From 747dce2e88495b481a7de3cc5c2f5632f4e455e8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Charles N Wyble Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2025 22:04:21 -0600 Subject: [PATCH] . --- ...keyNetworkSystemsLLC-OperatingAgreement.md | 426 +++++++++++++++++- 1 file changed, 417 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-) diff --git a/src/TXSOS-Registered-ForProfit/TurnkeyNetworkSystemsLLC/TurnkeyNetworkSystemsLLC-OperatingAgreement.md b/src/TXSOS-Registered-ForProfit/TurnkeyNetworkSystemsLLC/TurnkeyNetworkSystemsLLC-OperatingAgreement.md index bc6c6a3..fe8a37e 100644 --- a/src/TXSOS-Registered-ForProfit/TurnkeyNetworkSystemsLLC/TurnkeyNetworkSystemsLLC-OperatingAgreement.md +++ b/src/TXSOS-Registered-ForProfit/TurnkeyNetworkSystemsLLC/TurnkeyNetworkSystemsLLC-OperatingAgreement.md @@ -749,17 +749,39 @@ The following schedules are attached to and incorporated into this Agreement: ## ARTICLE 3 - MANDATORY OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS -### Section 3.1 - Mandatory Service Provider Framework +## Section 3.1 - Mandatory Service Provider Framework -#### 3.1.1 - Designated Internal Service Providers +### Section 3.1.1 - Designated Internal Service Providers -The Company hereby designates the following series as exclusive internal shared service providers for all TSYS Group entities: +1. **Exclusive Service Designation**: The Company hereby designates the following series as exclusive internal shared service providers for all TSYS Group entities: -1. **Information Technology Services Provider**: Known Element Enterprises (series) LLC shall serve as the Company’s exclusive provider of all IT Services as defined in Article 2 and further detailed in Schedule A to this Agreement. + a. **Information Technology Services Provider**: Known Element Enterprises (series) LLC shall serve as the Company’s exclusive provider of all IT Services as defined in Article 2 and further detailed in Schedule A to this Agreement. -2. **Financial Services Provider**: The Campus Trading Company (series) LLC shall serve as the Company’s exclusive provider of all Transaction and Treasury Services as defined in Article 2 and further detailed in Schedule B to this Agreement. + b. **Financial Services Provider**: The Campus Trading Company (series) LLC shall serve as the Company’s exclusive provider of all Transaction and Treasury Services as defined in Article 2 and further detailed in Schedule B to this Agreement. -#### 3.1.2 - Mandatory Use Requirement +2. **Service Provider Independence**: Each designated service provider shall maintain: + + a. Operational independence regarding service delivery methodologies + + b. Technology selection autonomy within Board-approved parameters + + c. Resource allocation flexibility to meet established service levels + + d. Staffing and personnel management authority + + e. Implementation discretion for approved service initiatives + +3. **Term of Designation**: These service provider designations shall: + + a. Remain in effect for the duration of this Agreement + + b. Be reviewed by the Board at least every three (3) years + + c. Be subject to revocation only under the extreme failure provisions of Section 3.1.3(2)(d) + + d. Be transferable to successor entities only with Board approval + +### Section 3.1.2 - Mandatory Use Requirement 1. **Primary Provider Obligation**: All series shall utilize the designated internal service providers as their exclusive service solution providers for the services described in Section 3.1.1, subject to the following conditions: @@ -780,6 +802,14 @@ The Company hereby designates the following series as exclusive internal shared vii. Be reviewed and updated at least annually viii. Include security standards and compliance requirements + + ix. Establish escalation procedures for service issues + + x. Define problem severity classification and associated response times + + xi. Include customer satisfaction measurement requirements + + xii. Establish change management procedures and notice requirements b. **Competitive Pricing**: Internal service providers must offer services at pricing comparable to market rates for equivalent services, as verified by: @@ -790,6 +820,18 @@ The Company hereby designates the following series as exclusive internal shared iii. Transparent cost-accounting as described in Section 4.6.5 iv. Quarterly pricing reviews by the Audit and Finance Committee + + v. Documentation of all cost allocation methodologies + + vi. Publication of rate cards to all series members + + vii. Advance notice of at least sixty (60) days for any rate increases + + viii. Cap on annual price increases tied to relevant industry indexes + + ix. Volume discounting mechanisms for large series + + x. Regular market comparison reporting to all series 2. **Enforcement Mechanism**: The Company Committee shall be responsible for enforcing the mandatory use requirement and shall: @@ -800,6 +842,18 @@ The Company hereby designates the following series as exclusive internal shared c. Issue formal findings within 30 days of any compliance investigation d. Recommend appropriate remedial actions to the Board + + e. Maintain a centralized compliance tracking system + + f. Publish anonymized compliance reports to all series + + g. Establish escalating penalties for repeated non-compliance + + h. Implement a confidential reporting system for compliance concerns + + i. Provide compliance training resources to all series + + j. Conduct annual compliance