On July 30, 2012, the new System for Award Management (“SAM”) spread its wings and launched online at SAM.gov. This new database is intended to combine numerous federal procurement systems into one new, streamlined system. Specifically, the procurement systems that will be transferred to SAM include the following:
- Central Contractor Registration (CCR)/ Federal Agency Registration (FedReg)
- Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA)
- Federal Business Opportunities (FBO)
- Federal Procurement Data System – Next Generation (FPDS-NG)
- Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System (eSRS)
- Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) Sub-award Reporting System (FSRS)
- Wage Determinations Online (WDOL)
- Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS), Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS), and Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)
- Excluded Parties List System (EPLS)
- Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)
SAM was established to create a single-stop-shop for contractors required to use the various federal procurement systems. It aims to integrate processes, eliminate data redundancies, and provide improved capability of the systems while reducing costs.
The transition to SAM is scheduled to take place in two phases. The first phase focuses on streamlining CCR/FedReg, ORCA, and EPLS. Any changes to these systems after July 30, 2012, must be made through SAM. Contractors will need to register in SAM in order to access their migrated data. The second phase of the process will involve the migration of the remaining procurement systems at a date to be announced.
While the first phase of the SAM transfer has been set in motion, the results have been anything but smooth. SAM is still experiencing some performance issues that may prevent contractors from accessing their data. Only time will tell whether this transaction provides the value to contractors and contracting officers that was intended.