GÉANT Inventory System

Tender description

Why the Work is Being Done GÉANT Operations requires a single centralised repository for capturing and recording GÉANT network and service information. This will replace its existing operational database that is built and maintained-in house and uses MySQL with a PHP-based GUI. The offered system must support entering, changing, presenting and searching for a variety of all resources recorded within the system. A key improvement compared to the existing system is expected to be automatic population of inventory and configuration information from the GÉANT network equipment. Expected start date July 2016, completion date early 2017. Problem to Be Solved The existing in-house software used by GEANT Operations and associated departments is out-dated hence difficult and time-consuming to support to ensure it meets today's network and operational requirements. Data is frequently out of date due to the need for manual data entry. This has led to network engineers not trusting the data, hence not using it consistently for their work. Automated tools also rely on this data, so e.g. event management correlation and reporting is challenging due to the frequent need to double-check and fix data in the current database. Who Are the Users Full set of AGILE-style user stories will be sent to short-listed suppliers. As a network operations engineer I need to be able to trust the network and service information in our inventory management system to be able to plan and operate the network. I need some information to be learnt automatically from the Juniper / Infinera network equipment (serial numbers, customer service configuration etc.) and I need to be able to use an intuitive GUI to enter other information (operational dates, geographical locations etc.) I also need various in-house tools to read and write data to this system. Early Market Engagement Work Already Done GÉANT has undertaken a competitive dialogue procurement seeking to purchase an off-the-shelf product and has decided not to purchase such a system due to strict budget limitations and need for a high level of customisation. GÉANT has prepared : -Functional requirements (AGILE user story cards) -Expected records and fields to be stored -Planned high-level modular system architecture -Expected plan for implementing TM Forum guidelines (domains, entities, class hierachies) GÉANT has created the following in-house systems which the new inventory system must interface with: • Network event (outage) management correlation and display • Enterprise Service Bus • Data Warehouse (MySQL) Existing Team Supplier will be working with in-house GEANT teams as follows: Systems Development team who: *write and maintain other in-house systems such as existing inventory system, reporting and event management correlation and display *write and maintain the ESB plugin modules to interface with other in-house tools *will write the BSS module *maintain replacement inventory system post-release and act as 3rd line support Users - mostly network operations engineers who plan, configure and fix the optical and IP network and liaise with suppliers. A user focus group has been specifically created to finalise detailed requirements during Sprint meetings. Current Phase Discovery Work Location It is expected that the majority of the work will take place at the premises of the winner of the contract, with occasional visits to GEANT's office in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK. Details, logistics and feasibility to be discussed. Working Arrangments It is expected that after the initial meetings, the supplier's key individuals would work in the GEANT Cambridge office for 1-2 weeks to kick off the project and perform the first sprint planning meetings. During the majority of the project the developers are expected to work remotely, due to space limitations in the Cambridge office and our limited expenses budget. This limit is €10,000 for the whole project. Sprint planning and retrospective meetings may happen via VC (H.323 or Skype) or face-to-face, as agreed between project managers of both organisations. Security Clearance None required. Additional T&Cs GEANT requires to retain full intellectual property rights of all software created as part of this project, and be able to offer a software license to other organisations in the GEANT community. For more information about the GEANT partners and the organisation model, please see http://www.geant.org/About Skills & Experience Have a track record of successfully delivering projects on time, and to budget and specification. Have experience in delivering user provided designs and requirements Have experience in creating web-based GUIs to interact with databases including comprehensive searching facilities Be able to design solutions to connect multiple system applications Have experience in creating systems that are successfully maintained by in-house client teams after production release Have experience in creating systems that can be configured by users Have experience in creating databases that are populated using 3rd party hardware configuration Have experience in co-operating with user teams throughout the development process such that the users can submit revised requirements, review prototypes and ensure the finished product reflects latest business needs. Have experience in creating RESTful APIs using JSON Have experience in creating applications using Object-Oriented Design (OOD) Methodologies Nice to Haves Demonstrate experience importing network hardware inventory and configuration into a database Commence work within one month of the expected start date Demonstrate experience of developing web-based applications using Java or PHP frameworks Demonstrate experience of developing web-based applications using MySQL Demonstrate experience of creating systems that interact with network management systems Demonstrate experience in creating relational databases Demonstrate experience in creating MySQL databases Demonstrate experience in creating databases to store information about modular network hardware Have experience creating a software product using AGILE-based methodologies Demonstrate experience using appropriate areas of the TM Forum Information Framework Shared Information Datamodel No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria Initial technical design for GEANT inventory system that meets stated requirements Suggested project team structure Proposed approach and methodology including expected customer engagement Risk identification, analysis & mitigation Software Quality Assurance methodology Development plan and release schedule Documentation and training package Value for money Cultural Fit Criteria Work as a team with our organisation Transparent and collaborative when making decisions Payment Approach Fixed price Assessment Method Written proposal Case study Reference Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 50% Cultural fit 10% Price 40% Questions from Suppliers Budget range total spend with chosen supplier is not to exceed €400,000.