The E-NUM... Portrait of Fraud
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TME was never given an opportunity to negotiate with LISC, as would have clearly been a next step towards a contract with them. Instead, we were shocked when LISC told us on February 5, 1992 that TME would have to bid in competition with other companies for the E-NUM that we provided the specifications for. The "Request For Proposal" (RFP), which was issued on February 4, 1992 (received on February 6) is a clumsy, unprepared distillation of the solutions which TME had provided for LISC. A few days later Andy Trice told TME that the RFP was, as he claimed, an outline of a proposed system specification he put together from a company called TMS (never intended by him to be released), which was not even reviewed by the Business Office at LISC before it left the building. (LEN-0006-1/-8)
The original RFP states that the proposals were to be due on February 14, 1992. Note that the RFP states the respondents are required to perform a Live Test Demonstration of their E-NUM solutions before an award of contract. On February 14, 1992 TME was Informed that the deadline for the proposal was extended to February 18. A memorandum from Ms. Donovan to that effect was sent to Clovice.
LISC insisted on what it called a Best an Final Offer (BAFO) phase of the bidding process sent to TME and other companies on February 24, to be due by February 27. Two companies eventually emerged as the competitors: TME and TMS. When it became clear that TME was the only company ready with a complete solution by the deadline LISC changed the requirement for the Live Test Demonstration. This effectively blocked the need to have both PC and Macintosh versions available for any kind of product comparison face-off.
In response to the LISC BAFO, TME very clearly stated that its software would exceed LISC's requirements on both computer platforms (in fact, TME had a fully functioning PC-Windows version of its E-NUM available for a live test demonstration as early as December of 1991). As can be seen from the supporting documentation, it is important to note that LISC agreed that the cost of what they called Phase 2 of the E-NUM (being able to automatically generate the E-NUM material from their central database) was not possible to predict. Even TMS declined to quote a price for Phase 2 in their Best and Final Offer, stating"... Phase 2 deliverables remain undefined therefore a timeframe cannot be established at this time." Because of this TME made sure that the per hour cost of its consulting time to create the eventual Phase 2 was less than that of TMS.
Once again, Lockheed designed a pricing structure for white owed companies designed to ensure that those bids would be lower than TME’s. (Document TMN-0002). For example, Lockheed’s pricing structure for white owned companies did not require disk prices or unlimited distribution, however Lockheed demanded TME to provide these in their quote. Additional evidence of Lockheed's racism shows that TME was not given an opportunity to demonstrate its software until after the white owned company, TMS, was awarded the E-NUM contract. (Document TMN-0002/-2).
Lockheed used TME to fulfill NOAVA contract obligations for the E-NUM from the VA, then misappropriated specifications provided by TME to enable a white owned company to take over the project. Lockheed unjustly profited from TME’s work, and cheated TME out of a sub-contract TME deserved. Lockheed enriched themselves through their racist deceptions and exploitation of TME.
The original RFP states that the proposals were to be due on February 14, 1992. Note that the RFP states the respondents are required to perform a Live Test Demonstration of their E-NUM solutions before an award of contract. On February 14, 1992 TME was Informed that the deadline for the proposal was extended to February 18. A memorandum from Ms. Donovan to that effect was sent to Clovice.
LISC insisted on what it called a Best an Final Offer (BAFO) phase of the bidding process sent to TME and other companies on February 24, to be due by February 27. Two companies eventually emerged as the competitors: TME and TMS. When it became clear that TME was the only company ready with a complete solution by the deadline LISC changed the requirement for the Live Test Demonstration. This effectively blocked the need to have both PC and Macintosh versions available for any kind of product comparison face-off.
In response to the LISC BAFO, TME very clearly stated that its software would exceed LISC's requirements on both computer platforms (in fact, TME had a fully functioning PC-Windows version of its E-NUM available for a live test demonstration as early as December of 1991). As can be seen from the supporting documentation, it is important to note that LISC agreed that the cost of what they called Phase 2 of the E-NUM (being able to automatically generate the E-NUM material from their central database) was not possible to predict. Even TMS declined to quote a price for Phase 2 in their Best and Final Offer, stating"... Phase 2 deliverables remain undefined therefore a timeframe cannot be established at this time." Because of this TME made sure that the per hour cost of its consulting time to create the eventual Phase 2 was less than that of TMS.
Once again, Lockheed designed a pricing structure for white owed companies designed to ensure that those bids would be lower than TME’s. (Document TMN-0002). For example, Lockheed’s pricing structure for white owned companies did not require disk prices or unlimited distribution, however Lockheed demanded TME to provide these in their quote. Additional evidence of Lockheed's racism shows that TME was not given an opportunity to demonstrate its software until after the white owned company, TMS, was awarded the E-NUM contract. (Document TMN-0002/-2).
Lockheed used TME to fulfill NOAVA contract obligations for the E-NUM from the VA, then misappropriated specifications provided by TME to enable a white owned company to take over the project. Lockheed unjustly profited from TME’s work, and cheated TME out of a sub-contract TME deserved. Lockheed enriched themselves through their racist deceptions and exploitation of TME.
... we were shocked when LISC told us on February 5, 1992 that TME would have to bid in competition with other companies for the E-NUM that we provided the specifications for.
NOTE: Lockheed Martin Corporation does not now own, nor is it associated with, Lockheed Integrated Solutions Company. In all instances "Lockheed" is an abbreviation for Lockheed Integrated Solutions Company. The story presented in this website is for historical and educational purposes only. It is a true account of how systemic racism operated in a corporation in the past, and an exposé of how it operates in the present.