AudioCARE Systems, B-283985, January 31, 2000

B-283985 Jan 31, 2000 Jump To VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights DIGEST Protest that agency did not provide protester a fair opportunity to compete under simplified acquisition for automated patient appointment reminder system is denied where. The Great Plains Regional Medical Command sought quotes for and reviewed the systems supplied by Solvetech and AudioCARE because at least one of each system was installed at a hospital in the region. The Solvetech system is offered by Advanced Scientific under a Defense Personnel Support Center (DPSC) Decentralized Blanket Purchase Agreement (DBPA). Both vendors were contacted and requested to provide information on their systems. Advanced Scientific's quote for the Solvetech system for the six locations was $99. View Decision Matter of: AudioCARE Systems File: B-283985 Date: January 31, 2000 DIGEST Attorneys DECISION AudioCARE Systems protests the issuance of delivery order No. DADA09-99-F-0638 by the Department of the Army to Advanced Scientific Supply for a Solvetech System automated patient appointment reminder system for the Great Plains Regional Medical Command under simplified acquisition procedures. AudioCARE contends that agency did not provide it a fair opportunity to compete for the order. We deny the protest. In an effort to install and standardize its automated patient appointment reminder system at all of its hospitals, the Great Plains Regional Medical Command sought quotes for and reviewed the systems supplied by Solvetech and AudioCARE because at least one of each system was installed at a hospital in the region. Contracting Officer's Statement at 1. The Solvetech system is offered by Advanced Scientific under a Defense Personnel Support Center (DPSC) Decentralized Blanket Purchase Agreement (DBPA). Id. Both vendors were contacted and requested to provide information on their systems, and the price to provide the system to six hospitals in the region. The agency requested a quote from AudioCARE for five complete systems and an upgrade to the existing AudioCARE system at the Bayne Jones Army Community Hospital at Ft. Polk. Telephone Hearing, Jan. 21, 2000. Advanced Scientific provided a listing of Solvetech equipment needed and pricing for six full systems, and AudioCARE provided an equipment listing and pricing for five full systems and one upgrade. Agency Report, Tab G. Advanced Scientific's quote for the Solvetech system for the six locations was $99,925 and AudioCARE's quote was $95,760. Because both systems are able to provide the same basic service, price was the major factor in selecting the system for the Great Plains region. Contracting Officer's Statement at 1. Maintenance costs and price savings from having a standard system were all taken into consideration in the price evaluation. /1/ Id. According to the agency, it was decided, in the interest of "fairness," to consider only those sites that did not currently have a Solvetech or an AudioCARE system in place in comparing the relative prices. Id. Considering the price for the five sites where neither equipment was already being used, Solvetech's price was $85,450 and AudioCARE's price was $92,160. Under the technical evaluation, the agency determined that since the Solvetech system uses Microsoft SQL, which is widely known and used, as its database management software, Solvetech's quote represented the better technical value to the government. Agency Report, Tab G. The agency states that SQL allows Great Plains system personnel to enter into the database and write their own reports without having to contact the vendor. AudioCARE, on the other hand, uses a MUMPS system to obtain data, which, according to the agency, requires extensive expertise in that language in order to extract ancillary information on the patient demographics and other data mining operations. The agency concluded that the Solvetech system offered several advantages in that it allows the system administrator at each site to change any of the settings for call monitoring, unique reporting requests and any of the normal system adjustments such as calling schedules. Moreover, the agency concluded that Solvetech does not have to be called for any changes made to the system and does not need to be involved in the operation of the system, but is available to provide assistance or perform maintenance on the system. With the AudioCARE MUMPS system, the agency states, the user must rely on the vendor for any new and unique reporting requests. Further, the agency found that the Solvetech system had been certified to ensure that patient information would be secure and the AudioCARE system had not yet been certified. Based on the evaluated prices and the ability of the Solvetech system to better manipulate the data in the system, Solvetech's system was determined to be the better buy.