By Maureen Jamieson

 

Call me a skeptic. I had my bets along with others that the Consolidated Schedule would not be released on October 1, 2019. I’ve lived through many disappointments over my years working on Multiple Award Schedules (MAS). I remember the promises of no more Schedules Input Program (SIP) and the advent of the Formatted Price List.  Then a few years ago the release of the Formatted Product Tool (FPT) only to be told that tool was being discontinued by the General Services Administration (GSA). Any of you who have worked with SIP or tried, you will understand the excitement when we blogged that SIP was going away. Then there are other disappointments, such as the promises of faster processing of modifications, which can still take months.

But now a shout out to Stephanie Shutt, the Director of the Multiple Award Schedule Program, who defied the odds and not only released the Consolidated Schedule on time but did an amazing job keeping industry updated and involved in the process.

Because everyone in the MAS world has been busy making sales against their individual Schedules, we are still getting questions on the impact of the Consolidated Schedule to individual Schedule holders. Following is a review of the Consolidated Schedule Phases 1, 2, and 3 and the potential impact and actions.

Phase 1

  • Now that Phase 1 has been completed, it’s business as usual for current Schedule holders. eMod is open and there are no changes to the modification instructions or requirements. If you wish to submit a new offer, it must now be under the Consolidated Schedule versus the individual Schedules.
  • GSA continues to use the preponderance of work North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) as the standard to determine business size at the Schedule contract level.

Phase 2

  • In order for your contract to automatically transition, current Schedule contractors must accept the updated terms and conditions outlined in the Mass Mod in early FY2020.
  • With Schedule consolidation, current Schedule holders will maintain their current contract number. You will not need to apply for a new contract.
  • GSA eLibrary will be updated automatically upon acceptance of the Mass Mod in Phase 2 and all SINs will be migrated automatically. To ensure GSA Advantage and the text file price list are up to date, contractors will need to submit an update in SIP or EDI.
  • An important note and frequent question – When a contractor accepts the Mass Mod in Phase 2, they will NOT automatically be able to sell anything they want on their Schedule contract without formally adding the items/services via a modification and following the same modification instructions.

Phase 3

  • Consolidation of multiple contracts into a single contract, if applicable. GSA will be publishing additional guidelines and will work with companies on an individual basis to help determine the best path for consolidation.

If you are planning to submit a new offer or if you have a Schedule and need help preparing modifications, preparing for the Industrial Operations Analyst (IOA) assessment, learning the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Ordering Process, and reviewing your Commercial Sales Practices and Basis of Award compliance, please consider attending Boot Camp for GSA Schedules on November 5-6 in Tysons, VA. If you have any questions, email our Training Manager Lali Munoz at lmunoz@centrelawgroup.com

If you have any questions on the Consolidated Schedule, please contact our GSA team.

 

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