Navigating the New Era of TDR and GSA Reorganization

In our latest Catalyst Conversations session, we dove deep into the rapidly changing landscape of government contracting. Hosted by Michelle Warren and featuring Erv Koehler, Principal at KERV Services LLC and a former GSA senior leader, the meeting provided critical updates for furniture manufacturers and public-sector specialists navigating Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) shifts.

Here are the key takeaways you need to know to stay ahead.

1. The FAS Reorganization: "Create" and "Deliver"

GSA is undergoing another major reorganization as part of a broader effort to align its workforce with its current workload. For the furniture industry, the most significant change is the splitting of the Furniture Center across two new portfolios: Create and Deliver.

• Create: This portfolio will house all Multiple Award Schedules (MAS), including the Furniture Center, IT, and professional services.

• Deliver: This will manage global supply, fleet, and property programs.

Erv Koehler highlighted why this matters for contractors:

"In the current GSS portfolio, furniture schedules, the requisition channel, and furniture purchasing were in one organization, so we had consolidated category and subject matter expertise. Going forward it appears the furniture schedules will go to the “Create” organization, and the requisition channel and furniture purchasing will go to the “Deliver” portfolio. It's going to be a little bit different, likely a little bit more challenging for you, because those two groups are going to have to coordinate pretty closely."

Action Item: Refresh your contact lists now. Employees and managers may not stay together under the new organizational structure. Don’t just rely on your Contracting Officer (CO) and Contract Specialist (CS); work up the chain to branch chiefs, as reorgs often lead to staff turnover.

2. The Rising Importance of Contract Administration

Contract administration is no longer just a "back-office" task—it is a critical compliance function. Michelle Warren emphasized that the focus is shifting toward rigorous catalog maintenance and compliance flags, such as TAA and 889.

A major warning from the session: Do not be an outlier. The Inspector General (IG) recently highlighted high levels of price variability among schedule holders carrying the same item. Check your pricing against others to make sure you are in line.

FAS is increasingly focused on errors in large contracts. As Erv noted:

"No magic number, but if your catalog is over 1 million items your chance of errors increases."

Failure to maintain your catalog—including pricing and authorized reseller status—can lead to harsh penalties, including contract cancellation.

3. Mastering Transactional Data Reporting (TDR)

The transition to Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) and the FAS Catalog Platform (FCP) is a major hurdle for many, especially when dealing with configurable products.

The meeting outlined two paths for reporting highly configurable orders:

• Path A: Report a unique row for each manufacturer included in the order.

• Path B: Provide a row entry for each configurable product, starting with the Unique Catalog Identifier (UCID), followed by the base model and additional components.

The Goal: Match Rate

Your "Match Rate" is the key quality metric—it measures how many of your reported TDR items actually match your catalog. Focus on base model matching first to ensure consistency.

4. Watching the New OCAS

A new group to keep an eye on is the Office of Centralized Acquisition Services (OCAS). While its long-term stability is debated, it currently aims to centralize procurement for agencies like HUD, OPM, and SBA.

Erv Koehler advised:

"This one is still in a little bit of a state of flux, but it's a good one for you all to watch, from an opportunity perspective, because they are the Office of Centralized Acquisition Services, so they're going to be doing those common goods and services, like furniture, for the government as a whole."

Final Thoughts

As Michelle Warren concluded, staying informed is the best way to handle these shifts.

Manufacturers: Are you ready to see where you stand? Take the free Pathfinder Assessment to discover your current public-sector readiness and get a clear path toward sustained government revenue.