audits of all series and service providers 3. **Service Provider Dispute Resolution**: Disputes between service providers and series regarding service delivery shall be resolved through: @@ -810,8 +864,20 @@ The Company hereby designates the following series as exclusive internal shared c. Formal mediation process as outlined in Schedule H if not resolved within 30 days d. Final binding decision by the Company Committee if mediation is unsuccessful + + e. Documentation of all disputes and resolutions in the electronic records system + + f. Quarterly dispute trends analysis and reporting to the Board + + g. Implementation of dispute reduction strategies based on trend analysis + + h. Establishment of proactive relationship management protocols + + i. Joint service improvement planning between service providers and series + + j. Emergency escalation pathway for critical service disputes -#### 3.1.3 - Service Provider Failure Remedies +### Section 3.1.3 - Service Provider Failure Remedies 1. **Failure Determination**: An internal service provider shall be deemed to have failed if it: @@ -830,6 +896,16 @@ The Company hereby designates the following series as exclusive internal shared d. Receives substantiated service quality complaints from more than 50% of its series customers within any six-month period e. Experiences a material security or data breach that compromises sensitive information or critical infrastructure + + f. Fails to implement required security patches or updates within timeframes specified in the SLA + + g. Demonstrates a pattern of repeated service deficiencies that, while individually not constituting failures, collectively indicate systemic issues + + h. Violates applicable regulatory requirements resulting in material penalties or compliance issues + + i. Fails to maintain required certifications or qualifications + + j. Loses key personnel without adequate succession planning and replacement 2. **Remedies for Service Provider Failure**: Upon determination of a service provider failure, the following remedies shall be available: @@ -842,6 +918,18 @@ The Company hereby designates the following series as exclusive internal shared iii. Submit a detailed improvement plan to the Technology Oversight Committee iv. Implement enhanced monitoring and reporting + + v. Engage third-party expertise if necessary + + vi. Conduct root cause analysis of failures + + vii. Implement preventative measures + + viii. Establish interim service arrangements if necessary + + ix. Provide regular progress reports + + x. Compensate affected series according to SLA terms b. **Enhanced Oversight**: During the remediation period, the service provider shall be subject to: @@ -852,6 +940,18 @@ The Company hereby designates the following series as exclusive internal shared iii. Potential leadership changes as recommended by the Board iv. Requirement to provide daily status reports to affected series + + v. Temporary management augmentation with qualified personnel + + vi. Independent third-party oversight of remediation efforts + + vii. Additional resource allocation requirements + + viii. Temporary suspension of new service initiatives + + ix. Mandatory executive briefings to the Board + + x. Implementation of emergency escalation procedures c. **Failure to Remediate**: If the service provider fails to remediate within the 60-day period, the Technology Oversight Committee may: @@ -862,6 +962,18 @@ The Company hereby designates the following series as exclusive internal shared iii. Authorize temporary external service providers for affected services iv. Recommend restructuring of the service provider to the Board + + v. Appoint temporary executive leadership + + vi. Accelerate training of backup personnel + + vii. Implement contingency service arrangements + + viii. Adjust pricing to reflect reduced service levels + + ix. Impose financial penalties as specified in the SLA + + x. Develop long-term service provider transition plan d. **Extreme Failure**: In cases of extreme failure involving critical systems, the Board may: @@ -872,8 +984,46 @@ The Company hereby designates the following series as exclusive internal shared iii. Implement emergency continuity plans iv. Take any other actions necessary to protect the TSYS Group + + v. Establish an emergency governance committee + + vi. Suspend normal approval processes for emergency actions + + vii. Allocate emergency funding for service restoration + + viii. Engage specialized crisis management expertise + + ix. Implement rapid knowledge transfer protocols + + x. Authorize extraordinary measures to protect data and assets -#### 3.1.4 - Innovation Exception Process +3. **Service Continuity Protection**: To ensure continuity of critical services: + + a. Each service provider shall maintain: + + i. Comprehensive business continuity and disaster recovery plans + + ii. Documented systems and operational procedures + + iii. Knowledge transfer protocols for critical functions + + iv. Cross-training programs for essential personnel + + v. Backup systems and redundancies for critical infrastructure + + b. The Technology Oversight Committee shall: + + i. Conduct annual disaster recovery testing + + ii. Maintain relationships with qualified backup service providers + + iii. Regularly review and update continuity plans + + iv. Ensure proper escrow of critical system information + + v. Validate recovery time and point objectives + +### Section 3.1.4 - Innovation Exception Process 1. **Exception Basis**: