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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDS.2-AOT TECHNOLOGIESStatement of Qualification and Expression Of Interest Computer Engineering (Computer Sciences -Custom Software Development) County of Hawai’i Submitted by: AOT Technologies 7901 4th St.N Suite 5284 St.Petersburg FL 33702 Date:May 21st,2024 Table of Contents Identification Of Proponent 2 Corporate Profile 3 Education,Training,and Qualifications of Key Employees 5 Qualification and Skill Matrix of Selected Key Resources 8 Projects &References 10 Our Experience in Similar Professional Services 14 1 Identification Of Proponent Proponent Name AppsOnTime Technologies Ltd. (d.b.a.AOT Technologies) Principal place of Business 325-1207 Douglas Street, Victoria BC Canada V8W 2E7 (778)433-1268 Other office locations Vancouver,Canada #408,55 Water Street, Vancouver BC V6B 1A1 Florida,United States 7901 4th St.N Suite 5284 St.Petersburg FL 33702 Alberta,Canada 780-521 3rd Avenue SW, Calgary AB T2P 3T3 Kerala,India Module No:341 &342,3rd Floor Nila Building,Technopark, Kazhakkoottam,Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala,India 695581 +91 9744570991 Contact Person Jason George Head of Proposal Development Email bids@aot-technologies.com Phone (778)433-1268 2 Corporate Profile AOT Technologies Ltd.is an award-winning British Columbia,Canada-based company, incorporated in 2011.Canadian Business and Maclean’s recognized AOT in the annual Growth 500 list as one of the fastest-growing companies in Canada.We were also Great Place to Work–Certified in 2021,2022,and 2023;included on the related list of Best Workplaces™in Technology in 2021 and 2022,and received the 2022 BC Tech Technology Impact Award in the Growth category. Broadly,AOT provides custom software development and IT consulting services,with a focus on large-enterprise and public-sector applications.Our product development is displayed in our open-source,low-code forms-and-workflow solution formsflow.ai,which integrates existing forms,workflow,and data analytics engines.We have used formsflow.ai extensively in our work with various public sector clients,and adopt a formsflow.ai philosophy in all our projects,as we keep in mind the ease of use of our products,both for end users and for the client. Some of our clients include but are not limited to the BC Government (including the Ministries of Citizens’Services,Finance,Environment,and Social Development),BC Pension Corporation, Insurance Corporation of British Columbia,Public Service Alliance of Canada,Schneider Electric,and WorkSafeBC. A significant portion of our work for the past decade has been with the Province of BC,which represents approximately 5 million citizens.We are proud to be recognized as a valued partner in the Province’s digital transformation efforts. AOT employs about 78 team members in BC,with approximately 134 employees worldwide, from Victoria,Vancouver,Calgary,and Kerala India offices.Our specialists have,on average, over ten years of experience in the field and can take on senior and leadership roles as required.This level of expertise allows us to take on complex projects and deliver high-quality results for our clients. 3 Awards and Recognition Our dedication to a quality work environment is reflected in our retention rate and recognized by the awards we’ve received that recognize both our corporate growth: 4 Education,Training,and Qualifications of Key Employees AOT Technologies resources are capable of meeting the education,training,and qualifications requirements as specified in HRS 103D-304 and the United States Office of Personnel Management's Qualifications Standards Handbook. Our resources are highly qualified professionals,including individuals with bachelor's degrees in computer science and related fields,ensuring a strong foundation in the theoretical and practical aspects of the discipline.Our key employees possess professional competence in applying the theoretical foundations of computer science,including computer system architecture,system software organization,and the representation and transformation of information structures. Additionally,our team has specialized knowledge in designing systems capable of transforming information and applying computing techniques across various applications.Our expertise is further strengthened by a robust understanding of relevant mathematical and statistical sciences,ensuring comprehensive and advanced solutions for our clients. How we recruit and retain qualified Professionals We hire employees who are also passionate about the vision and mission of the company;this allows for alignment with the professional and personal goals of the employee and with the company. This includes our three technical