FACNET

Dec 23, 2011 | Government Resources

In 1993, President Clinton issued a memorandum entitled “Streamlining Procurement Through Electronic Commerce,” which called for establishment of a “complete government-wide implementation of electronic commerce for appropriate federal purchases to the maximum extent possible” by January 1997.

How to Get Started

In asking whether or not your company should begin receiving FACNET quotes, first check current activity in your particular product area. If the activity is high, then perhaps it’s worth subscribing to a VAN. Product areas that continue to be well represented include medical supplies and electronic parts.

Some VANs, such as Loren Data, http://www.ld.com, make signing up rather painless. You can try for one month for free, just to see if FACNET is working for you. And another nice thing about Loren Data: you don’t need to install software. You just need an Internet connection. All the activity takes place through your browser.

In selecting a VAN, it is important, as Loren Data points out, to make sure that you have access to all the RFQs available via EDI. Be certain the VAN you choose is DOD-certified and also connected to the Defense Automatic Addressing System Center (DAASC). According to Loren Data, RFQs coming through DAASC now exceed the number coming through FACNET.