From Federal Business Opportunities website:
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is seeking sources for upcoming FY 13 requirements to relocate Flats Sequencing Systems (FSS) from their current operating sites to new processing centers. The FSS is a large specialized mail processing platform which contains numerous components and subassemblies. Each system accounts for approximately 50 semi-tractor loads of material. This notice seeks information from potential sources of supply that have recent experience in relocating large and complex electro-mechanical systems. Suppliers must have the capability to perform a baseline inspection and test, teardown, move, re-install, calibrate and then retest the system to the pre-move performance levels. This is a request for information only and is not a solicitation to purchase equipment or services. The USPS intends to use the information gathered through this announcement to pre-qualify multiple sources for the opportunity to submit proposals for future solicitations issued. Performance under any resulting contract(s) is estimated to occur in calendar year 2013 and beyond.
Background
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation designed and installed, together with other subcontract sources, the current FSS and deployed a total of 100 systems at 47 sites throughout the United States. The system sorts flat mail into letter carrier Delivery Point Sequence. The USPS currently is planning to move 10 to 12 FSS machines to new sites to increase productivity of its flats operations, however the final number of moves will be determined by future mail volumes and operational needs. The relocations are anticipated to start early in calendar year 2013 and continue through 2014. Several machines may need to be moved at the same time.
As noted above, the FSS is a large and complex machine with a footprint of 15,000 sq. ft. and a total operational floor space of 30,000 sq. ft. The maximum height of the machine is 18 ft. The original deployment required almost 50 semi-tractor loads of material per system. The system is comprised of a Stand Alone Mail Prep (SAMP) system and the FSS Main system.
Pre-qualification Process
Pre-qualification is a process whereby a supplier’s ability to meet certain USPS requirements is evaluated. The Postal purchase team will review and evaluate documentation submitted by interested suppliers in accordance with the evaluation criteria listed in this announcement. To receive credit for evaluation purposes, suppliers must meet all of the requirements and submit adequate documentation demonstrating an ability to perform or capabilities as requested. Failure to address an item or submit the required documentation will reflect negatively in the evaluation process for purposes of becoming prequalified.
After the purchase team reviews and analyzes supplier responses based on information requested in this pre-qualification process, suppliers may be placed on the pre-qualified list. All qualified suppliers may not be placed on the pre-qualified list if the purchase team decides (1) a smaller group will provide adequate competition, or (2) that some suppliers are considerably more qualified than others, thereby precluding opportunities for the less qualified.
source: Flats Sequencing System -Federal Business Opportunities
Related link: Northrop Grumman Sues USPS Over $874M FSS Contract
these machines run like crap, so getting them to run like pre-breakdown crap should be e-z. with the work load getting less and less, this move will be like putting a snowplow on a different truck in miami.
grumman ain’t moving these monsters.
The USPS didn’t listen to the OIG when it came to these machine because they have stock in Northrup Grumman. Northrup Grumman will be getting the contract to move and reinstall the machines in exchange for dropping the lawsuit. The USPS should learn from this to get a money back warranty or stop rubber stamping acceptance of new equipment.
Flats Sequencing System (FSS) New Facilities
There’s no place like home
Bozo’s
Why don’t they sell the machines to the navy? They are always looking for a new design for an anchor.
WTF!!! Working at the PO is just like being at Disneyland! We’ve got Mickey as Plant Mgr, Minnie as Senior MDO and Goofy’s all over the place! I am in one of the plants that is consolidating. It seems like management takes it one day at a time. I am so glad I am a craft employee and can just stand back and laugh at how stressed out the managers and sups are. The so-called “plan” changes daily! Our plant has 2 FSS’s and most of the time they are down. They definitely will never recoup the money spent on those monsters! The PO should be renamed The Titanic cuz we are sinking very fast!!!
One more thing there has never been 1st class mail in FSS. WHY?
FSS cash back incentive, dudes!
This is par for the course. I didn’t even get a full tray of FSS today, to top it off once again i cased more mail than i had in FSS. They are not saving the money. What DOPES, they all have a medical mary jane card at HDQTRS.
