Federal Acquisition Service U.S. General Services Administration Doing Business With GSA November...

Small Business Centers11 Regional Offices

Auburn, WA

San Francisco, CALos Angeles

Boston, MANew York, NYPhiladelphia, PA Washington, DCAtlanta, GA

Denver, CO Kansas City, MOFt. Worth, TX

Chicago, IL

GSA has 11 regional offices.

Federal Acquisition ServiceU.S. General Services Administration

Source: SBA FY2006 Small Business Goaling Report


Small Business Success80% of the contracts under the GSA Schedules Program are small business. Our goal of 23% sales to small business was surpassed in 2005 and 2006 by more than 15%.


Keys to Success

Determine - Your NicheResearch - Identify Competition/BenchmarkDevelop - Marketing Plan Outshine - The CompetitionQuality, Design, AestheticsSet Goals - Ambitious but AttainableMeasure -Develop Measurable Strategies


The Marketing Plan

Research DataInformationStrategiesImplementationControlSuccess


What to askDo you have the authority to purchase in your office?If yes Do you buy (paint, light bulbs, desk)?If No Who does the majority of your purchasing? May I have their contact information.


Business OpportunitiesOffice of Small Business Utilizationwww.gsa.gov/sbu FedBizOppswww.fbo.gov Small Business Administrationwww.sba.gov


FPDS New Generationwww.fpds.govCCRwww.ccr.gov USA (FirstGov.gov)www.usa.gov SBAs SUB-Nethttp://web.sba.gov/subnet/


Resources, Guides, Publicationswww.gsa.gov/sbu Forecasts of Contracting Opportunities Subcontracting Directory Doing Business with GSA www.gsa.gov (marketing) Building Our Brand (Print Standards) GSA Logo Downloads and Guide MarkeTips Advertising Guide


Dept. of Defense www.dod.govDept. of Energy www.doe.govNational Aeronautics and Space Admin. www.nasa.gov Dept. of Veterans Affairs www.va.gov General Services Admin. www.gsa.gov

Dept. of Health And Human Services www.hhs.govDept. of Agriculture www.usda.govDept. of Justice www.usdoj.govDept. of the Interior www.doi.govDept. of Education www.ed.gov


MARKETING STRATEGIESExceed ExpectationsInnovationQualityBenefits


Marketing StrategiesWeb SpaceSBA Certification Business SizeMultiple Contracting VehiclesFederal Credit CardsEFT (Electronic Funds Transfer)Networking


Optimize OpportunitiesDevelop Contractor Teaming RelationshipsInitiate Blanket Purchase AgreementsIncrease Employee RetentionImprove Customer ServiceAccept Social ResponsibilityExpand Conference Participation


Know the DifferenceGovernment Purchase CardsMay be either VISA or MasterCardVISA cards will begin with either 4486 or 4716 MasterCard cards will begin with 5568Will have the name of the person making the purchaseOrder limit may vary with AuthorityPrompt Payment Discounts Do Not Apply


Responding to Request

GSA MAS OrdersMust Match the ScopeWork matches the SIN you were awardedAuthorized BuyersDo not sell open market as SchedulesIdentify all non-schedule itemsIntegrity is a MustRandom Audits identify FraudConsequences for Failing to Comply



E-Tools


www.gsaelibrary.gsa.gov



Scroll down to find the product or service youre looking for.


Note: the links to GSA Advantage! and Contract Terms and Conditions for more contract information.Listing of vendors supplying products/services under the 132 8 Sub-Category Networking.Filter on socio-Economic status.


Sort by City, State to find local vendors on this schedule.Click on the vendors name for more information



www.gsaadvantage.gov


(Total Sales to date - $2.4 Billion for 3.7 million orders)


JWOD Program now AbilityOne


Copier Paper





(Total Sales to date - $2.3 Billion for 3.6 million orders)

Chart2

Sheet1

FY01445

FY022982

FY0313281

FY0425582

FY0541179

FY0648423

FY0745250

Sheet2

Sheet3









No need for the seller to fax or mail the quote!



www.fpds.gov/




GSA EXPO 2008

Plan now to attend the GSA Expo, April 22-24, 2008, in Anaheim, CA!For updated information and to register, visit expo.gsa.gov

GSA is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has 11 Regional Offices. GSA supports Federal employees and Military personnel world-wide wherever they work--in an office building, a warehouse, a national forest, or a government car. GSA provides workspace, security, furniture, equipment, supplies, tools, computers, and telephones. GSA also provides travel and transportation services, manages the federal motor vehicle fleet, oversees telecommuting centers and federal child care centers, preserves historic buildings, manages a fine arts program, and develops, advocates, and evaluates government wide policy.Since 1949, GSA has housed federal workers and provided products and services to support the important work of government throughout the country. GSA affects almost $66 billion in financial transactions throughout the government. GSA employs approximately 12,500 people and has an annual budget of approximately$16 billion.

