CONDITION BASED MAINTENANCE PLUS (CBM+) DATA ANALYTICS, DATA VISUALIZATIONS, DATA CAPTURE HARDWARE, AND DATA TRANSPORT METHODS

3 July 2024

This posting is being amended to add responses to questions received.  See attachement "USMC CBM plus RFI QA"

M67854-24-I-5121

CONDITION BASED MAINTENANCE PLUS (CBM+) DATA ANALYTICS, DATA VISUALIZATIONS, DATA CAPTURE HARDWARE, AND DATA TRANSPORT METHODS

 INDUSTRY DAY

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

The Automatic Test Systems (ATS) Team, Product Manager Maintenance Support Systems (PdM MSS), Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM) is seeking potential sources and best practice information to operationalize Condition Based Maintenance Plus (CBM+) for the United States Marine Corps (USMC). MARCORSYSCOM seeks information about existing (or which will exist within the next twelve (12) months) approaches, products, capabilities, and other solutions for processing data collected from Controller Area Network (CAN) serial communications Bus (CANbus) onboard a variety of military vehicles, fluid analysis systems, other sensors and meters, and historical maintenance and logistics records.  which are best-in-class with respect to accuracy and timeliness of predictive capabilities, and which have the ability to evolve to remain best-in-class. 

MARCORSYSCOM is especially interested in Machine Learning models, and solutions which use Machine Learning models, to the extent that is likely to become best-in-class.   Solutions should collect, transmit, store, analyze, and visualize data listed in paragraph one above. Solutions should protect Government data and information from unauthorized disclosure.  Any physical hardware or integrated solutions should be able to interface via 9-pin or 6-pin deutsch connectors (with or without minor modification). 

Presently, MARCORSYSCOM anticipates the following applies to all identified solutions when purchased by a government customer.  If this is not true, or if it is not industry-standard in the commercial marketplace, please clarify in your response. Solutions function as intended for an indefinite period of time, without additional cost to the customer (e.g., subscription fees).  All data and information input into the solution by the customer remains the sole property of the customer.  The customer (or its qualified, authorized representative, subject to an appropriate non-disclosure agreement) will have the technical data necessary to validate and verify the solution’s output, and is both legally and contractually permitted to do so.  The customer does not typically have authorization to reverse engineer the product for purposes inconsistent with the purchase contract terms, unless pursuant to law or regulation.

MARCORSYSCOM recognizes that a single company may not be able to provide a holistic solution.  Therefore, companies specializing in a single capability (e.g., data analytics only; e.g., CAN Bus interface hardware only) are encouraged to submit their recommendation for specific capability areas, along with recommendations for integration of the capability into a unified, functioning, best-in-class solution. 

The following capabilities are cited to provide focus for your response: 

• Data analytics using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning models that produce results that are visualized in a decision support tool that enables Marines to act on the information enabling prognostic and preventative maintenance across the USMC. The decision support tool should focus on: capturing demand for supplies; optimizing maintenance operations; improving maintenance readiness; increasing material availability; and, influencing rapid, effective, lifecycle sustainment.

• Hardware (handheld/removable or permanently installed) must be capable of interfacing with a military vehicle’s CANbus via a wired interface to record/log all information present, store no less than 32GB of data, and provide a method of transmitting/ transferring the data off the platform. Transfer methods of interest are Wireless Fidelity (WIFI), Light Fidelity (LIFI), Bluetooth, tactical military radios, and Iridium Short Burst Data. However, all means of data transfer will be considered.

The ATS Team, PdM MSS, MARCORSYSCOM will host an Industry Day 30-31 July 2024 at, 59 Technical Parkway Stafford, Virginia 22556. The Industry Day will consist of a limited number of individual sessions during which companies are able to discuss their approach and technologies to operationalize CBM+ in the USMC. Companies wishing to participate in the Industry Day should identify up to three best-in-class solutions (which may be a component or subcomponent of an integrated solution).

The Government will review submissions received in response to this RFI (Responses), and determine whether to invite some, all, or none of the respondents to participate in an individual session. After reviewing the responses received to this RFI, the Government will contact selected invitees to schedule an appointment date and time. Individual sessions, held in Conference Room 242/243, will be from 0800 to 1600. Individual sessions will not exceed 60 minutes each.  Individual session participation is limited to two persons per company. Only one session (sixty (60) minutes) will be allowed per respondent, including respondent’s affiliated organization(s).