A series may request an exception to the mandatory use requirement only on the grounds of: @@ -886,6 +1036,16 @@ The Company hereby designates the following series as exclusive internal shared d. Client or customer contractual requirements that mandate specific external solutions e. Significant cost savings (exceeding 30%) that can be achieved through an external provider while maintaining equivalent security and quality standards + + f. Emerging technology that provides substantial business advantage not available through internal providers + + g. Temporary capacity limitations of internal providers during high-growth periods + + h. Specialized expertise requirements for limited duration projects + + i. Unique geographical requirements not efficiently served by internal providers + + j. Legacy systems integration requirements that internal providers cannot efficiently support 2. **Exception Request Process**: @@ -909,11 +1069,29 @@ The Company hereby designates the following series as exclusive internal shared viii. Cost-benefit analysis comparing the external solution to internal alternatives + ix. Risk assessment for the proposed exception + + x. Transition plan to internal providers if applicable + + xi. Metrics for measuring success of the exception + + xii. Governance controls for the external provider relationship + c. The Technology Oversight Committee must respond within 45 days for standard requests and within 15 days for requests designated as time-sensitive with appropriate justification d. The Technology Oversight Committee must provide written justification for any denial e. Appeals of denied exception requests may be made to the Company Committee within 15 days of denial + + f. The Company Committee shall render a final decision within 30 days of appeal receipt + + g. Denials that substantially impact business operations may be further appealed to the Board in extreme circumstances + + h. The Board shall establish an expedited review process for critical exception appeals + + i. All decisions shall be documented in the electronic records system + + j. Precedential decisions shall be published as guidance for future requests 3. **Exception Implementation**: @@ -928,10 +1106,48 @@ The Company hereby designates the following series as exclusive internal shared iv. Include a transition plan for eventual migration to internal services if feasible v. Include compliance monitoring to ensure continued adherence to security and integration requirements + + vi. Specify data security and access controls + + vii. Establish service level requirements for the external provider + + viii. Define clear exit criteria and termination procedures + + ix. Establish integration requirements with existing systems + + x. Include knowledge transfer provisions to internal providers b. The Technology Oversight Committee shall maintain a registry of all approved exceptions and provide quarterly reports to the Board -#### 3.1.5 - Service Division Operations +4. **Exception Renewal and Termination**: + + a. All exceptions shall have a defined term, not to exceed one (1) year unless specifically approved by the Board + + b. Renewal requests must be submitted at least 60 days prior to exception expiration + + c. Renewal requests shall include: + + i. Performance assessment of the external provider + + ii. Continued justification for the exception + + iii. Analysis of any changes in internal provider capabilities + + iv. Updated security and compliance assessment + + d. Exceptions may be terminated prior to expiration if: + + i. The external provider fails to meet service requirements + + ii. Internal provider capabilities evolve to meet the requirement + + iii. The business need for the exception no longer exists + + iv. Security or compliance concerns arise + + v. The series fails to comply with exception conditions + +### Section 3.1.5 - Service Division Operations 1. **Operational Requirements**: Each service division shall: @@ -962,6 +1178,18 @@ The Company hereby designates the following series as exclusive internal shared m. Maintain compliance with all relevant industry standards and regulations n. Provide regular training to personnel on security and operational best practices + + o. Establish and maintain risk management frameworks appropriate to service offerings + + p. Implement formal change management processes for service modifications + + q. Document all service procedures and maintain operational manuals + + r. Establish quality control procedures with measurable outcomes + + s. Participate in industry benchmarking and best practice forums + + t. Maintain appropriate insurance coverage for service operations 2. **Board Oversight Responsibilities**: The Board of Directors, through its committees, shall establish and oversee: @@ -984,6 +1212,16 @@ The Company hereby designates the following series as exclusive internal shared i. Cybersecurity requirements and testing j. Other operational parameters as needed + + k. Capital investment approval thresholds and procedures + + l. Strategic technology alignment with Company objectives + + m. Innovation funding and initiatives + + n. Risk management standards and assessment methodologies + + o. Succession planning for critical service leadership positions 3. **Service Roadmap Requirements**: Each service provider shall: @@ -1004,6 +1242,18 @@ The Company hereby designates the following series as exclusive internal shared h. Include contingency planning for emerging technologies