The Mid-Atlantic Region alone covers six states: Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Southern New Jersey, and owns or leases space in 754 buildings, housing over 94,000 Federal employees. With more than 50 years of experience, we can handle anything from designing and constructing your new facility to servicing its elevators, and provide an extensive range of services in between.

In addition to our state side responsibilities, GSA also supports civilian and military personnel world wide

GSA was established by the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act, which was passed by the 81st Congress and signed into law by President Harry Truman on July 1, 1949. Congress concluded that it would be more effective and economical for the government to consolidate four small agencies in to one agency to avoid senseless duplication, excess cost, and confusion in handling supplies and providing space.Today, the focus of GSAs efforts is on providing policy leadership and expertly managed space, products, services and solutions, at the best value, to enable federal employees to do their jobs.Essentially, GSA makes it possible for other federal agencies to save billions of tax dollars in their travel, rent and building maintenance, on everything they use from furniture to technology, and local and long-distance telecommunications costs.GSA accomplishes its mission through the expertise of its three service organizations:The Public Buildings ServiceThe Federal Technology ServiceThe Federal Supply ServiceThe focus of todays session will be on the product and service solutions the Federal Supply Service (FSS) has to offer. But before we get into the FSS portion, lets spend just a few minutes discussing the services of PBS and FTS.

Next SlideThe first GSA service organization we will discuss is the Public Building Service.

The Public Buildings Service is the largest public real estate organization in United States. PBS maintains more than 339 million square feet of workspace for more than a million Federal employees in over 1,600 American communities. This inventory of 1,800 government-owned buildings and 6,500 leased locations comprises 40 percent of Federal office space.

PBS leases space to our Federal customer agencies. PBS also repairs, alters and renovates existing facilities. PBS maintains ten presidential libraries and manages over 113 child care centers. Next Slide

The second service organization within GSA is the Federal Technology Service.

The Federal Technology Service advises and supports federal agencies in their effort to use digital technologies to transform their operations.Whether your job involves human resources, financial systems, critical infrastructure protection, information management; or web connectivity, FTS can provide information technology and telecommunication solutions to help you get the job done.FTS brings their expertise in technology procurement and a deep knowledge of how government works to partner with you so you can meet the challenge and adapt to a new digital world in which the four "E's" of e-government - efficiency, effectiveness, empowerment and enterprise are valued.Next Slide

The Federal Supply Service is the third Service Organization within GSA.

Along with the Public Buildings Service and the Federal Technology Service, the Federal Supply Service helps federal agencies better serve the public by offering, at best value, superior workplaces, expert supply solutions, acquisition services and management policies.

FSS has a business volume in excess of $25 billion and offers more services and products than any commercial enterprise in the world.FSS is a Government - to - Government business with customers, a Government - to - Business operation with contractors, and a leading e-Business enterprise and digital marketplace, with our award-winning GSAAdvantage! on-line ordering Internet site.The Federal Supply Service is located throughout the U.S. and is strategically aligned with U.S. military customers at many locations around the globe.Next Slide

Many of you have probably been in purchasing for several years, while others may have only recently been granted purchase authority as a result of being issued a government purchase card.In either case, we always like to remind you of the law that mandates how to make purchasing decisions.As part of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, Part 8, you are responsible for following the priority of sources as listed.Agencys own inventoryExcess from other agenciesNIB/NISHGSAUNICORPlease remember that before you purchase on the local market you must consider these sources first. Your first source of supply should always be your own agencys supply or excess property.If what you need is not there, then you must consider the items available from NIB or NISH. These organizations work in partnership with GSA to provide quality items to the government community. Disabled Americans are given productive employment opportunities, education, and training through these programs.While NIB/NISH are mandatory sources for procuring items, GSA is not, nor is UNICOR now. This is a new concept; however, federal agencies are required to consider UNICOR and should only bypass them if they cannot meet their needs-are not the best value.GSA is striving to become the supplier of choice for military and civilian agencies by creating efficient and effective solutions that help agencies meet their procurement needs.Next slide

GSA, in partnership with other federal and military customers, has launched a major initiative to ensure the proper use of GSA contracting vehicles and services in order to be in compliance with FAR 8.4 and best practices. Acquisition Excellence includes five major objectives.

