yes
2.1.4. [Technical Architecture, cont.]
2. Scope of Work: General Expectations | 2.1 Scope of the RFP
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GENERAL, cont.
Describe your recommended architectures for handling backup, fail-over, and disaster recovery requirements.
See backup and disaster recovery policy on page 36.
How frequently are new releases/versions provided?
As a web application, changes are made modularly to vary-ing aspects of the tool frequently. All end user changes are communicated, and training issued prior to release of new features.
How long does it take to update the system with new data?
Data is loaded daily from all appropriate data sources. The time to load is dependent upon the dataset.
USER MANAGEMENT
Does the customer manage user access? If so, how?
Customers can manage user access by allowing a internal users to be Administrators. These administrators can manage user access via a web tool.
Can the customer audit user access/enti-tlements? If so, how?
There is a web tool for managing all users, privileges and access activities.
What is the process for adding a user? There is a web tool for managing all users, privileges and access activities.
What is the process for changing a user’s access rights and security grants?
There is a web tool for managing all users, privileges and access activities.
What is the process for deleting a user? There is a web tool for managing all users, privileges and access activities.
What is the process for resetting pass-words? How is user identity verified?
There is a web tool for managing all users, privileges and access activities.
Does the user interface offer a role-based sign-on?
There is a web tool for managing all users, privileges and access activities.
Does the organization, as part of normal practice, ensure all employees sign confi-dentiality agreements to protect customer information?
Yes
Can a user access more than one retailer’s data? How is this controlled?
In some circumstances certain users do require access to mul-tiple retailer’s data. In those cases, there is a separate entry point which can access multiple different databases. This is handled via user access as well as database level security.
2.1.5. [Security]
2. Scope of Work: General Expectations | 2.1 Scope of the RFP
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ACCESS
How will users access the system (i.e. local client software, web interface)? Web interface
Can users access the system while data is being updated? Yes
Is a formal user registration and de-registra-tion procedure in place for granting access to multi-user systems?
Yes. There is a web tool used to manage user access.
Are special controls established to safe-guard data passing over public networks, and to protect the connected systems?
Yes. ATLAS operates over a SSL connection to ensure data privacy.
How are remote users supported by your application?
ATLAS is a web interface – physical location of end users is not relevant.
How configurable is your solution in con-trolling access to any function and data via user profiles?
ATLAS has feature level access that can control which features are available at a per user level.
2.1.5. [Security, cont.]
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2.1.6. [Implementation]
2. Scope of Work: General Expectations | 2.1 Scope of the RFP
IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS
Full implementation process Implementation process and schedule provided on next page.
Split of the tasks between BIC IT, BIC Busi-ness and the submitter. Implementation process and schedule provided on next page.
Estimation of the workload, the lead-time and the costs for each task of the process System design, development, implementation, training, and
support: $475,000 USD
One-time set-up fee: $25,000 USDPricing model – based on number of users, size of installation, number of data sources
All IT related costs (implementation costs, licenses, upgrades, running costs, etc.) Included
Training, Support included Included
Average % increase per year 3-5%
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Retailer On-boarding task (parent task highlighted in blue) will be applicable to each retailer that ATLAS will be on-boarding for BIC. New Retailer Integration task (parent task highlighted in green) will only be applicable for new retailers that ATLAS does not currently support.
2.1.6. [Implementation, cont.]
2. Scope of Work: General Expectations | 2.1 Scope of the RFP
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2.1.7. [Support]
2. Scope of Work: General Expectations | 2.1 Scope of the RFP
SERVICE AND SUPPORT
Available means of support and hours of operation
8:00 am - 6:00 pm (CST) Monday through Friday. Outside of these hours primary CSM will provide cell phone.
How to access support, e-mail, phone Primary CSM phone number, CSM interaction, creation of email tickets through the ATLAS system.
Do you offer international support? Yes, English preferred.
What is the expected response time for assistance/issues from the Submitter?
Based on levels of severity, response rates can vary from 20 minutes to 24 hours.
What is the escalation path when a prob-lem is not resolved in a timely manner?
Clear points of escalation are determined and will include CSM cell phone numbers.
Describe on-going practices to continue value delivery/benefit post-implementation (how are best practices/synergies created across suppliers?)
Reoccurring CSM interaction in person, online, or via phone.
Please describe the user training deliver mechanism(s) and the time commitment required for each. (System Training Dura-tion per user)- Please include both formal training as well as time needed for average user to gain a comfort level with using the system.
Power user training times are typically 4 - 8 hours. The aver-age user times are 2 - 4 hours. (This is included in our pricing.)
Describe your support approach, hours, and location. What are the steps you follow when users have issues?
Support can be on-site, phone, webex, and direct access to training and support team.
Do you have continuous monitoring of your systems to ensure performance is at prom-ised levels?
Yes
What dedicated resources will you provide to support the project? When will the resources be available?
On-boarding by dedicated project manager. Post on-boarding provided by CSM.
