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Anyone willing to explain steps to government work? Need to expand buyer list

huleo

Hot Rolled
Joined
Feb 12, 2014
Location
UT
Today we discussed the facts that as we look to grow, our buyer list needs to get bigger. We have AS cert and an approved vendor for a couple OEMs. Biggest ones last time we checked said "nah, we good". I would like to at least investigate the red tape of government work. Though many have said "oh, it is too much work", those are the same people DOING government work! I get it, just another hand in the jar, but we are really not big enough to cause serious harm here.

We are primarily in aviation work. We had some promising stuff in oil just before that went flop. Our equipment really is not big enough for serious industrial work. To be right honest, everyone we know somehow obtains contracts THEN buys machines. Not one time have I been able to pull that. Usually they want to know "what you have" and only want to send work along those lines. In short, blocking growth, and I am not willing to drop huge machines without any assurance they will work.

All this while I, as well as many here, still question what we are doing in manufacturing!!!!:willy_nilly:
 
I may not be an expert on the red tape side of things, I did work for a company who's biggest customer was the govt. There is a few documents for specs that they make the shop abide by, security issues, etc. I would have to think if the long term work, which can be a lot to nothing, is worth going through all the loops a company is expected to go through.
 
Likely DOD but I'd like to look at other sectors too. But I think some of that stuff is like welded assembly type work that we don't do.
 
Talk to your local PTAC. They're DoD-funded (i.e. free to you) and their entire job is to help small businesses with government contracting. They'll help you get set up with SAM, JCP, etc.. Mine has a service where I get an email every day with anything that matches the keywords I give them.
 
We have appox 30% DOD stuff. Mostly small stuff that we can do in house.

Lots of secondary opps and clerical crap.

We've discovered that IF you are going to do this type of work, the help can be trained pretty quickly to do the mundane shit, like the paperwork. And they don't need no stinkin' degrees.....got it?

But be sure to READ the dwgs and figure in ALL the costs.......They really add up. Especially the "full traceability" thingy. also pay close attention to any source country requirements. They can also be a deal breaker.

The folks we work with do the tier based system with three tiers of suppliers. We have yet to move up from the bottom, but it's coming soon, we believe.

When it does happen, start buyin' shit and hiring......you'll need it.

The hiring thingy is our bugaboo right now.

Good luck and go for it.
 
Just remember the paperwork is more important than the product, the paperwork is seen immediately, the product may never get used. If the boxes are checked it’s good. Doesn’t make sense, but federal work requires,in my trade, about 1 hour of paper work per 6 man hours of labor so don’t forget to price that in
 
I could use some of that green as well.

Is my understanding correct that if you are a direct DoD supplier then you will likely need security clearance? The workaround locally anyway is that if you are subcontracting for a shop that does DoD work then you don't need clearances and no one gives a shit if you smoke reefer all day.

Try to get hired at a DoD shop and you'll need clean pee and they do random tests as well, per the rules of being a federal supplier
 
Today we discussed the facts that as we look to grow, our buyer list needs to get bigger. We have AS cert and an approved vendor for a couple OEMs. Biggest ones last time we checked said "nah, we good". I would like to at least investigate the red tape of government work. Though many have said "oh, it is too much work", those are the same people DOING government work! I get it, just another hand in the jar, but we are really not big enough to cause serious harm here.

We are primarily in aviation work. We had some promising stuff in oil just before that went flop. Our equipment really is not big enough for serious industrial work. To be right honest, everyone we know somehow obtains contracts THEN buys machines. Not one time have I been able to pull that. Usually they want to know "what you have" and only want to send work along those lines. In short, blocking growth, and I am not willing to drop huge machines without any assurance they will work.

All this while I, as well as many here, still question what we are doing in manufacturing!!!!:willy_nilly:

I'm a hobby machinist now but in my past life spent quite a bit of time working for DoD contractors. The main thing any potential supplier needs to do is to put in place a QA program that allows that supplier to comply with the QA requirements in any requests for proposal. In many cases that will be the appropriate ISO standard(s). I know this is not interesting and is easy to dismiss as useless paperwork. However, what you need to realize is that DoD work is first and foremost performed in a systematic way according to written processes. The QA program is your tool for navigating and complying with these processes.
 
I'm a hobby machinist now but in my past life spent quite a bit of time working for DoD contractors. The main thing any potential supplier needs to do is to put in place a QA program that allows that supplier to comply with the QA requirements in any requests for proposal. In many cases that will be the appropriate ISO standard(s). I know this is not interesting and is easy to dismiss as useless paperwork. However, what you need to realize is that DoD work is first and foremost performed in a systematic way according to written processes. The QA program is your tool for navigating and complying with these processes.
:nutter: Uh, I think I mentioned something about an AS cert in my first post. That sort of maybe might cover QA.
 
That alone should open up more opportunities for you. Some of the jobs don't require It. But many have a higher level QA requirement.

Check to see If you're in a Hub zone. That will open more opportunities up to you.

Pay close attention to the packaging Mil-Std contract requirement. I found some of the stuff they require a little hard to find and I spent allot of time hunting and figuring out the packaging requirement side of things. Making the parts was the easy part. For Instance, the parts had to be dipped in a certain fireproof hydraulic fluid. Wrapped in a specific grease proof paper, Individually boxed with a certain amount of a certain closed cell foam around all sides of the part. All the boxes labeled individually. All in the Mil-Std.

You will have to register with SAM. Get a JCP cert. which will allow you access to export controlled drawings.You'll have to do an NIST SP 800-171 assessment. You will need to sign up to Dibbs. And C-folders. When you actually get a contract you will have to sign up to the VSM to ship It. and the PIEE to bill it out. And I'm sure I missed something. To me all the passwords are a real PAIN! They mostly require a different password every 30 days. A little hard to keep up with. But that also depends on what resources (people) you have available to put to the task.

You won't get signed up overnight. The JCP especially can take some time to get.

And by the way YMMV, but I found the local PTAC here virtually useless and no help whatsoever.

:nutter: Uh, I think I mentioned something about an AS cert in my first post. That sort of maybe might cover QA.
 
Had a convo with local PTAC. Well not much of a convo as I can't even talk to a 'counselor' until I apply and then they approve or decline.... I asked about discussing if declined so it can be rectified or if we can apply again. No answers. Typical government stuff..... I am trying to understand what the requirements would be? Yrs in biz? Certain work you do? Do they even care? Surely they are not going to send DOD parts to just anything that fills out the paperwork? Or maybe 'not' being experienced in government work is an advantage? Trying to help newer suppliers? trying to understand this.
 
OT: (related)

One of my stocks (stock market) is looking for a government salesperson(sell stuff to the government).

If such a person is on PM private message me and I will tell the name of the (special computer manufacturer) outfit.
 
OT: (related)

One of my stocks (stock market) is looking for a government salesperson(sell stuff to the government).

If such a person is on PM private message me and I will tell the name of the (special computer manufacturer) outfit.

get your own thread!!
 








 
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