Secure best value for federal agencies and American taxpayers through an efficient and effective acquisition process, while ensuring full and open competition, and instilling integrity and transparency in the use of GSA contracting vehicles.All policies, regulations, and procedures must be clear and explicit, leaving no room for interpretation.Improve education of the federal acquisition workforce on the proper use of GSA contracting vehicles and services. Ensure compliance with federal acquisition policies, regulations and procedures. Non-compliance is unacceptable!Communicate with the acquisition community, including agencies, industry partners, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Congress, and other stakeholders, regarding the use of GSA contracting vehicles and services.

Every person who is a part of the federal acquisition community is obligated to focus on proper use of GSA contracting vehicles and to improve the federal acquisition process.

GSAs Federal Acquisition Service facilitates the federal acquisition of environmental products and services.

Clean air and water initiatives focus on the reduction and prevention of pollution. In our efforts to help attain these environmental goals, GSA has contracted for applicable 'chemical' items - such as paints, coatings, sealants, cleaners and degreasers- in our supply system with reduced pollutants. To do this, we have modified our product specifications for these types of items to require the reduction/elimination of detrimental components. In addition, GSA has also developed an Environmental Services Schedule to help address your agencys environmental requirements and compliance with various laws.

GSAs environmental specialists are available to assist you with: Environmental/occupational training Environmental remediation Waste management

Next slide

We just finished our discussion on the methods available to customers placing orders directly through GSA.

We will now discuss how to place orders directly with vendors who participate in GSAs Multiple Awards Schedule Program.

A Federal Supply Schedule is a listing of commercial vendors that have been awarded a contract by GSA that can be used by all Federal agencies. The contracts are spread out and managed by seven specialized buying centers within GSA.

Through partnerships with over 14,000 commercial suppliers in our Federal Supply Schedules Program, FAS provides our customers with: Access to more than 4 million services and products and direct buying relationships with our many commercial partners. A vast array of commercial brand name products from IT (computer) hardware, office supplies and copier paper to systems furniture and laboratory equipment. An extensive range of professional services, including management, financial, engineering, environmental services, accounting to graphic design to landscaping. Most of these products and services can be ordered using the GSAAdvantage! on line ordering system. It is mandatory that contractors place their schedule in GSAAdvantage.

Federal Supply Schedules have become a very popular tool for procurement staffs as they work to meet increasing customer demands.

Next slide.

In case you are not familiar with Federal Supply Schedules, heres how they work:GSA awards contracts to responsible companies that offer a commercial item falling within the generic description of the Schedule.The Contracting Officers determine that prices are fair and reasonable by comparing the price or discounts that a company offers the Government, with the price or discounts that the company offers to its own commercial customers.This negotiation objective is commonly known as "most favored customer" pricing. When orders are placed against a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Schedule contract, using the procedures under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 8.4, they are considered to be issued using full and open competition).Some of the benefits of using federal Supply Schedules are listed above, and include:Competition requirements have been metNo need to solicit bidsCompliant with environmental and socio-economic laws and regulationsDiscounts negotiated for you although you can always request deeper discounts, especially when buying in larger quantitiesBLANKET PURCHASE AGREEMENTs save you time and moneyPrice reductions can be requestedNo order limitationsIn case you are wondering, schedule orders do count toward your organizations Small Business goals.

In the meantime, we will explore some of the broad categories of products and services that are available through GSA schedules.

Next slide

GSAs Greater Southwest Acquisition Center is your source for recreation & hospitality, law enforcement, facility management, and industrial/environmental products and services.

Law Enforcement Solutions - include law enforcement, security equipment, firefighting and rescue equipment plus services, as well as clothing and marine craft.

Industrial and Environmental Solutions - include marine craft and equipment, wheel and track vehicles, material handling equipment, forklifts, automotive maintenance and repair shop equipment, chemicals and chemical products, cleaning equipment and supplies, recycling collection containers, specialty waste receptacles, water filtration equipment, special purpose clothing and services.

Hospitality Solutions - include toiletries, personal care items, bed linens, food service equipment, kitchenettes, trophies, awards, promotional items, and services.Facility Management Solutions - include water purification, sewer treatment equipment, prefabricated structures, above ground storage tanks, construction, building materials, power distribution equipment, generators, batteries, solar energy systems, facility management, security, guard services, signs, Display Systems and services.

