GAO: GSA Reports Fuzzy Numbers on Strategic Sourcing Savings
December 22, 2011
The General Services Administration may have some fuzzy dollar figures on savings for office supplies, but Government Accountability Office auditors found the main conclusion is correct: Strategic sourcing saves money.
GSA estimated that the government saved $16 million from June 2010 through August 2011 through its office supplies strategic sourcing initiative, known as Office Supplies II (OS II). Under this initiative, GSA entered into agreements with 15 vendors offering discounted prices to agencies.
GSA issued a report to Congress in November 2010. In it, GSA reported that, on average, agencies paid 75 percent more than prices through its Multiple Award Schedules contracts and 86 percent more than OS II prices for their retail purchases.