More GSA!

Yesterday I did a quick overview of the GSA contract. We have gotten lots of calls and Emails about how positive the release was. I wanted to do another blog about how the GSA will affect us... Yes this blog is going to be very long. I can't stress enough how BIG being GSA listed is for HISS. It is one of the biggest things to have happened to us in 18 months. Being able to show our products on the GSA schedule brings credibility and validity to the products and the Company. The due diligence the GSA performed on both the company and products was extensive.

GSA is basically a mall for government agencies and we now have an storefront in that mall. There are so many things that are positive about being listed on the GSA; first and foremost it has the potential to bring immediate sales of our products. Being listed on the GSA eliminates many of hurdles that have to be overcome in making sales to local, state and federal government agencies. In many cases it allows us to sell to the government without filling out vendor applications and to sell direct without bidding.

If you read my blog yesterday, you will know what we are 1 of 8 companies listed on the GSA under fleet management. Competition is healthy, but we really stand head and shoulders above the other products on the Fleet management side of the GSA. To be quite honest, there are some companies listed under the Fleet Management that really don't have a competing product. For Example LoJack is 1 of the 8 companies listed and they sell recovery equipment to police departments off the GSA and it has nothing to do with Fleet Management.

Over the last few months we have had conversations with other companies that recently got listed on the GSA and there advice was to "get ready". Obviously we hope that we have the same experience as the others. Below are some benefits and additional information on the GSA.

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) helps federal agencies better serve the public by offering, at best value, superior workplaces, expert solutions, acquisition services and management policies. GSA's Federal Supply Schedules are large contracts through which federal customers can acquire more than 4 million products and services directly from more than 8,000 commercial suppliers More than 1 million of these products and services can be ordered using the GSA Advantage! online ordering system. The US General Services Administration is a reliable and proven source for thousands of Federal purchasers worldwide.

Benefits of being GSA listed:

· Maximizes the opportunities for contractors' participation by notifying them of new government requirements for their specific supplies (products) or services;
· Saves contractors money by reducing the cost of finding government business opportunities and reducing lead time and cost to submit quotations;
· Provides an interactive capability for contractors to communicate requirements and quotations via the web and email;
· Helps contractors establish new business relationships as new opportunities are discovered;
· Provides a fast, efficient, and easy-to-use electronic Request for Quotation (RFQ) system that streamlines the acquisition process;
· Increases sales potential by making contractors more aware of new business opportunities;
· Provides valuable information on the federal marketplace, allowing contractors to expand their customer bases; and
· Saves time, since business opportunities are sent directly to contractors via email and quotations can be sent electronically

GSA Advantage offers the most comprehensive selection of approved products and services from GSA Schedules as well as all GSA Global Supply products
Benefits of using the GSA Advantage for online ordering:
By using the GSA Advantage a customer can:

· Search for items using keywords, part numbers, National Stock Numbers (NSNs), manufacturer names, contractor names, or contract numbers;
· Browse by category of products and services;
· Compare features, prices, and delivery options;
· Configure products and add accessories;
· Place orders directly online;
· Review delivery options;
· Select a convenient payment method; and
· View order history to track status, reorder, or cancel.


A special thanks to Alex who has championed this project and has spent endless hours fighting through the red tape to get our GSA certification!