Unearthing the Biggest Hurdles in Federal Contracting: Your Insights Needed!

[Mikelee]

 

Hello Everyone,

I'm currently exploring the idea of developing a tool, potentially leveraging AI, to help businesses navigate the process of federal contracting more efficiently. My goal is to address some of the common pain points and hurdles that you, as business owners, have encountered when trying to secure government contracts.

Before diving in, I'd love to hear your perspectives. What are some of the major challenges you've faced in this arena? What aspects of the process would you most appreciate help with, and what solutions would you value enough to invest in?

Your insights will be invaluable in helping me create something that truly serves our community's needs.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to your feedback!

[Sam101]

I'm not a business owner but if I was I would like a tool which tells me how to make an end product be Buy American Act or Trade Agreements Act compliant.

And if that tool was to be free that would be great.

[formerfed]

14 hours ago, Sam101 said:

I'm not a business owner but if I was I would like a tool which tells me how to make an end product be Buy American Act or Trade Agreements Act compliant.

And if that tool was to be free that would be great.

Sam101, while that seems helpful to businesses the subject can quickly get exceedingly complex.  Calculating the domestic/foreign content is extremely complicated in many instances and often involves very detailed accounting and legal issues.  For example individual components can go through various stages of production in multiple countries all involving determine cost of materials, labor, transportation, etc.  A tool might help on many instances though as long as circumstances are straight-forward. 

[jayandstacey]

On 6/8/2023 at 5:17 PM, Mikelee said:

 

Hello Everyone,

I'm currently exploring the idea of developing a tool, potentially leveraging AI, to help businesses navigate the process of federal contracting more efficiently. My goal is to address some of the common pain points and hurdles that you, as business owners, have encountered when trying to secure government contracts.

Before diving in, I'd love to hear your perspectives. What are some of the major challenges you've faced in this arena? What aspects of the process would you most appreciate help with, and what solutions would you value enough to invest in?

Your insights will be invaluable in helping me create something that truly serves our community's needs.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to your feedback!

My gut tells me that the world (and the regulations) are filled with data, but what's needed is wisdom.  

Likewise, a given RFP is filled with clauses to comply with - but where are the risks or rewards within them?    

I'd imagine a tool that took a given set of contact clauses and built a scorecard nor dashboard for them.   That scorecard might include things like - how often is this clause involved in protests or litigation, and what were the costs/settlements/punishments involved in losses?  How often does it create an audit issue?   Also, what % of companies in SAM say "comply?" (if that clause is included in SAM.)   Is there other evidence of controversy, risk or volatility with this clause?   Is there discussion out there (such as this site) on the interpretation of that clause?   What are the common ways of establishing/maintaining and tracking compliance with this clause?   How can I be alerted when the clause changes?  What's the compliance cost typical in my industry?   And of course, internal considerations like our own tracking, our own SME, our review history, etc.    

None of that really addresses the initial ask of WHICH challenges are major, rather, it assumes that the regulatory part is (overall) the biggest challenge and presents a wider perspective around it.  Other challenges (competition, good selling, keeping pace with change, etc) are all still very real - but having such a scoresheet would be huge I think.   And it seems theoretically doable.    

To more directly answer your question, my top list would be

- Small business regulations / subcontracting / goals / graduations, etc

- BAA / TAA / anything to do with country of origin or nationalist considerations (which are not unique to the US)

- GSA MAS intricacies.  It can get pretty hairy when combined with BAA/TAA and pricing considerations and various compliance risks.  

But of course these are the things that keep an army of lawyers and consultants gainfully employed.  

[C Culham]

Subcontracting limitation.

Nonmanufacture rule.

I will keep thinking.