Page 64 - FCW, November, December 2018

SEWP V
CDW•G DELIVERS
NASA’S NEW “POINT-AND-CLICK” CATALOGS SEWP to nuts for faster, easier ordering
ASA’S VENERABLE SOLUTIONS for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) contract, now in its fifth iteration, is expanding user- friendly services with new product catalogs. The move
is taking the governmentwide SEWP vehicle into the era of “point-and- click” buying.
The two catalogs – one for agency-specific purchases,
the other built around the Government-wide Strategic Solutions (GSS) program – allow agency buyers to order from a set list of products without having to issue a separate request for quotation (RFQ) every time they need something.
SEWP has become a favored vehicle among the various GWACs (governmentwide acquisition contracts) because of its ease
of ordering and fast turnaround
on adding new products to the
IT offered, says Sheryl McCurnin, senior manager for federal programs at CDW•G, a major federal IT solutions provider.
“Times are changing and the world at large is moving to one of rapid click and buy,” she says. “The catalogs help SEWP fit into that.”
Joanne Woytek, SEWP’s longtime program manager, says using
the catalogs is “much like going
to Best Buy online. They can
view the available solutions, do comparisons, and create carts or perform a competitive request for quote.”
Despite similar ordering processes, the catalogs are different.
• Agency-specific catalogs
are appropriate when an agency has a known set of requirements for products or solutions, unpredictable funding, standard technology updates or multiple ordering locations. The agency defines the catalog requirements, issues a solicitation, evaluates options and selects catalog providers that best accommodate their needs and budgets. The SEWP program office then creates an online catalog for the agency based on the pre-competed and vetted items.
• Agency-filtered GSS catalogs are a good option when an agency has a requirement
for a targeted subset of the government’s overall GSS specification, such as a specific graphics card or a planned purchase from a limited subset
of available GSS specifications.
The fourth version of those specs, finalized in April 2018, includes tablets and thin clients; three desktop configurations (small form/ all-in-one, mini-tower and high- end); and three kinds of laptops (laptop, lightweight and high-end).
NASA was one of the lead agencies tasked with developing a strategy for the government’s
GSS initiative, along with GSA and NIH. In October 2015, the Office of Management and Budget issued a policy mandating the use of GSS for the bulk of federal agencies’ desktop and laptop needs.
Streamlined and Strategic
The initial GSS implementation coincided with the launch of SEWP, which was awarded in May 2015. Woytek grappled with how to provide the agreed-upon solutions to SEWP customers, settling on a static catalog that is essentially
a snapshot of the larger SEWP catalog that shows only those products and prices that meet the GSS standards.
“As soon as we launched the
GSS catalog, we recognized the applicability to any strategic need,” Woytek says. “If SEWP already has
a set of products and services that meet a customer’s needs, then why keep making them ask if we have those solutions?”
Catalogs provide a tool for agencies to better define what solutions meet their needs, she says. In combination with the agency reporting already provided by SEWP, agencies’ decision- makers enjoy a more streamlined acquisition process that provides better insight and control over their purchases.
The SEWP program office is already planning improvements and additions to its catalogs. Upgraded customer interfaces allow for sharing order carts and a
PRODUCED BY:
SPONSORED BY: