If you are an Information Technology (IT) firm entering into the federal government marketplace, you will be introduced to a whole new world of terms that you were previously unfamiliar with. After taking advantage of some open market contracting opportunities, you may be encouraged by one of your Contracting Officers to get on a GWAC.

As a businessperson, you are probably always looking for new ways to unleash the untapped potential of your company. This can involve offering new solutions, entering new markets, and researching your competitors to gain an advantage. Many of the same business development tactics can translate over to the federal government sphere. As a commercial company, you can sell your products and services to the government, provided you meet all the requirements. However, you cannot simply start filling orders for government agencies—you typically need to become a government contractor first. As you have probably witnessed throughout your life, federal government processes are heavily regulated, and that includes procurement.

The U.S. federal government has become increasingly connected in the digital age. This affords great opportunities but also requires a significant investment in cybersecurity. Every organization has information that it needs to keep private, but the federal government has especially sensitive data that needs to be heavily guarded. A single leak could cause rampant issues from identity theft to leakage of confidential information. To keep information secure in our constantly changing digital world, the Highly Adaptive Cybersecurity Services (HACS) Special Item Number (SIN) was created under the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program.

One of the most common Special Item Numbers (SINs) on the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) is the OLM SIN. You may have added this SIN to your GSA Schedule and not given it much thought, as it was added through a Mass Modification. So what exactly is the OLM SIN and how does it work?

The federal government is known for the mountains of red tape it can take to do business with. Fortunately for GSA Schedule contractors, several barriers have been removed over the years. However, there are still many compliance risks you need to be aware of.

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the General Services Acquisition Manual (GSAM) are the primary bodies of regulation used by GSA in the federal marketplace. Knowing the basics of these regulations is important to understanding the requirements of being a successfully compliant GSA Schedule contractor. During the course of contracting, if you find a reference to a FAR or GSAM clause that starts with an acronym you are unfamiliar with, you should check out Acquisition.gov and you will likely be able to find it. But trying to learn and remember all the clauses for GSA contractors is nearly impossible— no one has the time to muddle through all the fine print.