Request for Information - | Credit and Collection News
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Request for Proposal for Collection Package
Proposals Due: September 19, 2008
Mail and E-Mail Responses to:
Arizona State Credit Union
ATTN: John Schooner
VP Collections and Recovery
2355 W Pinnacle Peak Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85027
john.schooner@
602-452-4974
Part I
Purpose
This Request for Proposal (RFP) provides interested vendors with the opportunity to prepare and submit proposals for consideration by Arizona State Credit Union. Our goal is to have a Collection system that will handle all product lines (consumer, mortgage, business, overdraft, and credit cards) using a common database. The system will provide for ease of use and reduce training time needed for staff.
General Information
As of August, 2008, Arizona State Credit Union (AZSTCU) has 24 branches with $1.1 billion dollars in assets, $863 million in loans, and over 132,000 members. Arizona State Credit Union is the largest state-chartered credit union in Arizona.
Relevant Technical Information
Data Processing (in-house): Hardware: HP9000 Software: Spectrum,
Optical System: True Image
(Summit FiServ)
Current Collection System: Akcelerant
Our current Collection system provides the Collections department with an online, almost paperless collection system. The package is an add-on application database that creates a collection record. When the daily posting batch program identifies a delinquent loan, the system automatically creates a collection record for that account. The system currently integrates with the Summit/Spectrum host system via Pathways interface.
Our current monthly delinquent loan volume (in counts) is below.
|Product |Delinquency |
|Loans |4,407 |
|Credit Cards | 477 |
|Overdraft |3,000 |
|Total |7,884 |
Project Specifications
Arizona State Credit Union’s expectation is that the vendor will provide a cost effective, flexible, and technically sound solution that is contoured to meet Arizona State Credit Union’s requirements. Arizona State Credit Union has therefore defined a set of objectives to be achieved through this solution. The vendor’s proposed solution should minimally:
✓ Provide a collection system that handles all product lines (consumer, mortgage, business, overdraft, and credit cards) using a common database.
✓ The system should have a separate database with the following functionalities:
▪ General
▪ Agency
▪ Recovery
▪ Pre-Charge-Off Collections
▪ Telephony
▪ Integrated dialer
▪ Call Recording
▪ IVR
▪ External Vendor/Service Integration
✓ In-house solution
✓ Backend database is Microsoft SQL Server 2003/2007
✓ Have Pathways certification. Pathways is a series of web services that allows two-way communication between clients-side application and Spectrum system.
✓ A system that has canned reports as well as the ability for the end-user to create customized reports
✓ Have an organized, methodical and proven successful testing and implementation plan which includes a dedicated team with a project manager serving as a single point of contact.
✓ Smooth transition to the new system.
✓ Provide excellent customer service during implementation and ongoing support.
✓ Provide an established set of customer-approved business guidelines and operational practices.
RFP Response
Timetable: The timetable below identifies some key dates that Arizona State Credit Union intends to follow in performing the proposal, evaluation, and vendor selection process.
• Issue Date: August 29, 2008
• Vendor Responses Due to AZSTCU: September 19, 2009
• Selection of Vendor: December, 2008
Responses: To be considered, firms must submit a complete response to this RFP. The response should follow the same order and content as the RFP. Submitting pre-printed documentation in lieu of following the requested format is not acceptable. Exceptions may be made to requirements within the document providing the exception is acknowledged and explained fully.
Vendors will be required to propose their solutions in a clear and concise manner, effectively defining the scope of their offering and associated costs. Please indicate if the information in your response is:
a) Currently available
b) Planned for future release. Include anticipated release date.
c) A custom request. Include approximate time to create, implement request and approximate cost.
d) Not available
Submit RFP to: Arizona State Credit Union
John Schooner
2355 W Pinnacle Peak Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85027
john.schooner@
One sealed and one electronic copy (CD or email) of the RFP should be submitted.
Direct questions to: John Schooner, VP Collections & Recovery
(602) 452-4974
john.schooner@
Vendor Liability
The information provided by Arizona State Credit Union within this RFP is confidential and may not be shared by the vendor with any individual(s) not associated with this RFP response process. Proposals will be held as confidential information and will not be returned. Proposals must be signed by an official authorized to bind the firm to all provisions contained within the proposal. The proposal must remain valid for a period of 120 days
Vendors may be required to present their proposal in person or provide additional information to facilitate the evaluation process. Arizona State Credit Union is not liable for any costs (including travel costs) incurred by any vendor for the preparation of their proposal.
Arizona State Credit Union reserves the right to select or reject a vendor for any reason and to postpone selection indefinitely if such action is in our best interest.
Part II
The purpose of this section is for Arizona State Credit Union to gain insight on various aspects of the vendor and its products. AZSTCU expects each response will be approximately one to two paragraphs in length, although some questions may deserve longer responses. If an answer is not provided, it will be inferred that the vendor cannot offer a solution.