The Scientific Equipment offers an array of products such as:Chemicals and Clinical Instruments, Electronic Test and Measurement EquipmentEnvironmental & Geophysical, EquipmentLaboratory Equipment and Supplies, Modular Lab FurnitureGeophysical and Environmental Analysis EquipmentServices offered under the Scientific Equipment Include:Mechanical Testing and Analysis, Chemical Testing and Analysis,Geo-technical/Thermal Testing and AnalysisIntroduction to New Products/Services Testing and Analysis Next Slide

The demand for services is one of the largest growing commodity markets today.The Services Acquisition and Management Services Centers were established to provide support service contracts for use by agencies within the Federal Government.Our procurement professionals design and implement multiple award Federal Supply Schedules that provide the Federal community with direct access to industry experts in the areas of travel, transportation, finance, engineering, marketing and media services.Energy Management Services - for help with the latest energy requirements and goals intended to foster efficiencies and cost savings brought about through an integrated comprehensive energy management program.Environmental Services - for Agency environmental support intended to assist the Federal community in meeting their own and our nations environmental goals.Language Services take the guesswork out of communication that stems from the globalization of business. Contractors are available to help with your all your translation and interpretation needs, from multilingual to sign language.

Logistics Worldwide LOGWORLD provides industry experts that can help your agency reinvent its supply chain, acquire logistics support for a product or system, modify its transportation network, supplement its deployment capabilities & more through contractors offering

Management, Organization and Business Improvement Services (MOBIS) provides support to improve your organizations performance, quality and efficiency through project management, technology upgrades, training and more.

PES-Includes such services as Strategic Planning for Technology Programs/Activities; concept development and requirements analysis; Integrated Logistics Support; Acquisition and Life Cycle Management

FABS- includes financial audits; economy and efficiency audits; financial management; budget formulation; and much more.

The Office Supplies and Administrative Services Acquisition Center offers a large mix of products and services.

The Office Supplies side of the center offers a variety of products such as: xerographic paper; pens/pencils; video and recording tapes; envelopes, boxes and cartons; folders. This center is also responsible for awarding and managing the the Multiple Awards Schedules for Office Supplies and manages Global Supply items.

Other items available through the Office Supplies Schedules include:Office Supplies- Plotting Machines, Facsimile Machines, Chart & Recording Paper and SuppliesSanitary Paper and DispensersPublications MediaJWOD-NIB/NISH Products

Administrative Services offers contracts for Human Resource, EEO and Employee Training Services. These services include Training, Course Development, Training Aids and Devices Training consists of companies with expert educators who can provide classroom or distance learning. Course Development includes off-the-shelf or customized courses. Also, Test administration is an option.

Training subject areas include acquisition, finance, language, and law enforcement to name just a few.Advertising and Integrated Marketing Solutions Schedule has recently moved to this Center as well.Next slide

The National Furniture Center provides a wide variety of furniture, furnishings and services for various dormitory, residential and office settings. Selections include a variety of furniture, floor and wall coverings, window treatments, and other related furnishings to fit any environment.The National Furniture Center offers complete turnkey solutions, with contracting expertise, for large furniture purchases. Their service is unmatched in the U.S. government.Whether it be bachelor housing, 21st century knowledge centers, traditional office space, classrooms, patient rooms or any other furniture-related service, GSAs National Furniture Center and Americas leading furnishing suppliers can deliver a solution that fits your environment and your budget.The National Furniture Center offers pricing with some discounts as deep as 75% off the manufacturers suggested retail price. The National Furniture Center also offers flexible shipping times and locations along with expert advice to ensure customers realize the best value for their budget using the best products to meet their needs.Our experts provide the support you need to: design, reconfigure, relocate, and increase/decrease office space & similar facilitiesGSAs National Furniture Centers Comprehensive Furniture Management Services Schedule help you perform all the right moves with services such as: project management, asset management, furniture design & layout, reconfiguration/relocation management, packaged environments, assets maintenanceNext slide

GSAs Hardware Super Store is one of the world's largest suppliers of quality tools; appliances; paints; sealants and adhesives; and lawn and garden supplies to government customers on a worldwide basis.The purpose of GSAs Hardware Super Store is to provide our customers with multiple sources and choices of supplies to support their mission needs.The Hardware Store is a list of GSA approved contractors that can be used by all Federal agencies for acquiring supplies and services. But "The Hardware Store" is ground breaking in that a Government employee using the GSA SmartPay card can walk into any of the stores under contractor, call in an order and automatically receive the Government discount at point of sale. Approved company list includes: W.W.Grainger, MAC Tools, and Maintenance Warehouse, just to name a few. A full vendor listing is available on-line.

