Expect Challenges as Consolidated Schedules Find Their Footing
But there will be small hurdles to watch for as the consolidation takes place. Agencies that have been administering their own contracts and are switching to the GSA consolidated schedule may relinquish control of processes, such as technical refreshes or pricing changes, to GSA and the contractor. The mechanisms of the contract may become less visible to the agency, which may be uncomfortable for them.
In addition, some agencies may be working with contracts that do not require all products to be compliant with the Trade Agreements Act, which is a departure from GSA requirements — all products on a GSA schedule must be, as the agency states, “manufactured or ‘substantially transformed’ in the United States or a TAA ‘designated country.’” Those agencies may need time to get accustomed to the nuances of GSA schedule requirements.
When it comes to category management, GSA has 70 years of expertise to help an agency work through change. Wondering if a price is reasonable or if a deal could be better? Reach out to the category managers, and they’ll assist. Contractors are also on call for advice; CDW•G has a program management team that communicates regularly with the sales team about changes in the GSA schedule so they can help our government customers navigate the nuances of the contract.
The new GSA consolidated schedule does have the breadth and scope of what an agency needs to fulfill a solution. Be patient through the changes; they’ll be worth it.
This article is part of FedTech’s CapITal blog series. Please join the discussion on Twitter by using the #FedIT hashtag.