IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Tender description

Highways England is the government company charged with operating, maintaining and improving England’s motorways and major A roads. Formerly the Highways Agency, Highways England became a government company in April 2015. ESDAL (Electronic Service Delivery for Abnormal Loads) is the national service for managing Abnormal Indivisible Loads (AIL) in the UK. The process of managing abnormal loads is delegated by the Secretary of State for Transport to Highways England. ESDAL provides an online platform for hauliers to provide legally required abnormal indivisible load notifications to the correct authorities and apply for special orders for the heaviest and largest loads. An AIL is one which cannot, without undue expense or risk of damage, be divided or carried by a normal vehicle. The basic design of ESDAL is unchanged since the first development by Serco in the early 2000’s. The system is in need of major overhaul to retain the confidence of users and to meet changing user needs. What we currently have: ESDAL is currently provided as a digital application with portals for hauliers, structure/road owners, the police, special order routing tool (SORT — for permits) and the help desk. There is a secure registration process requiring users to have a unique user name and password to log into the system. It is based on an Oracle database and a configured Navteq mapping solution. What we want from ESDAL 4: The new ESDAL 4 system will provide: A modular, open and hosted in the cloud service. The workflow will be developed on a workflow platform so that workflow configuration is separated from software, thus reducing the IPR held by the supplier. A new more modern mapping solution will be continuously updated as road layouts change in real time. Standardised interfaces will enable third party services to be developed as an alternative to enhancing the core ESDAL system. For example, a mobile phone app for making applications or a mobile phone app that will enable police to be informed of abnormal load movements while on patrol. Other Highways England systems may be able to make use of ESDAL data by the development of open interfaces to ESDAL. It will meet the requirements of the UK Government Digital Service standard. (https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/service-standard). The contract is envisaged to be for a 5-year period with the potential to extend on a 1 + 1 year basis. The GBP 4.9 million funding covers the first 5 years. Development is required specifically to meet the requirements of the UK Government Digital Service standard. (https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/service-standard). Current workflows have potential for efficiency improvements while retaining the safety benefits of strict adherence to UK AIL regulations. (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/1998/schedule/1/part/1/crossheading/meaning-of-abnormal-indivisible-load/made). The following non-specified provisions may additionally be taken up by the procuring authority during the lifetime of the contract. These are potential enhancements to ESDAL to keep it up to date with changes in: haulage industry standards, relevant legislation, technical advances e.g. automated and connected vehicles and new functionality to improve system integration. Highways England seeks applications from potential suppliers with the capacity and capability to provide ESDAL 4. Highways England is interested in applications from companies with a track record of innovation in web-based services. A clear understanding of abnormal loads processes and regulations will be an advantage but is not essential.