STATES OF OPPORTUNITY

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is considering a consultant study for a new laboratory information management system. The procurement is expected to be released in the second quarter of 2002. The agency wants to update its laboratory information management capabilities to meet the needs of the Division of Laboratories and agency program areas. The Illinois EPA would like to acquire either a packaged laboratory information management system or develop and implement a custom system.

The New York Power Authority may request proposals to purchase an electronic document management and records management system that is Defense Department certified. The procurement is expected in the fourth quarter of 2001. This system should be an integrated, online, server-based system with a centralized data repository that can be accessed from multiple sites. The system should perform security and access control, records identification and indexing, document retrieval queries, record retention and disposition, circulation control and document management.

The Florida Department of Corrections is gathering information on available Web-based systems for an agencywide computerized maintenance management system. The procurement is expected to be released in the fourth quarter of 2001. The main functions will be to track work orders, maintain and provide reports on physical assets, inventories, construction project costs, individual work hours and schedules and ad hoc reports. The system must be easy to use; accessible through the department's intranet; bar-code capable; able to import and export data to and from Microsoft Word, Access and Excel; and be written using Active Server Pages, which will be running on Microsoft IIS (Windows NT 4.0). The back-end database for the Web application must be Microsoft SQL Server version 7.0, and use handheld, portable devices for field use.

These opportunities are compiled by Federal Sources Inc., a market research firm in McLean, Va. (www.fedsources.com).