B-135263, APR. 1, 1958
Highlights
IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION WOULD SCREEN THE ITEMS LISTED AND FORWARD THE LISTS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. WHERE THE ACTUAL ITEM IDENTIFICATION AND ASSIGNMENT OF IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS WILL BE DONE. FOR THIS "SCREENING OPERATION" WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION HAS ESTIMATED ITS COST WILL BE $8.28 PER ITEM EXCLUSIVE OF THE SUBMITTING AGENCY'S COST. IN THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE THE COST OF DOING THE ENTIRE JOB FROM ORIGINAL LISTING TO FINAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER IS $8.32 PER ITEM. THE SUBMITTING MILITARY AGENCY'S COST INCLUDED IN THIS TOTAL COST FIGURE IS $7.12. IF THIS IS AN INDICATION OF WHAT CIVIL AGENCY COSTS WILL BE. THIS MEANS THAT TOTAL PROCESSING COSTS FOR EACH ITEM UNDER THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION WILL APPROXIMATE $15.
B-135263, APR. 1, 1958
TO THE HONORABLE FRANKLIN FLOETE, ADMINISTRATOR, GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION:
YOUR LETTER OF FEBRUARY 7, 1958, REQUESTS OUR VIEWS ON A PROPOSED REGULATION FOR A UNIFORM ITEM IDENTIFICATION AND STOCK NUMBERING SYSTEM, KNOWN AS THE FEDERAL CATALOG SYSTEM, FOR USE IN THE SUPPLY OPERATIONS OF ALL FEDERAL AGENCIES.
PUBLIC LAW 436, APPROVED JULY 1, 1952, 66 STAT. 318, ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE THE DEFENSE SUPPLY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, AND GAVE IT SPECIFIC DUTIES AND AUTHORITY IN THE SUPPLY CATALOGING AREA. SEE SECTIONS 4 AND 5. SECTION 11 ALSO DIRECTS THE ADMINISTRATOR OF GENERAL SERVICES AND THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE TO COORDINATE THE CATALOGING AND STANDARDIZATION ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION AND THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SO AS TO AVOID UNNECESSARY DUPLICATION.
THE PROPOSED GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION REGULATION 1-V1-303-04, SUBMISSION OF AGENCY LISTINGS, REQUIRES IN PART THAT EACH CIVIL AGENCY SHALL SUBMIT FOR CATALOGING LISTINGS OF ITS ITEMS OF SUPPLY, TOGETHER WITH THE TECHNICAL INFORMATION NECESSARY TO IDENTIFY THE ITEM UNDER THE FEDERAL SUPPLY CATALOG SYSTEM, TO GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, FEDERAL SUPPLY SERVICE. IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION WOULD SCREEN THE ITEMS LISTED AND FORWARD THE LISTS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, WHERE THE ACTUAL ITEM IDENTIFICATION AND ASSIGNMENT OF IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS WILL BE DONE. THE LISTS WOULD THEN BE RETURNED TO THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION FOR DISTRIBUTION BACK TO THE SUBMITTING AGENCY.
FOR THIS "SCREENING OPERATION" WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION HAS ESTIMATED ITS COST WILL BE $8.28 PER ITEM EXCLUSIVE OF THE SUBMITTING AGENCY'S COST. IN THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE THE COST OF DOING THE ENTIRE JOB FROM ORIGINAL LISTING TO FINAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER IS $8.32 PER ITEM, BASED ON ACTUAL FIGURES FOR FISCAL YEAR 1957. THE SUBMITTING MILITARY AGENCY'S COST INCLUDED IN THIS TOTAL COST FIGURE IS $7.12. IF THIS IS AN INDICATION OF WHAT CIVIL AGENCY COSTS WILL BE, THIS MEANS THAT TOTAL PROCESSING COSTS FOR EACH ITEM UNDER THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION WILL APPROXIMATE $15, AS COMPARED TO PRESENT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE COSTS OF APPROXIMATELY $8 PER ITEM.
WE BELIEVE THAT THE REQUIRED SUBMISSION OF AGENCY LISTINGS TO THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION AND SCREENING BY THAT AGENCY, WITH FURTHER SCREENING BY THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, MAY RESULT IN A DUPLICATION OF EFFORT WHICH COULD BE ELIMINATED WITH RESULTING SAVINGS OF COST IN THE OVERALL FEDERAL SUPPLY CATALOG PROGRAM. IN ADDITION TO A LOWER PROCESSING COST, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE IS WELL EQUIPPED TO PROCESS EXPEDITIOUSLY LISTS OF ITEMS FOR CATALOGING COMING FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES, WHETHER MILITARY OR CIVIL.
IN VIEW OF THE ALREADY WELL ESTABLISHED AND LOWER COST CATALOGING SYSTEM AVAILABLE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, WE RECOMMEND THE USE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FACILITIES IN ESTABLISHING THE FEDERAL SUPPLY CATALOG SYSTEM TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PRACTICABLE.