Manufacturer Part Numbers and UPCs

Most likely you have all seen the emails from the GSA threatening a MAS Mod that will force every vendor on the GSA with products to go into their price list and make sure that the part numbers listed on GSA Advantage are the manufacturer part numbers.

Since that MAS Mod has not come to fruition the GSA recently sent an email out to vendors asking for their help in improving product data on GSA Advantage. This means making sure that your company is using manufacturer part numbers and UPC numbers, if available, for all products that are currently on schedule and moving forward. For some companies who do not offer a wide range of products accomplishing this will be a rather easy task. However, for others this is a large undertaking.

So why is the GSA pushing so hard for this to happen? Let’s take a look at two companies, one that uses the manufacturer numbers and one that does not.

I will use a Rubbermaid 35G garbage can as an example.

When doing a search by name of the product you see that I get a wide range of manufacturers and manufacturer numbers as well.

 

 

If I do a search using the mfg part number the results change a little bit.

As you can see by the two pictures, when using the manufacturer part number the contracting officer is given more accurate results. If your company is wondering why sales of certain products have not been up to par, take a look at whether or not the part numbers you have listed correspond to the manufacturer’s.

So in turn, helping the GSA improve GSA Advantage is helping your company’s products become easier to find.

If you’re unsure where to start or just need help with your large list of products, give us a call 216-662-7044.

 

What's Next? Administering your GSA contract.

Being awarded a GSA contract in a huge achievement for a company. All that painstaking work collecting documents, writing narratives, and compiling information just for the opportunity to sell to the government. And once you have that permission, after all that hard work, it’s only logical that you want to make the most of it.

Our latest webinar show you how to do just that. Every step in the contract administration process has an important function; miss one and you put your contract and good company standing in peril. We show you everything you need to do make the most of your contract and of course, Make Money while doing it. Learn about pricelists, SIP uploads, marketing, quarterly reporting, and so many other vital functions that need to be performed to keep your contract healthy and working for you.

Watch the webinar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us8FXZee5eo and reach out to us if you have any questions at all! We’re ready to help you untangle the mysteries around GSA. 

-Sonya Nudel, Marketing Consultant