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Market Research Using Federal Supply Schedules | |
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By
new-be on Wednesday, July 11, 2001 - 10:03 am:
I am working with a program
office that has identified an item that is needed. The item is
available under the GSA/FSS schedule. A requisition was
forwarded to procurement. The total of the requirement exceeds
$100,000. By Anon-1 on Wednesday, July 11, 2001 - 10:40 am: You have already done some market research if you know it is on a GSA schedule. It is my opinion everyone in the acquisition process is responsible for some part of market research. Even your personal knowledge of an item contributes to market research. I think DoD prefers we (the govt. employee spending taxpayers dollars make sure those items on GSA schedules really are the best price. Of course, all of this depends on the dollar amount, whether complex or noncomplex, commercial or not. You wouldn't buy a new TV without maybe looking in the newspapers and seeing which stores have what you want, what it will cost, who has a special going on. Right? It's really no different than that. It isn't meant to be a paperwork drill, just a way to get the best deal. But remember, if you were going to buy something small, like oil for your car, you wouldn't spend a lot of time doing research, most likely, you already know Walmart or K-mart are the best price for oil. (I really don't know that, just assuming it). By Anonymous on Wednesday, July 11, 2001 - 11:26 am: "I really don't know that, just
assuming it" - By that assumption you would almost certainly pay
more for the oil, at least in the area where I shop. One of the
tricks of the trade is to get a reputation for low prices and
then use the assumption. It is sort of like the trick on volume.
For a time after unit pricing on labels became popular some were
surprised the "Large Economy Size" was not. Gottcha! Helps make
up the difference. By John Ford on Wednesday, July 11, 2001 - 03:20 pm: New-Be: To answer your question the answer is "no." Far Part 12 is a way to acquire commercial items on the open market. If a commercial item is on the GSA schedule, you can use the schedule to acquire that item without resort to the procedures of FAR part 12. The GSA schedules are contracts for commercial items which are available for use by all agencies. See FAR 8.401. By Anonymous on Wednesday, July 11, 2001 - 11:01 pm: GSA FSS are MANDATORY SOURCES! If
it available on GSA it must come from GSA unless there is a
source higher on the mandatory list. By bob antonio on Thursday, July 12, 2001 - 05:15 am: John: By susan paolini on Thursday, July 12, 2001 - 08:48 am: I do not believe that GSA Federal Supply Schedules are always mandatory sources for DOD users. (DFARS 208.404) By formerfed on Thursday, July 12, 2001 - 09:14 am: I believe what Anon is referring to is the order of precedence in the FPMR. That contains a pecking order for acquiring products and services starting with excess property and going on down through mandatory and non-mandatory FFS schedules before you finally reach open market. In actuality, I think there are very few mandatory schedules remaining. By Anonymous on Thursday, July 12, 2001 - 10:16 pm: Formerfed, By Anonymous on Thursday, July 12, 2001 - 10:19 pm: This is a bit off topic, but
comes up in connection with GSA and administrative costs.
Exactly how does the Industrial Funding Fee (IFF) work? By Anonymous on Thursday, July 12, 2001 - 10:43 pm: Susan, By new-be on Friday, July 13, 2001 - 07:40 am: Thanks to all for your insight - I continue to learn from this great community discussion arena. By Anonymous on Tuesday, July 17, 2001 - 11:51 am: I guess my question is what is the threshold for purchasing off of the GSA/FSS schedule. Small purchase and micro-purchase I know can be purchased off of the GSA/FSS schedule without confusion. Is it SAT, because new-be did say the requirement was $100,000 and that is the SAT isn't it? From others I am told that GSA/FSS prices are not always the best prices even in volume buying. FAR Part 10 is rather confusing to me (new in the arena) because it states that if the Government's need is classified as commercial the CO shall solicit -- what about the GSA/FSS schedule? By Anonymous on Tuesday, July 17, 2001 - 01:48 pm: There no longer is a limit but additional discounts should be requested above the Maximum Order Quantity. FAR Part 8. You must compete GSA vendors against each other if over $2,500. Yes, sometimes GSA prices are not the best but you must consider procurement cost when comparing GSA and non-GSA procurements. |