1. Company Profile
a. Provide your company name, headquarters address and other facilities. Provide the contact name, address, phone, fax and e-mail for this request.
b. Is the solution you are presenting part of your company’s core business?
c. How long has your firm been in business and offering this solution?
d. Do you have a current SAS70 report? If so, please send it to us as a part of this RFP.
e. Types, number and size of clients utilizing this solution.
f. Please provide a reference list especially credit unions and banks of our size. Information provided should include business name, address, contact person, telephone, asset size and the length of time they have been a client.
g. Is your company public or privately owned?
h. Please provide the last three annual reports for your organization.
i. User groups and user meetings
j. Educational opportunities
2. General System Functionality
a. Describe the automated Collection Strategies/Workflow Management Tools
b. Prioritize Work Queues
c. Work Grouped by Time Zone and Collection Stage
d. Sub-Clients for a Master Client
e. Related Accounts Viewed Simultaneously
f. Recommends Goals and Scripts for Collection Calls
g. Generates Customizable Correspondence On Demand
h. Automated Letters by Client with Flexible Triggers
i. Offers Automated faxing (Rightfax)
j. Integrates with Email (Microsoft Exchange)
k. Automatic Phone Dialing (Concurrent Numbers? Home, Work, Cell….)
l. Monitors individual Collector Performance
m. Flexible Import of Debtor Data without the Need for Custom Programming
n. Configurable ad hoc customer Reports on Operator Level
o. Online, Real Time Coaching
p. Access Vendor Services Automatically
q. Remote and centralized database functionality
r. Goals Feedback in Real Time
s. GUI Environment
t. CHUI Environment
u. Web Access – Secure and Customizable Remote Access for Collectors
v. Collector Alerts, notification that may be sent remotely to Loan Adjusters
w. Describe compatibility to the Champion – Challenger Tools
x. Built-in Collection Agency Templates
y. Integration with Crystal Reports
z. Describe the User-Defined Account Matching Criteria
aa. Describe the User-Defined Balance Buckets
ab. Describe User-Defined Payment Types
ac. Configurable Account Flow
3. Agency Functionality
a. Trust Accounting
b. Complete Client Activity Statement History
c. User-Defined Collection Task
4. Recovery Functionality
a. Pre Charge-Off Collections
b. Post Charge-Off Collections
c. Agency/Attorney Management
d. Asset Sales (Full asset Tracking Subsystem)
e. Metro2 Reporting on Post Charge-Off
f. System of Record or Non-System of Record Functionality
g. Standard Host Interface Formats
h. Standard Agency/Attorney/Buyer Formats
i. Recovery Management Reports
j. Automated File Processing
k. Repossession Tracking
l. Bankruptcy/Deceased Management
m. Work by Accounts or People (Person vs. Account Centric)
5. Pre-Charge off Collections Functionality
a. Disputes/Deduction Codes can be Assigned
b. Coded Problems Separates From Other Receivables
6. Telephony Functionality
a. Real Time Read/Write Access to Application Database
b. Unattended Messaging
c. Call Blending
d. Carrier Grade Hardware (Nebs Complaint)
e. Automatic Software/Firmware updates
f. Integrated dialer
7. Call Recording
a. Automatic Account Indexing
b. Online Storage
c. On Demand Playback into current Conversation
d. Condition or Event Triggered Recording
8. IVR
a. Fully Integrated to Application
b. Fully Integrated to Dialer (Bidirectional Information Transfer with Call)
c. Real Time Application Database Access
d. Outbound Right Party Delivery
e. Secure Payment Authorization
9. External Vendor/Service Integration
a. Automated Service Request Based on Collection Strategies
b. Interactive Service Request Initiated by Collector or Manager
c. Complete Access to Data Returned from External Vendors
d. Automated Collection Strategies Based on Returned Data
e. Process Check & Credit Card Payments interactively
10. Core System
a. We prefer an on-site solution but will consider an ASP solution.
b. Will source code be made available to the Credit Union?
c. We prefer that the vendor utilize Microsoft SQL Server 2003/2007 as their back-end database?
d. Ability to set up processing queues, including setting the maximum time applications should be in each queue.
e. Ability to test system developments and new releases.
1. Describe the internal Quality Assurance and testing methodology your company utilizes before distributing releases to production clients.
2. Ability to copy applications from the live system to test.
3. Ability to run test case credit reports.
f. Ability to query the database and create custom reports from the database.
g. A service level agreement specifying the level of support provided to us by the vendor, the hours of support, and after-hours contact information.
1. Single telephone number for end users to call for support with menu selections from which end users will choose
h. Multiple Access Points: Multiple location flexibility and Web based capability and access. Multiple user locations with multiple users per location
i. Questions:
1. Do you offer an on-site solution? An ASP solution? Both?
2. For ASP solutions: how do users log into it? Is Citrix required?
3. For ASP solutions: Where does the database reside?
4. What software does your back-end database run on?
5. What are the minimum web, database, network, other hardware and other infrastructure requirements for the solution proposed?
