Beginning January 2016, an update to Schedule 84 solicitation will introduce significant changes in the Special Item Number (SIN) structure. This restructuring by GSA is expected to provide customers with a better way to identify Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201 compliant and Certified System Engineer ICAM PACS (CSEIP) certified physical and logical access control systems (PACS and LACS) products and services. Two new SINs, 246 35 7 for products, and 246 60 5 for services that are FIPS 201 compliant, will be added to the schedule. Additionally, there will be a consolidation of SINs for Schedule 84 in an effort to simplify the SIN structure and reduce confusion.

Whether you are a current GSA contractor or you are thinking about preparing a proposal to obtain a GSA contract, it is important to monitor your commercial sales and make sure you remain consistent in how you discount your Most Favored Customer (MFC), or the customer that receives your best prices. In this blog I will discuss why pricing consistency is important and how to avoid violating the Price Reductions Clause (PRC).

For a GSA Schedule contractor, a contract extension is an important process that should be completed without any delay. The GSA Schedule is a five-year contract with three additional five-year option periods for a total of 20 years. After each five-year period, every GSA Schedule contractor has to complete a contract extension prior to their contract’s expiration date in order to extend their contract for another five years. Although it is common to have your contract extended, GSA Schedule contractors should be as proactive as possible during this process to make sure there is no delay in being awarded the next option period.

Over the weekend GSA posted an announcement on its Vendor Support Center website stating that it would no longer require vendors to manipulate Manufacturer Part Numbers in cases where a contractor has multiple manufacturers with the same part number.

GSA continues to make improvements to its e-Tools portfolio in order to streamline the acquisition process and further its mission of providing cost-effective ways to do business with Uncle Sam. The latest development is the unveiling of a web portal called GSA AdvantageSelect, which will allow users to easily purchase high volume IT goods that have been pre-competed by a government agency.

General Services Administration (GSA) schedules are an easy and effective way for customers and vendors to handle federal government contracting. This program helps provide savings, flexibility, shorter lead times, transparency and a host of other benefits. GSA schedule management is a vital component to any successful government sales strategy. Here are our top 10 things to think about before, during and after embarking on the process: