FMHAC Chatter
Your input is needed
Schedule 51 V
Environmental Purchasing Requirements
Essentially the Same
Schedule 03FAC
Refreshed contract clauses
New commercial subcontracting plans
New industry partners
Business Management Division Update
How to Market to the Federal Government
GSA Interact
Quarterly calls
GSA Expo 2013 - Cancelled
FY12 Q1 compared to FY13 Q1
Welcome new Industry Partners!
I would like to use this Director’s Corner to ask for your input. The first quarter of FY13 was the only quarter in which the Center has ever experienced a negative sales growth. While Schedule 03FAC, Facilities Maintenance and Management, sales were up slightly; overall sales for both schedules were down (0.65%). We anticipated discretionary spending in the federal sector to decrease and have an impact on Schedule 03 FAC and a larger impact on Schedule 51V.
As a result, we have established an internal team which is analyzing sales data to pinpoint areas of opportunity, potential lost customers, and any other root causes for the decline in sales growth. We are also working diligently to analyze additional outreach possibilities, and we will also be talking to many of our current federal customers.
In addition, I would like to collect feedback from industry regarding what you are experiencing in the federal market place. I would especially be interested in learning the following:
- Feedback on what you are hearing from the federal customers surrounding pricing on schedules, specifically Schedule 03FAC and 51V
- Insight into why schedule sales for our solutions offered under both schedules declined during the first quarter
- Thoughts on any roadblocks federal customers are having with procuring facilities maintenance services off of schedule
- Insight regarding additional solutions we should be offering and;
- Key customers to target for outreach to educate regarding use of the schedules vs. open market procurements
Once provided, the data will be analyzed and utilized in conjunction with what we have captured to develop our plan of action moving forward in FY13.
I thank you in advance and ask that you please provide your thoughts to Kristy Wilbur.
Sincerely,
Debbie Harms
Hardware Superstore Schedule 51V
As most of you are aware, environmental purchasing requirements are quickly intensifying.
President Obama issued Executive Order (EO) 13514, which requires 95% of new contract actions to be “sustainable.” A sustainable product is defined as:
- Energy-Efficient (Energy Star Federal Energy Management Program [FEMP] designated)
- Water-efficient
- Bio-based
- Environmentally preferable (e.g., Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool [EPEAT] certified)
- Non-ozone depleting
- Containing recycled content, and;
- Non-toxic (or a less toxic alternative)
In order to enable customer agencies to comply with this Executive Order, GSA’s General Supplies and Services (GSS) has a goal of increasing the number of sustainable products on its schedules from 41,000 to 250,000 by the end of FY 2015. This policy has driven a huge increase in the demand. In fact, sales of “green” products through GSA Advantage! ® increased 77% from October 2011 through May 2012!
The more “green” information the better! If you review your price list in GSA Advantage! ®, you will probably notice a “green” leaf icon by the product name in the search results. A product gets this leaf if one or more contractors offering that product selects a “green” icon. The product detail shows the specific “green” icons for each contractor. For many products, you may notice that some contractors have selected a “green” icon and others have not. If every contractor accurately identifies their “green” products, they should all have the same icons.
Several initiatives are underway to meet this goal:
- The environmental symbols used in GSAAdvantage! ® (and other systems) to identify sustainable products are being changed to align with EO 13514. A document detailing these changes is posted at the Vendor Support Center site,
- GSS is working with the vendor community to implement sustainable requirements at the Schedule level for designated product categories,
- GSS continues to engage industry on the best strategies to “green” its Schedule service contracts,
- Stay abreast of the latest trends in sustainability in the federal government and your industry,
- Review your catalog to determine if products currently on your contract meet any available sustainability standards (ENERGY STAR, CPG, EPEAT, etc.). If a product meets one of these standards, be sure to select it in the Schedule Input Program (SIP), so the symbol is displayed in GSA Advantage!®, and;
- Manufacture or distribute products that comply with the standards in EO 13514
For dealers and re-sellers, you will generally rely on manufacturer information. Some programs like ENERGYSTAR or Water-Sense may include a label on product packaging. Other programs like Bio Preferred (bio-based content) or the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (recycled content) will require a review of the product specification.