6. What are the optimal web, database, network, other hardware and other infrastructure requirements for the solution proposed?
7. What, if any, are the software dependencies?
8. How do we request system enhancements?
9. Is there is a user group? How often does it meet and how does it function? Does it request system enhancements?
10. Disaster/system failure recovery
i. In the event a system failure occurs and data is lost or corrupt, what is the process to recover? Can you recover in a real time environment?
ii. For ASP solutions: Where is the backup system located in case of a disaster/system failure? When and how is the switch made to the backup system?
11. Data backups
i. For ASP solutions: how frequently is the database backed up? Where and for how long are the backups stored?
12. What level of support is offered and what is its availability (24/7Customer service and tech/helpdesk)?
13. What if the system does not operate as first agreed upon? What is the backup plan?
14. How is the data protected against compromises?
11. Interfaces
a. Is your system able to interface with the Summit System?
b. Are you doing this today or will it need to be developed?
c. Are you able to store credit reports in raw format?
d. Does your system have the ability to move date from the database to our data warehouse?
12. Security
a. Full and flexible security levels.
b. Ability to set authorization levels by position, role and/ or individual user rights, e.g. Collection VP, Collection Manager, Collection Supervisor, Loan Adjuster, Legal Adjuster, etc.
c. Allow for multiple outside users within security constraints such as Legal Service, Collection Agencies, throughout the process.
d. Audit trails: Automatic audit logging of changes made to parameters and applications by employee, date and time.
e. Exception tracking log (who made, when, for what reason, etc.)?
f. What are the security features?
g. What issues are there related to use of these security features?
13. Credit Inquiries
a. Ability to run standard credit inquiries for consumer, mortgage and business, including:
1. Experian consumer
2. Experian business
3. Equifax consumer
4. TransUnion consumer
14. Data Inquiries
a. Link automatically to approved vendors i.e. Accurint
b. Questions:
1. What is your list of vendors for which you already have links?
a. Host Servicing Providers
b. Credit Providers
c. Miscellaneous
2. What is involved, in cost and time, to add other vendors?
c. Secretary of State: to inquire on businesses (primarily in Arizona)
15. Implementation/Support
a. Explain your implementation methodology. Specify the implementation process and average time required for each step. Who needs to be involved? What is the anticipated time commitment for each person/role? How will you keep us informed on the progress?
b. What is your best estimate on the timeframe to implement? Please also list the minimum and maximum amount of time.
c. What is the projected implementation cost?
d. How is training conducted?
1. On site or at vendor’s facility?
2. How long is training?
3. Do you train just trainers or do you train the entire staff?
e. What support do you offer during the implementation phase?
f. How is testing conducted?
1. Do you provide test scripts?
g. What kind of team do you send on-site at implementation?
1. How many members are there and what are their areas of expertise?
h. How long do they remain on site, before and after the go-live date?
i. What type of documentation do you provide?
j. Who will be the point(s) of contact for: (i) system issues (ii) service issues? How many other clients will the representative(s) be serving? What are the hours of operation for your support staff?
k. What is your action plan on problem resolution? Please list your target times for response and the escalation procedures if problems are not resolved within the target time.
l. What support levels and response times will AZSTCU be guaranteed?
m. How often and when are your scheduled downtimes for maintenance?
n. How often are new releases issued? How are releases tested and quality checked to ensure that they are “bug” free?
o. Are users manuals updated and reissued at the time of new releases?
16. Reporting/Forms
a. What types of reports can be generated? Please provide a sample of all “standard” reports.
b. Is there an additional cost for reporting features or packages?
c. Into what format can reports be extracted/downloaded?
d. Please describe the level of expertise necessary to make changes in report functions.
17. Contract Policy
a. What is your usual minimum contract period? Please attach a sample contract.
b. Do you provide pricing incentives for longer contract duration? Please list all options.
a. Outline your strategy for providing customer service. What indicators do you use to determine if your service levels are satisfactory?
b. What guarantees do you offer for performance/penalties for non-performance as it relates to system uptime and service levels?
c. Please provide a copy of your standard Service Level Agreement (SLA).
18. Pricing
a. Please list your pricing structure.
b. Please review the answers to this RFP. Are any of the services listed at an additional cost to the price listed above?
c. What is considered custom programming? What are the fees associated with custom programming?
d. Please itemize the hardware or programming costs. Indicate if the cost is included in the pricing.
e. What are your terms for payment? (Down payment, when is balance due?)
f. In what areas may cost over-runs occur? What protection do you provide against cost over-runs? Do you provide a pricing guarantee? Please list the terms.
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