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Return to Article: Agencies buy goods and services without GSA help

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  GSA may get very defensive about it. But, times have changed and average product quality in many areas exceeds government standards. Industries are more quality conscious and businesses demand good quality products at a good price. GSA just isn't needed like it once was. In fact, it just adds more cost to the customer.

  It's a lot like electronic components. Back when military started using radios, radar and other devices during WWI and WWII, people were manufacturing radios in their garages. There were no real standards which made it difficult to get spare parts that were reliable if they worked at all. So, the military developed manufacturing and test standards and an agency to make certain they got the parts that meet those specifications. After semiconductors were invented over fifty years ago, the military developed those specifications also.

  Now, the manufacturers build things that are far more reliable than what mil specs require and often refuse to even consider the old test specifications. A military maintainence group can often get as good of repair parts at Radio Shack as from Defense Logistics Agency and for a lot less money.

  But, dinosaurs like GSA and DLA still try to buy according to outdated standards and pass the cost on to the users. More and more agencies are realizing that they can get a faster reponse time and often better parts for less money if they just get their own materials. With the Internet and supersized product stores, it's a lot easier than GSA is willing to admit. It can even be automated.

  The original dinosuars went extinct because they couldn't change when the world did. GSA, DLA and who knows what other procurement agencies will eventually go the same way. Especially, when mission budgets are tight.

  The government is still very fat and wasteful. Sooner or later, they will have to lose the fat.

  Robert M. Posted March 7, 2005 7:22 PM