How to use this document: Read it once without annotating (surface scan). Then apply the Artifact Inquiry Checklist (M01_Artifact_Inquiry_Checklist) to surface the absences. The worked example in the M01 Practice tab shows what a complete absence audit looks like for this scenario. All names, companies, and figures are entirely fictional.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Azure IoT Instrumentation: Polaris Industrial Manufacturing Division
| Issued by: | Janet Albright, VP of Operations, Polaris Industrial Inc. |
| Date issued: | March 14, 2025 |
| Response deadline: | April 11, 2025 |
| Estimated budget: | $1.1M USD |
| Preferred start date: | As soon as possible following vendor selection |
1. Company Overview
Polaris Industrial Inc. is a 600-person specialty parts manufacturer headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. We operate three manufacturing facilities with a combined 14 production lines producing precision automotive and aerospace components. Annual revenue is approximately $180M.
2. Project Objective
Polaris Industrial seeks a vendor to design, deploy, and configure an Azure IoT instrumentation solution across all 14 production lines at our primary Columbus facility. The primary objective is to reduce unplanned downtime by 20% within 12 months of full deployment.
3. Scope of Work
The selected vendor will be responsible for the following:
- Sensor selection, procurement guidance, and installation coordination for all 14 production lines
- Azure IoT Hub configuration and device provisioning
- Real-time telemetry pipeline to Azure Stream Analytics
- Operational dashboard deployed in Power BI (accessible to VP of Operations and Plant Management teams)
- Predictive maintenance model development using Azure Machine Learning
- Documentation and knowledge transfer to internal IT team
- 90-day hypercare support period post-deployment
4. Technical Requirements
- All data must remain within Azure US East 2 and US East regions
- Solution must integrate with existing Ignition SCADA system (Inductive Automation)
- Dashboard refresh rate: no greater than 5-minute latency for production line KPIs
- Uptime SLA: 99.5% for telemetry pipeline
- All Azure resources must be tagged per Polaris IT governance standards (tags provided upon vendor selection)
5. Project Timeline
| Milestone | Target Date |
|---|
| Vendor selection | May 2, 2025 |
| Project kickoff | May 12, 2025 |
| Architecture review complete | June 6, 2025 |
| Pilot line deployment (2 lines) | July 18, 2025 |
| Full 14-line deployment | October 31, 2025 |
| Hypercare end | January 31, 2026 |
6. Budget
Polaris Industrial has allocated $1.1M USD for this initiative, inclusive of professional services, software licensing, and hardware procurement guidance. Proposals should provide a fixed-fee engagement structure where possible.
7. Vendor Requirements
- Microsoft Partner with Advanced Specialization in IoT or Analytics
- Minimum two Azure IoT reference customers in manufacturing or industrial verticals
- Dedicated project manager and solution architect assigned for duration of project
- Local presence or willingness to be on-site weekly during deployment phase
8. Proposal Requirements
Proposals must include: executive summary, proposed solution architecture, project plan with milestones, team composition, fixed-fee pricing breakdown, and two reference contacts. Responses are due by April 11, 2025 to Janet Albright at j.albright@polarisindustrial.com.
9. Evaluation Criteria
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|
| Technical approach and architecture quality | 40% |
| Team experience and qualifications | 25% |
| Price and commercial terms | 20% |
| References and past performance | 15% |
10. Risks (as identified by Polaris Industrial)
- Integration complexity with existing SCADA infrastructure
- Production disruption during sensor installation
- Internal IT bandwidth constraints during the deployment phase
Questions regarding this RFP may be directed to Janet Albright. No clarifying calls will be scheduled prior to April 1, 2025.