GSA IG concerned about transactional data plan

The General Services Administration's inspector general likes the agency's idea of giving up price-reduction rules in favor of a move to transactional data requirements for its Federal Supply Schedule and other contracting vehicles – but that doesn't mean the IG doesn't have a few questions.

In March, GSA proposed a change to its acquisition regulations that would require vendors to report transactional data from Federal Supply Schedule contracts, non-FSS contract vehicles, government-wide acquisition contracts and indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts. The idea aligns with the agency's move toward "category management" methods of procurement.

The comment period on the agency's proposal closed May 4, and in its response the OIG expressed concern that the changes could affect current pricing protections that can't be replaced by the benefits of transactional data.

The OIG wondered whether eliminating price reduction rules would lessen the incentive for vendors to provide the federal government with discounts. Another question was whether implementing new reporting requirements for transactional data would force vendors to install new back-office systems, driving up costs.

Nor is the IG's office the only one raising questions. Vendors attending a relatively rare public meeting on the proposed rule change last month voiced many of the same concerns to GSA managers.