principles,that are the basis of our approach and work ethic: ●More engineering,less custom development. ●We integrate and reuse instead of building from scratch. ●We start with data. And this also includes our four guiding principles,which are the core of our culture: ●We deliver real value. ●We enhance the quality of life for those around us. ●We put people first;our team,our clients,and our community. ●We prioritize long-term trust. Our people-first policies and practices help to ensure employee satisfaction and promote retention.The following is a summary: ●Excellent pay and benefits:we ensure competitive pay and annual appraisal and market adjustment of salaries;including profit participation opportunities. ●Strong work-life balance with flexible hours and permanent work-from-home policy (if acceptable to the client). 5 ●Lunch and Learn opportunities and a training budget of up to $2,000 per employee, annually. ●Lateral movement,leadership,and growth opportunities. ●Diversity,Equity and Inclusion policy. ●Anti-bullying and workplace anti-harassment policy. ●Support for employees’favorite charities. Career and Professional Development Planning:at the beginning of every year the management team spent time with each employee to understand their career goals and aspirations for the year and help create a professional development plan for the year.The company then commits budget and resources to help the employee achieve this goal and conducts a mid-year review to track progress.This culture of growth and learning is one factor that contributes to our high retention rates. Annual Anonymous Surveys and Great Place to Work certification:Great Place to Work Certification leverages 30 years of research to quantify the current state of workplace culture and demonstrates how it compares to the best organizations.Every year we conduct anonymous surveys to get employee feedback for the certification and act on it to improve the culture.We have been Great Place to Work Certified for the last 3 years. Employee engagement activities:our HR team routinely conducts employee engagement activities like games,summer picnics,holiday parties,one on one lunches,team success celebrations,etc to ensure employees are engaged,successes are celebrated,appreciated, and included in the mission and goals of the company and clients. Training and Mentoring:we place a high value on our employees’growth by offering regular opportunities for them to grow professionally,including a training budget to allow staff to learn and upgrade their skills,and our product development division lets employees work on the company’s long-term projects. Ensuring Consistency:we have a standardized recruitment process and a team of recruiters to ensure consistency and high quality of each employee hired.The recruitment team’s mission is to recruit highly qualified resources for full-time employment in Canada. Our rigorous screening and testing and screening process includes the following steps: ●Evaluation of the candidate’s submission against the knowledge,skills,and experience required for the role. ●Evaluation continues with a technical test where the candidate’s knowledge,skills,and experience are assessed practically.These technical tests are maintained in an online test administration and proctoring system that can remotely administer technical tests and has built-in technology to proctor tests by monitoring the video feed and keystrokes when the employee takes the test.This helps to ensure consistently high-quality candidates are selected for the next screening step. ●Two levels of technical interviews to evaluate the candidate’s soft and technical skills. 6 ●Background and reference checks by AOT and an independent third party to verify claims on the resume including experience and educational background. ●Criminal background check if required by the client. 7 Qualification and Skill Matrix of Selected Key Resources Resource Name Role Educational Qualifications & Certifications Years of Experience Tech Stacks Nikhila Pankaj Senior Full Stack Developer ●Bachelor of Computer Science and Engineering,Cochin University of Science &Technology (2007) ●Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist-Application Development Foundation ●Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist-Windows Workflow Foundation Application ●Udemy Beginner to Advanced Course on Angular 4 14+.NET,WSO2 API Manager,WSO2 Identity Server,SCIM API HTML/CSS,jQuery/JavaScript, AngularJS/Angular,Bootstrap,Node JS,Azure DevOps,Web API,REST API,AWS,VersionOne,Jira,SQL Server Midhun Murali Full Stack Developer ●Bachelor of Computer Science & Engineering (2011) ●Microsoft Specialist Programming in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS 3 ●Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist