Developing a conversion specification
Ray Watts Project Manager, Baymont Technologies, Inc. 14100 58th Street North, Clearwater, FL 34620 Abstract The conversion specification is usually encountered as part of a Request for Pricing (RFP) issued by the organization seeking to contract conversion work. It is the basis the conversion service companies use to estimate the effort (and consequently the cost) required to create a computerized database of graphical and attribute data that meets the operational requirements of the maintenance software and procedures the client is implementing. A narrow view, and early RFP’s, defined the conversion specifications as only the graphical specifications and the database schema describing the deliverable data format. In this paper, we will broaden that view by adding some points that should be addressed in the RFP; these points collectively form a definitive conversion specification, resulting in data that filly meets the needs of the client. The topic will be discussed under three major headings: Project Specifications: the current status, goals, scope and schedule of the AM/FM project Data Specifications: define both the source data and the deliverable product Administrative Specifications: define the project interfacing requirements Project Specifications In this section, the user provides information about the planned AM/FM system, its justification, and how it is to function within the organization. The background of the project and its current status help the service company understand how complete the implementation process is, and what development activities may remain. The scope of work and the schedule set the parameters that will assist in the pricing of the conversion. Goals and Objectives Indicate the objectives of the AM/FM7GIS system. How is it being implemented within the organization? What hardware and software is it based upon? What is the operating philosophy of the system? Where will the primary benefits be derived - from records management, engineering or accounting applications? What fiture uses are envisioned but not currently implemented? The service company’s input, based upon experiences with similar projects, can be usefid in identi@ng aspects of the specifications that conflict with, or enhancements that could further complement the objectives of the project. Status Provide the background history of the project and activities which have taken place to date. Give the status with respect to corporate approvals, system selection and installation, prototyping and pilots. Indicate whether a prototype conversion of a few drawings has been carried out as a test of the system specifications, or whether a large-scale pilot project has been carried out in order to filly test the conversion specifications. Define the project team and its organizational structure, and the corporate organizational structure. The team members, their backgrounds and, if appropriate, their departmental affiliation should be known by the service company. Scope of Wrok The project team should provide as much quantitative data on the conversion task as possible. The more accurately a service company can estimate the workload, the less guesswork or contingency will be required. How many of each type of the existing manual records will be provided to the service company? How large a geographic area is involved, and what are its characteristics? If it consists of urban and rural areas, what are the proportions of each? Overview maps can be provided as part of the RFP package. How many customers are served by the network, and how are they subdivided (business/residential, urban/rural)? How will the project be subdivided into work-packages or subprojects, and how many will there be? In a telephone records conversion, the work is subdivided by individual wire centers or exchanges; in electric transmission, it can be subdivided by circuits or substations; in other systems it maybe segmented geographically. Indicate what technique will be used to integrate incremental deliveries into the client’s master database. The procedure must allow for maintenance to proceed on the delivered data, and for the merging of fiture deliveries into that data. Is a pilot project to be the initial activity in the conversion? Conducting a pilot will allow for a final review of the specifications before fill-scale conversion begins. A pilot can also verify the service company’s understanding of the specifications. Often, regardless of the client’s terminology, a service company will view the initial conversion as a pilot, and will speci~ a schedule of sufficient length to allow for fine-tuning the specifications and procedures. Provide complete statistics on the facility network: the types of plant and the quantities of each type - cable/conductor/pipeline miles, street miles, trench miles, etc. If possible, indicate the anticipated number of computerized records, files, and database size. In many areas, the results of prototypes and pilot projects allow the establishment of a ratio between old and new records. Designate what method will be used to handle the backlog of updates that will develop during the conversion. Maintenance backlogs can interrupt the conversion work flow while overtaxed project groups struggle to catch up. Some clients are adding backlog posting as a second phase of conversion and contracting the backlog posting work to the conversion service company. The schedule can significantly affect the pricing of a conversion project. A schedule that is too long, or one that involves intermittent conversion activity, can result in much higher costs. Economics of scale, and the need to spread the large up-front setup costs over a steady production activity, favor the project that can smoothly proceed through the schedule for what will probably be several years. Provide the planned schedule and any schedule preferences or constraints that could be used by the service company to generate a more favorable response. When generating the schedule, pay particular attention to the effect of a pilot project, which usually introduces a delay of several months to the conversion effort. Also consider the demands of the backlog processing throughout the conversion phase. Data Specifications In this section we will define the information describing the nature of the conversion: the existing data, its forms and formats; and the deliverable products - their physical and logical format. Existhw Data Describe all existing data sources in the RFP. Even if an on-site review is part of the bid process, include typical samples with the RFP. Data sources maybe drawings, file records, and computerized records. Each source should be detailed as to content, drafting standards and accuracy. Provide computer file formats if they are to be used to populate the AIWFM database. If field inventory is to be used to generate otherwise unavailable data, indicate in what format the field notes will be provided to the service company. If the field inventory is to be a part of the conversion bid, define the data to be collected and the areas to be inventoried. Deliverables h this section we define the physical deliverables resulting from the conversion process, and the data structure needed by the destination AM/FM/GIS system. Specify the physical format of the deliverables, the computer