Under the management of those retards, the usps keeps losing $$$$$$$$$.
we have to make room for pss, parcel sequencing sorters, that are coming. the postal goal is for everything to have a bar-code with only one person physically touching the mail.
It’s interesting that management can threaten the government with a work slowdown and the possibility of a strike, ie: delay the mail by an extra day or two, stop delivering mail on Saturdays and threatening a complete shutdown unless they get more money. Management should be arrested and put on public trial for the whole country to see. The FSS fiasco is just the tip of the iceberg.
Hell, that’s what they would do to us if we threatened to strike!
The decisions like this one Donohoue has made tend to make it look like the pols should find a competent PMG before releasing any money from retirement and health funds. Northrup is suing the Post Office The money congress allocates could end up settling law suits rather than operating the post office or reducing payroll.
SOOOO glad to see those dinosaurs fazing out’ before they were to come to the west coast!!! there is absolutely no $$$ for more or any such moves trust me those upper management decision makers will scrap those machines located alone in loner people/abandoned dist ctrs..i read it will costg MORE $$$ to relocate these dinos than to install new’ just like worldwide tracking and gps in carrier/LLV’s neither will ever happen astronomically $$$ expensive to eqip and maintain..both will need new armies of staff to operate the purchase and installs nationwide and worldwide track sys would be too costly to maintain we would literally have to partner with the competitors and pay them’ $$$ to piggyback their systems..including their gps systems something the soon BANKRUPT and obsolete PO is not able to do oh but worse would have to get congress bd of gov’s off of account bd of govs and those nasty back-biting unions to all agree on..much alike the so-called reform act bills all but dead in the senate..nothing will happen until the usps actually threatens the senate to stop delivering mail on a given day which most likely would be a monday in protest that they are broke’to move congress on $$ this single day will come as a bluff/stalemate and trust me the pmg will rally the unions behind his cronnies to bring every nationwide media venue into this single day action…as to why and when it will happen this action is on the burner and is a trump-card to get op $$ from congress and that looser pres..they will call our bluff at the 21st hr before the shut down occurs or let the po close a day? we will see.. but until this happens and it will before the end of 2012 NOTHING WILL’ happen at the broke USPS it’s business as usual..w//o $$
I think i’ll pass . The Service in hot enough water already without my help !
So, Northrup-grumman, the people who makes these machines, couldnt put them together well enough to pass acceptance…but now, eventually, some low-bidding electronics company is going to tear them down, move them, and reinstall them in new sites and make them work? Not likely. More likely, is every machine that is moved will end up being useless and a loss to the post office. There is a reason Potter retired abruptly soon after the PO ignored the OIG report for further testing before acceptance and went national with the fss program. He knew how the fss project was going to turn out.
Cartiss Collins of Chicago,could only run the machines at a small percentage of capacity,because of the platform the building was built on would move to the point were you could actually feel it. Another thought, they would staff the new facilities with non-union personal.
OK, let me get this straight.
First we determined where to put these machines.
Then we spent billions on the machines themselves and also millions more (or is it billions more) to actually build buildings or add on to existing buildings in order to house the machines. Now we have to figure out all over again where we want the machines and pay probably millions more move them and build structures to house them?! All the while the flat volumes are plummetting which means it will take longer and longer to recoup any cost of these machines assuming we ever reach a point where saved labor offsets the costs of the machines and all the start up/moving costs associated with them. There’s no other way to put if folks, the upper management of the USPS is as clueless as they come. It’s like spending 100 bucks in order to save a dollar. Good lord are we in trouble or what?
why don’t we use the best qualified company like grumman to move the machines? i’m sorry, grumman is sueing the post office for monies owed, so forget that. i’m bad.
well come on if it makes no sense the post office will do it. Biggest bunch of idiots. a class of preschoolers could do a better job and for way less pay.
We need another Study, another Meeting, another Letter to Congress. Yea, that’s what we need to do!
because glen, the building is not too small the FFA machines are in the wrong location. Remember this, Location location location. OOPS post office messed up once again, only this time, it was a big mess up
why move make the building bigger
Well management did a fine job determining how many machines were needed, and where to put the giant worthless pieces of junk. Bet that potter and donohoe had stock options, and relatives working on that deal.