3. [BIC Project Practices Summary]
PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
This project management plan will cover information for the on-boarding phase of a new client. The on-board-ing phase consists of several milestones and a clear understanding of these milestones and stakeholder responsibilities is critical to our (BIC and ATLAS) success. The milestones/tasks included in this document cover the on-boarding of a retailer that is currently supported by ATLAS.
CONTACTS
Role Name Organization Contact Information
Customer Service Manager (CSM) TBD ATLAS
ATLAS Product Support ATLAS [email protected]
ATLAS Invoicing/Billing Pat Lockridge ATLAS [email protected]
ATLAS Office ATLAS (479) 715-6022
Project Manager/POC
Project Sponsor Mike Freeman ATLAS (952) 270-2135 [email protected]
COMMUNICATION REQUIREMENTS
Role or Name Information Needed Frequency Distribution Method
Project Manager/POC Project Updates Weekly Meeting and Email
ATLAS CSM User Feedback Weekly/When Appli-cable Meeting/Email
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3.1 [Project Milestones]
Milestones and durations are estimates and will vary depending on additional data needs, user base, and the amount/complexity of report deliverables. Estimates are based on a group of 10-20 users and 20 reports of medium complexity.
Milestone Duration Sign Off Required Owner
Historical Data Loading 2 – 4 weeks No ATLAS
Data Validation 2 weeks Yes- BIC BIC
Custom Attribution 1 week Yes- BIC BIC/ATLAS
User Training (Client/Web) 2 weeks No BIC/ATLAS
Review Custom/Stock Reporting 2 weeks No BIC/ATLAS
Report Development 8 - 10 weeks Yes, per report- BIC BIC/ATLAS
On-boarding Phase Completion
Kickoff to Completion14-18 weeks Yes- BIC BIC/ATLAS
• Historical Data Loading- 104 Week data load is typical for most retailers.
• Data Validation- ATLAS has internal processes for data validation, but most clients chose to validate high level
sales/inventory data on their own. This is a recommended activity, but not required.
• Custom Attribution- In addition to data that we download from retailers, ATLAS can create item or store attri-
butes so that data can be viewed/rolled up to any level that is needed. ATLAS initially creates the attributes
and then it is the responsibility of the client to update/maintain.
• User Training- Training consists of ensuring all users are able to login to ATLAS and become familiar with system
functionality. Typically, training is conducted in small groups (<10 users) in a 1.5 to 2 hour session. Larger user
groups can be accommodated, but smaller groups tend to be more effective.
• Review Custom/Stock Reporting- This will be an exercise to review potential custom reports to be built and
determine if there is a suitable stock report that will meet the client’s needs. Utilizing stock reports instead of
building custom reports will result in a reduction in overall report development time.
• Report Development- This is generally the reporting that is needed to transition from an existing reporting
system or reports that are being manually built today. More information regarding the report development
process can be found in the next section.
PROJECT MILESTONE DETAIL
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The report development process is a collaborative effort between the client and ATLAS. The client is responsible for providing required information concerning data, layout, and calculations for the report. Any delays in providing this information will impact a timely delivery of the report.
REPORT DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE
The project schedule on the following pages includes tasks for each milestone with the associated owners and du-ration. The attached schedules include tasks for both the on-boarding of a new retailer (parent task in blue) and the integration of a new retailer that is not currently supported by ATLAS (parent task in green).
3.2 [Project Schedule Detail]
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Data Loading - Format and Frequency
Retailer data is typically delivered/retrieved through a data portal provided by the retailer or a file that is sent/
placed at a specific location (secure FTP site). If the data will be retrieved through a data portal, the format and
delivery method will be specified by the retailer. ATLAS will retrieve the data at the frequency that is required
by the client and available through the data portal (Daily or Weekly is typical for most retailers). If the data will
be delivered to an FTP site either directly from the retailer or by the client, the format/standard will be designed
cooperatively between ATLAS and the party delivering the data. The frequency of data delivery will be dependent
on the ability of the delivering party. If this method is used for data delivery, the delivering party is responsible for
providing the data in accordance to the agreed upon data format/standard and frequency.
Custom Attribution – Permissions and Update Data
ATLAS has a function named Update Data that is used to maintain custom attribution. An ATLAS Customer Adminis-
trator can restrict access to the Update Data functionality by user by accessing the User Management panel within
ATLAS. ATLAS also has the ability to grant access to only specific departments or at other levels needed by the cli-
ent. This would allow a user to only update data that is within the business area that they support. Data rules can
be created to notify users of when data does not conform to the expected naming convention, format, or data type.
For example: Custom Item Attribute ‘Weight’ has a rule to only allow numerical values affixed with ‘lbs’ and user is
trying to update a value with ‘pounds’. A notification will be displayed notifying the user that an error has occurred.
For more information on using the Update Data functionality, please refer to the instructions on page 34.
ADDENDUM AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
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4. [Attachments]
3. BIC Project Practices Summary
Back-up and Disaster Recovery Plan
Confidential Nondisclosure Agreement (copy)
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SCANNED COPY
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SCANNED COPY
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SCANNED COPY
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