and market shifts i. Identify potential security and regulatory challenges + + j. Document required competency development for service evolution + + k. Establish metrics for measuring roadmap progress + + l. Identify capacity planning requirements for future growth + + m. Include technology retirement planning for legacy systems + + n. Document integration strategies with complementary technologies + + o. Align with industry standards and best practices 4. **User Experience and Feedback System**: Each service provider shall: @@ -1018,6 +1268,164 @@ The Company hereby designates the following series as exclusive internal shared e. Incorporate user feedback into service improvements f. Establish a user advisory group with representation from different series + + g. Maintain a knowledge base of common issues and solutions + + h. Publish service disruption post-mortems and remediation plans + + i. Implement a suggestion system for service improvements + + j. Develop service usage analytics to identify improvement opportunities + + k. Establish formal user acceptance testing for major changes + + l. Conduct annual service satisfaction benchmarking + + m. Implement training programs to optimize user adoption + + n. Create user communities for knowledge sharing and collaboration + + o. Recognize and reward user contributions to service improvement + +### Section 3.1.6 - Service Quality Management + +1. **Quality Assurance Framework**: Each service provider shall implement: + + a. Formal quality management systems with defined processes + + b. Regular internal audits of service quality + + c. Root cause analysis for service incidents + + d. Preventative action plans for recurring issues + + e. Service performance trend analysis and reporting + + f. Continuous service monitoring and alerting systems + + g. Regular process improvement reviews + + h. Customer impact assessment for all service changes + + i. Post-implementation reviews of major service changes + + j. Quality metrics aligned with business outcomes + +2. **Continuous Improvement Requirements**: + + a. Each service provider shall establish annual improvement goals for: + + i. Service availability and reliability + + ii. Response and resolution times + + iii. Customer satisfaction ratings + + iv. Cost efficiency metrics + + v. Security posture and compliance + + b. Progress toward improvement goals shall be: + + i. Measured and reported quarterly + + ii. Reviewed by the Technology Oversight Committee + + iii. Incorporated into service provider performance evaluations + + iv. Tied to leadership compensation where applicable + + v. Communicated transparently to all series + +3. **Service Provider Collaboration**: Service providers shall: + + a. Establish formal coordination mechanisms between providers + + b. Conduct joint planning for interdependent services + + c. Implement integrated incident management for cross-service issues + + d. Share expertise and resources for mutual improvement + + e. Develop and maintain integrated service catalogs + + f. Establish clear handoff procedures for cross-service processes + + g. Conduct joint disaster recovery exercises + + h. Develop integrated security frameworks + + i. Implement compatible technology standards + + j. Coordinate service maintenance windows + +### Section 3.1.7 - Technology Evolution and Innovation + +1. **Innovation Requirements**: To maintain competitive service offerings, service providers shall: + + a. Allocate a minimum of 10% of their resources to innovation and new technology evaluation + + b. Establish formal mechanisms for evaluating emerging technologies + + c. Develop proof-of-concept processes for promising innovations + + d. Create safe experimental environments for testing new technologies + + e. Partner with series to pilot innovative solutions + + f. Report quarterly on innovation initiatives and outcomes + + g. Participate in industry forums and research communities + + h. Establish relationships with technology research organizations + + i. Develop internal innovation incentive programs + + j. Create processes for scaling successful innovations + +2. **Technology Currency**: Service providers shall: + + a. Maintain all technologies within manufacturer-supported versions + + b. Establish and follow formal technology lifecycle policies + + c. Provide 12-month advance notice for significant technology transitions + + d. Maintain compatibility with industry-standard technologies + + e. Ensure backward compatibility when feasible + + f. Provide migration support for technology transitions + + g. Document technology roadmaps with sunset dates + + h. Assess and mitigate risks associated with aging technologies + + i. Balance innovation with stability and security requirements + + j. Provide training for series personnel on new technologies + +3. **Market Alignment**: The Technology Oversight Committee shall: + + a. Conduct annual assessments of market-competitive technologies + + b. Benchmark internal services against industry leaders + + c. Identify service gaps and deficiencies + + d. Recommend strategic technology investments + + e. Monitor industry trends and disruptions + + f. Assess competitive threats from new technologies + + g. Evaluate acquisition opportunities for technology advancement + + h. Define technology standards aligned with industry direction + + i. Forecast future technology requirements + + j. Report significant findings to the Board ### Section 3.2 - Electronic Records Requirement