UPDATE: GSA Advantage! Gets Renovated, Massive Catalog Backlogs Ensue

Posted by GSA Magazine on May 27th, 2021

There is a statement GSA has issued through Vendor Support Center that the recent GSA Advantage! System upgrades have resulted in a huge backlog of contractor catalog. According to GSA, they are “currently working a backlog of 6.7M products from January 17th on.” GSA is giving assurance that the price reductions have been processed immediate basis, price up-down is being handled on first in, first out basis. Catalogs which are displayed on Advantage! may be affected by “display inaccuracies including missing products”. It is suggested to any contractors, who are receiving electronic orders through GSA Advantage! Should review them carefully for mismatch in pricing if any. GSA is putting effort to address such problems; however, there is no estimated time frame has been fixed. Meanwhile, be sure to review your Advantage! Make an error free list and arrange documentations of any discrepancies to shun the appearance of overcharging the Government. -Jennifer Aubel.

GSA has recently been completed a two-year renovation process of the GSA Advantage! website.

Changes include:

• Enhancement of search/research/purchase capabilities for buyers
• Posted photos with products should be in high resolution

Order tracking system to be streamlined

The contractors have been advised to check out the GSA help page that addresses how to get maximum result while using the latest and improved GSA Advantage!

In early January, GSA announced that the Consolidated Schedules Program was making a major change … The Special Item Numbers (SIN)s are being changed to reflect those of that are utilized in the individual solicitations.

The Consolidated Schedule has been utilized to provide an efficient process in order to fulfill the order requirements that fall within the scope of more than one GSA schedule. Under this Schedule, Contractors hold a single contract that includes two or more products or services found under different solicitation types. The buyers have always faced a difficult time while identifying/understanding contractors SINS awarded on a Consolidated contract versus those who are used on an individual solicitation because they did not match. The latest numbering system now simply adds a “C” in front of the individual solicitation SIN, example C132-51.

GSA is about to release a mass modification in early February to incorporate this change. Linked is the proposed crosswalk, Consolidated Refresh #12. If anyone is having any questions about the changes to GSA Advantage! or the new Consolidated SIN structure, please give me a call at 301-222-8226.{source: GSA official website}