The best way to learn about these programs, and the products they address, is to visit GSA’s Green Product Compilation at SF Tool. Type in your product, or browse the product categories to see which are covered by an environmental program. It’s possible you are selling a product that meets the recycled, bio-based, or another program's “green” requirements, and may not even realize it!
As an MAS contractor, it’s important to realize that GSAM Clause 552.238-72 requires you to accurately identify a product’s environmental attributes on GSA Advantage!®, other ordering platforms, and communication media. If a product is “green”, but isn’t identified in GSA Advantage! ®, you’re probably missing out on sales! Ensure that you are always listing the correct environmental icon, since you want to provide the correct information to your customers . Note that you may need to do additional fact finding to confirm that your specific product meets the “green” requirements. Accuracy is the name of the game! After you’ve reviewed your price list, and confirmed your “green” offerings, it’s time to update your information in GSA Advantage! ®.
Essentially the Same (ETS) Commercial Products – AbilityOne
What is AbilityOne?
The AbilityOne program is a federal program that generates jobs for individuals who are blind or otherwise severely disabled through the manufacturing of products or provisions of services required by federal personnel. The Javits-Wagner-O’Day (JWOD) Act 41, U.S.C. 46-48a, established the AbilityOne program which is administered by AbilityOne Commission from People who are Blind or Severely Disabled. All products and services identified on the AbilityOne Procurement List are mandatory for all Federal customers IAW FAR Part 8.
What is ETS? An ETS product or service is any product or service offered by your company which is similar to a product or service identified on the Procurement List or AbilityOne Catalog.
Certain products under your contract may be ETS. Because AbilityOne is a mandatory source for Federal customers, contractors are required to remove all ETS items from all resultant contracts. Under the 51V program we have identified specific SINs where there is significant crossover into this area. It is important that you monitor your contract closely and remove any product similar to a product offered through AbilityOne. The Procurement List and current AbilityOne catalog can be viewed from AbilityOne. In addition a listing of office and janitorial/sanitation products that are ETS is available at http://abilityone.gov/distributors/potential.html. A complete listing of AbilityOne items can be downloaded at http://www.jwod.gov.
These listings do not include private label products. Any private label product must be reviewed by the AbilityOne personnel.
Monitoring ETS
Under 51V Special Item Numbers (SINs) 105-001, 105-002, 834-100, 834-500, 834-600, 834-700, and 834-900 have specific technical requirements pertaining to AbilityOne. If your contract includes one of these SINs you must monitor the Procurement Lists and AbilityOne catalog to ensure compliance with the AbilityOne program.
Authorized Distributor Program
The AbilityOne program authorizes commercial contractors to distribute AbilityOne products to federal customers. Contractors must be officially authorized prior to selling AbilityOne products. Therefore contractors seeking authorization must demonstrate how its order entry system will automatically block the sale of commercial ETS items to federal customers and substitute the appropriate AbilityOne product. Visithttp://abilityone.gov/distributors/potential.html to download an application for authorization.
Questions
Remember regardless whether a contractor is authorized to distribute AbilityOne products or not, you cannot sell commercially ETS items under your MAS contract at any time. Should you have questions concerning a specific product or service or wish to participate in the AbilityOne Authorized Distributor program please contact Mr. Eric Beale at ebeale@abilityone.gov or 703-603-2119.
Direct any contractual questions to your Contracting Officer.
Facilities Maintenance and Management Schedule 03FAC
New Year – Refreshed Contract Clauses!
Schedule 03FAC was updated on December 21, 2012 to Refresh 20. Mass modification A284 has been issued; please accept to keep your contract compliance current.
New Year – New Commercial Subcontracting Plans!
