Improving Supply Schedules

The National Performance Review's Reinvention Express newsletter reports this month on the Top 10 reasons that changes in the General Services Administration's Federal Supply Schedule are making life easier for federal purchasers. They are:

1. You now may pick a Federal Supply Schedule contractor of your choice if your order is under $2,500. GSA has competed everything and determined fair prices.
2. You no longer need to supply a synopsis to the Commerce Business Daily for information technology requirements that are more than $50,000.
3. You can buy off the schedule without a waiver if schedule contractors cannot meet your needs.
4. You can select goods and services based on "best value," rather than lowest price (on or off the schedule).
5. You no longer need to supply justifications/documentation for your purchases to GSA.
6. You can use the schedules for any size order. Maximum Order Limitations have been removed from 80% of the Federal Supply Schedules. Maximum Order Limitations will be removed from all schedules by 11/97.
7. GSA strongly encourages you to use Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs). A new suggested BPA format is available at the FSS Web site.
8. Federal Supply Schedule contractors can form "teams" to meet your needs.
9. You can seek and contractors can give "spot reductions" to individual agencies without passing it on to the entire government under a schedule order. You are strongly encouraged to seek reductions when orders are above the new maximum order threshold.
10. Schedule contractors can now expedite delivery.