Today GSA, Tomorrow the World

GSA Schedules are taking over the world! OK, maybe not the whole world, but certainly the world of federal government contracting. GSA Schedules are exponentially expanding their scope of coverage, flexibility, and importance. They have filled the void left after RFPs and IFBs went to the wayside in the wake of procurement reform.

The dollar value of GSA Schedule orders is increasing by billions of dollars annually. In 1996, a total of $2.5 billion of goods and services were ordered under GSA Schedules. By 2004, that figure grew to almost $31.9 billion.

Initially, GSA Schedules were the province of standalone hardware, accessories, and maintenance/repair services. GSA Schedules were useful but narrow in their scope and application to anything but standalone hardware. The Price Reduction and Maximum Order Limitation clauses, and publication requirements, limited an agencyÕs flexibility when using GSA Schedules. Mega Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts, such as the Air ForceÕs Desktop contracts, also competed with GSA Schedules.

Then Congress streamlined the procurement process, making it easier for agencies to buy what they want, and downsized procurement personnel, making it harder for agencies to draft specifications, evaluate proposals, and select sources through RFPs even if an agency still wanted to.

In stepped GSA Schedules. In a stroke of brilliance, GSA decided not just to push the use of GSA Schedules instead of RFPs, IFBs, and IDIQs. Instead, GSA started both relaxing several key clauses governing use of GSA Schedules while simultaneously expanding what GSA Schedules offer agencies.

Slowly at first, GSA ditched the publication requirement, eased the Maximum Order Limitation, and revised the Price Reduction clause, all of which made buying and selling under a GSA Schedule easier for both agencies and contractors alike. Rolling open seasons soon made it easier for contractors to obtain Schedule contracts.

Next, GSA added services to the giant Group 70 Information Technology (IT) Schedule and then added leasing. All of a sudden, agencies could lease hardware when straight buying was a problem, and could order services to meld the hardware, software, and peripherals into a functioning network.

Not to be left behind, the GSAÕs Philadelphia regional office expanded the Group 58 Professional Communications and Audio-Video Security Equipment Schedule to provide for leasing and services. An agency can now buy or lease the AV products it needs and order the services necessary to design and install a working suite.

In the meantime, the GSA Schedule Services division has embarked on an ambitious plan to expand the type and range of services that an agency can order under a GSA Schedule. A wide variety of media, engineering, clerical, and financial services are now available (or will soon be available). The Group 738 Advertising and Integrated Marketing Solutions Schedule provides for videotape and film production services. Now, agencies can not only buy video equipment on Schedule, they can buy training tapes and public service announcements.

Here's a sampling, a menu, of what agencies can order under today's GSA Schedules:

Group 58 Professional Communications and Audio Video Security Equipment Schedule