Happy New Year Large Businesses! Many of you may have a “commercial” type small business subcontracting plan in your contract. These plans are valid for one year, often based on the calendar year. If so, you may be receiving automated e-mail notices advising you that your current plan has expired, and a new one is required. Please work with your Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO) out of our Chicago office on getting your new plan approved. Once the ACO has approved the new plan, it must be submitted through the eMod system to be formally incorporated into your 03FAC contract. If you need assistance, or aren’t sure who your ACO is, please contact your 03FAC Contracting Officer.
New Year – New 03FAC Industry Partners!
The contract package documents can be downloaded from the eOffer website by an authorized negotiator after the contract has been awarded. These documents are important to have in a secure but accessible location; the company will need them to ensure the contract remains in compliance and to reference during Industrial Operations Analyst (IOA) visits.
Business Management Division Update
How to Market to the Federal Government
The Facilities Maintenance and Hardware Acquisition Center (FMHAC), Business Management Division (BMD) offers a half day course to all 03FAC and 51V contract holders. This 3 hour course covers a variety of information to assist our contract holders with the best way to market to the federal government. This course is done via webinar at no charge to you.
During the half day session, you will learn about:
- Who in the federal government buys the products or services you sell,
- How to start developing a contact list utilizing the Fed Biz Ops archives,
- The importance of developing relationships with end users and contracting officers,
- Assistance available to small businesses,
- How to advertise in GSA MarkeTips,
- Where to look for federal buying trends,
- Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC),
- Where to advertise and how to make your company stand out,
- Advantages of having a GSA Schedule contract and the highlights of the MAS program,
- Trade shows,
- Learn about ordering procedures; and,
- FMHAC’s partnering corner
To sign up for a session please send an e-mail to Kristy Wilbur with your company information, GSA Schedule Contract number and POC information.
Are you a member of GSA Interact? Interact is an open, collaborative community for connecting, communicating, learning and engaging across GSA topics. You can join by going
to Interact and setting up an account.
FMHAC Quarterly Industry Partner calls
Once a quarter, FMHAC hosts an industry partner call for each of the business lines in our center. During the calls we provide information on MAS contractual updates, news from around our center, and what we are hearing from federal customers. We also like to hear from you, our industry partners, on what you are hearing on the front lines from federal customers. We encourage you to ask any questions you may have about the federal marketplace, or if you have any questions about your contract.
We also try to have a guest speaker each session to provide you with agency specific updates or news they have to share. This is just one way FMHAC is trying to assist our industry partners with increasing their footprint within the federal marketplace. Please plan to attend these sessions each quarter. If you have any questions please e-mail them to Kristy Wilbur.
GSA Training and Expo 2013 - Cancelled
In the current fiscal climate, agencies and businesses alike have been forced to make tough spending cuts. After carefully reviewing the projected spending and attendance for this year’s conference, GSA is suspending Expo for 2013 in an effort to use our resources responsibly and to deliver better value and savings for our government partners, our vendors, and the American people.
Even with reduced budgets, GSA remains committed to your agency’s recognized need for training and to be kept abreast of the latest developments in acquisition and offerings from our industry partners. GSA offers a wide array of online and virtual training, as well as classroom training closer to your location.
Please go to GSA Expo for more information.
Reduced federal budgets clearly will impact schedule sales in FY13. The fact that FMHAC sales are basically flat in quarter 1 is a good news story.
51V sales in FY12 Q1 were slightly above the trend line. The fact that FY13 Q1 sales are 1% less than FY12 is a good news story. FY13 Q1 sales are right on trend even with the reduced federal budgets.
03FAC sales for FY13 Q1 were completely flat. We do still anticipate seeing some growth in this schedule over the course of the FY13.