media and its format and the hard copy requirements (plots, aperture cards, database reports, edit reports, trace reports). Full hard copy adds to the conversion cost and may not be a requirement, at least until the acceptance process is completed. Aperture cards can replace paper hard copies. Graphical specifications form one of the largest parts of a specification document. The data structure, which is heavily dependent on the destination system, consists of the logical and physical file definitions, computer file and drawing product naming conventions. The graphic syrnbology for each feature, and the attribute data to be associated with it graphically, are defined. If landbase is part of the conversion RFP speci@ the mapping standards, the project and coordinate system, map content and accuracy. Provide drafting standards for the final products. Similar to manual drafting standards, they govern the placement of each graphic feature by itself and in relation to other features in the drawing. They also cover standards for the use of reference bubble placement of reference text, spacing of cables in relation to cable text, text orientation, overstrikes versus breaking landbase features, the use of details on the same drawing or on a separate drawing, etc. The database specification must define the data structure, which will be dependent on the host system. Entity and attribute definitions and data relationships are defined. Define valid ranges or lists of valid values for each attribute. Also define default values, to be used if true values are not available. Identifi 380?how each attribute should be populated by the conversion process. If there are multiple data sources, indicate the priority of sources. There maybe different classes of attribute: critical and non-critical, which indicate the importance of the attribute in future applications for the data. An attribute that identifies an accounting classification for an item of plant, or one that defines network connectivity, could be considered critical. If the data is not available from the source documents, the conversion vendor maybe expected to do further research to obtain the correct value, whereas non-critical attributes maybe populated with default values if their true values are not available. Administrative Specifications This section covers the administrative issues relating to the response to the RFP, the nature of the contract, the pricing approach to be used, and the interfaces to be established and maintained throughout the conversion. Bid Process The RFP should specifi the format of the response, and the bid closing date. If a review of the source documents is required, allow sufficient time for each bidder to spend time with the documents. Determine what mechanism will be used for dealing with questions that will arise during the preparation of the bids. At the least, designate a technical contact and a purchasing/contracts contact to respond to these questions. Also consider whether the questions and answers will be copied to all bidders. It maybe desirable to schedule a bidders meeting at which all questions will be received and answered in front of all bidders. Again, schedule sufficient time before and after the bidders meeting for the vendors to formulate the questions and review the answers. Establish the procedure for the opening of bids. If it is private, the bidders may be informed of the results or the bids may remain private. Determine what evaluation criteria will be used to judge the bids. Prior to issuing the RFP, there may have been a qualification process to ensure complete confidence in the abilities of each vendor allowed to bid the RFP. In this case, the evaluation maybe based on price, or price and capability to meet a desired schedule. If the RFP was more widely issued, the user may consider criteria to determine the ability of the vendor to perform the work accurately and in a timely fashion. Contract Terms Include a sample contract with the RFP, along with a request that the vendors indicate any portions of the contract that they may wish to dispute. This can help streamline the finalization of contractual details after the selection is made. Accuracv Requirements Accuracy requirements are of significant importance to the responders. Absolute accuracy is not rarely a requirement, unless field inventory is the source of the data. Accuracy relative to the source documents, and resolution of anomalous situations or missing critical data, is the normal criteria. Speci& the method of calculating accuracy. It maybe based upon features, or more commonly, components of a feature. For example, there may be eight key components in the conversion of a cable - its graphical placement, its length, type of cable, gauge, size, year placed, source or feeding cable, and its accounting code. Any one of these converted incorrectly is an error. A cable missed entirely is eight errors. The total number of components delivered can be derived from the database. Indicate the method of identifying the errors and determining the accuracy level in the RFP. Checks usually consist of programmed checks on the database attributes to ensure correct value and network traceability, plus a manual check of a selected portion of the graphics (usually 5-10% but sometimes 100% for the first delivery from a service company). Pricirw Methodolozv Stipulate the pricing methodology: time and materials, unit price for some defined deliverable item, or lump sum for a defined volume of work. Billing/Payment Terms Various billinglpayment options are also available. A monthly progress billing with a holdback is most common, but other contracts call for project milestone billings, or billings on completion or acceptance. Speci& any penalties associated with non-performance (missing schedule dates or failing to meet the desired accuracy levels. If penalties are to be imposed, the risk to be taken by the service company should be balanced by the prospect of a bonus for meeting all the conditions. The joint venture nature of the clientiservice company relationship usually precludes the use of penalty clauses. Interfaces Define the working interfaces for contractual issues and ongoing technical queries. The problem resolution procedure can take many forms. The use of a problem resolution form to describe the unresolved issue, coupled with the use of FAX and an agreed-upon turnaround at the client’s office, is a fairly standard last resort. Prior to taking this step, the service company may have other options to resolving a problem. Some clients provide all their historical work orders, and some research through these volumes of data usually provides the needed data. The client may require the service company to perform field trips or limited field inventory to fill gaps in the records. The user may also establish rules allowing the vendor to make “logical assumptions.” These rules are usually not formalized in the RFP specifications, but develop during the conversion process. Status ReDorting Finally, the administrative specifications should define the status reporting requirements. It is reasonable to expect the service company to maintain tight control over the project, and this can be communicated monthly with the billing, or more frequently if desired by the client. | ||
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