Multi-Sourcing of Horizon IT Services

Description

The current service being provided to POL relies on a system known as "Horizon" to process all of its transactions with customers which includes numerous legacy systems and assets ("Horizon Services"). The suppliers will be required to take on delivery of relevant parts of the Horizon Services within the respective Lot scope and provide, in each case where relevant, transition and transformation services to modernise and streamline the Horizon Services. The Horizon Service applicable to Lot 1 Replacement Services Provider scope is currently comprised of: • the management and execution of activities for all physical and digital infrastructure and all data within the datacentres used for the Horizon Service, including but not limited to: i. servers, databases, application management systems, storage devices, back-up systems, and associated processes; ii. In-scope Datacentre network hardware including switches, firewalls, tooling, operating systems, management systems, and other software; iii. batch scheduling; iv. back-up and recovery; v. patching and upgrades; vi. ongoing infrastructure developments and associated release management as required by POL; vii. lifecycle management of certificates and licences relating to the operation of the system; viii. Key Transition and Transformation Outcomes: • Migration from the on-premise data centre to the Cloud, enabling modernised counter capabilities • Establishment of a modern, cloud-native back office and channel platform • Implementation of a zero-trust security model and enhanced reporting capabilities • Redesign of the Route-to-Live process to align with the new cloud production environment • Enablement of omni-channel customer journeys • Introduction of new ways of working to support incremental value delivery • Completion of the Oracle 2x upgrade, significantly reducing technology risk • Post Office transitions to become the Platform Operator and Service Integrator • Target Operating Model implemented to support ongoing operations • Adoption of a continuous improvement lifecycle for ongoing technology evolution; and • the management and execution of activities for all applications and data used for the Horizon service including: i. third and fourth line application support; ii. ongoing application development and associated release management; iii. lifecycle management of certificates relating to the operation of the service; and iv. operation of other application services. The Lot 2 COTS - EPOS scope is set out further below (Description of the Procurement). Description of the Procurement This is a single Procurement consisting of two Lots: • Lot 1 - Replacement Service Provider - Datacentres Operations and Levels 3 and 4 Application Support and Management including transition and virtualisation to Cloud based technologies. • Lot 2 COTS - EPOS - Transformation of POL's technology using COTS software. Lot 1 Replacement Services Provider Lot 1 will require the supplier to: • take over the existing Horizon Services (as detailed above) on a WITO basis (excluding network interconnections between data centres); • be responsible for maintaining and supporting IT infrastructure within the data centre; • manage bespoke applications and integrations; • stabilise the current Horizon Services; and • execute key transformations such as cloud migration. Lot 1 will have an initial term of 5 years plus two optional 1-year extensions (to be exercised at POL's discretion). Lot 2 Commercial-off-the shelf (COTS) electronic point of sale (EPOS) Software Provider Lot 2 COTS - EPOS will require the supplier to transform POL's retail technology platform to meet evolving business, operational, and customer requirements which shall: • be cloud hosted, and be a consumption and/or flexible based eCommerce service; • use event-driven microservice architecture using standards based integration (API) and industry recognised core service; • include a structured data layer or open standards integration to other COTS data platforms; and • be a modular service structure that includes: i. journey engine; ii. point of sale (POS), EPOS & mobile POS services; iii. customer engagement & insights; iv. retail and/or retail POS integration; v. counter solutions; and vi. options for pick up and drop off, and self-service kiosks. The Lot 2 COTS - EPOS supplier shall additionally be required to: • assess and select appropriate EPOS COTS solutions tailored to POL's future needs; • ensure compatibility with existing systems (where applicable) and enable future enhancements; • support implementation, including configuration, testing and rollout; • comply with the target operating model implemented to support ongoing operations; and • provide ongoing support, updates, and optimisation services. The Lot 2 COTS - EPOS Supplier must be capable of delivering a modern, scalable, and future-ready solution for a term of 12 years.