Vendors and agencies need additional assistance in understanding requirements, available options, and potential business opportunities. Vendors and agencies have difficulty in interpreting requirements and obtaining appropriate guidance and information. There is no single, ongoing point of contact. Software testing needs to be more thorough and open. Because testing is part of the GSA procurement process for the FMSS schedule, much of the information about the software capabilities verification process is considered to be procurement sensitive and therefore not released.
Agencies often duplicate the testing process, wasting both agency and vendor resources.
The GSA procurement process for financial management systems software needs to be made as easy and effective as possible. The current process for a vendor to get on the FMSS schedule is time-consuming and cumbersome. The agency procurement process for financial management systems software needs to be made as easy and effective as possible. Volunteer resources needed to develop requirements and test software are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain. Fewer qualified people are available to staff the various volunteer government teams required to effectively support the FMSS schedule as agencies downsize and budgets becoming tighter.