April 11, 2017

Subject: Important Change for MAS Contract; New Process for Mods and Options

Dear Schedule Partner,

I am writing to inform you that our current internal process for submitting modifications to add new products, seek economic price adjustments (EPA), and complete new option pricing has been revised, effective immediately.This change is a small part of GSA’s overall strategy on Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) Transformation, which seeks to offer increased transparency, value, continuous contract integrity, and enhanced process improvements for you, our vendor partner.

Last year GSA introduced an early step in the MAS Transformation initiative called the Formatted Products Tool (FPT), which will one day provide your firm with valuable information in terms of where your products are positioned in the marketplace, as well as provide our MAS contracting officers (COs) with data intelligence to use in their price evaluations and negotiations. Right now, FPT is making its way through many pilot programs within MAS.

In the interim period, GSA has released an internal price analysis and market research tool called the Contract Modification & Offer Validation (CMOV) Tool. This CMOV Tool is used by me, your GSA Contracting Officer, and will provide both of us some of the same benefits that FPT will in the future. The goal of the CMOV Tool is to allow for a more informed, fair and reasonable negotiation between GSA and our Schedule vendor partners.

Here is how the new modification request process will work using the CMOV Tool:

  • I have attached a revised MS Excel spreadsheet template for you to upload the proposed price list.
  • You will submit the pricing sheet back to me in this new format before the initiation of a Mod.
  • I will validate this revised pricing in the CMOV Tool, which checks to make sure the file is free of any data-entry errors, such as: (1) text in a numbers-only column; (2) invalid Unit of Issue, (3) duplicated line items, and (4) exceeding maximum length allowed for part number descriptions
  • If any errors or invalid entries are discovered, we will work together to resolve them.
  • Once CMOV determines the file is error free, I will submit the pricing spreadsheet through the price analysis portion of CMOV to determine if your proposed unit pricing is or is not within acceptable market thresholds.
  • This price analysis information will be compiled into a report and emailed to you so we can continue our negotiations.

Please know that we are committed to ease your transition to this new process. If you have any questions, please reach out to me directlyat 817-850-5513, or email me at .

See the CMOV Tool Spreadsheet Templates attached.

Sincerely,

Barbara J. Smith

Contracting Officer

Southwest Supply and Acquisition Center