GSAs One Stop Paint Shop - includes commercially available paints and supplies from all your well known vendors.Lawn and Garden equipment, along with grounds maintenance and pest control services are available. Services of note include ground maintenance; tree planting, trimming, and removal; pest control; and snow and ice removal.Independent Elevator Inspection Services are now available and elevator maintenance contracts are coming soon.Next slide

GSA offers name brand household and office appliances for delivery throughout the world.Our Appliance experts, as have our National Furniture experts, have established generic stock numbers for appliances to help those customers unable to order multiple award schedule items through normal FEDSTRIP/MILSTRIP procedures.National Stock Numbers for Appliance Schedule Items3510-01-471-1872-Laundry Appliances4110-01-471-1875-Refrigerated Appliances4120-01-471-1877-Air Conditioners7310-01-471-1878-Cooking Appliances7320-01-471-1879-Dishwasher

Next slide

GSAs Information Technology Acquisition Center manages the Group 70 Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) for Information Technology equipment, software and professional services.Thousands of companies offering millions of products and services are currently available to meet all of your technology needs. The Information Technology Acquisition Centers primary mission is to make it as easy as possible for federal customers to purchase state of the art Information Technology products and professional services.Federal, state, and local government agencies are also eligible to purchase off of Schedule 70 by way ofCooperative Purchasing. This is also true for certain Professional Services Schedules. For more information on Cooperative Purchasing, please see me at the break or after class.

The following list reflects the types of products and services available to you through the IT MAS schedule:Purchase, Lease and Short Term Rental of IT EquipmentPurchase of Computer,Telephone & Radio EquipmentEquipment Maintenance ServicesTerm & Perpetual Software LicensesApplication Service ProvidersProfessional Information Technology ServicesElectronic Commerce ServicesTelecommunications Transmission ServicesMobile and Wireless TechnologySeat Management

Next SlideThis is the GSA Home page and your entry into the variety of special products and services offered by GSA. www.gsa.gov

To learn more about each of GSA s service providers, go to the about GSA site

In order to get to the FAS home page, and the wide variety of products, services and programs offered, simply locate the Federal Acquisition Service listed under the GSA organizations link on the right hand side of the about GSA portion of the GSA homepage

Next slide

The FSS Center for Acquisition Excellence Virtual Campus is a web site with access to training, resources, and expertise from peers and other professionals. It is designed around the metaphor of a Campus Map, which links to buildings that house online functions you would normally find in a real building.

The Administration Building is where you may access your transcript. You can retrieve your username and password by using your email address.

The Office of Small Business Utilization is located at Headquarters in Washington, DC and has nationwide responsibility for GSAs small business programs. Business activities are supported by program experts at GSA headquarters, through Small Business Utilization Centers in 11 Regional Offices, and by small business technical advisors in the GSA National Office. The regional office in your area should be the first point of contact. There are small business centers in each of GSAs 11 regional offices. These centers are a significant sources for small business support.I want you to picture a Tree, a giant redwood as your business goals. Before you have have this enormous, strong, beautiful end result, you must first plant the seed. In order to plant the seed, you must determine the best location giving consideration to water, light, sun for the particular needs and health of that tree. Once determining what it needs, then you can plan on where to put it and what additional care if any you will need to give it. Market research is more than a step, it is a continuing process. You must research to develop a marketing plan, once youve developed the plan, you must research some more to bring the plan to light. You need strategies for each goal which can require more research and more planning. Sometimes, you will need to go back and re-do the planning and verify or change the research data. The marketing plan is that seed and a strong marketing office in your company will fertilize and water that seed. Smart strategies developed by the marketing team will bring sun to those goals and help them to grow.

If you do not have a strong marketing team in your company, it is time to get one.So what does the plan consist of?

