Benefits of the OS4 Solution
On September 3, 2019, the
Office of Management and
Budget, with the support of
the Government-wide
Category Management
Program Management Office,
announced the designation of
OS4 as “Best-in-Class” (BIC). This designation is a critical part of the Office Management Category Plan, which focuses on customer-centric tools, efficient supplier relationships, attention to socioeconomic goals, and best practices in governmentwide category management.
The OS4 contracts are a streamlined, seamless way to purchase office supplies while fully complying with the Trade Agreements Act. The OS4 solution also provides environmentally sustainable purchasing options, is friendly to small businesses, and offers flexible delivery, product variety, and significant savings. The collective ongoing purchasing by customer agencies continually drives down prices, truly leveraging the government’s buying power.
OS4 cuts costs, reduces price variability, and increases efficiencies by buying everyday supplies such as pens, paper, and printing items from a list of contractors with negotiated low prices. In fact, OS4 builds on the success of OS3 by delivering even lower prices – on average, 15 percent!
OS4 benefits include:
- Ensuring compliance with applicable regulations, including the AbilityOne Program, sustainable purchasing requirements, and the Trade Agreements Act
- Fostering markets for environmentally sustainable products by offering items with various sustainable attributes
- Simplifying data collection and enhancing transparency by enabling agencies to better manage spend and measure cost avoidance
- Hosting a wide variety of contractors in all socioeconomic representations
- Providing ease of ordering with multiple options: GSAAdvantage!, FedMall, or direct from the contractor
Ordering Is Simple
To access OS4 products, go to
www.gsaadvantage.gov
and select the “Office Supplies & Equipment – FSSI” link on the left side of the page. If you want environmentally sustainable office supplies, you can find all available items under various environmental attributes within this aisle. You can also select a contractor according to small-business preference group. Simply select the products and quantities you want, add them to your cart, and proceed to checkout. For orders under the micropurchase threshold, you can choose to order from one company and get all your supplies in one shipment or order from a variety of companies and get multiple shipments – it’s totally up to you. For orders above the micropurchase threshold, please follow the procedures in FAR 8.405-1(c). Also, during checkout, choose from a variety of delivery options – delivery within four business days is standard.
For More Information
To find current OS4 awardees, visit
https://www.gsa.gov/os4.
For more-detailed information on the MAS and OS4, please visit
https://www.gsa.gov/buying-selling/purchasing-programs/federal-strategic-sourcing-initiative/federal-strategic-sourcing-initiative-for-office-supplies-fourth-generation-fssi-os4
or contact any of the following:
Maria Viscione
(212) 264-8727
maria.viscione@gsa.gov
Prince Choudhury
(212) 264-3025
prince.choudhury@gsa.gov
FSSI OS4 program
fssi.officesupplies@gsa.gov