FY12 Q1 compared to FY13 Q1 Only
| Schedule | FY12 Q1 | FY13 Q1 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51V | 228,384,000 | 226,117,000 | -0.99% |
| 03FAC | 113,806,000 | 113,847,000 | 0.04% |
| Total | 342,190,000 | 339,964,000 | -0.65% |
FY12 Q1 compared to FY13 Q1 CUMULATIVE
| Schedule | FY12 Q1 | FY13 Q1 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51V | 228,384,000 | 226,117,000 | -0.99% |
| 03FAC | 113,806,000 | 113,847,000 | 0.04% |
| Total | 342,190,000 | 339,964,000 | -0.65% |
| Contractor Name | Contract Number | Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| BIRD-X | GS-21F-062AA | 51 V |
| BUFFALO TURBINE | GS-21F-080AA | 51 V |
| CNC ENGINEERING | GS-21F-059AA | 51 V |
| GREENFIELD INDUSTRIES | GS-21F-082AA | 51 V |
| HONTEK CORPORATION | GS-21F-049AA | 51 V |
| STEEN ENTERPRISES | GS-21F-078AA | 51 V |
| TRENTCO | GS-21F-091AA | 51 V |
| UNIFIRE | GS-21F-071AA | 51 V |
| WATSON COATINGS | GS-21F-072AA | 51 V |
| ADVANCED SPECIALTY CONTRACTORS | GS-21F-079AA | 03FAC |
| ALLPOINTS | GS-21F-046AA | 03FAC |
| BRATSLAVSKY CONSULTING ENGINEERS | GS-21F-054AA | 03FAC |
| C AND W ASSOCIATES | GS-21F-061AA | 03FAC |
| C. S. MONICAL CONTRACTOR | GS-21F-042AA | 03FAC |
| COMMUNITY BRIDGE | GS-21F-073AA | 03FAC |
| DAKOTA ELECTRIC | GS-21F-089AA | 03FAC |
| DELAWARE ELEVATOR | GS-21F-075AA | 03FAC |
| DUSTY DUCTS | GS-21F-076AA | 03FAC |
| ECO-COACH | GS-21F-051AA | 03FAC |
| ENERGY MANAGEMENT ENGINEERING | GS-21F-055AA | 03FAC |
| ENTERPRISE ELECTRICAL SERVICES | GS-21F-083AA | 03FAC |
| ESTES, MCCLURE AND ASSOCIATES | GS-21F-047AA | 03FAC |
| EXELIS SYSTEMS CORPORATION | GS-21F-081AA | 03FAC |
| FELDKAMP ENTERPRISES | GS-21F-044AA | 03FAC |
| GEORGIA COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL ELEVATOR | GS-21F-087AA | 03FAC |
| GOYETTE MECHANICAL COMPANY | GS-21F-056AA | 03FAC |
| GREENSCAPING | GS-21F-067AA | 03FAC |
| HEAPY ENGINEERING | GS-21F-069AA | 03FAC |
| ISS FACILITY SERVICES HOLDING | GS-21F-070AA | 03FAC |
| J. F. AHERN | GS-21F-074AA | 03FAC |
| LUTRON SERVICES | GS-21F-045AA | 03FAC |
| MARKETABLE ENGINEERED PROJECTS | GS-21F-052AA | 03FAC |
| MULTI AIR SERVICES ENGINEERS | GS-21F-050AA | 03FAC |
| NATIVE ENERGY & TECHNOLOGY | GS-21F-058AA | 03FAC |
| OJ'S JANITORIAL AND SWEEPING SERVICE | GS-21F-066AA | 03FAC |
| PRIMARY INTEGRATION SOLUTIONS | GS-21F-064AA | 03FAC |
| R.C.D. CLEANING SERVICE | GS-21F-068AA | 03FAC |
| RADAN LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY | GS-21F-060AA | 03FAC |
| RUBICON PLANNING | GS-21F-048AA | 03FAC |
| SRA INTERNATIONAL | GS-21F-057AA | 03FAC |
| TAYLOR ENTERPRISES | GS-21F-063AA | 03FAC |
| TEXAS CHILLER SYSTEMS | GS-21F-086AA | 03FAC |
| VT GRIFFIN SERVICES | GS-21F-053AA | 03FAC |