Well, we know we need information, lots of it. You want information on who is selling your product or service or who is selling something similar to it, in this case, to the federal government. How much are they selling it for and what agencies are buying it the most. You want to identify how often that agency buys the product or service also. The common mistake made by companies is thinking that because one federal agency bought 500 ergonomic chairs that they are the agency to market too. Well, let me tell you that if the agency bought 500 chairs, and they have 500 employees sitting in those chairs, and your product is of the quality you profess, then there should be some years between purchase. So dont focus on who bought what a year ago, although if it is a product that is purchased annually, of course this is acceptable. However, any agency can purchase these types of items at any time. So, instead, focus on who has the authority to buy. Yes the credit card holders. Sending catalogs to every federal employee makes no sense if they do not have the authority to make the purchase. So in addition to all your other information you need to identify who in each agency has the buying power and what might they be buying in the near future. These are excellent strategies to target a more productive market. However, every strategy requires more research. A good research tool is a survey. Even employee who dont have purchasing authority and are on your mail list, may be able to identify who can purchase. This is also a good way to avoid sending mail to unlike purchasers, by identifying them up front. Your survey can consist of three simple questions. 1) Do you have purchasing authority in the Federal Govt. 2) Do you know of any employees with purchasing authority, if so, please list their email addresses, 3) What is the largest and smallest purchase made in your office in the last 12 months?These short surveys can be done very economically, saving you a substantial amount of money compared to mailing full brochures and pricelist to a list of names your received from a mail list. Dont get me wrong, if the mail list works for you, then please continue to use it. However, it is a difficult list to keep updated with peoples jobs changing and their authority shifting. A mail list that was good yesterday may not be good today. You can make phone calls, email, post cards etc. to those mail list or by using the federal websites to get contact information. The next slide will assist you in utilizing federal resources. However, please remember, these strategies can be used for both federal government and industry marketing plans. The federal market is just that, the federal market. A successful business will sell to many markets. Federal Agencies are simply a resource for procurement. Here are a couple of resources for finding federal websites. However, Federal Agencies are easy to find. Since you all have internet access you can simply type Federal Agency Websites in the search bar and you will see that this will be the easiest of all your effortsAll websites have contact information. This is a great start to fulfilling your marketing plan.Please note the sites listed here for additional helpful resources.OSBU and the The Federal Supply Services has an enormous amount of information set up just for the benefit of contractors. Your first step in going to the site should be to identify vendor or contractor related links. These were developed especially for you. Click on the links Ive identified here to download helpful publications.Look for Federal Agencies who spend the big bucks on Small Business. Use this list to start your marketing campaign. Remember, spot discounting is an advantage you can use at any time to build confidence and raport. Contact these agencies and offer them some benefits and value that they can use. Do your market research first to find out what they purchase and if you can handle the quantities. The dollars represented are in billions for 2001Weve discussed some short and long term actions. We talked about research and we discussed planningnow we need to figure out how to implement the plan to get the results we want. Well, even the best plan can be missing key elements to success. In my opinion..this one phrase is it. Exceeding expectations will make the difference between success and failure, at least for those looking for long term success.

What does this mean to each of you. As you go around today, I want you to notice your choices. Whether it is a service that you pay for or a product that you use faithfully. Perhaps it is a pen that writes extremely smooth..the pen is expected to write, but when it writes smooth, without smudging or ending up as a tattoo on your finger or clothes, it has exceeded our expectations. What about drycleaners. How many people here use a dry cleaners. How many people have changed dry cleaners in the last year? Why? Were the clothes cleaned? Perhaps the pressing wasnt the best it could be or they didnt take the time to cover the buttons with foil so they wouldnt be ruined. You expect the highest quality from the people who serve you. Your customers do too. Small does not equal lower quality. Small should only mean you have a tree but you are building a forest. Lets look more closely at innovation for a second. Who here has a computer? Who has Windows 95? Windows 98? 2000? Who here, buying a computer today, would ask that the vendor include Windows 95 in the package instead of the most recent software available? Why not? Because we want innovation. We want the newest, best available if we are buying new. We expect old with old and new with new. We want what we pay for and then we want it at a discount and then we also want it to exceed our expectations.

Here are some other key marketing strategies to encourage success business.

All businesses should have internet access Obtain SBA Certification for Eligible ProgramsIdentify business type on brochures and business cardsThere are many contracting vehicles to utilize. You should considers Government Wide Acquisition Contracts, Federal Supply Schedules, Blanket Purchase Agreements, Micro-Purchase or Simplified Acquisition, as well as private sector contracts.You should also be accepting the government credit card for all purchases. Flexibility and convenience are another expectation customers have. You need to exceed this expectations by accepting card purchases over the minimum requirement and accept electronic funds transfer.

If your in business to stay in business, you should be networking at every opportunity. There is no room to be shy and be successful. Talk to people wherever you go, always have your business cards available. Build friendships, partnerships, and allies.