in Web Application Development with .NET Framework 4.0 10+C#,.NET,HTML/HTML5,JavaScript, CSS/CSS3,XML Azure,Angular,Angular JS,ReactJS, Bootstrap,PowerBI,API integration, OAuth 2.0,OWIN,JSON,AJAX, Microservices GIT,TFS,PERFORCE,SVN,JIRA, SQL Mike Wise Full Stack Developer/ DevOps ●Bachelor of Science,Computer Science,majoring in Computer Systems,Software Engineering, and Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems,University Of Canterbury 20+SQL,Java,Javascript,Python,YAML, Perl,C,C#,Visual Basic,VBScript, shell scripting,ASP,Oracle PL/SQL,DBL, Jade,Oracle,SQL Server,DB/2, MySQL,PostGreSQL,SQLite,Docker, Git,Perforce,ClearCase,JIRA,SVN, Jenkins,Ansible,Maven,Nexus, 8 Kubernetes,REST,HTTP,ODBC, JDBC,LDAP,SOAP,MTOM,SMTP, FTP,NFS,CIFS,WebDAV Ratheesh Kumar Full Stack Developer ●Bachelor of Computer Science and Engineering,Anna University Chennai ●Angular and Python Skills certified from HackerRank ●Machine Learning and Deep Learning training ●Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCP)ID:9957765 ●Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) ●Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) ●Appin Certified Security Expert 10+Python,PHP,Java,Javascript, Oracle,MS SQL,MySQL,Postgresql, MongoDB,Angular 12,ReactJS,Node JS,Jquery,Flask,REST,GIT,Docker, Openshift,Jenkins Richard Qi Full Stack Developer ●Bachelor of Engineering,Computer Science with Software Engineering, University of Victoria (2006) ●Microsoft Certified Azure Developer Associate AWS ●Cloud Practitioner Essentials 15+C#,.Net Framework,.Net Core, Python,Java,Perl React,Angular,Vue.js,jQuery, JavaScript,Bootstrap,HTML,CSS, RESTful API,JSON,XML,PHP, Laravel,Flask,WordPress,SOAP, Locust,Swagger,Git,Azure DevOps, TFS,SVN,Visual Studio,Visual Studio Code,NetBeans,SQL Server Management Studio,Oracle SQL Developer,pgAdmin,dbForge Studio for MySQL,MySQL Workbench, Apache,NGINX,IIS,AWS,Azure 9 Projects &References Freedom of Information (FOI)Modernization Project for the British Columbia (BC) Ministry of Citizens’Services (April 2021-present) The Freedom of Information and Protection of Personal Privacy Act (FOIPPA)allows the public to request records from any ministry in government.To improve the efficiency of FOI service delivery,the Ministry initiated a project to modernize the FOI request process using the formsflow.ai platform developed by AOT Technologies. In April 2021 AOT Technologies was engaged to streamline the FOI request process.The project involved extending the architecture of formsflow.ai to align with the BC Government’s user-centric design approach.Key enhancements included customizing the front-end web application,integrating a custom Line-of-business API and Database,and leveraging formsflow.ai’s BPM component,Camunda,for workflow automation.For reporting and analytics, the Redash component of formsflow.ai was used to create a robust dashboard,simplifying data extraction and visualization. The system went live on May 24,2022,with most government users and ministries onboarded. The new solution includes features such as Request Management,Task/Queue Management, Request Workflow Management,and Reporting.It processes a minimum of 15 submissions per day across various ministries. Service Flow,Government of BC,Service BC (January 2020-present) Service BC,which provides front-line support for numerous programs and services across British Columbia,required a digital solution to streamline service delivery both in-person and online.With 65 offices and around 400 staff,the goal was to create an easily accessible system for citizens and employees,allowing for efficient interface management,business process execution,and KPI reporting.The solution needed to be scalable for adding new services seamlessly. The project adopted a hybrid agile methodology,beginning with the goal of delivering one end-to-end business process.Detailed requirements were followed by iterative sprints to establish a baseline for future processes.The formsflow.ai platform was chosen for its low-code capabilities,combining form design and workflow design with robust analytics.The team, including Service BC staff,engaged in continuous feedback and testing cycles to ensure incremental feature delivery. The solution involved setting up formsflow.ai on the OpenShift environment,designing user interfaces with form.io,and building workflows in Camunda.Security configurations and iterative deployment,testing,and enhancements followed.The initial user interface was a React.js-based web application,later complemented by a Vue.js component for integration with 10 existing systems.formsflow.ai’s integration capabilities with multiple Service BC systems and its seamless onboarding via Keycloak authentication were pivotal. The