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GCN Home > 05/08/06 issue

Victor Powers | In RFQs, keep all vendors in play

Interview with ECS III program manager Victor Powers

By David Essex, Special to GCN

In a GCN interview, program manager Victor Powers explains the advantages of buying from ECS III and what is being done to streamline ordering while meeting increasingly stringent strict performance requirements of OMB.

GCN: What are the main advantages of using ECS III for IT purchasing, as opposed to other governmentwide acquisition contracts, single-agency multiple-award contracts and other procurement methods?

Powers: It’s tried and true. We already have the processes in place to make sure customers are complying with the [Federal Acquisition Regulation]. A second item would be ease of use. We have the [request for quote] system that we are continually enhancing. It is step-by-step instruction.

GCN: What kinds of products do agencies typically buy from ECS-III?

Powers: Workstations, networking equipment, BlackBerrys, personal digital assistants, software and maintenance for the specific equipment purchased are our most popular items.

GCN: What steps do you take to ensure that customers are getting the best prices and quality for the products and related services?

Powers: The ECS III contracting officer ensures that all Contract Line Item Numbers and IT refreshment requests ... are reviewed for price reasonableness and commercial availability, and whether they fall within the scope of the ECS III contract. Spot price reductions are available, which reduces the cost to the customer. There is also ongoing, open discussion with vendors on the contract and on pricing issues.

GCN: In a January presentation, you talked about a recent internal audit that pointed out some areas of improvement. One task suggested by the audit involves keeping services to a reasonable percentage of product costs.

Powers: ECS III is primarily an IT commodities store, not a services contract. The services offered are limited to the IT equipment purchased from the contract, and the ECS III contracting officer reviews each item requested for price reasonableness. We feel it’s important to review those kinds of orders and make sure they’re in scope.

More news on related topics: Acquisition / Contracts, Management, IT Management



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