6 Tips that Can Help Government Buyers Survive Federal Fiscal Year-End
September is the heaviest buying season for federal agencies. This “use it or lose it” spending spree is decades old and a regular fixture on the calendars of procurement officials.
Just to give you an idea of the amount of awards made during this time the NASA SEWP and GSA Schedule contracts will see 25% of their contract orders in September of this year (source: Federal Computer Week). While SEWP V Program Manager, Joanne Woytek expects the contract to bring in $150 million on the final day of the month alone!
Yes folks it’s crunch time once more. And if you’re a federal procurement or purchasing officer then you’re probably already hunkered down preparing and possibly fretting about the busiest time of the year.
So how can you get through this period unscathed? If you’re in the business of federal procurement, here are some ideas for surviving the federal fiscal year-end busy season.
1. Prepare those nearest to you
Long work weeks (and possibly nights) can quickly take their toll. Make sure that family and friends know what’s going on and set expectations about your availability so that any late nights or missed obligations don’t come as a surprise.
2. Don’t waste time on non-essential tasks
Time management is a big deal at this time of year. The first step to avoid wasting time on non-essential tasks is to put the brakes on checking your email every 10 minutes. Instead, set aside designated times to check your inbox, and use the chunks of time in between to accomplish more pressing, essential tasks. Keep a to-do list and revisit it often, prioritizing your tasks on a daily basis.
3. Be reachable
Don’t disappear entirely. Make sure that your team, vendors, management, and GWAC contract personnel know how to reach you with critical messages.
4. Take advantage of e-procurement systems
Electronic systems, like the GSA’s Ebuy tool (launched in June) is an electronic tool that can help government buyers prepare RFP/RFQ documents online for millions of products and services offered on GSA Schedule. Government buyers can use eBuy to obtain quotes or proposals for services, large quantity purchases, big ticket items, and purchases with complex requirements.
The team at SEWP have also worked hard to provide better RFI tools that help procurement specialists better understand what products they can buy and get through the program. Speaking earlier this year with the Federal Times, SEWP V’s Program Manager, Joanne Woytek, explained the benefits of its new quote tool: “On our quote tool it will actually show the price, so they do not have to open the quote up to find out what the price is. Then they will be able to sort by the price and it is all automated so they will just click a button and, bang, they have everything they want upfront.”
5. Fall back on vendors
The good news is that many vendors, particularly in the busy IT sector, know exactly what busy season means to procurement officers. Find out what your vendors can do to make your job a bit easier at this time of year.
For example, what’s their quote turnaround time? Do they have extended hours? What about web chat so that you can multitask and get the answers you need instantly? Do they have the contracts and contracting expertise required to make the procurement process simple, quick and easy?
6. Recharge through compromise
Don’t let the pressure of long hours during September take over your life. Schedule time for a recharge. If that means leaving on-time one night, but working late the next, so be it. Be sure that your manager is aware of your plans. Skipping your lunch hour in favor of lunch at your desk is another compromise.
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