digital solution provided a unified platform for government staff,reducing manual efforts and enhancing service delivery efficiency.The ability to start workflows through various triggers and the integration with external data sources improved operational flexibility.The project’s agile approach ensured continuous improvement and alignment with user needs,significantly enhancing the overall service experience for citizens and administrators alike. Tobacco and Fuel Tax Exemption Simplification Project,BC Ministry of Finance (December 2020-present) The BC Ministry of Finance aimed to transition from a paper-based fuel and tobacco tax exemption system to an electronic verification system.The project involved developing three custom components: ●Point-of-Sale Component:A POS application at each retailer to capture and forward exempt-sale transaction details for adjudication. ●Centrally Hosted Component:A real-time adjudication service (RTAS)hosted by the province to verify exemption eligibility and respond to the POS. ●Back Office Component:Integrations with Ministry back-office systems to automate financial management and other functions previously handled manually. After capturing requirements during the inception phase,AOT’s UX designers created high-fidelity prototypes using Adobe XD,iteratively refined through each sprint.Developers built the working application,with API development closely integrated with web and mobile development to support user stories.The project used a 4-step hybrid agile development approach tailored to the unique needs of diverse stakeholders,including First Nation tax-exempt purchasers and geographically distributed retailers. A modern web application built with the Vue.js framework was implemented,functioning as a single-page progressive web application.formsflow.ai was used in a sidecar architecture to manage exception business processes,allowing retail employees to submit applications for Ministry staff to review and approve or reject. The solution digitized the previously paper-based process,streamlining tax exemption verification and simplifying return filing for retailers.Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA)and Security Threat and Risk Assessments (STRA)were conducted before operationalization, ensuring security and compliance.The project significantly improved efficiency and ease of use for both retailers and Ministry staff. Modern Engagement Tools,BC Environmental Assessment Office (February 2022-present) 11 The goal of this project is to transform BC’s citizen engagement processes and enable the public to provide more value and influence decision-making while generating useful data insights,an enhanced post commenting experience for the user,and minimize rejected comments.The product will be cost-effective,leverage investments and successes to date, explore best-in-class strategies,and be maintainable and continuously improved by government staff.It will be privacy-enhancing,support DRIPA/GBA+implementation and analysis,and continuously be delivered and tested with users. For this project AOT has developed interactive reports and dashboards,modeled and implemented a data warehouse,developed ETL,reviewed performance of the SQLs & dashboards ,provided training to stakeholders,implemented a NLP model and provided front-end and backend application development and programming services. Environmental Protection Division Digital Service Enhancement,BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (August 2022-August 2023) This project established a cross-functional agile team to support the improvement of existing and the creation of new digital services.It is part of a Ministry-wide commitment to integrating human-centered and data-driven approaches into digital service delivery. The overall project specifically focuses on modernizing numerous legacy applications within the Ministry.AOT’s task involved working on the replacement of a program called "CATS"for the Land Remediation Service (LRS).Additionally,we have identified other programs that we plan to replace in the future. Many tasks within the ministry span across these programs,particularly in handling form submissions from the public related to various physical areas in British Columbia.Our primary deliverable centers around implementing formsflow.ai to streamline the process of form submission from the public.This implementation facilitates reviews by different levels of government and industry,ultimately enabling the government to make informed decisions. The overarching goal is to replace approximately six different applications currently in use by the Province,while simultaneously modernizing them and reducing redundancy in their functionalities. 