The success of the people around you equals your personal success. Consider Contractor Team Arrangements. This allows contractors who hold a federal supply schedule contract to partner with other contract holders to form a total solution for federal agencies. Perhaps you have been requested to supply equipment that you dont provide the service to install. You can meet this requirement with a total solution by teaming with a contractor who provides the installation service. Finding contractors is easy when you uses the schedules e-library website that was mentioned before. BPAs are used to meet the needs of recurring requirements in an agency. If you have an agency that has a consistent need for a product or service, suggesst a BPA which minimizes the agencies need to compete the requirement every time. Unless of course it is a multiple BPA, then the contractors that are on the BPA will compete for the order. Do you consider your employees part of the marketing plan. What happens to an unhappy employee? He or she talks, and whatever they say reflects back on the company as a whole even if it is only one department that the complaint is coming from. Take the time to invest in your employees. Give them the training the need to exceed your customers expectations and yours. Choose talent you need and want, provide workspace that optimizes employee performance and identify customer service goals to help your employee give that first impression that keeps your customers coming back. What about your social responsibility? What do you think of the companies you see with banners at the Olympics and at the local walk-a-thons? Contribute to worthy causes, donate merchandise to those in need or offer your service to charitable organizations at a discount or no fee. Make an annual plan to do something charitable. Put t-shirts in the budget with the company logo and give them out to employees. They will wear them, if for no reason but to walk the dog, you are getting advertising that only cost you the price of a few t-shirts. Participate in walk-a-thons or support people who are doing them and make sure your t-shirt is worn by employees or people you are supporting. Where your company name proudly whenever possible. Use a creative logo that will stir questions when seen. Attend conferences and shows that are related to your product or service. Try to get a booth. If the cost of a booth is too much for you right now, attend the conference and bring flyers, business card or other small easily carried items. If you have magnets with your company name or other things people like to collect, bring them, wear your t-shirt and participate in the conferences. Remember, people need people to have anything. People with businesses want people who are loyal customers and people who are customers want people who have businesses that exceed their expectations.First you need to know who is eligible to use schedules.From www.gsa.gov select GSA Schedules located under Using GSA Scroll to Other GSA Topics and select Eligibility to use GSA Sources.1 keyword search2 - new! GWACS3 quick schedule if you know the number4 NEW! Total listing of contractors on schedule5 Category Guide6 = lets look for Fire Pumps - they fall into the Law Enforcement. Fire and Security categoryThis is the GSA Advantage homepage.Here we see the GSA Advantage homepage. You can browse from the homepage without logging in. Once youre ready to check-out you will be required to login. In order to manage shopping carts or do an Order Status/History you will need to Login as well. It will be important for you to Register so that your Profile information is already loaded when you Login. [Click]The Homepage provides convenient links to Specialty Categories such as Environmental products/services, JWOD Program, Disaster Relief, Wildfire Suppression, and Homeland Security. You must be logged in to view the Strategic BPAs that GSA has negotiated for use by all agencies. GSA has negotiated additional discounts off of the Federal Supply Schedule Pricing for Credit Monitoring Services, Domestic Delivery Services, and Emergency Lodging Services. You will also be able to view BPAs negotiated for use by your specific agency.

JWOD Program Now AbilityOne -In 2006, the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled decided to change the umbrella name for the program it administers under the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act from "JWOD" to AbilityOne. A gradual transition is currently underway. The Javits-Wagner-O'Day Program name and JWOD acronym will continue to be used for the next 12 months alongside the AbilityOne brand. This transition period will enable customers and supporters to recognize that the JWOD Program is now the AbilityOne Program.[Click]To browse just enter text in the What are you looking for? field. You may also limit your search to a specific category. The various ways to search will be discussed further. There are links to [Click] GSA eBuy, [Click] Schedules eLibrary, [Click] What's New, and [Click] a Customer Assistance webpage. These links are accessible from any Advantage webpage.Also, the GSA Advantage Logo links you back to this homepage.

Lets take a look at the Customer Assistance webpage.

From the User homepage, you can execute a search using keywords, manufacturers part number or National Stock Number, manufacturers name, contractors name or contract number.

In our example, we will search for copier paper and [Click] click FIND IT.

