Homework: GSA Wants You
Overview
Your partner in Aerospace Drones is a service-disabled Iraq war veteran. You recently learned about a federal acquisition rule allowing agencies to provide sole-source and set-aside contracts to service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses. This means agencies must devote three percent of their spending to these qualified small-business owners, a goal set by Congress. While your partner has majority (51 percent) ownership in the company, you are responsible for federal contract administration and oversight. You were recently alerted to an Energy Department RFP for drones needed for geo mapping. Now you must reply to a U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) schedules solicitation for your products. To prepare for this, you must write at 3 to 4 pages preliminary report for your partner and senior management that details the following:
Task
1) Describe the electronic data interchange (EDI) or electronic submission processes and the security measures present in this approach, including the advantages over classic paper solicitations.
2) Analyze whether your company has as much of a chance of having its bid accepted as a much larger corporation by comparing the advantages of being a small company over being a larger firm (for example, Boeing) in terms of contract administration and management.
3) Explain how you would negotiate during the contract award process once your solicitation is accepted.
4) Determine the value of your most favored customer or class of customers to GSA including an analysis of its impact on your small business.
5) Assess the different marketing methods used to market to the federal government by selecting the three most effective methods you would use to market your product or service to the U.S. government. Provide a rationale for your selection.
Format your homework according to the following formatting requirements:
(1) The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
(2) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
(3) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.
The specific course learning outcome associated with this homework is:
1) Examine the process of replying to a U.S. government solicitation relative to contract negotiations, customer value, and marketing methods.