12 References Freedom of Information Modernization,BC Ministry of Citizens’Services Loren Mullane Director Loren.Mullane@gov.bc.ca (250)516-2633 Service BC Karim Gillani Digital Services Architect karim.gillani@gov.bc.ca (250)507-1591 Tobacco and Fuel Tax Exemption Simplification,BC Ministry of Finance Clint Reece Project Manager clintreece@mac.com (250)881-2821 Modern Engagement Tools,BC Environmental Assessment Office Sid Tobias Director,Digital Services sid.tobias@gov.bc.ca (250)893-6218 Environmental Protection Division Digital Service Enhancement,BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy Haley Sawyer Product Owner Haley.Sawyer@gov.bc.ca 13 Our Experience in Similar Professional Services AOT Technologies is pre-qualified as an approved vendor for various government organizations and agencies,and we have experience working on rosters and pre-qualified lists in the public sector.Examples of our experience,but are not limited to: BC Pensions:AOT qualified as a vendor for BC Pension Corporation in 2020.Under that roster,we have successfully responded to multiple requests,offering:business analyst, technical architect,analytics developer,data architect,solution architect,Azure developer,Java developer,and full-stack developer roles.Some examples of projects we have worked on include enterprise architecture roadmap and solution architecture work,evaluation of Robotic Process Automation products and proof of concept,and learning management system implementation. BC Housing:AOT has been providing system integration services for BC Housing since 2018 based on a roster that was set up by the client.BC Housing is using a “service call-up”model in which they issue SOWs that are open to bids from vendors already added to the roster.AOT has successfully responded to several of these SOWs and delivered services meeting the client’s demands and timelines. Government of the Province of British Columbia (BC):Under multiple framework agreements established by the BC Government,AOT has been successful in providing programming,full stack development,Scrum Master,technical architecture and development, business transformation,technical architecture;system requirements,specification,design, development and implementation;application maintenance and operations,testing,and quality assurance services to the Province. Government of the Province of Alberta:AOT is included on a pre-qualified list for multiple service categories such as Agile Trainer,Service Owner,Full Stack Developer,DevOps Specialist,Digital Architect,Front End Designer,Service Designer,Service Transformation Consultant,and Data Analyst.We are also part of an application master services agreement for cloud,mobility,and government digital transformation services. Translink (transportation authority):AOT is a pre-qualified vendor for IT contracted resources services in various categories including Business Analyst,Business Process Analysts,Project Manager,Network Analyst,Technology Architect/Data Architect,Application and Integration Architect,Software Developer,User Experience Analyst,Web Systems Analyst,Data Warehouse Developer,Business Intelligence Developer,and Data Analyst. BC Provincial Health Services Authority:AOT is a qualified vendor to provide IM/IT consulting services. 14 SprintWithUs and CodeWithUs SprintWithUs and CodeWithUs are initiatives of the BC Government,which aim to foster innovation and collaboration within the technology community.AOT Technologies has been a part of these programs for several years and actively participates in the challenges. SprintWithUs:a collaborative program that brings together public sector organizations and technology providers to work on specific challenges or projects.It allows government agencies to partner with industry experts to develop innovative solutions.The program follows an agile development approach,with short project cycles called sprints,where teams work together to deliver tangible outcomes and address complex problems. CodeWithUs:an initiative that promotes knowledge sharing and collaboration within the technology community.It offers developers,designers,and other technology professionals opportunities to participate in coding challenges,hackathons,and collaborative projects.AOT Technologies actively engages in this program,contributing its expertise and collaborating with other participants to develop innovative solutions. Some projects that AOT has completed under these initiatives include: BC Services Card Self Service (May -July 2020):undertaken in the BC Dev Lab using their Openshift platform.The goal of this project was to provide Broader Public Sector (BPS) organizations with a web application,documentation,sample applications,and a framework to help with their integration efforts with the government’s service card. Freedom of Information