[46982] in Zephyr_Bugs
GSA: GSA Visits Contractor Sites
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Fedmarket)
Mon Apr 24 03:09:24 2006
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2006 22:55:13 -0600
From: "Fedmarket" <noreply@fedmarket.com>
To: bug-zephyr@mit.edu
Reply-To: "Fedmarket" <noreply@fedmarket.com>
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<title>GSA Schedules</title>
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<p align="left"><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><img src="http://www.fedmarket.com/images/logo.gif" width="254" height="51"></font></p>
<div align="left"><font size="2" face="Courier New, Courier, mono"> <b>Welcome
to our series called "GSA Schedules." This newsletter is the latest installment
in a series of rotating weekly email newsletters about GSA Schedules, Proposal
Writing and Federal Sales.</b><br>
</font> </div>
<div align="center"> </div>
<hr>
<p align="center"><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono"><b><font color="#0000A0"><a href = "http://www.fedmarket.com/seminars/audit-proof-gsa.shtml">Audit
Proof Your GSA Schedule </a></font></b></font>
<p align="center"><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono"><b><font color="#0000A0">The knowledge and advice you need
to meet to ensure you comply with the terms of your GSA Schedule contract.</font></b></font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">GSA has increased the frequency
and intensity of its pre- and post-award audits. Unfavorable audit results can
result in significant refunds and penalties to GSA and/or contract cancellation.
Although unfavorable audit results are not difficult to avoid, it takes knowledge
of compliance requirements and established policies, systems, and procedures
to mitigate the risks. </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><b>Where:</b> The Federal
Sales Academy in Bethesda, Maryland<Br>
<b>When:</b> May 25, 2006<br>
<b>Questions:</b> Call 301-652-9504 or 888-661-4094 ext.8
<p align="center"><b><a href = "http://www.fedmarket.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=33">Register Online</a></b><br></font>
<hr>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><b>Installment 22 -
GSA Visits Contractor Sites </b></font>
<hr>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">GSA will visit you to make
sure you're tracking your GSA sales properly. GSA's auditors will also pay close
attention to whether you have offered better pricing to the "basis of award
group" defined under your GSA Schedule contract. If your company offered better
pricing to your basis of award group customers and didn't notify your contracting
officer, you may be subject to a fine. Furthermore, your company will be forced
to lower your GSA Schedule prices to those offered to your basis of award customers.
</font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">The GSA Vendor Support Center
provides a wealth of information on the "Contractor Assistant Visit." Such audits
are also called "Administrative Compliance Visits."</font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><b>CAV FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
(ACCORDING TO GSA WEBSITE) </b></font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><b>1. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE
OF THIS VISIT? </b></font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">This is a Multiple Award Schedule
System Review. This review is being conducted to ensure that an adequate sales
tracking system is in place. The system should include supporting documentation
to substantiate the sales data submitted. The tracking system will be evaluated
to ensure that the process can accurately report all 72A Sales Data and submission
of the Industrial Funding Fee (IFF) check to GSA. </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><i>Fedmarket.com comment:
</i></font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">The Industrial Operations
Analyst (the "IOA"), or the person who performs this review, is known to call
a day or two before the visit. As a result, you will have to scramble to pull
together the information. It is critical that your business has a system in
place to track all GSA sales, report them to GSA and then send in the 0.75%
Industrial Funding Fee. If you get your systems in place and get last-minute
notice of a visit, you'll be ready. Have a second individual at your company
educated on the processes as well. </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">You will need to show all
invoices of items sold to the government and the IOA will review them very carefully
to make sure every item is on the GSA Schedule. </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><b>2. HOW LONG WILL THE REVIEW
TAKE? </b></font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">A typical review will take
approximately 2 - 5 hours based on the complexity of the tracking system. Follow-up
visits may be necessary if inconsistencies are found. </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><i>Fedmarket.com comment:</i>
</font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">The stated timeframe is accurate.
</font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><b>3. WHAT RECORDS WILL I
NEED TO HAVE AVAILABLE? </b></font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">GSA will need access to all
records pertaining to sales. Records that should be made available include,
but are not limited to, sales journals, purchase orders, invoices, approved
GSA prices/lists, Requests for Quotations (RFQ's), open market government order
records, any authorized dealer sales records,teaming arrangements, etc. </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><i>Fedmarket.com comment:
</i></font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">GSA likes to see that that
your business has a system in place which tracks all of your GSA sales and separates
them out in some way. The IOA will ask you to generate a report that shows what
you are selling and quoting to the government. </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><b>4. WHAT KINDS OF QUESTIONS
WILL THE GSA INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS ANALYST BE ASKING? </b></font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">The questions will be geared
toward evaluating the reliability of your tracking system. As the 72A Representative,
it is important that you be able to communicate your method of tracking 72A
sales data and your company's records maintenance system to substantiate the
reported data. </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><i>Fedmarket.com comment</i>:
</font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">The auditors might watch you
enter an order into your system or ask to observe how an order is taken to see
how the steps are implemented on the front lines. </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><b>5. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU
FIND PROBLEMS WITH MY SYSTEM</b>? </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">If problems exist, we will
lend our expertise and work with you to develop an acceptable system. We will
also allow you reasonable time in which to make corrections. </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><i>Fedmarket.com comment:
</i></font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">If you have an internal computer
quotation and invoicing system and your sales people are located in different
offices throughout the country, consider having an internal warning system built
into your quoting system. Your established system should prevent your sales
staff from offering pricing lower than your approved GSA pricing. The IOA will
be impressed by the internal procedures you have put in place. Here is an example
