GSA Global Supply Vendor Community

As part of GSA’s Supply Transformation initiative, we are modernizing the IT infrastructure used to process customer orders. The new platform is known as Order Management Services (OMS) and uses an IBM, cloud-based solution to electronically send purchase orders to our vendor partners for fulfillment. Major elements of that initiative will roll out later in FY 2016, but today’s message will focus narrowly on one element of this transition.

Have you ever wondered where GSA Global Supply gets the requirements we put into our solicitations? You might think that they are derived from our past experience with vendors and the applicable legislative requirements embodied most visibly in the Federal Acquisition Regulation. While those are certainly relevant, what’s perhaps less apparent is GSA’s ongoing partnership with its strategic customers. Our intent is to create supply solutions that reflect an understanding of customer requirements, our own capabilities and those of our commercial partners.

Last week’s post provided a broad overview of the changes inherent in GSA’s Supply Transformation (ST) initiative.

As a result of GSA Global Supply’s transition from a business model focused on distribution centers to one that is reliant on vendors for direct delivery to customers, GSA has revised its metrics for ensuring customer service levels are appropriate.  As one example, GSA has begun tracking data that indicates Orders Shipped Late vs. Orders Shipped On Time.