At the top of the search results page, the number of product matches based on the criteria entered in the search box will be shown. We have at least 50,000 product matches for copier paper. [Click]You can refine your search using a list of terms provided by the system. These terms are generated based on previous searches done by users and the most frequently used terms are displayed. Clicking on any of these terms will filter your search results to include just the items in that category. For instance, if we click on multipurpose, our total number of results will decrease from at least 50,000 to 2629.[Click]You can also filter your search results by clicking on the LIMIT TO drop down menu, which allows you to filter by source, socioeconomic category, or environmental/special features. We will select CPG compliant items.

[Note for Instructor: While logged in, the total number of results you can retrieve in GSA Advantage is 50,000 (10,000 if you are not logged in). This is the reason that the drop down menu shows 609 CPG compliant items, but we actually see 663 matches when we retrieve the search results.] The Product Detail page displays important product information which allows users to make a best value determination. Users can view which contractors offer the item and [Click] compare delivery times. [Click]In this particular example, we see which contractors are offering sale prices on copier paper and when the sale ends in the unit price field. Also, you will see any quantity discounts offered by the vendor.

GSA Global Supply items will always display in the first column, if available, and items from GSA Federal Supply Schedule contractors will appear in order by price.

You can review the unit of issue by vendor. As you can see, some vendors sell this copier paper by the Box, Ream or Carton. [Click]The Manufacturer Part Number row displays the National Stock Number or Manufacturers part number associated with the item.[Click]Be sure to review the minimum order purchase amount before making a selection. If you are ordering less than the minimum specified by the vendor, you will have to either increase the amount of the item or ensure that your total order from that vendor is equal to or greater than the minimum per order.You can also review the maximum order purchase amount for an order which is the dollar threshold where the buyer should seek further discounts from the vendor.[Click]F.O.B. informs users about shipping costs. If it reads Destination, then shipping costs are included in the price listed. If the word Origin appears in this field, shipping is not included and the user must contact the vendor to determine what the additional shipping costs will be.[Click]The user can also see the country of origin for the product.[Click]Finally, users have the ability to visit a contractors website by clicking the link shown at the bottom of the page. This may not be of much interest for paper, but may be useful to obtain additional information about other items.GSA e-Buy is used by Federal Agencies to post Requests for Quotes or Requests for Information (RFIs or RFQs).Agencies can select which companies they want to receive email notification of the RFI or RFQ, but the even those contractors not receiving email notification can view the requirement and respond. But, you must have your products and services listed in GSA Advantage to respond to RFIs and RFQs in e-Buy.

From the contractors page on E-Buy you can go in daily and check on RFQs that have been posted.When submitting a No Quote, the seller may specify why a quote will not be submittedNot enough time to prepare quoteI do not sell these products or servicesIncomplete or unclear requirementsNo commentOr, Other and they can write in comments of their own

This allows the seller to say why they didnt quoteUpon completion, the information will be emailed directly to the buyer

If you receive a lot of No Quotes then you may want to re-evaluate your RFQ and change it

(next slide)

Back to the Prepare Quote Response Page

All of the RFQ information is at the top of the screenThis includes the attached documentThe buyer POC information, the RFQ title, the RFQ IDAnd, the RFQ close date

The seller can now prepare a quoteThe minimum the quote remains valid must be 7 days from the close of the RFQThe seller may attach documents as necessary to their quote and this process is similar to how the buyer attaches documents to the RFQ

The seller may also add the following to the quotePrompt payment discounts discount must be at least what is in their contract and exceed it but not offer lessFreight-On-Board (FOB) could be additional charge and vendor can state that up front

The seller should quote the total price that is either in the attached document or in vendor description and should include FOB charges.

The seller can add additional text in the vendor comments area as necessary.

And, continue.

(next slide)On the Modify Quote Review page, this is the seller Confirmation and Summary of quote page

The seller can review the quote and modify it as necessaryThe seller can Save To DraftOr, Submit Quote

(next slide)The seller receives a confirmation page after submitting the quote.

Note: There is no need to fax or mail, the buyer will receive the quote.

(next slide)

To get to this webpage, type in Vendor Support Center at the GSA home page in the search box. You have to click through twice to get here. There is a lot of valuable information and assistance here.The Federal Procurement Data System page provides important links especially when you are searching for business opportunities. By clicking on the link hereHere we list the top 20 agencies using GSA schedules. This information is derived from the Federal Procurement Data System.The Federal Business Opportunities web page will display.

Federal Acquisition Service U.S. General Services Administration Doing Business With GSA November...

Documents

Transcript of Federal Acquisition Service U.S. General Services Administration Doing Business With GSA November...