Is your Company ready to do business with the Federal Government?
Solid Planning is critical to drive government sales. The GSA Schedule Decision Support Wizard (DSW) is an online tool for companies that are interested in determining if working with the Federal Government as a prime contractor and obtaining the GSA Schedule to do so, is worth the investment.
More specifically, the DSW is designed to assess whether or not the General Services Administration (GSA) award contract will increase your organization’s revenue. This tool utilizes quantitative and qualitative measures based on key evaluation criteria, weights for each criteria, and other relevant factors to facilitate your organization’s decision.
There are ten factors:
- Corporate Experience. How closely does the GSA Schedule’s Scope of Work (SOW) match against your Company’s current capabilities, previous experience, and overall ability to perform against the contract? Can we successfully demonstrate our ability to perform and provide valid and reliable references? Or, does the SOW match an offering that we want to add to our corporate portfolio? Do we possess the in-house capabilities, but do not have past performance to demonstrate?
- Corporate Strategic Plan. Is doing business with the Federal Government an overall corporate strategy and a primary target market? Is the strategy focused on a secondary target market (i.e. state, county, or local government)? Do we have any other relationship to the government target markets that would support obtaining a GSA Schedule?
- Likelihood of Success. How likely will your organization be successful in obtaining a GSA contract award and task orders? Information to consider may include: key contacts within the contracting agency, number of potential bidders, match between contract requirements and your Company’s capabilities and past performance, and “gut” estimate of proposal team.
- Financial Standing. In the previous two-year period, is your Company able to demonstrate financial responsibility? Do we have adequate financial resources available to do business with the Federal Government and withstand a purchase cycle? If we do not have adequate financial resources; can we provide a solid explanation, provide supporting documentation, and/or obtain resources?
- Business Development Initiatives. Based upon current business development activity, what level of resources are available to commit to pursuing Federal business? How many other lines of business are currently being targeted? How qualified are our resources to sell to the Federal government? Are contracted proposal writing resources required, and if so, at what cost?
- Estimated Profit. How profitable would your Company’s negotiated GSA rates be, if awarded? Consider our required level of effort and all other factors, such as any subcontractor costs, lost opportunity costs, likelihood of completing work in less hours than what was bid, etc..
- Business Values. Does your Company and its corporate officers have an acceptable record of integrity and business ethics? Are we eligible to receive an award under federal laws and regulations? Do our negotiators have the ability and flexibility to offer the best discount and most fair and reasonable pricing to the government on the GSA contract?
- Estimated Revenue. How much revenue will your Company generate by obtaining the GSA Schedule, if awarded? How will our cash flow be impacted, either positively or negatively?
- Business Operations. Is your Company able to track sales, send orders, and respond to customers or have the ability to do so? Do we have the ability to comply with the required or proposed delivery, taking into consideration our other business commitments? Does we have the necessary organization, experience, accounting and operational controls, technical skills, or the ability to obtain them?
- Subcontracting and/or Teaming. Can all contract requirements be met with existing in-house resources? To what degree, if any, would subcontracted resources be required? Is there a company that our products and/or services complement with whom we might pursue a subcontractor relationship? If required, how available and at what cost are the subcontracted resources?