Modernisation (April 2021 -March 2023):this project focused on using our formsflow.ai platform to improve business processes,leverage technology and improve the user experience.Users include members of the public and government employees. OnRouteBC Provincial Commercial Vehicle Permitting Solution (November 2022 - present):OnRouteBC is a Provincial Commercial Vehicle Permitting Solution developed by AOT Technologies.It is designed to streamline and simplify the process of obtaining permits for commercial vehicles operating in the province of British Columbia (BC).The solution provides a digital platform where commercial vehicle operators can apply for and manage their permits online. Our formsflow.ai Platform One of our standout projects is formsflow.ai,a cutting-edge platform designed to revolutionize form automation and workflow management.formsflow.ai is an open-source solution that combines form creation,workflow automation,and analytics into a single,user-friendly platform. Our team has successfully implemented formsflow.ai across various sectors,including government,healthcare,and education,demonstrating our expertise in handling diverse and complex projects.The platform's robust features,such as dynamic form building,customizable workflows,and comprehensive data integration,showcase our proficiency in creating powerful and flexible software solutions that meet and exceed client expectations. 15 Through our work on formsflow.ai,AOT Technologies has proven its capability to deliver high-quality,software solutions that drive digital transformation and operational efficiency.Our experience with formsflow.ai underscores our commitment to innovation and excellence,as we continuously strive to develop software that not only meets the current needs of our clients but also positions them for future success. formsflow.ai is an open-source solution that helps organizations configure and deploy electronic forms along with related role-based access,workflows,and analytics in a short period.This solution consists of a digital forms builder,a Business Process Management engine,and an analytics engine.This containerized DevOps-friendly solution can be easily deployed on-prem (to help comply with Canadian privacy laws)or on the public cloud secured with existing identity and access management systems owned by organizations.The solution uses an open-source forms engine that allows staff users to self-create forms and attach them to predefined or custom workflows.The solution includes capabilities to extract data for analytics,SLA tracking,and lifecycle management of application submissions. Our formsflow.ai Platform 16 AOT Technologies sees open-source,low-code solutions as particularly suitable for a variety of our clients.Although not a perfect fit for all situations,in many cases clients will appreciate the advantages of using formsflow.ai,which brings together powerful components through our open-source,low-code approach. formsflow.ai Components To further understand formsflow.ai,the following is a description of its components: Form Engine (Form.io):Ordinary designers can use low-code drag-and-drop to add and position form elements and specify functionality.Existing forms can be modified as well.A professional developer is not required. Workflow Engine (Camunda):Ordinary designers can associate a workflow with each online form,allowing for different users to take on different roles such as clients,clerks,and approvers. BPMN allows sophisticated workflow logic. Analytics Engine (Redash):Allows users to use drag-and-drop data visualizations and write server queries using a powerful online SQL editor.Users can browse schema and click to insert and create snippets to reuse. Identity and Security (Keycloak):Keycloak provides an industry standard that fully centralizes user creation,management,and security.Supporting single sign-on as well as modern security standards such as SAML and OAuth 2.0,it can be fully integrated with existing user management systems. 17 Benefits of formsflow.ai Components of formsflow.ai are also open-source,although in some cases premium versions may provide useful additional features.Our platform’s benefits include the following features: Open-Source:An open-source model eliminates the administrative overhead and cost of commercial software’s often-expensive licensing requirements. Low Code:A low-code approach lets ordinary business users create and modify specific applications rather than relying on costly or unavailable developers. Component Synergy:As a platform that brings together a variety of open-source components, formsflow.ai offers flexible,customizable online form designs that can be associated with sophisticated workflow patterns,from which powerful data analytics can then be extracted. 18