During individual sessions, participants may, at the Government’s discretion, have an opportunity to demonstrate the identified solution. The demonstrated solution may exist on either a government or participant cloud environment. However, the solution must be able (with or without minor modification) to operate completely within Marine Corps Enterprise Network (MCEN), which may include access to Governmental instances of commercial cloud-based services such as Advana, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud, and/or Microsoft Azure Cloud.  If the demonstration is conducted in a participant cloud environment, the Government will not provide input data or information.  Demonstrations of a data analytics solution must include a demonstration of a data visualization dashboard/decision support tool. The visualization does not have to be related to vehicles, as long as it demonstrates the solution’s relevant capabilities.

For each solution you identify, please enclose: (i) a Quad Chart (template provided); (ii) a product information paper, which does not exceed two (2) pages, and which contains the Requested Information. Please do not include classified information in your response.  For each, the Requested Information is:

• Your name and contact information, including (to the extent applicable): organization name, name and title of point of contact, phone number, email address, SAM.gov Unique Entity identification number; and website URL. If you are not an authorized vendor or provider of the solution, please provide the name and comparable contact information for an authorized vendor or provider, to the extent known.
• The offeror’s business type (large business, small business, small disadvantaged business, 8(a)-certified small disadvantaged business, HUBZone small business, woman-owned small business, very small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business) based upon North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 541512 - Computer Systems Design Services.  Please refer to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 19 for additional detailed information on Small Business Size Standards.  The FAR is available at https://www.acquisition.gov/.
• A brief description of the identified solution and why it is best-in-class.  To the extent applicable and available, include in your description: types of customers currently using the solution; whether the identified solution requires the ability to transmit and receive information outside the MCEN environment to function as intended; other form, fit, or function interoperability requirements or constraints;  and an empirically representative summary of known information about accuracy, reliability, timeliness, and customer feedback (whether positive, negative, or neither). The information paper may also include representative user feedback (with testimonials) and/or company references (e.g., website).
• (If applicable) A brief description of any feedback loops, validation, verification, and other approaches to continued and evolving accuracy, which will enable the product to maintain its best-in-class status for at least four (4) years.
• A statement whether, to the best of your knowledge and belief, you or any of your business affiliates have submitted additional responses to this RFI.  If yes, please identify those responses to the best of your ability.
• (Optional) You may optionally include a description or attach a template showing customary and industry-standard business terms applicable to the solution, when sold or licensed in the commercial marketplace.  This may include typical approaches to pricing models, or typical intellectual property rights transferred to customers.
• (Optional) You may optionally include other information you believe is relevant to MARCORSYSCOM about this solution, such as supply-chain considerations.

Initial questions about this Request for Information (RFI) may be submitted to the Contract Specialist, Ms. Kim Stone, via email at kimberly.a.stone@usmc.mil no later than 2:00 PM on 28 June 2024. All questions, answers, information discussed, and any other information pertinent to this RFI will be posted to Sam.gov.   Each participant must clearly and accurately label any information that you wish to protect from public disclosure, identifying the reason for objecting to disclosure, and provide a sanitized (e.g., redacted) copy of the document, which you authorize the Government to publish.  Your failure to do so constitutes your consent to the Government’s publication of this information.

Quad Charts and information papers shall be submitted to Mr. Thomas Hale at thomas.hale@usmc.mil and Mr. Charles Bell at charles.a.bell@usmc.mil with a courtesy copy sent to Kim Stone at kimberly.a.stone@usmc.mil. Quad Charts and information papers are due no later than 2:00 PM on 17 July 2024.

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY to identify sources that have the capability to meet the requirements listed in paragraphs above.  This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes – it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future.  The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government.  The Marine Corps has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought.  Further, the Marine Corps is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. 

Responders are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI or to attend the industry day; all costs associated with responding to this RFI and industry day will be solely at the interested party’s expense.  Not responding to this RFI or participating in the industry day does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued.  If a solicitation is released, it will be released on Sam.gov.  It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement.