DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU – MISTAKES CONTRACTORS MAKE THAT COST TIME AND MONEY

Companies pride themselves on moving quickly to meet customer needs and quality service is, undeniably, a market differentiator.  Moving too fast, though, can mean your company smacks into a contract compliance wall.  Remember our mantra here at Allen Federal: “It’s not about how much money you make, it’s about how much you keep.”  Here are some examples of what we’re talking about: 1. GSA Schedule contract modifications that change your Basis of Award customer.  Let’s face it, “contracting by copier” is still very much with us.  Read all mods and task orders to ensure that key contract and compliance terms are what they should be.  2.  A task order issued against a Blanket Purchase Agreement which stated that the work was both covered by and exempt from the Services Contract Act – complete with each appropriate FAR clause.  3. Task orders that require compliance with both the Buy American Act and Trade Agreements Act.  Remember that the TAA covers all GSA Schedule buys, as well as any open market purchases over the current $180,000 threshold.  We can’t emphasize enough:  Read the small print.  Have two sets of eyes review major mods and task orders.  Don’t accept mass modifications without completely reading through them.  The small amount of additional time it takes to make sure that the details are right up front can save your company time, headaches – and a ton of money – later.