Connecting Suppliers with DLA

THELINK

Issue 11

January 2019

www.dla.mil

www.facebook.com/dla.mil

www.twitter.com/dlamil

www.youtube.com/user/

dodlogisticsagency

Is Your System for Award Management Profile Updated?

The System for Award Management (SAM) is an official U.S. Government system. All vendors must be registered in SAM 

to be a participant in the government contracting process; therefore, it is imperative all of the information in your SAM 

profile is precise and up to date. Inaccurate vendor data could lead to delays in award or possibly being bypassed. 

Companies should update their information anytime there is a change to the Core Data, Assertions, Representations and 

Certifications, and Points of Contact. If you are in need of assistance please contact your local Procurement Technical 

Assistance Center (PTAC) or government agency small business office for assistance.

Remember: Your small business’s profile in SAM is like a résumé. Creating a profile which is accurate and complete is 

important to ensure your company is eligible to receive a government contract. Make sure to use accurate, descriptive 

terms about your business so contracting officials will be able to find you in search results. Also, you should make sure 

the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes you select are accurate. Discrepancies could invite 

scrutiny and providing false statements could be a criminal offense. 

SAM registrants (new or renewing) are required to submit a notarized letter formally 

appointing an “Entity Administrator.”

http://www.aptac-us.org/

https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-guide/basic-requirements

2019 TKO’s—Mark Your Calendars!

Learn how to do business with the Government. 

Training, Knowledge & Opportunities Seminars are FREE! 

March 19—20

May 14—15

June 18—19

September 10 –11

November 5—6

Registration coming soon to: https://tko.dla.mil/

All seminars are in Columbus, OH from 8am—4pm
Page 2

PTAC To Celebrate Contracting Success, Build 

Awareness of Free Services

By Beth Reece

Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) scattered across the nation will celebrate the success of small 

businesses which have used PTAC services to gain government contracts in support of the Department of Defense’s 

worldwide mission during the first National PTAC Day on September 26.

Some PTACs will host local events designed to build awareness of PTAC support, but the main attraction is a free onehour webinar called “Top Tips for Finding and Winning Government Contracts” from 2-3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. 

The webinar will feature three panelists including Sherry Savage, who oversees the program for the Defense Logistics 

Agency, which is responsible for administering the program.

The Procurement Technical Assistance Program was created in 1985 to increase the number of small businesses 

capable of participating in government contracts at local and state levels, as well as with DoD and other federal 

agencies. PTACs are located in Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, and all 50 states. In 2017, they assisted more than 

48,000 businesses, helping clients win over 186,000 contracts valued at almost $20 billion.

PTACs provide a variety of services, from identifying contracting opportunities to providing guidance on the bidding 

process. They also provide detailed instruction on registering in or using federal procurement systems such as the System for Award Management and www.fbo.gov, which is the website where DoD and other federal agencies post opportunities for contracts. Counselors also ensure small business owners have proper licenses and certifications.

Carolyn Carson, a small business owner in Arlington, Virginia, has relied on the PTAC to help her firm understand the 

government’s unique needs and refine responses to government requests for information. “PTAC’s outreach sessions 

have been especially helpful,” she said.

“When outreach sessions are announced my firm does the homework in terms of who the firms are that are going to 

be present, and we seek to identify specific opportunities within those companies so we can talk intelligently about a 

proposal that may be of interest to a particular company. By doing that work ahead of time, it allows us to have a much 

more robust conversation,” she added.

Though her firm hasn’t been awarded a contract yet, PTAC support gives her hope it soon will.

The training and assistance PTACs offer are usually free and well appreciated by small businesses, which may lack the 

time and staff to explore the ins and outs of government contracting.

“Government contracting officers and buyers can also benefit from the 

program,” Savage said.

“By supporting new suppliers, the PTACs promote a stronger industrial 

base, which results in greater competition and higher quality goods at a 

lower cost. The Department’s acquisition professionals are striving 

toward these goals as they work to create competitive environments 

and increase small business participation,” she said.
Page 3

PTAC Continued

Kevin Scoles, a DoD business opportunity specialist, recently taught small business owners serviced by Washington 

PTACs how to use a web-based application which allows users to search for contract opportunities and securely submit 

quotes. While meeting with PTAC clients, Scoles was also able to share information on areas with low competition with 

prospective suppliers.

“Although government representatives frequently partner with PTACs to provide training and have sought input from 

PTAC counselors during market research for specific commodities, the partnership could be stronger,” said Tiffany 

Scroggs, manager of eight PTACs in Washington.

