The General Services Administration is foreseeing savings next years — plenty of them. Although the agency’s Office of Integrated Technology Services already saw savings worth $1.35 billion in 2013, it plans to launch new initiatives in 2014 to further tighten the belt.
In a Dec. 3 blog post, Mary Davie, assistant commissioner at ITS, outlined some achieved cost savings and efforts to expand on those in the upcoming year.
- In FY2013, the Networx program saved its subscribing agencies $678 million; one agency is expected to achieve 20 percent cost savings by using Networx.
- Most agencies using the USAccess Program save between four and nine times the amount it costs to do it themselves.
- SmartBUY BPAs helped agencies save $775 million in software costs compared to commercial prices.
- The FedRAMP program can help agencies save up to a year in time and $100,000 versus conducting their own authority to operate process.
- As of Sept. 30, 2013, 17 federal agencies saw an average of 7.27 percent or $161,549 in savings by using ReverseAuctions.GSA.gov.
“We aim to reduce the need for duplicate contracts, improve consistency in terms and conditions, improve the chance of successful project outcomes, and of course save agencies money,” Davie wrote. “We leverage the full buying power of the government which gives us the ability to negotiate and drive down prices for everyone.”
Davie acknowledged the successes in 2013, but said more work remains to be done. Specific initiatives to achieve just that include:
- Helping agencies make smarter decisions through data, by piloting prices-paid initiatives for contracts though Future COMSATCOM Services Acquisition and Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts.
- Focusing offerings around “categories of spend” to streamline offerings and channels to the market.
- Setting the foundation to help government through the Managed Mobility Program, which includes a managed mobility information center and FSSI Wireless BPAs to help agencies save 15 to 20 percent yearly on wireless service.
Each effort is meant to enable GSA ITS to better serve its agency customers and achieve more cost savings, Davie said.
“And there are more to come,” she wrote. “Not only will our FY14 initiatives serve government needs, but prices-paid data, modernization of contracts, and aligning acquisitions to seller buying patterns help industry partners compete, reduce costs, and make it easier to do business with the government.”
