Summary of Specifications:
Scope of Work/Technical Specifications & Objective Scope The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), the public transportation agency which services the metropolitan Detroit suburbs, is soliciting quotations for graphic design for timetables.
Overview SMART intends to award a three year contract, with two additional one-year options, at SMART’s sole option. The total contract length with options shall not exceed five years. In submitting its proposal, the proposer fully understands its prices shall remain firm for the contract period.
Technical Requirements The contractor shall produce artwork in electronic format for both printing of bus schedule timetables and display of map graphics on SMART’s website. All artwork produced under this contract will become and remain the property of SMART. The contractor is to furnish electronic files containing the artwork to SMART as requested for SMART’s use during the life of the contract. At the end of the contract a final, complete set of electronic files is to be furnished to SMART.
The following requirements must be met: • Contractor will produce, edit and/or revise all text, maps and other graphics as required for each individual timetable. Note that the creation of entirely new timetables is infrequent, since new bus routes are not created often. • Bus schedule times will be inserted into timetable artwork from Excel files furnished by the SMART scheduling staff.
• All transmission of artwork between Contractor and SMART, and between Artwork Contractor and SMART’s designated printing contractor is to be done electronically via the internet. Email or FTP sites may be used as appropriate. • Prior to submission of final art to SMART’s printing contractor, a proof is to be supplied to SMART for review and approval. This is to be sent to SMART electronically as an editable pdf file. Note that SMART will purchase its own Adobe Acrobat license for its use; however the Contractor must have its own Adobe Acrobat license and software to enable the creation of editable pdf proofs. • Final approved art is to be supplied electronically in Macintosh file formats. This is to be accomplished by uploading files to the printing contractor’s FTP site. Preferred file format is InDesign Adobe Creative Cloud 2017. If requested for marketing projects, these files are also to be uploaded to SMART’s ftp site for SMART’s use. • In addition to the transmission of final art to the printing contractor, the Artwork Contractor is to supply jpg files of route maps and inset maps to SMART for posting on SMART’s website. Only files of route maps and inset maps that have changed must be sent to SMART. These jpg files are to be sent to SMART no later than two days after final approved art is sent to the printing contractor.
Time Elements SMART drivers choose their work four times per year. Route and schedule changes are developed in conjunction with these driver “picks.” It follows that the demand for timetable graphic work coincides with these “picks.” Therefore, there is a high level of demand for graphic work at four distinct times of the year, with periods of relative inactivity in between them. SMART schedule changes occur approximately in December, March, June and September. The exact dates vary slightly each year. Timetable production is generally done six weeks before schedule changes with the goal of having printed copies available for public distribution two weeks before effective dates. Occasionally, special route and schedule changes are done in addition to these four times per year.
It is important that timetables are prepared and available to the public in advance of schedule changes. Therefore, artwork production and timetable printing must be done on relatively tight timeframes, once the Scheduling department finalized their route and schedule changes.
It is a requirement of this contract that graphic art work be completed and final art transmitted to SMART’s printing contractor within 14 calendar days of receiving initial route and schedule changes from SMART. This includes the time need for review and approval of artwork by SMART staff. Exceptions to this timeframe are only to be allowed with prior written consent from SMART.
In order to facilitate the scheduling of Contractor’s staff time, SMART will provide the exact schedule change dates for the upcoming rolling 12 month period. In addition, more detailed time frames will be relayed to the Contractor through continued communication throughout the year.