“Federal agencies such as the General Services Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

already include PTACs in the early planning stages for marketing events like industry days,” Scroggs added. “PTAC 

counselors can also help identify qualified suppliers for hard-to-source parts.”

“If DLA’s buyers are seeing trends or have areas with really low competition, we’re more than happy to help promote 

that to our firms,” she said. “A lot of PTACs have newsletters where we can include articles on needs, or we can get the 

details out through social-media campaigns.”

“Market research is another step in the acquisition process where PTACs can contribute,” Savage added.

“They have an in-depth knowledge of local small businesses and their capabilities and can identify potential suppliers 

that have demonstrated their capability to deliver,” she said.

During relief efforts following Hurricane Maria last year, the Puerto Rico PTAC helped expedite support on the ground 

by embedding staff with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to facilitate vendor registrations in the System 

for Award Management. The effort quickened administrative and registration processes, and lessons learned through 

the partnership have since been shared with emergency response officials in Hawaii and the West Coast.

Though PTACs do host “matchmaking” events to connect small businesses with government officials, counselors don’t 

do the legwork or place bids on behalf of their clients. And just because PTAC services are usually free doesn’t mean 

they’re considered inferior by business owners like Brian Barnett, whose company resides in McLean. His firm uses the 

Virginia PTAC to better understand how the government might use the services it provides as it expands its customer 

base from the private sector to the public sector. The services have saved Barnett’s firm money and time.

“They’re a great source of information whether it’s a five-minute conversation, webinar, seminar or an official 

counseling appointment,” he added. “It’s been very helpful because the people have so much experience and so much 

expertise.”

More information on local PTACs is available on DLA's Procurement Technical Assistance page. Information on PTAC 

Day is available at the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers. Information on PTAC Day is available 

at the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers.

Issues Opening .pdf Files on DIBBS

Some suppliers have commented they cannot open solicitations and/or awards on DIBBS. This is not an issue with 

DIBBS, but your browser settings for Adobe. The following links are provided which can assist in properly setting your 

computer to read Acrobat Adobe documents. A way of determining whether your browser is the issue is by downloading a PDF to your local PC. If you can open it, then you need to update the plug-in in your browser.

Here is some info from Adobe found on the web: 

https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/change-in-support-for-acrobat-and-reader-plug-ins-in-modern-web-.html

https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/cant-open-pdf.html
Page 4

Thanks to our Suppliers for their Mission Essential Support of the Warfighter

The DLA Wide Area Work Flow (WAWF) Support Team received a follow-up request to our WAWF Tips article 

published in the October 2018 issue of The Link. Below we explain the errors received by the user with suggestions for 

resolution. 

ERROR: There is not an active user for the role of Acceptor for location code: FB6261

ERROR: There is not a registered user for the role of Inspector for location code ‘SPE7M8’

When submitting an invoice and receiving report (combo) with destination inspection and acceptance, WAWF validates the fields on the form including the various DoDAAC fields.

These errors occur when:

-A DoDAAC is not loaded in the WAWF database and/or

-An inspector or acceptor is not registered in WAWF for the DoDAAC

Resolution: In either case, the user should verify all DoDAACs have been inputted correctly and make corrections if 

necessary. If the error still occurs, the user should follow one of the steps below:

-If the payment office is SL4701 (block 15 of the DD1155), a standalone invoice may be submitted in place of a 

combo transaction. 

-If the payment office is not SL4701, contact the local administrator/contracting officer listed in blocks 6 and 24 of 

the DD1155 to inform them the DoDAAC and/or the inspector/acceptor have not been registered in WAWF. 

The local administrator/contracting officer will provide resolution instructions appropriate to the issue.

To help narrow the source of the issue, users may select the “Lookup” menu option in WAWF and choose the “Active 

DoDAACs & Roles” option.

If the DoDAAC is not registered in WAWF, the screen on the left will display:

When an inspector is not registered with a DoDAAC in WAWF, the screen on the right will display:

WAWF General Information: Vendors are reminded DLA requires invoices and receiving reports to be submitted in 

electronic form via https://wawf.eb.mil. The only exceptions to using Wide Area Workflow are listed at DFARS 

232.7002(a)(1). Clauses 252.232-7003 (Electronic Submission of Payment Requests and Receiving Reports) and 252.232

-7006 (Wide Area Workflow Additional Instructions) are the clauses which will be included in your contract or will be 

included by reference via the DLA Master Solicitation. First time users may register by clicking on the “Register” tab on 

the home page. There are also instructions and help for new users under the “Help/Training” tab. 

Wide Area Work Flow Error Codes