of wording you can build into your system: </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"> <b>WARNING:</b> You are not
authorized to offer a discount equal to or greater than our organization's federally-approved
pricing. For further questions, contact your manager. </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><b>6. HOW FREQUENTLY WILL
YOU VISIT? </b></font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">If your system is determined
to be acceptable, you will not be visited again for at least one year. If your
system has problems, we will conduct appropriate follow-up visits to verify
that you have made corrections. </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><i>Fedmarket.com comment:
</i></font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">This is not guaranteed but
the IOA will most likely take notes of their visit with you. If they give an
issue a "pass" this year, you must have the issue fixed by the next visit. </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><b>7. WHO SHOULD I HAVE PRESENT
DURING THIS VISIT? </b></font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">Only the designated 72A Contact
need be present during the visit. Additional personnel should be present if
deemed necessary to demonstrate the sales tracking system adequacy. </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><i>Fedmarket.com comment:
</i></font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">Do not have more than two
people from your company meet with the IOA. By doing so, you will have kept
the situation from becoming too confusing and emotional. The designated 72A
person at your company should know all of the ins and outs of your contract,
how sales are entered into your system and how your company is tracking GSA
sales and sending in the IFF checks. Should the IOA discover problems, ask for
forgiveness and a second chance. They will be more helpful and an advocate on
your behalf if you ask them to "teach me how to make this system better, since
you see systems like mine every day." </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><b>8. WILL I BE EVALUATED
ON MY PERFORMANCE IN SUBMITTING THE 72A REPORTS AND IFF CHECK (S)? </b></font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">Yes. The Procuring Contracting
Officer (PCO) will be advised of contractors who submit their 72A Cards and
IFF Checks accurately and on time. The PCO will also be advised of those contractors
whose reports and checks are late and contain errors. Contractors who do not
perform in accordance with the provisions of the clauses run the risk of not
being recommended for future awards or cancellation of their current contract.
</font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><i>Fedmarket.com Comment:</i>
</font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">It is essential that you have
proof that you've sent in your reports and paid your IFF on time. </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><b>FURTHER NOTES: </b></font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">The IOA will compare your
Schedule contract invoices with those from your named "Most Favored Customer"
group or "Basis of Award" customer group. They need to ensure you have not offered
such customers lower prices than those offered to GSA. Note that the IOA is
permitted to look at any invoice from your basis of award group but not invoices
from customers that are outside that group. </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">If your sales are unimpressive
or less than $25,000, you may receive a warning from the IOA. In fact, GSA has
the right to drop you as a contractor if you are not meeting the contract minimum
of $25,000 in annual sales. The IOA may ask to review your marketing plan to
the government. You will need to put together a one-page document on what you
are doing to uncover business with the federal government. This could include
providing a list of trade shows you have attended, copies of your mailing lists,
copies of RFP's and RFQ's you've completed, a list of the classes you've attended,
the lists you've purchased, etc. If you have a sales manager responsible for
selling to the government or a web site with GSA information, provide your web
site address and the name of the government sales manager to the IOA. And, finally,
GSA will check to see if your prices are posted at GSAAdvantage!, the GSA Schedule
contractor web site. </font>
<hr>
<DIV align=center>
<P><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><IMG height=56 src="http://www.fedmarket.com/images/whitepaper.jpg" width=72>
<FONT
color=#0000a0><B><font color="#000000">Free Informative Whitepaper: GSA Schedules
<A
href="http://www.fedmarket.com/whitepaper_download.php?which_one=gsa_schedules">A
Vendor's Path to Federal Sales </A></font></B></FONT></font></P>
</DIV>
<font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><br>
</font>
<hr>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="3"><b> Struggling with Your GSA Schedule Proposal?</b></font>
<P><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><font color="#0000A0"><b>GSA proposal preparation is
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<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><a href = "http://www.fedmarket.com/seminars/gsa-proposal-elab.shtml">
<b>GSA Schedule eLab</b></a> - Develop your GSA Proposal in 3 days at our eLab.
Fedmarket provides you with a Request for Information (RFI) prior to your arrival
at our eLab. You are instructed to bring the requested corporate data with you
to the course. Attendees should, with the assistance of our GSA staff, complete
their GSA offer prior to the end of the eLab's third day. </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><a href ="http://www.fedmarket.com/products/product-gsawiz.shtml">
<b>Electronic GSA Wizard </b></a>- GSA Wizard is a proprietary software product,
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that decide to prepare proposals on their own. </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><a href = "http://www.fedmarket.com/services/gsa-proposal-preparation.shtml">
<b>GSA Proposal Preparation</b></a> - A cost-sensitive alternative to our full-service
option. We prepare the offer for you using corporate data and information you
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to submit and negotiate on your own. </font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><b><font color="#0000A0">Fedmarket.com's Full Service GSA Solutions:</b></font></font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><a href = "http://www.fedmarket.com/services/gsa-day.shtml"><b>GSA
in a Day</b></a> - We travel to your office and expedite the proposal prepartion
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<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2"><a href = "http://www.fedmarket.com/services/gsa-proposal-services.shtml">
<b>Full-service GSA Consulting </b></a>- We offer professional services to companies
interested in obtaining a GSA schedule contract. Fedmarket's specialists prepare
everything for you. We handle the entire process - - from GSA proposal preparation
through contract negotiation and award. Call 301.652-9504 ext. 26 for a quote.
</font> <hr>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">If you need help with any
other product sales, call or write as follows: (888) 661-4094 ext 8 or <a href="mailto:"><b>sales@fedmarket.com</b></a>.
</font>
<p><font face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="2">Regards, <br>
Richard White<br>
President <br>
Fedmarket.com <br>
The Federal Sales Academy <br>
<a href = "mailto:"><b>rwhite@fedmarket.com </b></a><br>
(301) 652 - 9504 ext. 18 (office)<br>
(434) 962-9508 (cell) </font>
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