Page 42 - Federal Computer Week, July 2019

SEWP Contract Guide
Decades Later, SEWP’S Still On
SEWP’s Data Collection Supports Compliance and Accountability.
In its fifth iteration, NASA’s Solutions for Enterprisewide Procurement (SEWP) governmentwide acquisition
contract continues to grow. As information technology’s role in government operations expands, SEWP continues to regularly add new products and product-based services. As of May 2019, SEWP V was sitting at $6 billion in sales, outpacing last year’s numbers.
SEWP Program Manager Joanne Woytek credits the contract’s successful run to the program management office’s focus on agencies’ higher-level requirements, not just product wish lists. “We’re saying, ‘Hey, do you want to use this to make strategic decisions?’” Woytek said.
In general, the reasons for SEWP’s success and longevity extend well
beyond its ever-expanding catalog
of IT products and services. Woytek also attributes SEWP’s achievements to innovation and exemplary customer service. Those are apparent in the office’s recent data reporting to help agency leaders understand purchasing trends, compliance checking so that buyers can see
at a glance whether a product or service meets requirements for regulations such as the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, and the Established Authorized Reseller Program, which supports supply-chain integrity. Each is a value-added service that exemplifies how the contract is more than a catalog.
“We want to make sure that we have tools available that make it
really easy to ask for items and for companies to add items and provide quotes and manage everything that’s happening,” Woytek said.
“Our theory is if we stop doing the customer service – it may not be on the list of why people use us, but if we stopped doing it, it would be one of the reasons that people would stop using us,” Deputy Program Manager Theresa Kinney added.
They both expect SEWP’s growth to continue, especially as the definitions of IT and SEWP’s scope evolve. It’s fair to anticipate a SEWP VI follow-on in 2025, when SEWP V expires. Government agencies and contractors alike will be watching closely to see what additional products, services, data sharing and tools will become available.
FCW | CUSTOM REPORT
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