Need immediate assistance? Call (952) 226-3337
Federal Acquisition Gateway Process

Federal Acquisition Gateway Process

The New Federal Acquisition Gateway Process…You have heard the feds are moving towards a new procurement process. What will this do to the governmentcontracting process now and for the future?

To understand the new Federal Acquisition Gateway process, put yourself in the position of a federal purchasing manager who has just been given the responsibility to purchase a new computer system for his/her agency. Under the current federal process, this person would need to research a variety of computer systems. From the options they search on the GSA Schedules, they would need to select the best option for the best price. The quality of their decision would be largely depend upon their expertise with computer systems. This process can be long and filled with many potential mistakes.

Now take that same purchasing manager who is given the task of buying a new computer system under the new federal Acquisition Gateway procurement program. The manager would go to the category of IT and the Hallway called computers. In that Hallway or gateway he/she would find a list of government-wide contracts currently available. They could learn how the different contracts have been implemented and their performance history. They could also get expert advice from knowledgeable contract manager who had experience in this category.

The manager’s job was just made easier. The Federal buying managers will have a single place to cost comparison shop across all government agencies. They will be able to see the full range of the prices and contracts–including and beyond GSA Schedules-from which to make their purchases. The results are faster, with better pricing and smarter buying decisions.

This form of category contract management has been used successfully in the private sector for years. The federal government expects to have 17 Hallways available by mid-2015 and over 24 in the next three years. Acquisition gateways and category purchases will revolutionize the federal procurement process.

What does this mean for you? When federal customers start to use this tool, will they find your products and services in the Hallways? You must find a way to get your products included in this new process. The Hallways will be the future for federal buying.

To learn more about this revolutionary change in federal procurement process, give me a call. We can have a conversation on how get your business in front of the new federal buyers.
For more information on these federal changes see the article by Arron Boyd.

Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) Rule

Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) Rule

GSA Acquisition Rule Captures Transactional Data, Drives Savings and Eliminates Burdensome Reporting

New Access to Data and Analysis will Help Government Save Millions

Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) Rule…WASHINGTON – The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has issued a final Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) rule that will reduce unnecessary burdens on contractors and small businesses and potentially save millions of dollars for the American taxpayer. The rule will publish in the Federal Register on June 23, 2016 and will be implemented through a pilot program across GSA contract vehicles.

As one of the most transformational changes to GSA’s Federal Supply Schedules Program in more than two decades, the TDR rule allows GSA to remove some of the complex and burdensome tracking and disclosure requirements imposed on federal contractors — the Commercial Sales Practices (CSP) disclosures and Price Reductions Clause (PRC) basis of award tracking requirement.  GSA estimates that the collection of transactional-level procurement data, combined with the elimination of the CSP and PRC tracking requirement, will result in an estimated net burden reduction of $29 million a year across the Schedules Program and its other government-wide vehicles.

Simultaneously, this rule asks contractors to electronically report key procurement data; including prices paid, quantity, standard part number and product description for all purchases through GSA contract vehicles. The information collected through the TDR will help contracting officers make smarter purchasing decisions and provide data to assist in negotiating future contracts.

This rule also supports the government’s shift towards category management by centrally collecting and analyzing information on what federal agencies are buying and how much they are paying. This new transparency helps the government leverage its vast buying power and drives competition.  Moreover, the rule builds on already-established best practices across the government, including GSA’s governmentwide strategically-sourced contract for office supplies that generated $370 million in savings when it applied this practice. Adding transparency drives better outcomes, greater competition, and will help reduce price variability, which has been known to run 300 percent or more, from one company to another, for the exact same item.

The transactional data reporting requirement will be applied to any new GSA government-wide acquisition contract, where transactional data is not already collected through other methods. For GSA’s Federal Supply Schedules, the requirement will be introduced in phases, beginning with a pilot for select products and services.

Click here for more details about the new rule.