Page 39 - FCW, July 2017

support the purchasing folks, and the mission critical programs.”
Budget uncertainty and
the increased emphasis on efficiency have bolstered
interest in programs like SAVES. “[Agencies] realize spend for common commodities can
be reduced without impact to overall mission requirements,” says Baker. However, to remain useful, the FAA recognizes the SAVES contract must continue to evolve and serve the needs of its users.
The FAA’s SAVES Office does an outstanding job of promoting the contract and its benefits internally.
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vehicle. Each SAVES contract within the larger portfolio has its own des- ignated scope of work, and ven- dors maintain direct contact with the customers. Each manufacturer is added to the contract by the cus- tomer, which is then approved by the FAA. “Discounts are negotiated based off of the MSRP, which results in favorable discounted pricing for the customer,” says Sheryl Mc- Curnin, Senior Manager for CDW-G Federal Programs.
CDW-G can be flexible and adapt its processes to support the specific delivery of a service or product, based on customer
“[Agencies] realize spend for common commodities can be reduced without impact to overall mission requirements.”
—Jeffrey Baker, Manager, Acquisition Oversight,
Control and Reporting, Acquisition Policy and Oversight, FAA
The ease of use and deep dis- counting provides a huge benefit to the FAA User Community, says Alex. With simplified ordering pro- cedures, and a program office that is truly in touch with its users, SAVES is an ID/IQ that allows for the FAA to meet its most important IT goals.
Many agencies prefer crafting a custom ID/IQ contract to fit their needs because it can speed up the typical federal buying cycle. “This helps them meet not only their IT needs, but their safety needs as well,” he says.
CDW-G holds a personal com- puting contract and an enterprise software contract under the SAVES
needs. “[The] FAA is a very important customer for us,” says Alex. “We’re always trying to help the mission.”
Down the road, McCurnin hopes the FAA considers consolidating SAVES contracts to help vendors provide multiple solutions across multiple manufacturers to make it easier for the government to buy what it needs under one contract.
Overall, FAA’s approach
with SAVES reflects a trend in government to operate in a more consolidated manner and take advantage of economies of scale and bulk purchasing. SAVES has helped vendors provide more
advantageous pricing and faster delivery to the department, and has helped the FAA consider
its purchasing from a holistic perspective. “Centralization of
IT has changed the way the FAA does their buying,” says Alex. “This contract fits that philosophy.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CDW-G ACCOUNT MANAGER
AT THE TOLL FREE NUMBER:
1-800-808-4239 OR VISIT CDWG.COM.
SAVES BENEFITS
SAVES contracts are mandated for use by the FAA’s Acquisition Management System (AMS), which enforces their usage and results in a higher level of commitment to SAVES by the FAA, says Jeffrey Baker, Manager, Acquisition Oversight, Control and Reporting, Acquisition Policy and Oversight, FAA. “This level of commitment and our goal of having a collaborative relationship with vendors promote success and a positive atmosphere between FAA and its suppliers,” he says.
SAVES spend is tracked on a monthly basis so the FAA can quickly identify changes in usage or requirements, he says. Usage is also embedded
in organizational business goals to reinforce commitment from the agency leadership on down. The analysis and reporting this program requires for administration, “has brought greater transparency to what the agency purchases, how it buys commodities, and how requirements are deployed to support mission,” says Baker.