If you have an existing GSA Schedule contract, and sell your company’s products through GSA Advantage and eBuy, it’s important to keep an eye on your minimum on-time and cancellation scores. It’s not just good business, but starting February 15, 2023, it can have a dramatic impact on your government schedule contracts and can even lead to contract suspension.
Back in November of last year, GSA instituted some changes to how each government contract supplier’s score is calculated, and added in variables for Order Cancellations and On-Time Delivery stats. Just like when you order something from your preferred online retailer, and want to know when it will arrive, GSA wants to ensure that if you sell to the federal government, you are providing a realistic timeline for delivery, and reducing the overall number of order cancellations with your GSA schedule contract.
What this means to you
Simply put, if you are continually having issues with items being in stock and ready for delivery, or if you are having a high number of late deliveries or order cancellations, it will have a negative impact on your overall score as a government contractor. This can lead to suspension of your contract, losing your ability to sell to the government, and losing access to sell through GSA Advantage and eBuy. As this is a new change to the scoring criteria, though, it’s not quite time to panic even if you currently have high negative figures in these categories.
Cancellation Score
As a consumer, nothing is more frustrating than placing an order for something only to find out later that the order has been cancelled because the retailer did not have the item in stock, or couldn’t get it restocked in a timely enough fashion. The GSA wants to remind those who have obtained a GSA Schedule Contract and sell to the government through GSA Advantage or eBuy that the government as a customer is no different. Orders are placed with the expectation that they will be delivered in a timely fashion, so order cancellations will have a negative impact on your GSA scores. They can be understanding, and if you have shown a high number of cancellations they would like to know why this has happened, and what changes need to be made to correct these statistics. It could be something as simple as updating the items you sell through your government contract with GSA Advantage to remove unavailable items, or it could be signs of a larger issue leading to the worst-case scenario in a GSA schedule contract, the dreaded Non-Compliance.
On-Time Score
You hate waiting for your orders to be delivered, and the GSA is no different. If you are having issues with on-time deliveries, this can also have a negative impact on your GSA schedule contract scores once these new changes go into effect. Again, this could be something easily solved by modifying your delivery and lead times, or by removing items from your government contract that you cannot deliver in a timely fashion, but it is important that you correct these issues before you run afoul of the GSA and find your government contract suspended or terminated.
What’s the best way to keep your score up?
It’s important to remember that your GSA Schedule Contract is more than just an agreement. As factors in the market change, so too can your availability and lead times, which can result in compliance issues. With these factors in mind, it is often best to think of your contract to sell items to the government as a living, breathing thing that needs care and attention to make sure it is staying healthy and keeping its potential to grow. The length of a government contract can be extended, but only if the GSA is happy with the results it receives from your business. It is very important to remember that your GSA schedule contract needs a watchful eye, and your GSA Advantage listings and eBuy product listings need to be maintained to ensure stock is available and ready to be delivered on time in order to remain in compliance, and just to keep everyone happy overall.
Yes, it can be time consuming.
As a business owner, you wear many hats and are often pulled in many directions. You may even recall your first steps to getting a government contract, and how you thought it would be so easy to sell to the federal government, only to wonder why now all the new metrics? That’s why it can be hugely beneficial to work with a dedicated government contracting service. Here at GSA Contract Services, we stay current with all the changing requirements and expectations that our clients need to remain in compliance with their GSA Schedule Contracts, and remain constantly poised to advise of any necessary changes. When it comes to a fully managed contract solution, we can handle the heavy lifting by helping your company discover any bottlenecks in your distribution, or any potential road blocks that can lead to delays in shipping, cancelled orders, or any of the myriad ways that your government contract can be put at risk of suspension. That leaves you and your employees free to do their jobs delivering the terms of your federal contracts without having to stress over every little change. Our dedication and experience puts us ahead of the competition, keeping your track record positive and working toward additional contracts or contract extensions to keep getting your piece of the government acquisition pie.
Want to learn more about the upcoming score changes, and how to keep your scores from falling? You can read more from GSA here, or take the hassle and stress out of your GSA Schedule Contracts by partnering with GSA Contract Services today!